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Abang Adik (2023)
7/10
It's a simple & slow movie, BUT it touches one's heart very much..!
20 December 2023
The story is about the emotional journey between the two "stateless brothers" - Abang (a deaf-mute man) and adik (a teenager) - and their lives. Through their lives, it reveals a lot of local social justice issues, e.g. Public servants' attitudes, illegal foreign workers hiding from immigration operations, taking on odd jobs for a living... and so on.

The pace is rather slow at times, which appears to be a common style among most new Malaysian directors, who love to bring out the typical Malaysian street scenes, building conditions, and local values, which can be overly deliberate and extra to some extent.

The character development between the two brothers is good. They are very well developed and engaging! However, it's weak on the supporting characters, e.g. The Myanmar girl, her scene is very touch-n-go and left unaddressed! Of all the supporting characters, I love "MONEY SISTER"! Although 'she' plays a small role in the movie, "she" is outstanding, and she seems to have a lot of untold stories that are worth exploring (perhaps in another solo movie??!!)

I love the communication scene in the prison, which carries so much emotional weight and struggle. Abang lives well in life day-by-day, but from the scene, audiences could realise that deep inside his heart, he has a lot of voices of unfairness, despair, anger... that wish to be heard and understood! No doubt, Wu Kang Ren's acting is superb! You feel him all the way, from his eye-contact, tears, emotion, and body language... He deserved the BEST ACTOR AWARD!!!

There are a few pitfalls in the movie, e.g. Some scenes are rather shaky, and the storyline is very much one-dimensional. Besides, the last scene of Abang meeting Adik in the prison is NOT well managed. It can be more touching and much better than that, yet the angles and build-up motions do not achieve the optimum outcomes.

For a local production, I gave 3.25 out of 5.0. It's a nice cameo, but NOT up to an excellent movie, without pitfalls or weaknesses. The storyline is rather simple and thin. What makes it good is the emotional depth of the silent communications of Abang that carry us away! If it is without it, it can be a very pale and plain movie. (Gosh~~ I burst into tears badly in the cinema!!)
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La Luna (2023)
8/10
A very lovely + beautiful cameo! A must-watch movie if u love a lite + simple + lovely film genre!
15 November 2023
The storyline is simple yet engaging! It touches on the clashes between modernity and tradition in a conservative village. It is interesting to see how Hanie challenges the deeply ingrained conservative norms of the community, and how she unfolds the unexpected turns.

The pace is slow and steady, but it's so engaging and well-paced that it keeps viewers hooked and entertained all the way.

I love the background music of the movie so much!! Giving off an 80's feel, it works so nicely in the movie! Good one!!

All the characters in the movie, from small to big roles, are performing so well! The character development is good too! There is a good contrast between Hanie (an independent woman who pursues her dreams) and the villagers (folks with conservative beliefs). All these have added depth to the movie, allowing viewers to see the complexities of the social commentary.

The movie's strength lies in its ability to use a sensitive topic (lingerie store - sex-related?) to 'challenge' the preserving traditions in a conservative community, with the right amount of humor (not over-done nor under-done), which is just entertaining enough for viewers to see the conflicts.

The movie also skillfully drills into a deeper discussion about some social issues related to tradition and modernity, female empowerment, self-expression, and the importance of embracing change. The message conveyed is strong and vivid.

The only flaw that I picked up is that the conflict between Hanie and Tok Hassan is rather touch-n-go! It could have been explored through more incidents and in more detail.

With the charming characters, interesting storyline, and insightful social commentary, all these have made La Luna a nice movie! It inspires one to think of the transformative nature of change (embracing change), the importance of inclusiveness, and the power of individuality.

A great local production, which I will urge more people to support and watch it in the cinema!!! A must-watch movie in 2023~!
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6/10
A nice story, but not well narrated!
5 November 2023
The storyline is based on the true story of a group of 6 primary school boys from the small FELDA town - Gemencheh (Negeri Sembilan) - who were transformed into a great team, and made it to win the first gold medal in a cricket game for Malaysia. Apparently, this plot is very predictable, just like any sports competition-related movies, but there is always a market for this kind of movies!

The pace is alright, slow at times, but overall it is acceptable.

