21

Rating: 6.7/10
Genre: Drama
Overall value for money and time: 6.9/10

Based on true accounts, the movie is about card counting and how a team of MIT students went to Vegas to win their millions. The mastermind is their professor, starring Kevin Spacey and the rest of the stars are fairly low profile. The main lead is the same lead for "Across the Universe". Those interested in card counting will not learn the methodology viewing this movie, for it only scraps the surface of it. For those who're just curious and ignorant of such a technique, this movie is a great eye-opener. However, this movie lacks a climax in it, though it does have a handful of intelligent and memorable scripts. Initially, I thought this movie was all about card "cheating", but it's not. The main focus was on the characters' developments. Being a card fanatic, the movie didn't live up to my expectations, a disappointment like the other cardshark movie "Shade"...

Pathology

Rating: 7.3/10
Genre: Slasher
Overall value for money and time: 7.2/10

A dark movie about an elite team of medical students challenging one another to commit the perfect murder. Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli from "Heroes") lands his debut lead role in a movie, and objectively, I thought he did an excellent job together with the other lead actor in this movie. Frankly, I'm not a fan of his, since I dislike his acting in the hit series "Heroes", but the director had great foresight in casting him as the lead actor. Be warned, this movie is disturbing and thought provoking, though it could have been under the genre of being a "Thriller", the gory scenes throughout the movie would easily qualify this film as a "Slasher" movie. Despite a rather predictable storyline, the build up and casting are commendable.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Rating: 7.0/10
Genre: Comedy
Overall value for money and time: 7.0/10

Sarah Marshall is a TV star who just broke with her devoted boyfriend. Devastated, he decided to take a vacation in Hawaii. There, he meets Sarah with her new boyfriend and tries ways and means to get her back. The first few moments of the movie was entertaining but the excitement somehow regresses as the movie progresses. Still, it's refreshing to see new faces such as the actresses Kristen Bell as electric gal from "Heroes" and Mila Kunis for her role as Jackie in "That 70's show". I thought it could have been a more touching movie but it turned out to be just an average popcorn comedy movie.

Paroflops

Rating: 2.2/10
Genre: Spoofs
Overall value for money and time: 3.0/10

The concept of a spoof movie was novel and enticing... but it should have stopped with the first. Scary movie was the first spoof movie made, though brainless, it was pretty entertaining. However, more and more movies of such genre have been made and it's just torturous watching them now. Though the upcoming "Disaster Movie" is yet to be screened.. you already know what to expect. I gave "Meet the Spartans" a go at the theatres and not only was I disappointed, I was flustered! A total waste of time as well as my money! Still, I must give the director props for finding the character lookalikes. I have caught every spoof movie ironically, though only one at the cinema, hoping it would be better the next. I am now overwhelmed with disappointment as the quality of the humour and entertainment decreases with each spoof movie made. Be warned, stay away from them to avoid unnecessary consumption of your time and intelligence...

Battle of the Hulks

1. The Incredible Hulk - Louis Leterrier

Rating: 8.1/10
Genre: Action
Overall value for money and time: 7.9/10

Another movie about The Incredible Hulk, this movie is slightly better in terms of CG and plot. This Hulk has a darker green complexion to Ang Lee's "Hulk" but when it comes to reviewing about this movie, everyone compares it to Ang Lee's movie. I'm not sure why that's so, since they are completely 2 different movies. But I guess that's the norm when it comes to Hollywood movies, there's always comparison between relevant titles. Thus, I will try to review it as individually and unbiasely as I can. Overall, the plot of it is good but I didn't like the villian - the Abomination. Luckily, the movie wasn't entirely about the villian. Intially, it was about Edward Norton (from "The Illusionist") trying to cure himself from being the Hulk. However, with a power like the Hulk's, everyone's trying to take that power and use it as their own, hence, the evolution of the Abomination (a supposed more controlled version of the Hulk). That's the part which I don't understand, it's no surprise Hulk won the villian at the end but why was Hulk able to control his power so easily? The movie almost felt like "King Kong" part 2 but it sure was an entertaining one. Smooth story development as well as great casting. Apart from the "Hulk Smash" at the end of the movie which made it slightly chessy, it's an experience not to be missed.

