Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen

Ratings: 7.8/10

Film Class: B

Genre: Comedy Drama

I hate to admit this but Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen belongs to the top tier of my local movies list. The first installment was overhyped by the supposedly "state-of-the-art" CG, which totally flopped (Director Jack Neo was ripped off paying at least a  million for that fake-looking early 21st century noobish CG crap), as for the second I skipped it cos I  didn't want to be part of the hype. It was no longer about the CG but more on the boy leads.

Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen wasn't 1st class, it was draggy at times, so much so it felt like a 3-hr movie and the acting was rather amateurish, despite several of the cast reprising their roles (shouldn't their acting have improved!?). I don't wanna slam our local talents too much, but I was unable to drown myself in their sorrows because those scenes were just not convincing enough.

Lotsa product placement scenes as well, and there was even a blatant in your face, or more accurately put, on your face scene promoting a Nivea facial product. Though it was quite out of place at times, it was rather cute, something you won't see often in today's cinema. They were like short comical adverts to tickle both the engrossed, and the dozing-off-ers.

4 main languages were spoken, English, Mandarin, Hokkien and Cantonese. There were also shortbursts of  Malay and Tamil because of a particular scene, promoting our very own Breadtalk and Toastbox. Some of the characteristic trademarks of Jack Neo's movies. His movies are truly "Singaporean", and though I'm not a fan, I have to give him props for that. The jokes never fail to lower the class of his movies but somehow has a relatable flair to them.

The first movie had a rather accurate depiction of what we (NS men) went through during our days in the army. The songs, the terminologies used, the way we were treated, the training we went through were nostalgically spot on. The feel was there. But not so much the dramatization of the conflicts because at least for me during my active service, we were like a band of brothers who went through thick and thin together. We didn't have time or energy to "hate", whatever time or energy we had we channelled to our training.

Thought I bring this up because I wasn't in the navy, so wouldn't be able to vouch for the accuracy of what was portrayed. However, based on what I've seen and felt in the first movie, I dare say it should be fairly accurate as well.

Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen, is about an alternate reality where the boys were enrolled in the naval diving unit (NDU) instead of the infantry unit. The movie features a few protagonists.... We have Ken, the boy with lotsa potential but would rather "chao geng" (slack around) because of a recent break-up with his girlfriend; Lobang, a boy who is a Singapore Ah Beng (gangster) who's very resourceful and glib-tongued; Aloysius, Wayang King, who's the most learned, mild mannered young chap who unknowingly steps on everyone's toes for being too gung ho; and a new addition Hei Long, a triad boss in Hong Kong forced to return to Singapore to serve the nation.  Each character had their own unique steoreotypical chracteristics which many have heard of prevalent in any soldier batch, be it in the army, or navy. And the "best" part is that you get to see what the much talked about Hell Week really is like. An eye-opener indeed. Muah Chees never felt tastier.

*warning major spoilers ahead* There were several puke-blood moments for me. One was when the statue of a frog came to life and flew over the sea (yeah, that was the lamest moment for me), and the other was the fight scene between Wayang King and Hei Long. But it was also that scene which made me realise how good an actor Hei Long was.

Acting wise, I was only impressed twice. One was where Lobang's mother came back to beat his sister up demanding for money, and the other was the fight scene mentioned above. Both his sister and mother shined during whatever screentime they were given. As for Hei Long when he got a beating and was tearing remorsefully on the floor, I... felt for him...

The main reason why I'm giving this movie such a high rating despite all my seemingly negative comments is because it has been a long while since I laughed so hard. I laughed so hard during one scene (the food delivery scene) that I actually teared. Laughing Out Loud lames*** funny.

The after credits scenes and bloopers were hilarious as well, but it ended too abruptly. Audiences had to walk out of the cinema in awkward silence, drained from the what-felt like a 3-hr long movie. They took too long to reach the climax, the highly anticipated Hell Week, too long a build up, too short the "torture"...  

Soundtrack was original and catchy. Rap-styled cool-dude-like with lyrics which makes sense even though they might not always rhyme that well.

Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen promises a muster of laughing out loud jokes and a buffet of eye-candies to chow on. An intimate account of the past, present and future of a typical Singaporean boy, or man. It is indeed a movie worth cheering for. Hoo-Yah! 

Fifty Shades of Grey

Rating: 6.3/10

Film Class: C

Genre: Romantic Drama

*Warning, this review is not meant for the sexually innocent readers, and I take no responsibility for any offence taken because you have been warned. The gist of this review is M18, but my sentiments and words used are at least R21."

So the highly awaited "Mommy Porn" is finally on the big screens. Fifty Shades of Grey was a highly acclaimed erotic romance novel about a college student, Anastasia Steele falling in love and engaging in extreme sexual encounters with a young and charismatic billionaire, Christian Grey. I guess that kinda explains the title, perhaps the 50 shades of grey had a duo meaning, we all know the color "Grey" refers to a dubious area, hence called the grey area, or it could also refer to the many sides of the lead character Mr Grey.

