Cars 2

Ratings: 8.0/10

Film Class: A

Genre: Action Comedy (Animation)

Cars 1 was one of the few Pixar films which I didn't like, didn't bother giving Cars 2 a chance... until I got it because of my nephew's fondness of cars. Well I thought... might as well give it a try... And zzooooommm, Cars 2 has taken over most other Pixar films and is now officially one of those in my top list. 

Lightning McQueen... star racer is back once again, and he finally brought his best bud, Mater, an old rusty tow truck to help out his race in the Grand Prix. Unknowing to him, there's an espionage brewing in the darkness, and it's up to his best bud to save the day. Yup, you heard me right, his best bud, Mater, to save the day. 

If you're hoping to see lots of Lightning McQueen (not me), be prepared to be disappointed. Cos' Cars 2 is about his rusty tow truck best bud, unexpected hero Mater. To be honest, the posters don't do Cars 2 justice, and in a way, "deceives" the audience. I would think Cars 2 is a much more matured animation for the older audience... Kids wouldn't appreciate it as much as its first movie because they wouldn't really understand the life lessons subtlely taught behind the seemingly simple storyline. 

Don't understand why it got such a bad rating on imdb, but I can confidently tell you, those guys who rated it in imdb are WRONG. Cars 2 kickass... why? Because it's both a combination of James Bond, and "karship" (Singapore pun, actually it's basically friendship between cars). The values one get to learn from this, is remarkably deep. 

*major spoilers ahead* By now you would have realise that whenever I include spoilers in my reviews, it's because I find it necessarily to justify my ratings. I don't want to leave my viewers hanging, or claim that I'm just basing it on subjectivity (only a small part, I mean afterall, isn't ratings all about subjectivity? But I still prefer subjective objectivity.) Those posts without spoilers alert doesn't mean that they aren't good, it's just that they're generally undebatable. 

There's uncover James Bond-type action scenes which makes cars 2 a whole lot different from what we saw in part 1. Action, +1 tick. There's also recognisable scenic landmarks of the world, in particular 3 countries, Japan, Italy and London, all of which are locations where the Grand Prix races took place at. Each time they were in each country, there were local and cultural jokes, as well as interesting takes on what the countries would look like if indeed cars populated them. Gorgeous scenes (backdrop) car-world style, +2 ticks. 

Life lessons taught in movie? The true value and strength of friendship. It also lets us open our eyes to the world of the outcasts/forgotten (basically the classics), what they once were, though now will never be, but as long as we remember, will forever be. And looking good doesn't necessarily mean better. Dedicated to those insecure buggers who rather drive a flashy, modified (most of the time for the worst) car than a decent looking reliable one. Morals, +3 ticks. 

Humor? +1 tick. Twist in ending? +1 tick.  Total ticks count: 8. Easily. 

Cars 2 isn't cool because it's an animated version of Fast and Furious, or of the races. It is cool because the action scenes, and because of the morals taught which I nostalgically miss since Finding Nemo...

Hotel Transylvania

Ratings: 7.5/10

Film Class: A

Genre: Comedy (Animation)

Dracula is an overprotective dad who opens a hotel for monsters where he keeps his precious daughter and travelling monsters safe from the human world. Yup, it's a twisted world, where monsters are afraid of humans instead of the other way around. 

He has invited the monsters over to celebrate his precious daughter's birthday, but things took a turn when a human explorer discovers the hotel. Is this boy explorer as scary as what the monsters think humans to be? Or is he the link for the understanding between humans and monsters? 

I didn't like the boy's character, he was too obnoxious and there wasn't anything likable about him. Wished the director/scriptwriters had created a more mild-mannered, less over-the-top character instead of this one. On the other hand, love the monsters, especially Dracula. He's funnily irritating, and even though he's a monster, he's more human than human, and there's this sensitive side of him that allows the audience to instantly connect with his character. 

Fun-filled family film for everyone! See the cute and funny sides of our favourite (or feared) monsters in a totally different light!

Rurouni Kenshin

Ratings: 7.6/10

Film Class: B-

Genre: Action Drama (Japanese)

Rurouni Kenshin is a live action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga, Samurai X. I believe there was an animated movie/series which was very popular about a decade ago, of which I have vague recollection of. All I know is that I was once a short-lived fan, and that fanship has sparked yet again. 

In the 1800s, there lived a legendary samurai, feared by all, whom everyone calls "Battosai". He played a huge part in ending the Bakumatsu war (final years of the edo period, marking the end of the shogun) and in causing the transition of the Samurai Age to the New Age. Since then, he had laid down his sword, and made a pledge never to kill anyone again... 

