DEATH OF TRADITIONAL CINEMA

This is a most welcome and much awaited sequel. Rowan Atkinson is among the few comic actors who can turn any material into a must-see (not that JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN is an ugly duckling). While the first JOHNNY ENGLISH is laugh out loud funny and wildly inventive, I can safely state that REBORN gave me my money's worth. The story is convincing enough, despite being less British in tone, and I get it because it heavily spoofs the action-packed side of the James Bond films (the first one capitalized on the rest of the elements that made 007 such a brand name).  All of the characters in the first movie are gone and replaced, save for the titular bumbling hero. Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully for you if you are a die hard fan of the X-FILES) is the new Pegasus, which seems fitting because in the later Bond films, a woman played "M" (Judi Dench). I don't know about you, but as a James Bond fan and a Rowan Atkinson fan I pretty enjoyed JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN. Atkinson, asi...

Rio is a fun family film for its breathtaking colors and locale (yes it is animated but the setting is pretty impressive) and the amount of humor that actually hits the right timing. Leads Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway who voice the two Blue Macaw birds Blu and Jewel have chemistry, but for future reference let us restrain Eisenberg from the singing parts. The plot is an exciting escape adventure of the two leads against their human captors who wants to trade them for money; there are also colorful supporting characters along the way, including Tracy Morgan as a drooling bulldog, but what makes RIO worth watching is the overall experience. The music, the heart of the movie, and maybe even the eco-friendly undertones.  RATING: 4/5

I know, right. John Carpenter. Big name. You'd have lots of expectations, as if it was an action film by John Woo, or a drama by Stephen Frears. The big problem with THE WARD is that it has a lot of precedents, and I am not talking about the horror genre alone. SHUTTER ISLAND and GOTHIKA comes into mind while watching this shallow horror movie, and bits and pieces of GIRL, INTERRUPTED occasionally come in.  There's just so many references to women locked up in mental facilities in the history of cinema that THE WARD pales in comparison. For starters, the women locked up in THE WARD looks normal; there wasn't enough effort at least so we'd believe that they are indeed mentally challenged. The administering of medicines is also done wrong. What we are left is a ghost story that maybe isn't a ghost story.    And yes, the film's twist is tacky and recycled. Think James Mangold's IDENTITY. RATING: 2/5  

My hesitation with ZOMBADINGS before, is that it can easily fall into the mainstream cliches that people have become tired of, like over-the-top performances and what-have-you. Make no mistake. I am not talking about Roderick Paulate. His piercing stare alone elicits shivers. As the gay who cursed the film's main character Remington (Martin Escudero) early in the story, Paulate is highly effective; his iconic status in Philippine cinema and comedic talent bring credibility to the character. ZOMBADINGS 1 starts off fine enough. A young boy pokes fun at homosexuals he encounters, until one of them hexes him, turning him into a homosexual when he grows up. Fast forward to present time; a spree of killings victimizing gays abound the town of Lucban, Quezon. Remington is all grown up and masculine now. His mother (Janice de Belen) is a police officer investigating the murders. His father (the comeback role of John Regala) mans the eatery. There goes your role reversal. Then Remingto...

Supernatural horror movies rely on three things: makeup, music and sound, and production design. Let's include cinematography under production design this instance, because I believe no matter how artsy your shots are, it will not work if your setup is shit. There are a few movies who effectively created a scary atmosphere by mastering these three elements. THE EXORCIST, THE SHINING, POLTERGEIST, SHUTTER (the Thai one). All others seem to fade into the background, and let me tell you there are a million horror films out there. Take INSIDIOUS for example. James Wan (SAW) took an hour before bringing in the big guns, or scares if you will. It was worth the wait. The secret was well-kept until the climax, and though the twist wasn't entirely original (I'm talking about the ending) it was more than welcome.  Wan combined a simple story told intricately with effective lighting. For me the lighting is the star of the show. The lights are where they ought to be. All of the tim...

The narrative of Steven Soderbergh's CONTAGION is that of an interconnected one; from the first frame, we follow the path of a virus as it infects people all over the world. In all fairness to CONTAGION, I was hooked during maybe the first 30 minutes; then it gets kind of bland. I still cannot figure out Soderbergh 's style in filmmaking. He hit the spot in OCEAN'S ELEVEN, OCEAN'S TWELVE and ERIN BROCKOVICH, and missed the mark in THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE and THE INFORMANT. Then again whether or not his films are of quality is up to anybody's preference. You either love em' or hate em'. One thing is certain. The musical score helped create tension in the film. And Marion Cotillard never looked more fabulous, since...ever. I like CONTAGION on the basis of entertainment alone. The star power sure helped, especially Gwyneth Paltrow during that seizure scene. Matt Damon's haircut is disturbing, and Jude Law's activist blogger character seems out of...

It has been decades since the original Shaolin film, "THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE" starring Jet Li came out. At present filmmaker Benny Chan gives a new take on the shaolin story while maintaining (and even improving) the moral representation of the the shaolin discipline. Andy Lau plays a warmongering general, while Nicholas Tse is his second-in-command; a power struggle paves the way for a role reversal, and Lau finds himself in ruins. He is humbled and joins those he once considered enemies, the shaolin. Jackie Chan would not appear until about forty minutes or so, and as a good-natured, lowly cook, we believe him. Just seeing him in those martial arts moves brings me joy. There is an undeniable reverence to the shaolin discipline; the monks show restraint even when provoked, and courage in times of need.  The fight scenes too are well-choreographed, the shots breathtaking; even Xiong Xin Xin who's a great stuntman, and who played one of Van Damme's assailants in DOUBL...

In filmmaker Adolf Alix Jr's oeuvre, there are slow films, and then there are really slow films. LIBERACION belongs to the latter, in the tradition of his earlier film AURORA, starring Rosanna Roces. The thing that fascinates me in terms of Alix's visual style is that either in color or black and white, he gracefully presents his elements onscreen, and there is this unwritten, indescribable visual signature that tells you it is Alix's brainchild. For instance, he favors those long takes of his opening scene to establish either the character, the environment, or the scenario. In LIBERACION, we see a couple of Japanese soldiers tunnel out of a dark cave; since Alix follows an ultrarealist or realist approach to most of his films (if not all), we see what the soldiers see. The screen is dimly-lit, therefore if the soldiers are having a hard time visualizing their exit, then so must we.  I held back this review until I've seen Apichatpong Weerasethakul's UNCLE BOONME...

Nia Vardalos is bright and breezy as Georgia, an aspiring teacher who is stuck in Greece giving tours to visitors. Along the way we get to see some of Greece's majesty, and Vardalos and the energetic supporting cast are fun to watch, even if the first half of the film is comprised of elements that does not bear logic. For example, Georgia is surprised why they had to stay in a rundown hotel, when she earlier claimed that she already gave 43 tours. Forty-three tours and she's surprised! And that's not even the biggest point. She's the frigging tour guide for crying out loud! How could she not know? The rest of the film unfolds as a backstabbing competition between Georgia and rival tour guide Nico (Alistair Mcgowan) in cartoonish fashion. The humor is mostly slapstick, but come second half the film rises above where we see the characters actually having fun. Richard Dreyfuss is notably charming. The comedic layout of MY LIFE IN RUINS reeks of cliche. There's a qu...