2. Hulk - Ang Lee

Rating: 7.8/10
Genre: Action
Overall value for money and time: 7.6/10

With the very first movie about the Hulk, I jumped at the opportunity to catch such a long awaited classic marvel superhero in the big screens. I must say, I wasn't disappointed unlike most of those who watched it. It had everything about the Hulk as I know him to be - bullet proof skin, massive strength yet fumbles at the love of his life, and a very angry and uncontrollable superhero. Was Eric Bana's breakthrough movie and as always, loved Jennifer Conelly! Though her acting isn't that applaudable, seeing her in any movie really spices up my day. The villian perished in an almost abrupt scenario in the end, but for those who doesnt know, the power of the Hulk comes from the anger which rages inside of him. The angrier he gets, the bigger he grows. However, this can only be seen in Ang Lee's version of the movie and not in "The Incredible Hulk", a major part overlooked. And the reason why the villian "exploded" was because the power of the Hulk is too intense for the villian to overcome, that's why we must sympathize how difficult it is for the Hulk himself to control his anger. Also, the Hulk's face is molded based on Ang Lee's face, a trivia worth knowing about. Though not a fantastic film, it's good enough for me to want to watch it a second time.

No Country For Old Men

Rating: 9.3/10
Genre: Thriller
Overall value for money and time: 9.3/10

A movie about a pyschotic killer on the loose chasing after the one man who stole his loot. Top notch acting by the cast especially the lead villian in this movie. He creates such an intense atmosphere throughout the screening of the movie that together with a fear so real it could make you break out in cold sweat! Well deserved oscar film for being the best movie of the year 2007. There are many scenes in this movie which made me gasps for air. No movie is perfect, and a downside of this one is that there really isn't a climax scene for the movie. I'm not sure why that is so, prolly perhaps there's just too many seat gripping scenes that you can't really rank them. The last 2 scenes of the movie didn't rocket me out of my seat but instead brought me back to reality. Still, they left a vivid impression for me. A true gem which will send a shiver down your spine and have you wonder - "What if there's really someone like him out there?" If there's a movie about the showdown of all the top villians, he's definitely going to emerge the champion...

There Will Be Blood

Rating: 8.4/10
Genre: Drama
Overall value for money and time: 8.0/10

Great film with a running time of approximately 2.5 hours! Though dialogue dominated, it has an engaging build up and an oscar winning performance by Daniel Day Lewis, the lead actor. This movie may not be everyone's cup of tea but I guarantee you this, you will certainly not regret watching it. There are a few memorable scenes which are highly seat gripping and heart wrenching - the blowup of the oil refinery site as well as the last scene. This is indeed another beautiful film which shows the darker side of human nature. I don't believe there's a "good" person in this film, which is one of the few films breaking the convention of the usual Hollywood movies, just a "bad" and a "worse". This movie is about the evolution of the oil industry from the finding father's point of view and the events which takes place over the course of time. (Fictional) There are many themes explored in this movie, such as family, greed, religion and status. Personally, for dialogue dominated films, I believe the success lies in the build up as well as the ending, both of which this movie is superior in.

Juno

Rating: 5.8/10
Genre: Comedy
Overall value for money and time: 5.6/10

Well, I stayed away from this movie for a long long time. When it was first screened at the local theatres, I thought I would never have watch this movie - a movie about teenage pregnancy. Due to the good reviews from imdb.com as well as my friend's reccomendation, I decided to give it a try. Not surprisingly, I wasn't fond of the movie. A girl's first sexual experience landed her into an unplanned preganancy. Deciding to keep the baby but not as her own, she decided to give it up for adoption to a married couple having difficulties with conceiving. Known for her role in "Hard Candy", the lead actress has this repelling force which turns me off - in simple english, I don't like her. This movie almost felt like another pedophillic film in the midst of it, perhaps "icllihpodep" since I felt she had a little crush on Jennifer Gartner's husband. It wasn't put blatantly but I was given that impression when she kept popping over at their house. Opps, a slight spoiler here but the course of the movie is pretty much predictable. I think it's greatly over-rated for it's just an average popcorn movie. Nothing memorable about it...