It is always good to let all Malaysians be aware of the unknown hero - Cikgu Azman - behind the hard work & success of our athletes' achievements! I enjoyed watching the movie very much, apart from some pitfalls. The kids acted well on the real characteristics of "Kampung boys", e.g. Skipping classes, swimming in the river, playing slipper games, marbles, kites and so on!

However, it leaves room for improvement on the following parts:

Firstly, cricket is not a well-known game to all Malaysians. It would be wonderful if the director could spend a minute or two explaining the rules of the game! Without having much knowledge about it, I need to guess & learn to know how the game is played and points are scored?!

Secondly, the character development of the boys is lacking in depth. We do see that each boy has a family concern, e.g. With a handicapped mother or from a poor family background.. However, it's not well-developed, or it is rather touch-n-go that audiences could hardly connect with them or feel them deeply. It thus lacks the emotional engagement that touches one's heart or keeps lingering in one's heart after the movie!

Thirdly, the moment of winning the game is NOT well managed or presented! There is no moment of excitement built on the score or game point! At times, I wonder if the boys got a point? Won the game? I m lost!!

Finally, some scenes seem 'choppy' or 'disjointed' and leave doubts. For instance, out of nowhere, a school meeting appeared, blaming Azman for raising funds in the public; the boy with a disabled mother was initially not allowed to go to KL, but it didn't address how he made it to go! Besides, I wonder why Cikgu Azman banned him from playing in the final until the end?!

In comparison, "Ola-Bola" (2016) and "Anak Rimau" (2022) appear to have done a better job in all the above aspects, e.g. Character developments are good, tensions are there, emotional engagement is intact...

It's just an alright and predictable movie, without anything new or special. How I wish the movie could be made more involving and engaging to touch more hearts!
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Walid (2023)
5/10
Too much focus is on fighting, which leads to "visual tiredness"!!
26 September 2023
The storyline is about child-trafficking, where it begins with the relationship between a teacher (Walid) and a child "immigrant" (Aisha); then later how the teacher saves the child from human traffickers. Quite a predictable one!

The pace is uneven. It's slow in the first half, but it turns fast with non-stop action in the second half.

The focus of this movie appears to be mainly on the ACTIONS, and the initial drama is just a setting to trigger the explosion of a series of actions!!! In short, once the action starts, all the character-driven drama is IGNORED and THROWN AWAY, making it a pure action movie.

In fact, it's more like TWO separate movies made by TWO different directors and joined together into a single movie! The rhythm and tempo are not aligned and synced. Thus, it loses the balance of everything, especially the human-touch and sentimental values that were built at the beginning!

In terms of actions, I am impressed by the first fight by Aisha's mother with her laundry! BUT, coming to the fighting scenes in the 2nd half, with the HOUR-LONG fights, I started to get bored! It's like a never-ending fight! When you think that the movie is about to end.. Gosh.. another villain appears! The same scenario repeats again and again! Excuse me! Can anyone put a STOP on that? Ha!

I enjoyed watching the Malay martial art - Silat - in the movie very much! BUT with almost the same repetitive actions, I started to get visually exhausted after a while. Also, the shaky camera causes visual disturbances at times!

The character development is questionable, especially Walid, which can be made more interesting and relatable. However, we do not see much! There is a less than 2-second scene showing that he was once a secret agent? SWAT? NOT sure!! Also, out of nowhere, there appear two secret agents which are not well addressed in the movie.

After the movie, I could only remember my complaint about the hour-long repetitive action sequences, and that's all!

I love the message conveyed through the National Principles (Rukun Negara) in the movie. BUT, it requires more effort to round up everything, making the movie carry more depth + sentimental values, instead of being filled with violence and brutal action sequences.
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Adoiii Jiwaku (2023)
10/10
A simple and nice movie that all Malaysians should watch!! A Highly recommended movie!!
14 September 2023
The storyline is NOTHING new, but it's the content that makes it a good one! The movie brings out so many Malaysian elements, ranging from culture, religion, family values, language, and lifestyle to our typical Malaysian jokes. I love all of them!

The pace is excellent! It is filled with all kinds of jokes, making you laugh from the beginning to the end!

I love the three characters - Maleh (Indian), Ayis (Malay) and Sia (Chinese) in the movie! According to the private message from the director, the 3 names form MALAYSIA (Maleh-ayis-sia)! Interesting! Hahaha...!!

