Tag: Scarlett Johansson

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Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

The Avengers Age of Ultron – More Than Action

My wife and I always look forward to a Marvel movie and catch up with our friends who also play the online game Marvel Heroes. This time round, Dave and Zep showed up. I booked the tickets way before the show, when the duo were still holidaying in Australia.

Avenger Age of Ultron

I must admit, since I am not actually a comic book reader, having played a Marvel game helps a lot in my understanding or rather a glimpse of what Marvel universe is all about. In that sense, this movie makes perfect sense to me. For those who may not have any background on Marvel, I would imagine that the storyline could be slightly confusing at times.

Here is a screenshot taken from the game’s login screen. Those who have watched the movie would immediately be able to relate this to the opening scene. This shows the effort Marvel has put in to promote their movies from all possible channels, including video games.

Age of Ultron login screen from Marvel Heroes

Back to the movie, it is a great follow-up to the first Avenger. Captain America, Ironman, Thor, and Hulk together with Black Widow and Hawkeye forms the Team Avengers. Ultron, the artificial intelligence is the villain. Then, enter the mutant twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. I like the black humor Ultron has. What I like most though is the side of vulnerability from all these heroes. Some sort of depth to the movie, and not just action and special effects.

This movie is long. 141 minutes. Each hero has given enough airtime to shine. Never a dull moment. I enjoy watching this thoroughly.

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Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

Of Captain America The Winter Soldier And The Amazing Spider-Man 2

What a treat for Marvel fans this year. Earlier on, we have the follow-up movies for Captain America and Spider-Man. Later, we will have X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy. Some of us who are fans of the online game Marvel Heroes have already planned to meet up and watch the upcoming X-Men together.

Captain America 2 and Spider-Man 2

3 years ago, my wife and I have watched the Captain America movie. I love his personality being so close to people on the ground. 3 years later set in modern time, Captain America is on a mission with Black Widow. The plot I must admit sounded complicated initially. Had I not been introduced to the Hydra organization thanks to that online game I am playing, I would have been pretty lost because I don’t read that much comic. As far as the story goes, S.H.I.E.L.D. is infiltrated and no one can be trusted. It is up to Captain America in leading the people out of the crisis. The villain turns out to be Captain’s best friend and now called Winter Soldier. This film has plenty of action as well as good plot twists. Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson are both charming on screen. What I found missing or what I really wish to see was some romance in the story, which is none. That leads to the second movie my wife and I have watched – The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

It is hard not to love Spider-Man. He is agile and funny. And he is popular. Andrew Garfield is the perfect actor for this role. There is a vulnerable side of his. But also possess an inner strength and determination that I feel lacking in the previous incarnations. Spider-Man is a super hero after all and he has to be strong. I also happen to like Emma stone as Spider-Man’s love interest. Gwen Stacy is not portrayed as some girls who are helpless without her superhero boyfriend. Being a real life couple may have explained the amazing on-screen chemistry. Plot-wise, this movie is not as memorable as Captain America’s. But I was thoroughly entertained and enthralled by the story between Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy.

Both are good movies. I can’t wait to watch the next two!

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Action & Thriller Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

The Avengers – Is It Really That Good?

My life could be in danger if I meet Jason Johnson in person.  Mr. Johnson is a professional movie critic working with one of our local papers called The New Paper.  He said on air in The Backseat With Maddy & Cheryl that anyone who does not like The Avengers shall be thrown at by the stones or drown in the sea.  You either like the movie, or you shall die.  I am unsure if it is OK to make death threat on air in Singapore, even as a joke.  But I am scared.

Anticipation is a double edged sword.  Now, if I am to tell you that I am not that crazy over The Avengers, would you think that I am nuts?  One billion dollars, the film has made worldwide.  One user in Google+ wrote an article: Just how does piracy kill the film industry when The Avengers made a billion?  I do not know.  Since the beginning of time, men steal or cheat, especially when we know that there is no consequence to our action.  But, we are also willing to pay for an experience that worth the dough, especially when we cannot wait.  Complex creature men are.  Maybe the answer to privacy is advertisement.  And it may lead to this eventually.

