X-Men First Class [2011]

For some odd reason, X-Men is moving backwards in time with the latest installment dated on how X-Men was first formed.  The movie didn't have many mind blowing effects, but the storyline is well crafted.

For those of you wondering how everything began, this is the movie to watch.  You get to know how Professor Xavier became Professor X, how mystique ended with Magneto and even how the helmet used by Magneto is actually made in Russia!

One problem I had with this movie was the casting.  Compared to the other X-Men movies, I felt this First Class didn't have the 'stars' with some of them looking too fragile.  Even Professor X wasn't looking convincing himself. Well, probably it's just me being to used to the older X-Men movies.  Anyway, a great watch. Catch it in cinemas. It's so worth it!  If you want to catch the 'older X-men, get the X-Men Trilogy (X-Men/ X2 - X-Men United/ X-Men - The Last Stand).

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides [2011]

Popular movie featuring Johnny Depp, Pirates Of The Caribbean comes back with a new sequel, On Stranger Tides.  Went to see it on Monday after numerous dissapointment (also I didn't want to watch it in 3D), and it was okay.  The new line up was less impressive altough Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) was at his usual best.  I kind of missed the old cast.

The story line was expected, but there was no more 'wow' factor.  I guess the directors and script writers ran dry on ideas and the movie didn't look as amazing as it used to be.  nonetheless, it was great entertainment, just that, it got too dry due to a repetition of many familiar scene (re-used antics).

At that point, did anyone realize they even used the same island?

Super 8 [2011]

Super 8 may sound like a superhero movie, but it's not.  It's about a bunch of kids, yes kids moving about making a movie of their own while unluckily stumbling upon something alien which the US Air Force is trying to hide.  To be honest, there wasn't anything special about this movie EXCEPT the derailment of the train which I thought was superbly done.  Best to give this movie a skip or just rent out a DVD. 

Oh, the romance between Alice & Joe should be played in more detail.. but yeah, it's a real pitty since they are just kids. I would love to see how they grow up together... Final words on this movie, KIDS STUFF... blarghhh..

Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa [2011]

For a Malay movie, this action movie is quite decent as it has almost everything, action, gore and romance.  I believe this movie is a start to greater things for the Malaysian movie industry, and I hope to see more coming which are on par with those ancient movies done by China ad Hong Kong at least.  The movie which revolves about historical figure Merong Mahawangsa starts off promisingly and it does ends well.  The plot itself is a little shaky and the movie itself does get the usual 'Malaysian movie syndrome' which is the feeling that everything is scripted and lacks passion.

On that note, I felt that the casting director could have done a better job for the heroes/good guys because they lacked 'stature'.  However, the 'bad side' aka Garuda was brilliant.  I personally didn't like the Malay language used in the movie as it was too 'antique' for me. As for the advance CGI boasted by the producers, well.. it's not far to be as good as Hollywood.  Overall, a good movie worth watching.

Shaolin [2011]

Shaolin strikes me as one of the best movies ever made as it combines the likes of Nicholas Tse, Andy Lau and Jackie Chan.  The movie shows little about romance, but is filled with and exciting journey of a previous dictator which is remorseful towards his previous actions, particularly when he was the one betrayed by his most trusted soldier. If you are unsure about what Shaolin is all about, do get The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts to know more. 

Jackie Chan, looking a little more 'healthy' serves as a cook, but his contribution as a 'guest star' is not as little as one would expect as he managed to pull off several 'trademark Jackie Chan' stuns which were very pleasent to see.  The mood of the movie itself is gripping, making you sink even more in the atmosphere.  A must watch movie.  It deserves more praise than it has been given.

Tron Legacy (2010)

The movie itself is awesome, which is expected, but was rather predictable at the end.   You know, the hero wins and gets what he wants?  However, I enjoyed the graphics and special effects and wished I had watched the movie in 3D.  The fact is, there is nothing much to shout about the movie as it wasn't as good as Iron Man or X-men.  However, it is my belief that for December, this is the one movie that shined.