There are a lot of racial statements + arguments that are DARING, SARCASTIC, and could be HURTFUL to another race. But they are all so well managed that they do not damage the friendship among the races!

The chemistry among the 3 friends is good! The jokes are simple, yet funny enough to keep you entertained and laughing, without having to over-act with exaggerated actions! It also touches on the common Malaysian stereotypes towards another race, e.g. Indians are gangsters or love drinking alcohol; Malays cannot touch dogs; Chinese are business-minded and corrupted...!

It's truly a movie that reflects who we are as a Malaysian! I love the message conveyed by the movie: Although we are different (with our own religion, culture, belief, lifestyle), we are same as Malaysians! How I wish the movie never ends, bcoz it's really a great movie! Love it!! A highly recommended movie during this Merdeka month!

NOTE: This is definitely ONE of the TOP 5 BEST Malaysian-made movies I have watched in my life!! DO NOT miss such a GREAT MOVIE!!!!!
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Jawan (2023)
6/10
A bit flat without big + impressive actions, making it a dull one!
12 September 2023
The storyline covers topics on poverty and patriotism that involve issues like corruption, social issues, and money heists. It seems to have been a common topic or plot in most Bollywood movies over these years!

The pace is alright to have actions everywhere. BUT the first half is apparently much better than the 2nd half. In fact, it gets boring in the latter stage.

Shah Rukh Khan is still charming, playing most of the big actions. However, this movie over focuses on Shah Rukh Khan that it doesn't give any screentime to other actors or actresses! After the movie, you could hardly remember anyone, except Shah Rukh Khan!

In terms of action, this movie has NOTHING new, big, interesting, or exciting to offer! The action scenes are like any other Bollywood action movies that we have watched many times! In comparison, I would prefer the actions + setting of PATHAAN (another Shah Rukh Khan's movie) more than this x 100!!!

As usual, there is singing + dancing in all Indian movies. However, the soundtracks + dances are not engaging and involving enough to gel me into the flow, compared to other Indian movies, which I enjoy very much!

The movie is rather long and draggy at times. Also, the storyline is a bit one-dimensional! Although there is a small twist to having a side-story about Shah Rukh Khan's father, it's NOT superficial enough to wow audiences. Also, the villain is not developed enough to carry the movie to the end!

Personally, I found it a forgettable movie! Because there is really NOTHING impressive + big that lingers in my mind, after stepping out of the cinema. The father-and-son relationship is pretty touch-n-go, without much emotional or engaging moment. Overall, it's just another Bollywood action movie, and that's all!
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7/10
MISI BAKARA: Good effort and production after PASKAL, but it leaves room for improvement.
28 August 2023
The storyline is based on a true story of the Malaysian Peacekeeping Battalion (MALBATT) rescuing the American soldiers in Somalia, way back in 1993. So, the plot focuses on the mission of saving the soldiers after the black hawk down.

The pace is good! It starts fast with a thrilling rescue mission, and follows with another more challenging mission, having gun fights from the beginning to the end.

Basically, the action is mainly focused on the gun fights and attacks from the Somali terrorists. About 60% of the time, our MALBATT crews are stranded in the APC (Armoured Personnel Carriers); 10% talk and shout over the communication device; and 30% is fighting on the ground with the Somalia terrorists.

As the entire movie takes place in a very confined location, e.g. Narrow pathways and alleys, with non-stop and repetitive gun shots + RPG attacks, you will start getting visually exhausted. There is NO big attack that enhances your visual excitement throughout the movie, making it flat after a while.

Besides, it maybe better if the movie could explain the political situation in Somalia; otherwise, audiences could hardly understand what had happened in Somalia, and what the Americans had done to them, making them so against the Americans or UN troops.

The CGI is quite poor in a few parts. This is particularly obvious, for instance, explosions on the APC, in the UN camp, and the ending part. They are so uncomfortably faked that it spoils the movie quite a bit.

In terms of the cast, basically most actors are performing well, especially Shaheizy Sam, who is outstanding. To sooth the over-masculine effect, the director appears to intentionally insert a female role in the movie. Somehow, it is rather extra, and it adds no value to the movie at all!