The Avengers is a true feast to the fans of the superheroes.  It is like an all-star movie.  Some female viewers may drool on Thor the God of Thunder, who is played by Chris Hemsworth.  Can he really act?  It is hard to tell.  In a sci-fi setting whereby I presume actors are working with the blue screen most of the time, what is good acting when we are so overwhelmed by the mind boggling CGI?  Then we have the talented Robert Downey, Jr. who plays the Iron Man.  So much emphasis is on him and that is understandable.  His script is lively and humorous.  He is quite possibly the only true actor in The Avengers besides Samuel L. Jackson whose airtime is rather limited.  50 million is likely to be Downey’s salary with bonus when the rest of the actors get a single-digit million dollar check.  Contrast to Tony Stark’s carefree personality is Captain America who prefers discipline and has the general awareness of public safety.  Chris Evans is charming in his solo movie.  He is charming in The Avengers too.  I find Loki creepy so not much to say about the only villain in this movie.  Hulk has a new face, again.  For some strange reasons, I do prefer the new Hulk played by Mark Ruffalo.  All of a suddenly, we have a loveable, still scary Hulk.  I am still not convinced how those pants can fit the big green Hulk.  Our movie buddy TK said that those are stretchable pants.  Yet Dr. Bruce Banner was totally naked after waking up from a bad fall.

There are a bunch of noteworthy side kicks in The Avengers.  Canadian actress of How I Met Your Mother – Cobie Smulders – is Nick Fury’s assistant.  Maybe in my mind, Robin is a funny character in that TV series.  It is hard to reconcile how she can be part of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Nevertheless, Cynthia seems cool with that.  Hawkeye’s performance is a surprise to me.  Little did I know that Jeremy Renner has also acted in The Hurt Locker.  To be honest, I watch The Avengers because of Black Widow.  This character should have her independent movie title.  Why do we so seldom see female superhero films?  I don’t know.  Maybe it is a Western thing.  Are the heroines in The Fifth Element, Resident Evil, or Ultraviolet count as superheroes?  Is it just a Marvel thing?  Scarlett Johansson is attractive and she plays a deadly and intelligent agent.  I do not know what she means by too much blood in her ledger as I am not a comic book reader.  I could only imagine.

The Avengers lacks the pace and intensity of The Hunger Games.  And it is not as emotionally driven as, say, Daredevil.  Some bits of the story do not seem to make sense.  But, it is a hugely entertaining movie, a feast to the eyes – both in terms of CSG as well as star power.  Each superhero has his chance to shine and be useful to the plot, in their capacity.  The story is incredibly simple.  Part one is about superheroes facing off with one and another, which to me is silly.  Part two is about superheroes working together to fight off that one villain, which is exciting.  I don’t see any clever strategy in place.  The overarching story seems to be a continuation of Thor.  Like many superhero movies, I would probably forget this one before the month turns June.  There are some memorable moments though.  And the award goes to Hulk.

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Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

Iron Man 2 Bled My Ears

Normally, I love watching movies at Cathay’s cinemas.  Unfortunately, the Digital 4K version at Cinelesiure bled my ears.  I found it hard to enjoy the movie when the volume is so high.  The low frequency vibration was impressive though.  My entire body shook as Iron Man and the pursuing enemies fly low underneath the highway.  That vibration, those powerful sub-woofer speakers behind the screen.

I remember loving the first installment.  As for “Iron Man 2”, I suppose the beginning is OK.  Maybe because I love F1?  The racing track in Monaco looks authentic.  I remember that famous tunnel.  The ending chapter is comparatively exciting.  Finally, some actions.  Some real good action (two men in iron suit fighting over I-don’t-know-what doesn’t count, does it?).  If you don’t know how red flag in F1 works or how large a particle accelerator is, you probably buy into those far fetched moments.  But still, someone can punch in a pass code, enters into Tony Stark’s laboratory, “borrow” one Iron Man suit like someone walking into a friend’s bedroom and borrows a shirt from the wardrobe – Wow.  How about in “Iron Man” when Tony has to learn how to use the Iron Man suit when in “Iron Man 2”, anyone could just step into the suit, bypass the security (which I presume there is some sort of artificial intelligent?) and fly off with it like a pro?

If I was the filmmaker, I would humbly change two things in “Iron Man 2”.  The palladium in the arc reactor that supposes to keep Tony alive is slowly killing him.  Robert Downey Jr. is one talented actor.  Give him the script to expose the emotional vulnerability of Iron Man, the positive change in attitude towards those who love him.  And if the theme of the movie is about the passing of knowledge from one generation to another as the hero and villain come face to face, develop the story of the previous generation as it should be.  Give us the texture of what the battle is all about.  It is hard to love or hate any characters in “Iron Man 2” as it stands.

On the more positive note, the presence of Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle dwarf the rest of the casting.  I love this pair of actors.  The combat scene of Scarlet Johansson is satisfying to the eyes.  I can picture her staring in a Matrix kind of movie.  The special effect looks great too.  Like “Iron Man”, this second installment has a small bonus clip at the end of the credits.  A very short clip that perhaps doesn’t say much if you are not familiar with the comic.