Surrogates (2009)

I’ve never been more disappointed in a Bruce Willis movie ever, and this may be the first. Surrogate sound a tad too promising to even reach that node. 

Despite the good concept of the movie, I hugely felt it wasn’t as exciting as most people would imagine. In fact, the movie did feel rather flat throughout, with limited effects to keep you off the feet. Skip this movie if you have limited budget for a movie. It’s better to rent out this movie, or to download a free copy. It's really not worth your money.

The best conclusion would be that this movie didn't rock, and you'd be better off with other action movies featuring Bruce Willis.

District 9 (2009)

With huge rave reviews on this movie, I was really excited to watch it. Nonetheless, upon its first few scenes, I realized it was done in a documentary way, which was kind of cool. The storyline was good, and the movie itself was decent. Throughout the whole movie, the word ‘discrimination’ was lurking in my mind because it the movie does portray how bad humans can become in difficult situations. Nonetheless, this isn’t a must watch movie, and I have my reservations on how it ends. Apart from that, I just felt that it was kind of gross to know that some humans believe absurd things like eating alien flesh can give you super human power. Not a must watch, but a fine movie at the very least.

Push (2009)

I've tried watching Push for over 5 times, and each time, I end up unable completing to finish it. It maybe due to the story line, or I was kind of occupied, but Push is in fact not one of the best movies I've actually watched. The start looked promising with people having extra ordinary powers, but after that.. there is a lot of chasing and unwanted turn of events which makes the movie less interesting.

My humble opinion would for you to go for some other action flick, because this movie just doesn't cut it as a good action movie. The only plus point is that I liked looking at Camilla Belle whom looks really innocent and sweet in this movie. I'd say it is just not worth to watch, adding to the fact why I slept half-way through the whole movie several times.

Final Destination 4 (2009)

Final Destination 4 ain't the best of its family. Despite having resounding gore and blood, it isn't as good as Final Destination 2. Maybe it's because of it's predictability or lack of creativity, or maybe because you can memorize how the next chain of events would lead to the demise of someone. The introduction itself was quite lame if compared to the other Final Destinations.

Despite that, the movie is still worth a watch, but I honestly felt it would suit better for a home video. For fans of Final Destination, be ready to be dissapointed with this sequel, but if it's your first time.. I am very sure that you'd enjoy watching people die. One particular thing which bothered me was the lack of truth in the movie, like how bones could be crushed flat. Gory scenes, are best when they are realistic. Finally, Final Destination 4 is not a full waste of a movie, but not really the best. Hopefully, the next Final Destination movie would be better.

Pelham 123

This action thriller is nothing short of fantastic to watch although it may seem to be anti-climax with certain things arguably illogical to be presented. The one thing I really enjoyed most is the big bike riders from the police force whom were entrusted to bring the hostage money to the Pelham 123. Err, actually, Pelham 123 is a train, which arrives at Pelham at 1:23 daily.

The effects in the movie are as usual, top notch, but I was dissatisfied with the lack of reality in the movie. As I said, somethings just don't make sense. Nonetheless, John Travolta and Danzel Washington provide excellent acting here, despite the predictable script line. There is really nothing to shout about in this movie, but I think it would do something to feel boredom perfectly.

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen (2009)

I’m a huge fan of Transformers, and so my expectations on this movie is nothing but high. The first movie was satisfying, and I was hoping I wouldn’t get disappointed with the second sequel.

The final verdict? Well, the movie was awesome. The fact that Megan Fox was steaming hot in this movie just adds up to everything nice about it. Except for the very last part that is. I always disliked it when they asked Optimus Prime to say “We are sending a message to all Autobots… bla… bla...bla”

Anyway, what made the movie great? For starters, it was action packed. Secondly, it was filled with small but amusing funny jokes, and thirdly… it is Transformers for crying out loud!!

I wouldn’t want to give out many spoilers, but I have to warn you to expect the unexpected. There are so many things that the Deceptions could do this time, much more than I ever knew. Anyway, go catch the movie in cinema’s because it is just worth to watch.