For a local production, with all the great effort and investment in the scenes, APC, tanks, and so on, I gave 7.0/ 10.0. It is more of a movie that pays great respect and salutes to the great Malaysian armed forces for doing an excellent job! Without watching it, I had NO IDEA that Malaysia was involved in the rescue mission after Black Hawk down. Of all the three local armed forces movie productions - PASKAL, AIR FORCE and MABALL, I still love PASKAL the BEST!!!!
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Rahsia (2023)
5/10
A typical local horror movie with pure jump-scares!
17 August 2023
Well, as it's a reboot of a local classic horror movie from 1987, the overall plot is thus very old-school and straight forward. There is a small twist at the end, but no big deal really.

The entire movie is filled with jump-scares from the beginning to the end. It comes in a second, and goes in the next, with loud noise + a scary creature! That's it! It just comes and goes x 10!

There are some creepy moments of eerie moving toys, self-playing-piano, pulling legs' tricks in the mysterious bungalow. BUT all these are no longer something new or impressive for today's audiences. Although it's a remake, I strongly believe that newer scary elements shall be inserted to enhance the haunting experience.

Nabila Huda, the actress, acted well, but she may have over-acted at the beginning. However, as time passes, she shows the depth of her emotions and personality.

For a local production, I gave 5/ 10. Everything is just too old-fashioned, from plot, setting, jump-scares to acting. If you enjoy old-school horror movies, this is your choice! BUT if you expect some thrilling and compelling visual excitement, wish to nail yourself to the chair, this movie will fail you badly!
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Geylang (2022)
3/10
The ending is hanging! NOT a recommended movie!
16 August 2023
The storyline is messy and confusing, with NO CLEAR ENDING!

The pace is ok, but it keeps pushing back from 3 days ago, 1 week ago, 3 months ago... and you need to "re-adjust" it back to current, else you will be confused!

It is an 18-rated movie, mainly because of the vulgar words, by Mark Lee Guo Huang (as expected), and some acceptable violence. I m ok with a certain level of vulgarity, BUT NOT too much like in this movie, which sounded over-done!

The movie goes around the relationships of 'father-and-son' and 'father-and-daughter'. Basically, there are 3 'sets' of the above relationships, and all of them suffer from some kind of sickness. I suppose the story is meant to be emotional and involving, BUT it failed badly, and it is NOT touching at all.

The movie involves a doctor, a lawyer, and a gangster. All of them murdered people, even with all kinds of fights and noises from the street to the clinic, but none of the Singaporeans saw it or reported it to the police. Weird!

The ending is hanging badly! Many things were not well addressed, e.g. What happened to the person who was murdered by Mark Lee and his dad? So what happened to the lawyer? When the movie ended, I asked myself.. "What had I just watched? What's going? So?"

I gave 3 out of 10. I am sorry that I do NOT know how to appreciate such a movie, which has NO HEAD and NO TAIL! I only remember the vulgarities by Mark Lee, and that's it!
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Fast X (2023)
5/10
Nice actions, BUT empty in contents!
21 May 2023
The storyline is super-thin. It's more like deliberately finding a reason to trigger a series of actions!

The pace is good, with continuous action to keep you on the edge of your seat. The fast-moving actions keep the pace real tight!

In terms of actions, as usual, FFX delivers what fans have come to expect! It's filled with high-speed chases, gun-shooting scenes, and daring rescues with massive vehicles. However, perhaps we have seen too many of the same kinds, some actions are no longer 'wow' and impressive anymore. In other words, the actions lack innovation and surprises, and are getting weak in visual excitement.

There are a total of 4 DC + 2 Marvel actors and actresses in this movie! Cool huh? Due to the big number of casts, the director could hardly give each character substantial time and growth, making some roles redundant. The women are extra, appearing for fun, I supposed! Of all the characters, Jason Momoa carries his role well by creating different a vibe! Without his funny personality, the movie could be plain and boring!

The chemistry among the members is somehow lacking. It is more of a solo movie by Vin Diesel, as the gang splits up too fast with fewer actions. Also, the movie emphasizes too much on actions, leaving no time for the storyline and emotional depth.

I gave 2.5/ 5.0 mainly for the actions! The series is getting exhausted and weak, without anything new and impressive! For action-goers, it's worth your money to watch all the big actions! BUT if you are demanding for contents and emotional values, it will be a disappointment! Bcoz it is an action movie with hollow content!
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3/10
A movie with disorganized contents + poor scene transitions
21 May 2023
The storyline is about Anwar's turbulent political career from 1993, when he was appointed to be the finance minister, to his termination in 1998.