10 years later, disguising himself as an ordinary wanderer by the name of Kenshin Himura, with his trademark reverse blade sword (which has no chance of killing anyone, or so they, the characters claim. Even though logically, one can still kill with a reverse blade sword), he meets the pure-hearted Kaoru, whose path unfortunately crosses with the villainous Kanryuu Takeda, a crimelord vent on taking over the world with his production of opium and his acquisition of the then modern age gunpower. 

Actually the plot sounds predictably boring, but it's the appearance of another "Battosai", which is the highlight of the entire movie. This imposter "Battosai" is ace-material, and there is only 1 man who can stop him... Kenshin Himura... 

*spoilers ahead* Though the storyline was well developed, and there was a pretty smooth transition of the scenes, some of the scenes were overacted and overplayed, resulting in a awkward discontiunity of my concentrated engagement. I wasn't fond of a particular fight scene where 2 characters were goofing around with each other, though it was intended to be funny, it turned out more corny than comical. 

The cast didn't quite have the look which fit their characters, with the exception of 1, the veteren Yosuke Eguchi, who gained popularity after the Japanese hit series, Under the Same Roof (aired on TV during my younger days, when Japanese culture semi-dominated Singapore's media, which has now been dominated by K-Pop/Drama). 

Even though the movie turned out to be pretty draggy at one point, what I liked about it is the emphasis on the lead's predicament and his perservering nature to never take another life again, despite the impending instigating moments. 

It doesn't take a savant to figure out that he would finally unleash his true nature at the end but it's with this expectation that keeps me at the edge of my seat till the very end. 

Fighting scenes wise could be better, the lack of CG made it too realistic and less exaggerated. In brief, Rurouni Kenshin is more character than samurai slicing. 60% story, 35% cool and 5% sweet (esp the ending). 

Upside Down

Ratings: 7.0/10

Film Class: B-

Genre: Sci-Fi Romance Drama

It's an interesting concept, living in an upside down world, where 2 worlds interwine with opposing gravities. Adam and Eden lives on opposite worlds, but their chance encounter creates a love story even stronger than the force of gravity. Just like any Sci-Fi movies, it's never "perfect", one world's wealthy, while the other suffers from poverty. And as their names already suggest, expect something new to be created from this Romeo and Juliet forbidden love story... 

Concept and plot wise, prettttyyyyy good. Loopholes? Guaranteed to stunmble into some with a genre like that. Acting was good. However, the narrative part of the plot was horrible, lead actor Jim Sturgess (as Adam) can act but he's not a good narrator. CG wise... quite fake but allowed the audience to experience what it would feel like living in their worlds. 

*major major spoilers ahead, read only if you have no intention of watching this movie* The ending seemingly intended to create an explanation on how the 2 of them was able to end up together... but on deeper analysis, doesn't quite make sense. First off there wasn't even a scene or an implied moment that resulted in that consequence. Secondly, having a mixture of both bloods should result in an equilibrium, meaning that Kirsten Dunst (Eden) should be floating in between both worlds instead of being able to join Adam on his world. 

However, that aside, the most impressive part of the movie was the experiment that Adam was working on... anti-ageing solution. It's not effective internally, but more on external facial features. Because there's 2 worlds with opposing gravities, using matter from the other world,  Adam was able to create an anti-sag solution. To come up with an experimental concept like this is a stroke of genius (kudos to the script writer, who's also the director) - considering the appropriate reference to the main story's concept.

I thought their love story blossomed too abruptly, the moment Eden got back part of her memory (implied in one sentence she said) she fell straight back into love with Adam, even though the scenes before that showed how distant they were. It would have been more realistic if she were to take things slow, since she only remembered bits of pieces of her past. 

Despite all its flaws, I'm marking it up mainly because of the movie's concept/plot. 

Skyfall

Ratings: 7.8/10

Film Class: B+

Genre: Action Suspense

Daniel Craig is my favourite James Bond, that is if you consider a comparison of 2 actors a valid conclusion. Well you can't blame me for that, I'm not that old to be acquainted with the franchise's earliest stars, even though I've heard of their names, such as Roger Moore and definitely Sean Connery. 

But the only 2 James Bonds I've watched in full are those cast by Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. Caught bits and pieces of Sean Connery's Diamonds Are Forever but that's about it. While Daniel Craig isn't as good-looking as Pierce Brosnan, he sure does have his own charm... the "hardy don't-mind-getting-all-dirty" and "suaveness-comes-along-with-that" kind.

