Passengers

Rating: 6.8/10

Genre: Thriller

Overall value for money and time: 6.4/10

The only thing that saved this movie from being a disappointment was the ending. It had a poor build up and lots of loose ends when the credits rolled. This movie was not able to captivate the audience or engage them into the role of the protagonist. However, the plot was there. The idea was there, just bad execution. There were 2 particular characters in the movie who were way too weird without accounting for, Anne Hathaway's neighbour and her male "patient". The storyline isn't novel, there have been similar movies made, that of which I will mention only at the end of this review to keep the suspense alive (since that's the only selling factor of this movie). The movie is about a counselor trying to help the survivors of a plane crash when she finds herself being in the middle of a "cover-up". Though it seems that I've been slamming the movie from the start, the unreasonably high rating is mainly due to my personal expectation of what separates a film from being just a mediocre movie - plot. Therefore, I believe most of you will not like this movie since it lacks almost everything else. To sum it up, *spoilers ahead* this movie is like a cheap production which lacks the elegance of a mix of "Mulholland Drive" and "The Others", + a little hint of "Sixth Sense" in it.

Seven Pounds

Rating: 8.6/10

Genre: Drama

Overall value for money and time: 8.8/10

A heart wrenching movie about a man who goes around and tries to help seven deserving people. With reference to Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, the title actually refers to the debtor in the story repaying his debts by a pound of his flesh. The trailer does not disclose much about the plot of the movie because that's basically the main attraction to the movie. However, in the midst of the movie, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what the plot was driving at. Still, there are elements of the movie that remains a mystery until the point of disclosure and the storyline might even be viewed as being somewhat unorthodox and unethical. I'm not too fond of the movie Pursuit of Happyness so when the promo was up about this movie being directed by its director, it didn't appeal much to me. I thought Seven Pounds would be another dialogue driven, soul searching and slow paced movie. In a way, this movie had all the stereotyped expectations, but what makes it superior over Pursuit of Happyness is the 'beauty' it portrayed. To further explain my opinion, those of you who have not caught it should stop reading here as spoilers are up ahead. What seven pounds has is a strong plot with a convincing cast to portray the internal struggles of humans. After viewing this movie, you will come to appreciate the miracles every part of our body is able to create. We take for granted the human body and how 'perfect' our body is. But not everyone has that gift. Some of us have weak hearts, weak lungs, weak kidneys, weak bone marrows etc. And those people have their lives turned topsy turvy because of their illnesses. We learn to appreciate life more after viewing this thought provoking film. A chicken soup for the soul production which will change the way you view life forever. I love the way everything adds up in the end (though the cause of the accident and the success of the heart transplant patient was a little exaggerated), and in my personal opinion, the chances of you not liking this movie is only a mere 3-5%. How a life of 1 man can change the lives of 7 others is an extreme act of magnanimity which modern Man has lost through the evolution of humanity. I understand how critiques cannot lift this movie too high up because it might give the wrong impression to others, but we can view the movie in a slightly more positive manner. Though we might not intentionally commit suicide just to donate our organs to those who need it, there are many ways we can make a difference, a good difference in the lives of others. This is the time to start thinking and doing something for others apart from ourselves, because at the end of the day (or the end of the movie), you will feel a sense of fulfillment and happyness that's simply... priceless. Easily one of the top movies of the year.

Bedtime Stories

Rating: 7.4/10

Genre: Comedy

Overall value for money and time: 7.4/10

A lighthearted family comedy about a hotel's handyman, Skeeter (Adam Sandler), who's big boss made a promise to Skeeter's dad to allow him to run the hotel one day. However, the big boss did not fulfill his promise. There was a change of events when Skeeter realises the bedtime stories he tells to his niece and nephew came true in real life. If you're wondering how ridiculous it would be for creatures like dragons and mermaids to be popping out of nowhere in the movie, then you're in for a pleasant surprise. Everything mentioned in the bedtime stories would appear realistically in real life, so don't worry about absurdity. Courteney Cox stars as Adam Sandler's sister, a refreshing face to be seen in the movies, and the little girl who stars as his niece is extremely adorable. Guy Pearce acts as the comedy villian, a role miles apart from his usual solemn movies. The humor is great, made complete with a talented comedy cast, while the plot of the movie has an equilibrium of fantasy and reality. This film makes a good movie for audiences of all ages, genders, and races.

Ip Man

Rating: 8.0/10

Genre: Action

Overall value for money and time: 8.4/10

A well-off martial arts master is forced to live a life of poverty when the Japanese invaded China back in the olden days. Based on the life story of Ip Man, the celebrated Kung Fu master of Bruce Lee (as the poster advertises), the movie shows his struggles for a better life for his family, and the battle of dignity for his countrymen. Many have compared this movie with Huo Yuan Jia, starring Jet Li as the martial arts master, and have claimed Ip Man to be superior. However, I felt the former had a better ending than Ip Man. Ip Man is literally invincible in this movie, and though the action sequences are highly applaudable, you would always know the outcome of any battles. The last duel between Ip Man and the Japanese general ended a little too quickly. There wasn't much to gasp about. Instead, one of the fighting scenes in the midst of the movie was the highlight of the movie. To sum it up, this movie is one of the best martial arts movie in the history of chinese movie making, though has what felt like Twilight Zone's backdrop settings and fairly redundant characters in the movie, this is a movie certainly not to be missed!