The pace is slow, with poor and disorganized sequential sub-plots.

I found that the director is NOT GOOD at storytelling! A political movie could be made in a more impactful manner with more emotional moments. However, you don't see any of these! It remains flat all the way from the beginning to the end.

Besides, the transition from one scene to another is very WEAK! It goes on too abruptly without properly addressing one scene to another. Initially, I thought that some scenes might be censored by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia. However, as time passes, I see almost every scene-transition happen in this manner. This is rather unacceptable!

As such, audiences may find the sub-plots scattered everywhere and look messy, in fact.

Also, the sub-plots lack depth. Everything is touch-n-go, as a result, audiences could hardly see the seriousness of the corruption and how it may threaten the country and people, why there is a need to take it seriously!?

It's more like an essay written by a student who has a lot of points but does not know how to structure them nicely in the right sequence with proper depth. One could hardly connect one point to another to get a good overview of the overall problems and outcomes, although one knows there is a problem somewhere.

I gave 3.0 out of 10. It's flat and boring, without much impactful emotion! As said, the director doesn't know how to use the right movie-language to connect and engage with audiences, leaving us with nothing after the movie.
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7/10
A very interesting movie! I like it somehow!
30 March 2023
The storyline is simple, focusing on a murder mystery! There are plenty of twist and turns, which are interesting, making you guess "who will get the letter first?" "who is betraying who?" "whose side does s/he stand?"

The pace is alright, with jokes running through to the end, even though it maybe lengthy.

It is NOT an action movie, BUT more of a comedy + minor action genre! It fills with a lot of dark humors, which distract one from the serious suspense thriller, keep the movie fun!

I found the movie entertaining! Because you have NO CLUE what it is all about! You just need to follow the flow, and it will lead to a BIGGER PICTURE of the movie at the end!! Voilà!!!

The character design is great! Everyone plays a role of aiming for a letter, and each has a card to hide! When a card is revealed, it will lead to another clue!!

Besides, the character development is good too! All of them have a unique personality, and Shen Teng leads the tempo of the entire movie! His sense of humor and jokes are great, and you need to understand them to have a good laugh, in order to enjoy the movie!

It's a nice movie! And I enjoyed watching it very much, especially the ending did impress me quite a bit!! It's a movie that must be watched in the cinema! If I were to watch it via laptop or at home, I would NEVER enjoy it at all! So, pls buy your ticket and watch it in the big theatre!
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4/10
A lack of novelty and anything significant!
23 March 2023
The storyline is fairly straightforward. It is just to introduce a new villain + teenaged ant-girl (Cassie), setting up the direction for the next Avengers movie!

In terms of action, Antman has nothing NEW to show in this film, other than shrinking to be a tiny superhero and, at times, transforming into a giant, that's all! What's new?

Also, I expected to see some bombastic heavy action scenes at the end, but I didn't get to see any! I thought Kang would show his super-power, but not much was shown!

The character development is weak too, especially the tribes and Cassie. Cassie lacks personality! In fact, her acting is weak in the movie, like a newbie actress!

I supposed the movie plans to show some kind of 'FAMILY' concept, BUT somehow the family thingy doesn't work well and it scatters around. For instance, the relationship between Scott (father) and Cassie (daughter) is supposed to be the emotional core of the movie, BUT it looks so 'artificial', without much 'chemistry'! Also, we could hardly see Scott and Hope working as a lovely couple against the enemies! The same goes to Janet and Dr. Hank! This family seriously has something wrong in between! HaHa!

The CGI is fine, but after seeing so much of it, we've become numbed and don't find it to be a wow thingy!

I gave 4/ 10. It's another no big deal movie, that relies heavily on MCU to draw audiences to the theatres. Marvel's movies get exhausting and weaker as time passes. With such a "Marvel phase," I think more audiences will lose interest in the sequels eventually.

NOTE: There are TWO (2) end-credits! Stay back for it ya!
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7/10
I wouldn't say that it is a great movie, BUT I kind of love it..!
23 March 2023
Knowing that most of the audiences are fans who have read the manga + some new viewers, the director employs a different approach to bring the film to life, rather than introducing all characters from A to Z (that could be boring). It is definitely a very smart way of using a basketball match, supported by the backstory of Ryota Miyaki, to make the movie more solid and compact. On one hand, the fans get to find some classic moments and new elements in the movie, while on the other, new viewers get to know Ryota better.