Ryan Reynolds

1. Waiting

Rating: 5.7/10
Genre: Comedy
Overall value for money and time: 5.5/10

Ryan Reynolds is probably most well known for his role in "2 guys, a girl and a pizza place". Though he started off slow, his career is finally kicking up. One of the "unsung heroes" of Hollywood, his acting is of extreme calibur, and would be appreciated given the right roles and opportunities. "Waiting" was one of his first few movies, however, it didn't even make a good past time movie. The film revolves around employees in a restaurant and what they do to nasty customers. It shows the "darker" side of the F & B industry in its entirety, honest yet probably slightly exaggerated. It has a shallow plot and the humour element was just half past six. The reason of this review is not to criticise Ryan Reynold's acting, instead it's here to remind us all that a bad movie doesnt make an actor bad.

2. The Nines


Rating: 7.2/10
Genre: Suspense
Overall value for money and time: 7.2/10

The trailer for this movie was extremely enticing, so I thought, why not give it a try? Ryan Reynold is a guy living in 3 different worlds and he must patch things up (so must you) and understand why is that happening to him. Though it was rather confusing all the way till about three thirds of the movie, the ending brought forth a new concept that one might not be able to accept easily. I don't recall anything scary for the movie, so it falls under the "Suspense" category as opposed to being a "Thriller". Ryan Reynold takes on more serious roles in this movie and its a great movie to showcase his acting skills. However, I was not immensely impressed by the movie.

3. Chaos Theory

Rating: 7.8/10
Genre: Comedy Romance
Overall value for money and time: 7.6/10

Just like the 1st 2 movies mentioned, this movie didn't receive much publicity, though the difference is that this movie deserved it. Highly touching and hilarious. The story is about a guy who's obsessed with perfect time management and soon realises that no matter how well you plan your life, it doesnt turn out the way you want it to be. Hence, he introduces what is called the "Chaos Theory" into his life, writing down things he never done before on cue cards and picking them randomly. It started off light heartedly, progressed into a more serious and teary situation and finally ended with an "enlightenment" take home message. Brilliant casting, as well as a good build up of plot development. This is a movie not to be missed.

4. Definitely, Maybe

Rating: 8.8/10
Genre: Comedy Romance
Overall value for money and time: 8.8/10

From the producers of "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually", how bad or unpredictable could this movie be? I was only half right. It was good, as expected, exceptional actually, but not predictable. A loving father tries to explain to his daughter about his pending divorce. Being taught about conception and sex education in class, she thinks she was a mistake, and questions her father about his love life before marriage. Her father tells a story of him and his 3 loves in his lives, changing the names of them and letting his daughter guess who the mother is. If you don't already know, the father is none other than Ryan Reynolds and the daughter is the young girl from "Little Miss Sunshine", one of the rising Hollywood kid stars. This movie has what I call the fairy tale element in it, together with pleasant suspense and cheeky lines on his daughter's role to add to the humour. It's quite a "fullsale" movie, and I just love this movie. One of the most romantic thought provoking movies I've ever seen, leaving you utterly shaken by the sincerity and truth of such a scenario. A must see! If you thought "Love Actually" or "Notting Hill" was good, it gets better!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of the Fleet Street