Daniel Craig's Aced his first bond movie, Casino Royale. Quantum of Solace was so-so and Skyfall was in-between. *spoilers ahead* The opening scene was utterly impressive, but the mood gradually died off. I believe the director wanted to bring back the good ol' days, the good ol' Bond, with the bare minimal tech/weaponry support he got, Bond must find a way to stop an astute and crafty villian, a blast from the past. Not his, but M's. 

*major spoilers ahead* M is Bond's direct boss (for anyone who has ever watched any movie on Bond should know this) and is haunted by her past when one of her top ex-agents targets MI6 to execute his vengence on M. For layman, MI6 is the secret intelligence unit in Britain, the agency James Bond works for. It's up to Bond to outwit, outlast, and outplay the villain. [triad copyrighted from the Survivor reality series, which I've recently became a huge fan of!]

The villian, acted by Javier Bardem (nice! even though his acting wasn't that awesome) is always one step ahead because of his knowledge of how the agency works, forcing Bond to rely on traditional methods to even the odds. Well, at least that's the idea of the plot but I didn't see much of that though. 

What this means is that the action sequences were less ... theatrical? It lacks the *umph* I expected to see in a modern James Bond film but the strength of the plot was a good boost to its ratings. *major spoilers ahead* I was excited to see Ralph Fiennes in it, but didn't like the ending because one of the main characters was killed off. And I'm not even sure if there's even a Bond girl in this film, even if there was it's too subtle, which shouldn't be the case cos one of the unplanned trademarks of the James Bond franchise is that it acts as a platform for featured Bond girls to kickstart their movie careers in Hollywood. 

Ok, I'll be honest here, what this Bond movie lacks is "sex-y". But I still like it, more of its plot than any of its other elements. Oh, and one more thing, I also liked the artistic unofficial opening music video of Adele's Skyfall. 

The Secret World of Arriety

Ratings: 6.3/10

Film Class: B

Genre: Family Drama

I don't know why I'm always attracted to Studio Ghibli productions even though I'm not a fan. While I wasn't dying to watch it's newest film, there was something about it which appeals to me. It has a similar concept to The Spiderwick Chronicles and the yet-to-be-released animated movie, Epic. 

A family of tiny people who call themselves the borrowers are discovered by humans. The discovery endangers their very existence, yet the curious Arriety, the daughter of the family, goes against the wishes of her parents to befriend the young master of the mansion they're residing in, leading to undesirable consequences. 

The Secret World of Arriety has a more matured theme compared to its other Studio Ghiblil films, has less dialogue and way fewer main characters. It's interesting nonetheless, and less weird. But due to the lack of dialogue, it's not as attention gripping as Ponyo Ponyo, which I prefer. 

Love the characteristic vibrance of colors in every frame, and the villian is the usual semi-badass (pardon the language). Studio Ghibli's villains are always never that villainous, they're always twisted, yes, but they're never evil enough to be hated by the audience. 

The plot was the determining factor, but sadly there wasn't any spikes or unpredicability in it. No issue keeping the Secret World of Arriety a secret from yourself.

The Impossible

Ratings: 7.6/10

Film Class: B-

Genre: Drama

Follow the tragic account of an American family during the tagic 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which hit Sumatra (Indonesia) and the surrounding coastal land masses. It's based on a true story of a Spanish family, instead of an American family as depicted in this film and it's about what they went through when they were hit by it while having their vacation in Thailand. 

*spoilers ahead* I thought the title wasn't so much made in reference to the possiblity of their survival but more on the reunion process. I didn't brace myself for what was to come... and ended up squirming and feeling emotionally wrecked by the magnitude of it's devastation. 

Haven't seen Naomi Watts this battered before and it was certainly heartwrenching to experience what she had to go through. Her 3 sons equally played realistic roles and Ewan McGregor has once again showed how versatile an actor he is. His best performance has still got to be as the romantic poet from Moulin Rouge though. 

The Impossible is nowhere near a feel-good movie glorifying the perservering human spirit nor the acts of kindness during difficult times. It's about digging deep down inside to find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation, and having the courage to embrace whatever life throws at you.

Expect an uneasy watch, with lotsa blood and tense graphic scenes, but it's definitely worth giving this one a go because it allows us to realistically experience what the victims of the tragic tsunami went through... so that we can appreciate our "sorry" life even more and finally start living every moment of it.