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Movie Reviews Romance

He’s Just Not That Into You – My Buddy’s Just Not That Into The Signals Of The Opposite Sex

He's Just Not That Into You

My buddy whom I am not going to reveal here must have found the film rather confusing by the girls who dissect signals from a relationship in that kind of detail.  He fell asleep and snored (just a bit) halfway into the show.

Gosh!

Though I am from the male species, I do have my share of trusted moments when consulted by the opposite sex, analysing signals, giving my thoughts on why guys think or behave a certain way.  Girls love to analyse, guys love to theorize – just my observation.  OK.  Maybe “He’s Just Not That Into You” kind of over-dramatized the love relationships in just a bit, I thoroughly enjoy the dialogues and the storyline.

This more than 2 hours movie is loosely segmented into relationship topics such as why he’s not calling, what if she’s not sleeping with you, and etc.  And each topic has a hilarious opening act in form of an interview by an actor unrelated to the storyline.  A film with love stories of different forms and shapes intertwined with one another: a happily married couple with the husband tempted by a beautiful girl (*ahem* voted as the sexist girl alive by FHM in 2006 and I don’t blame the dude – who could resist?!), a girl’s relationship to a guy whom she doesn’t see her future with and involved with another one that shouldn’t have happened, a girl who finds relationships from within the online world, a happy couple who have been living together for 7 years and the girl suddenly wants to get married, and a girl who doesn’t seem to able to find love despite being very active in the dating scene.

There is hope – I think that is the theme of the film.

“He’s Just Not That Into You” has quite an impressive casting including famous actors and actresses such as Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johnasson, and Justin Long as well as TV stars such as Ginnifer Goodwin of Big Love, Bradly Cooper of Alias, and Kevin Connolly of Entourage.  It is a talented cast with quality scripting.  The only reason I can imagine why this film has a lower than average rating is that if you think too deep on each topic, you may end up dissatisfied.  “He’s Just Not That Into You” doesn’t represent or generalize the guys and girls, the straights and the gays in our world.  It is just a collection of lighthearted stories to entertain.

I wonder which actresses are you favorite ones and why.  Here is my list (and Cynthia likes Jennifer Aniston the most).

  1. Ginnifer Goodwin – She is just adorable and I just love the drama.  I feel her story the most.
  2. Jennifer Connelly – I like the theme of able to deal with any issue in a relationship so long as the couple stays true to each other.
  3. Drew Barrymore – Her role is minor but she puts a smile to my face whenever she appears.  Best line: checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies.
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Drama Movie Reviews Romance

Vicky Cristina Barcelona – And Beyond the Eye Candies …

I must be one strange dude.  I got lost between the two girls kissing each other inside a dark room and the three taking turn to kiss each other at the kitchen stove.  Now, just how probable that scenario can be even if I was born an American or an European?

Largely shot in portrait mode with the bokeh background blurring out everything but the characters, visually the film put much emphasis on the actors and actresses with the scripts in such fluidity to match.  I like some parts when the camera stays with the main character even when it is the supporting actor’s turn to speak.  It is beautiful.  It is beautiful if you can look beyond the lack of conclusiveness throughout the development of the story.  Light, indeed.  Perhaps that’s how the writer-director Woody Allen envisages it to be.  Like the beautiful strokes of stories intertwined in the summer of Barcelona, there is love of eccentricity, committing and reliable love, carefree kind of love, and unfulfilled love.  There is a certain degree of lightheartedness and a certain degree of sadness.  While the story is left unresolved, the incomplete love between the two artists played by Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz is simply intense.  Penélope is simply striking, in this movie.  She deserves an Oscar nomination, I agree.

Scarlett Johansson’s acting as Cristina is charming and I do enjoy watching Rebecca Hall playing the role of Vicky.  Cynthia and I both agree that Javier Bardem is not necessary the most handsome Spanish guy on Earth (to be able to charm both Scarlett and Rebecca with Penélope as the ex-wife … hmmm).  However Javier does come with an incredible credential in his acting career and he acts well in this film.

The Spanish actor and actress Penélope and Javier are the real gems of the film.  Since Cynthia and I are currently learning Spanish, we are happy to be able to pick up a few words within the Spanish dialogues.

Lovely scripts, lovely eye candies.  The question is, can you look beyond this plot of art with the unresolved, rather unrealistic storyline?