The main eroticness arouses from, arises I mean, from BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Sadomasochism), which refers to extreme erotic practices involving dominance and submission of two or more individuals. There's really no right or wrong, some may see it as a twisted state of mind, a sexual psychopath, but others may see it as a exploration of human nature, coming to terms with our basic instinct - which is why it's a grey area.

I'm not going to say which school of thought I belong to, but all I can say is that from what I see in the movie, it's a very unhealthy relationship.

I shan't torment you further with trivial explanations that you can either google or wiki online, and I know the one big question on everyone's mind is... so was the movie erotic?

No. It was slightly arousing, but not erotic. It was nowhere near hardcore, so don't expect to be watching legalised porn on the big screens. There were many scenes of nudity, but no genitalia shots. The closest were slight glimpses of both lead's pubic hairs, and a bit of butt here and there. I thought it wasn't erotic because each sex scene was filmed too "strategically" and they felt more of a need, than a want. It was as if the sex scenes were there to inject sex, but not sexual tension. They were done hastily, like mutiple quickies and just like how Mr Grey distances himself whenever Anastasia yearns for him physically, the scenes just fades out whenever you're about to cum. Playing hard to get is fine, but not when it's done excessively, and even till the very end, it failed to reach any climax.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't watch it solely for the sex, I would be lying if I told you that my hormones didn't go into overdrive from all the anticipation just before the movie, but during so, they just all went into sleep mode.

From the Ellie Goulding's music video, "Love Me Like You Do", one of the theme songs in the movie which was upload on youtube on 22 Jan 15 just before the worldwide screening of the film, it looked more romantic than I had previously thought it would turn out to be. Well, I haven't read the novel myself, and was so sure it would have flopped like the Twilight Saga until the music video came along. Was I disappointed? Slightly. I wouldn't say it wasn't romantic.

It wasn't romantic during the sex scenes, the director should have prolonged one "quality" sex scene instead of focusing on the quantity, but there were indeed some scenes of their email / text messages that were pretty sweet.

There were 2 main anti climaxes, 1 came from the scene that the word "FUCK" first came up, when Anastasia asked Christian Grey if he was going to make love to her. But to which he replied, I don't make love. I FUCK, HARD (or something similar). I believe there were soft gasps from the audience (almost full seating) because it was rather sudden. Well that one particular scene in itself was already too abrupt, because there wasn't a strong build up of sexual tension in the previous scenes and just out of the blue, or out of the grey, Anastasia just throw herself at Christian with a, "Are we going to make love now?" *9 gag face*

The other was the ending. It has been a long while since my mind was this fucked. I was totally confused and before I could wrap my head around it, the cinema lights came on and whamp, credits cut screen. It was too "orchestrated", as if the director made a pack with all cinema-owners around to world to turn on the lights straight after that iconic elevator scene (shown at the start, and at the end). Film techniques wise, pretty cool, start and end scene with a similar elevator scene. Execution wise, because of the poor progression and ambiguity of its scenes, was like a hard slap on our genitals. Ouch* What the hell did I just watch?

I didn't get the last scene because Anastasia wanted Christian Grey to show her what he went through when he was young which made him the way he is, but after "showing" her, she cut all ties and returned all the gifts she accepted from him. I was like... WTF just happened? All the romance became superficial, like the gifts she recieved. I felt that Anastasia was in the notion of being in love with being in love. She thought she loved him because he was this eligible bachelor, young, handsome, rich. And when he exposed her to a different kind of sexual "pleasure", she was hypnotised with a new kind of sexual exposure. Yet, when she was finally able to "understand" him more, which was what she wanted, she couldn't handle it.

What I liked about the movie was that the focus was all about them. All the other cast were merely calefares. Some might not like it because there was no build up for the other characters, but I came to watch them, and though excessively them, at least I did feel a bit for the leads (how not to for 125mins?!). Oh and speaking of which, it didn't feel like it ran for 125mins, it felt shorter, way shorter. Perhaps an extension to a 3-hr movie was needed to really bring out the sexual tension and characters a bit more?

The other pro about this was definitely the soundtrack. Aptly haunting at times, the songs were either hauntingly romantic (BDSM scenes), or sweetly romantic (other scenes).

It wasn't that bad a film. But certainly not a rewatchable one. I'm not sure if I can submiss myself to a sequel, but am glad there's not one in the making, yet (cos there's no stinger or news about it). The lead actress does look naturally pretty, but her monotonous tone and expressions dulled the mood at times. While the lead actor didn't have a body to get girls wet over (was obvious during the first topless scene of him where there were short *woos* from a couple of ladies just before he took his shirt off but when he eventually did... an awkward silence of dense disappointment filled the air. It was almost... comical), I thought he was quite charismatic as a whole and acted well.