The Fast and The Furious 4 (2009)

The fast, and the furious is a movie which revolves on cars. I’ve seen most of the sequels of this movie, but I can say I am largely disappointed with the latest installment. The movie basically starts off awesomely with stunning stunts, and fantastic driving. The climax would be when an oil tanker was rolling down a hill, moving fast towards Dominic Toretto and Letty, in which they avoided by merely a few inches. That scene not only stunned me, but glued me to the screen for about a minute or two. Sadly, that was also where the movie ended. The rest of the scenes were inconclusive, and boring.

In fact, it was so boring; I almost slept at the ending because the movie does nothing special. It’s the usual ‘revenge’ type of movie, and even worst… there was nothing to shout about in the driving skills of the drivers in the movie. I would prefer The Transporter 3 to this movie, and my recommendation is to skip this sequel.

X-MEN Origins: Wolverine (2009)

This movie has got to be the best comic adaptation ever turned into a movie for years to come. As far as I am concerned, the movie is better than the comic itself. The story line and the effects included into the movie are nothing short of awesome. To cut a long story short, The Origins of Wolverine revolves on how the character Wolverine became his nasty, grumpy, care-less self, and if you have been wondering how he got those sharp blades on his hands, you just ought to catch this movie. Amusingly, I do not recall some of the characters inside this movie in the comic, but that is just something insignificant.

Overall, this movie is worth every penny you’ve got. The only downside is the ending which I thought wasn’t really that cool with Prof. Xavier all of a sudden appearing to save the mutants.

The Transporter 3 (2009)

I’ll be honest; I didn’t know that The Transporter is one of the movies which had a sequel. I thought there was no Transporter 2 until I knew there was a Transporter 3. Anyway, if Too Fast Too Furious is about lavish sports cars, The Transporter highlights expensive, refined cars like BMWs, Mercedes, Lancer etc. You get what I mean. The movie is as usual, the Transporter is paid to transport something somewhere. No names, no questions, and always on time. The problem lies in how he is forced to do his job and how this time, he is practically ‘attached’ to his car.

The plot is simple as it goes something like this… Bad guys want something; they find someone suitable for the job. The person for the job gets into someone directly involved in the job, and the suitable guy seeks to save his new found interest. It’s sort of like Bangkok Dangerous. Nonetheless, the driving skills on display save this movie any further embarrassment, as I thought the skills on display were just fantastic. This is a movie worth to watch, but I’ll be honest to say it will get lame if Transporter 4 does something similar.

Dragonball Evolution (English)

Caught it @ METROWEALTH CINEPLEX, KUCHING
Its 2 HOUR & 5o MINUTES of KAME HAME HA!!
You should catch it because you LOVE DRAGONBALL
You should not watch this movie if you ARE NOT A FAN OF GOKU.

Expected more from this movie to be honest. Was expecting something like X-men or at the very least Batman... but I got the typical DRAGONBALL. The storyline was just as written in the comic, but I found it very weird that Goku wasn't Chinese looking. It wasn't very weird, it was UBER weird!

The movie lacks explosives, and at some point it does seem a little close to a tight budget movie. Acting skills was adequate, but putting Dragonball in the hi-tech world seemed kind of weird too. I guess, that's where the word 'evolution' comes in. For those loving Dragonball, this is just something you should not miss, and for those not into it.. but want to know more, spend RM10 for a ticket. but be warned, I only rate this movie at a possible 3 out of 5, and even then, I feel it should be a little lower than that.

Assembly

Caught it @ STAR CINEPLEX, KUCHING
Its 2 HOUR & 7 MINUTES of AN EMOTIONS!!
You should catch it because you LOVE WATCHING WAR MOVIES.
You should not watch this movie if you PUKE WHEN YOU SEE HUMANS BLOWN INTO SMITHEREENS.

The Assembly is quite decent considering it is "Made in China". The tale and plot gets confusing from the beginning, especially if you have not read the synopsis of the movie, but along the way... you get to know what's it all about.