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Drama Movie Reviews Romance

The Other Boleyn Girl – How Accurate I Wonder

The Other Boleyn Girl

Knowing that I was about to recover from my flu, Cynthia tapped onto the Sunday morning paper and said, “I want to watch number 1, 2, and 3.”  “What’s number 1?” I asked.  She said something and I replied, “Huh?  What boleh girl?” (‘Boleh’ in Malay means ‘can’, which ironically is not too far from the plot).  It was not as hilarious as my friend TK whom we met later at the cinema.  He joked: The Other Boon Lay Girl.  (‘Boon Lay’ is a small housing estate in Singapore.)

“The Other Boleyn Girl” has both the talented Natalie Portman (TK and I are big fans of her) and the beautiful Scarlett Johansson as the main actresses.  To top it up, Eric Bana (my favorite Hector of Troy!) played King Henry VIII.  I had no idea what to expect from the movie and I came out of the theatre feeling a bit more aware of some of the important events in England such as the breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church and the birth of Queen Elizabeth I.  I certainly had no idea the importance of the role played by Anne Boleyn and Mary Boleyn – the sisters acted by Natalie and Scarlett.

The life of King Henry VIII is rich and complex.  Married six times and having a few mistresses of his own, “The Other Boleyn Girl” portrays only a facet of his life – his affair to Mary Boleyn and his marriage to Anne Boleyn.  If the film sticks to the original intend and tell a story from the other Boleyn girl’s perspective – that is Mary played by Scarlett – it may have been more focused and intense.  But we all know how captivating Natalie’s acting can be and she does have a lot of air time in the movie.  In that sense, I am not sure if I was watching The Boleyn Girl instead.  Validity of the historical accuracy aside, I too find the casting of two Americans and an Australian with little or no British accent to play these main English characters odd.

There is little doubt that the acting is great.  And Natalie Portman is such a versatile actress.  If you try not to think too hard on what one man would do just to get a baby boy of his own or how all of these was a bloody mess due to one man’s lust, it is actually quite an entertaining romance drama to watch.  “The Other Boleyn Girl” does seem to me like a prequel to the more epic movies “Elizabeth” and “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”.  In such, the reminiscence of Natalie Portman’s role as Queen Amidala as sequel to the epic movies of Star Wars episodes is quite startling – to me at least.

Somehow there is a yearning within me to learn what exactly happened to Anne and Mary’s lives during their time.  The plot of the movie may not have done the history justice.  And I wonder, will the filmmakers hundred years down the road be fascinated by the stories of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and make a movie out of their lives?  One thing I am sure is: royal scandals sell – especially ones that come with sex and blood.

Categories
Drama Movie Reviews

The Nanny Diaries – Heartwarming Though Nothing Exceptional

When was the last time you and your friends or partner caught a show spontaneously? It is certainly not often for me. I always plan it half a day or a day in advance. But you know in life, there are just moments when you feel … just do it – however rare these moments are. In fact, I can even recall when Cynthia and I caught a show spontaneously – Nicolas Cage’s 8MM (1997) at Malacca, Malaysia and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Failure to Launch (2006) at Suntech, Singapore.

Last Sunday at AMK Hub, we wanted to check out the spanking new Cathay cineplex and all of a sudden, both of us wanted to catch a show despite the fact that we have just watched “Shoot ‘Em Up” the day before. You know what a craving for movie is like.

Looking back, I had no idea why we chose “The Nanny Diaries”. The show started in 10 minutes’ time was one. Scarlett *ahem* Johansson was another. For me at least. Strangely, or rather coincidentally, Paul Giamatti played as the jerk ass husband who seldom gave time to his family (hence the nanny came into the picture) and he also played “Shoot ‘Em Up” as the jerk ass husband who kept promising his wife on the phone that he would be back soon (hence the non-stop bullets in “Shoot ‘Em Up”). What a strong sense of deja vu.

To be fair, Cynthia did enjoy watching “The Nanny Diaries”. It is definitely heartwarming to watch a storyline of self-discovery and how one can be life changing to others. I think for those who are either fresh out of school and still ponder upon which career path to take (not me), or those whose mothers always wanted them to choose a different career (a rock star perhaps but nah), or those who are brought up by nannies because their parents were too busy at work (not me either), or those who are mothers or mother-wannabes (definitely not). In short, I personally cannot quite relate to the storyline. But I can imagine some others may.

I wish that “The Nanny Diaries” could give me more in terms of scripts and acting. It is a heartwarming movie no doubt.

On a side note, I tried very hard to recall which movie Scarlett Johansson has acted in. Somehow that video of her and Justin Timberlake (“What Goes Around Comes Around”) got stuck in my mind big time. She does have quite a number of movies under her belt, including my favorite “The Prestige”. Now I remember.