All in all, Fifty Shades of Grey, was just barely worth it. If you want extreme, Fifty Shades won't get you there. If you want romance, Fifty Shdes won't get you that. If you want a mind fuck, Fifty Shades WILL give you that.

Unbroken

Ratings: 7.1/10

Film Class: B

Genre: Drama (Biography)

Follow the life story of Louis Zamperini, a US Olympic runner who was a prisoner of war during World War 2. His epic battle for survival despite his spew of tragic luck is what this movie is all about. I remember reading about him in Bear Gryll's True Grit book, but it didn't occur to me it was "Louis's" story until the part that he was stranded out at sea. Well we know what happens next, as shown in the trailer, him being caught by the Japanese and being tortured and all.

It was a really... tragic story. Depressing beyond repair. Unlike most sad movies, there's really not much of a sliver lining to look out for. Brace yourself for a 137-minute sympathy draining train ride. It was a linear road to demise, at some point in the movie, I just wished it had moved a little faster. I don't want to sound unsympathetic but even though I know that's probably the intention of Director Angelina Jolie to prolong the agony so that the audience is able to empathise with the lead character (well it's based on a true story after all), it felt more draggy than engaging. 

But if anything at all, Unbroken makes one reflect on life and is a constant reminder that no matter how shi**y you think your life is, it's not even close to the one Louis Zamperini had. If he can survive that, no one's gonna judge you if you can't survive even 1/5 of the mental and physical abuse he had to go through (ok, I'm being sarcastic here in case you didn't catch that). In a way, I felt a spark of spiritual strength reignited inside of me because I know that if "I can take it, I can make it". 

That said, there's a couple of memorable quotes that Louis's wise brother shed light on during the pivotal points in his life. Overall, I would say it's a rather inspiring movie biography, not the best, but "coal" enough. 

American Sniper

Ratings: 8.2/10

Film class: B

Genre: Action drama (Biography)

Based on a true story, Chris Kyle is an elite Navy Seal sniper who played a pivotal role in several anti-terrorist missions in Iraq, after the terrorist attack on World Trade Centre in 2001. 

From a Texas rodeo rider to a legendary military sniper, from a bachelor to a father of 2, Chris Kyle struggles to find peace within himself balancing both his work and family. 

American Sniper bags many stoic emotions. It's raw, dreary and heartfelt. Don't expect back to back senseless action scenes, each action scene had a purpose in drawing us into the mental world of Chris Kyles, and provides an explanation to the "degradation" of his "humanity", to briefly quote what his wife said of him. 

Well, I haven't exactly went through any wars before so I dare not say I understand how war veterans feel, I can only imagine how unnerving and unsettling it is for one to have to try to live "normally" since they're always on high alert in the war zones, that a moment of unalertness may cause them their lives. 

*spoilers ahead* I particularly liked a scene which injected a slight subtlety - at the funeral of one of his comrades, gun shots were fired and there was a frameshot of Chris and his wife which showed the differences in reactions of both of them. Chris hardly flinched (cos he was used to it) but the gunshots rattled his wife. 

*Warning, major spoilers ahead* Other scenes of his change in psyche were more in your face but the final showdown scene with the Iraqian elite sniper was one of the most unconventional. I had expected an intense battle of wits between both of them, but it was more one sided. Yet, it was in no way disappointing. We as audiences were able to see what he saw through the sniper scope - nothing. And yet, he was able to spot his prey. The slow-mo scene was out of place, but it did achieve its purpose - to prolong the coolness of the long awaited showdown. 

I only came to know that it was based on a true story because of the live footages shown during the ending credits. Not sure why but I recall seeing the scenes somewhere before, but am unable to find any previous filmography. Well, it did add empathetic points to my ratings but it's definitely one of those true story war movies that will stick. Well directed, well acted, American Sniper was on target for many elements of a great movie. 

The Imitation Game

Ratings: 8.6/10
Film Class: B
Genre: Suspense Drama (Biography)

Alan Turing, a gifted mathematician who during the 2nd World War helped break a seemingly impossible German code pattern used to relay secret messages within their own military daily. The codes were generated by a machine called Enigma, which would create secret messages in a form of cryptograms but what made it so difficult was that the "key" to solving the messages would change everyday. There's a good 158 million million million different combinations to solve Enigma, and Alan's team's only given less than 24 hrs each day to solve it before all their efforts for that particular day would have been wasted. That's the cool part, explained effectively briefly at the start of the film. 