Rating: 7.6/10
Genre: Musical
Overall value for money and time: 7.4/10

Benjamin Barker, sent away by an evil judge who fell in love with Benjamin's wife, returns with a different alias to take revenge. Supposedly aiding a new guy who has a crush on the Judge's daughter (actually Barker's daughter), he commences his diabolical plan. Now known as Sweeney Todd, he works with Mrs. Lovett, who makes meat pies out of humans that Sweeney kills whilst cutting their hair. The plot is highly disturbing and twisted, yet, due to the movie being in black and white (and red), one will not be entirely grossed out by it. Sounds similar to "Sin City" doesnt it? Well, this movie is 1.5 times more slasher-like compared to the former. Imagine combining a slasher movie, making it black and white, and turning it into a musical? The songs are catchy and novel, and how often do you get the chance to hear Johnny Depp singing? Once again, Johnny Depp displays his versitility and talent in acting. The movie has a high pace and the uniqueness of the cinematography makes this dark movie one of the films not to be missed. The ending will leave your hair stand on ends... Be disturbed, be highly disturbed, for the demon barber of the fleet street is here!

Across the Universe

Rating: 6.3/10
Genre: Musical
Overall value for money and time: 6.2/10

A love story between a poor British boy and an upper class American girl is portrayed using songs from the renowned band, the Beatles. How they met, getting together, then separated bla bla bla... typical typical typical. I thought the legendary music of the Beatles could have made this movie one of the better musicals, however, it was disappointing. There were simply an overdose of inappropriate improvisation on the tempo of the original songs, so much so that it turned me off. This movie made the classics songs sound pirated. Also, the plots were all over the place. It confused me more than a 1000 piece jigsaw. The only good thing about the movie... sadly, was the fresh faces, especially that of the lead actress. Nowhere near the ranks of "Moulin Rouge!" and "Phantom of the Opera". Just like "Hairspray", would leave you shaking your head after the movie and have you regret wasting your time on it. The only reason it reached the "6" rating is because I'm quite a huge fan for the music of the Beatles.

Once

Rating: 7.3/10
Genre: Romance
Overall value for money and time: 7.0/10

Came to know about this movie from a friend of mine, who told me about the link to the main song of the movie "Falling Slowly". It was the song which inspired me to catch the movie. It isn't a blockbuster type movie, but has its own uniqueness about it. The plot is raw, and has a bold documentary style cinematography. The movie revolves around 2 main characters, a male basker and a female passerby who shares the same interest in music. They soon work together to record a demo disc, and sparks start to fly soon after. However, the female lead has a child, which complicates things a little. I won't spoil the story for you, though there isn't much of it in the first place. But for those who loves music, you will be inspired by this movie. I personally liked the sweet ending, though abrupt but it leaves a good feeling after the movie. Not a movie to watch in the wee hours of the night since it's dialogue dominated. Personally, you can forego this movie but DO NOT miss out on the song! Those interested in viewing the song, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoSL_qayMCc

Spiderwick Chronicles

Rating: 7.5/10
Genre: Fantasy
Overall value for money and time: 7.5/10

At first glance, this movie felt like an imitation of the "Chronicles of Narnia" and "Harry Potter". With all the adolescence fantasy movies these days, how could this movie ever surpass any of the predecessors? Nonetheless, I went with an open heart and was pleasantly impressed with the plot for it was highly captivating. Imagine being in a world of faeries and other weird creatures without knowing of their existence! There's a mansion by the name of spiderwick estate where the first documented book about the alternate world of faeries is hidden and protected. The evil Ogre boss wants the book so that he can find and eliminate all the "good" creatures, and its up to a young boy and his twin brother to protect the book and save the creatures from destruction. The start of the movie had a pinch of horror element in it, and the pace of the build up was progressively engaging. There's a fair dose of humour, awe, and excellent acting by the casts... but 1 thing I don't understand is why the directors made the ending so "complete". The movie felt like a stand alone movie but whatever happened to the "chronicles" part? Still, highly recommended for all occasions. Definately 1 of the better fantasy movies I've caught so far, probably the 2nd best, slightly trailing behind "Stardust".