As a matter of fact, the cinematography, and the effects could match any Hollywood movie, and even better. You could practically see bodies blown apart, and humans dying of war injuries. Fantastic for those whom love stuff blowing up.

One thing which really bugged me is the fact that the movie does not put in adequate sounds at certain scenes, which makes the movie somewhat missing something, or hollow at times. At moments like this, the typical "Asian" feel comes back, and you will be reminded that its not Hollywood your watching but a Chinese movie.

Other than that, this is a very decent movie, and you should watch it.

Babylon A.D.

Caught it @ STAR CINEPLEX, KUCHING
Its 1 HOUR & 30 MINUTES of BOREDOM!!
You should catch it because you WANT TO CATCH VIN DIESEL.
You should not watch this movie if you TREASURE YOUR MONEY.

I have to admit out of all the movies I have seen this year (English movies), this tops as the worst or boring one I have ever watched in the cinema. The plot was too simple, and too short to even call a story. The action was usual, and nothing close to what you would expect from a Vin Diesel movie. More disappointing is the fact that it is a star studded movie featuring Vin Diesel, with Datuk Michelle Yeoh shows not much action you'd expect from both of them, and despite the great acting by both... the plot and storyline of the movie weakens the whole show.

Positively, there are some awesome cinematography, and well.. the typical betrayal scenes, and shooting and blowing up scenes, but other than that... There is nothing worth to chout about. To tell you the truth, I almost fell asleep midway the movie due to its boring plot,and those whom watched also were heard to utter comments on how "normal" a.k.a "flat" the storyline was. Babylon A.D is surely not something you'd want to catch unless you are a die hard fan, screaming to see Vin Diesel's body. Even then,I'd still suggest that you skip this movie, big time.

Death Race [2008]

Caught it @ STAR CINEPLEX, KUCHING
Its 1 HOUR & 45 MINUTES of brutality and fantastic car drifting!!
You should catch it because YOU'D ENJOY THE PLOT, AND YOU'LL BE AMAZED BY UNEXPECTED ACTION SCENES.
You should not watch this movie if YOU HAVE A WEAK HEART

Here is a movie which could beat all the other movies I've ever watched. Its got sex, its got speed, its got cars, its got dirt and practically everything you ever want in an action movie. Although the story is actually about the future, but the plot and action never fails to capture your interest, and that to me is a huge plus within this movie. Adding that up is the fact that the movie has sexy chicks as the navigator of the drivers, and also the use of ugly, but really powerful machines to race. Anyway, who'd think of racing cars with live ammunition would be so interesting? I wish the F1 was something like this. It would be really something.

I was actually hoping little from this movie as it is not star studded, but I walked out of the cinema feeling satisfied with the movie. The feeling that I was watching me myself playing the game Need For Speed creeps into me during the whole movie, as I could sense 'unbelievability' throughout the whole movie which was full of scenes I could only see in PC game trailers, and actions only found in games. I don't want to mention much, as I do not want to spoil it for you... but this is definitely a movie I'd recommend.

The Mummy 3: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor

Where I watched it: STAR Cineplex, Kuching
Duration: 1 Hour 53 mins
Description: Exciting
Should you watch this? : Yup..

Just like other Benden Frasier movies, this was full of witty jokes. I love the chemistry presented in the movie, and how they blended the infamous Terracotta Army with the modern world. Other than that, I don't know whether the history lessons presented in the movie is true, as I did not learn that much on Chinese history in school.

And yes, you should watch this movie. Of course, you must disregard the fact that the mummy (Jet Li) speaks English, and Zi Juan(Michelle Yeoh) and Lin(Isabella Leong) does the same too, despite being over 2000 years old, and not having any formal English education.

Like any adventure movie, you'd expect the heroes of the movie to be a huge winner, and its typically showed here. I guess, revealing too much would spoil the movie for those whom has not seen it, but I guess its suffice to say that this is a movie you ought to catch in the movies.