The Imitation Game is a fast paced movie which puts my mind on the edge of my brain (say what?!). It wasted no time in relationship build ups, though there were flashbacks now and then, the focus still remained largely on the EQ-lacking (and as a result there were several awkwardly funny scenes) genius mathematician trying to break the codes. Not having prior knowledge on who Alan Turing was, I was slapped by 2 major plot twists in the movie, one was about his personal life, the other was about his achievement in today's modern world. These I shall not disclose here but I do urge you to not google/wiki them if you haven't the slightest clue so at least there's a few more punches this movie can throw at you to make it even more unpredictably impressive.

*major spoilers ahead* I thought the way they managed to break the code was ingenious, though simple, it was something most of us would have overlooked. It wasn't a stunning discovery, but more of a Eureka, "Why didn't I think of that!" moment. The relationship between Alan Turing and his fiancée suffered slight "gappy" blows to the plot progression because there you have a touching scene of Alan's confession to her about his personal secret but reciprocated by magnanimity of a different kind of love from her, the next scene showed that they were no longer together. 

There were many eye-gaping quotes and though one of them was said a whooping 3 times throughout the movie, the incoherence of it and the tongue-twisting words used downplayed it a little. Still, it makes for a good "aw"-sifying quote, "Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine."

It's not perfect, but it's beautiful. Sad, and heartfelt. Complex, yet enigmatically simple.

The Theory of Everything

Ratings: 7.4/10

Film class: B

Genre: Drama (Biography)

The life story of Stephen Hawking and his wife, Jane Hawking. From their days of courtship to marriage, and till present, The Theory of Everything triumphs in portraying their relationship but fails in addressing the theory of everything. Well, that's the only disgruntlement I have of this well acted melodrama of the rise and fall of our legendary physicist. 

The movie portrays him more of a cosmologist than a physicist (I thought he was more of a physicist, did read up several of his theories back during my younger days), but as for his relationship with his wife, I was totally clueless until this movie came along. It shed light on one of our few remaining geniuses still alive, his fame consistently radiating through guest TV appearances like The Big Bang Theory etc. He suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a motor neuron disease which paralyses his entire body except his mind, and despite doctors' diagnosis of his life span of 2 years, he has long outlived his supposed life expectancy. Not sure if he's still actively constructing theories with his beautiful mind, but this movie wasn't so much that of his genius, but more of his love story with Jane Hawking, his "prime days" before his condition impaired him. 

There were many eye-souring scenes, and the multiple blows of sadness is sure to break even the toughest of men. I thought Jane Hawking and him weren't the best of pairs, one a devote believer of religion, the other, a scientist sceptic of even the existence of God. It's a perfect example of opposites attract, and I hope that one fine day some genius scientist will be able to prove that... Not physically as in magnets, but emotionally and who knows spiritually (if the concept of spiritually even does exist and not just merely a figure of speech). 

Their acting prowess (the 2 leads of course) is the main contributor to the success of this film, while it's not blockbuster material, it sure is a memorable indie film. 

*major spoilers alert* In case anyone picked up on the "wife" part, I had intentionally changed it to protect the outcome of the movie, but to be accurate, factually, it should be "ex-wife". 

Taken 3

Ratings: 6.0/10

Film Class: C

Genre: Action Thriller

Shaky camera work, shallow plot and mediocre fight scenes. One of Forest Whitaker's worst performances, and something major was lacking - coolness. Liam Neeson wasn't as kickass this time round, and because of the forced twist in the story (which was pretty obvious), it made his role less cool, less invincible. To top it, the showdown with one of the major villains felt like a Hollywood version of Ultraman. There you see Liam Neeson being "owned" big time... and just when he was about to get killed, somehow he gained full life and owned the s*** out of the villain, like some computer game character. Boooooooo...

Needless to say, I was utterly disappointed. Liam Neeson had a team of his old pals to help him out, which again negated the expectations of Taken fans. Though his team consisted of a couple of likeable characters, isn't the Taken franchise supposed to be about a super-cool lone ranger taking out a whole syndicate of bad guys, single-handedly (I reiterate)?

I do hope that as the tagline goes, "It ends here". Because I would have hated to see the fall of such a great franchise. 

Liam Neeson is once again caught up in an against-all-odds-situation when he's framed for the murder of his wife. Afraid that his daughter would be harmed, he goes all out to uncover the conspiracy behind the murder, and to exact revenge, Taken-style. Instead of just "hunting", this time he's also hunted by the FBI - a love triangle gone bad. 

I realised the script whereby he said "Good Luck" to Forest Whitaker over the phone, as seen in the trailer, was cut short in the actual movie. It wasn't as what was shown in the trailer, a seemingly trivial, but critical point. That whole chunk load of dialogue was supposed to be the essence of Taken, and yet in the movie, it's importance was downplayed massively. 

Even though there wasn't a particular scene that was memorable, I would still have given it a go for completion sake, since I'm a self-proclaimed Taken fan. It was bad, but thankfully not bad enough.