Although we basically know what will happen at the end of the basketball match, the visual excitement and intense moments are all well presented and intact for your enjoyment!

I also like how the movie describes the relationship between Ryota and other characters. It's not too much or too less, but just enough to remind fans about the connections.

The movie has a few flaws as follows: Firstly, there are no behind stories about the characters and talents of Akagi, Sakuragi, Mitsui (a 3-pointer) and Rukawa (ace of the team), as a result new viewers may not connect well with them or enjoy the movie to maximum.

Secondly, Ryota's side stories are acceptable in the first half, but it becomes cheesy + too much in the second half, especially while the basketball match is on the line!

Finally, the emotional attachment is there, but the intensity is weak. We know what it means and we feel it, BUT it just doesn't touch one's heart at all!

I gave 7.0/ 10.0. Watching it without high expectations will allow you to enjoy it better! Of coz, with knowledge about the manga and characters is definitely an advantage!
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Pulau (2023)
6/10
A typical Malaysian horror movie with NO big ideal, but mainly jump-scares.
23 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The storyline is quite straight forward and simple, as in any other local horror movies, where someone trespasses on an island, breaks an old spell, and then all bad things start from there. It sounds pretty familiar, right? Ya, it's the same old story as many others out there!

The pace is alright, BUT you just cant expect much.

The character development is weak. Dauz is supposed to be the 'naughty one' or 'problem creator', but the character was NOT well built at the beginning! Mark's (Indian) cowardly personality is NOT well presented either! As such, none of them is outstanding, and audiences could hardly be bothered if any of them died! Besides, Khai is after KAT, but he is NOT with KAT most of the time, leaving her with Ben or alone, while he kept getting jealous of Ben throughout the movie. This is so unreal!

The entire movie relies heavily on jump-scares! The evil creature is NOT really scary, but annoying to some extent. The cross-cultural love story is rather extra + touch-n-go, adding very little value to the overall movie.

About the sexy scenes, well.. for a local movie, it may perhaps bring some attention, but as a frequent movie-goer, it's really NO BIG DEAL!

For a local production, I gave 6 / 10. It's an ok typical local horror movie, without anything big or impressive element! I think local horror movies appear to be 'stagnant' without much breakthrough. It's definitely NOT a must-watch movie, BUT if you wish to support local production, go ahead!!
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7/10
It's much better than the first episode! I enjoyed watching it very much!
23 March 2023
The storyline is pretty thin, it continues from a mistake made in the first episode. Without watching the first one, you are still doing fine with it, as there is a cut-out scene to remind you about it!

The pace is alright to have some lame and cold jokes + actions to keep things going.

In terms of actions, there are NO BIG or IMPRESSIVE ones! The fights are quite repetitive and hardcore, banging here and there, and smashing things around! Also, the villains are NOT really bad and threatening. The bad creatures come and go, posing no significant threats.

BUT, no doubt, the CGI of DC is great this time!! It looks much more real than any other DC movie.

I love the human values in this movie! The family-tie is well presented, with emotionally engaging moments. Although it's not much, and very touch-n-go, it touches one's heart very much!

There is an unexpected role appearing at the end of the movie, which is a great surprise!! Ha!!

I gave 3.0/ 5.0. It's a nice movie, although it's NOT a must-watch movie! I would still suggest giving it a try, even if you are NOT a fan of SHAZAM, because it's pretty entertaining! BUT, as Shazam is meant to be a "kid + fun movie", DO NOT take it as a serious superhero movie!

NOTE: There are two end-credits.
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4/10
Too greedy to have too many elements, making it a lousy one!
27 January 2023
The storyline is simple and easy to understand. It looks more like a combination of many movie' plots into one.

The pace is ok, with some funny stuff here and there to keep you entertained.

There are jokes here and there, but many are rather predictable and, in fact they do not work well.

Some roles are rather extra, e.g. Big Boss, with or without him, it makes no difference. Jasper is still playing the same role as he always has. Even though he managed to bring some amusing vibes, NOTHING is NEW or IMPRESSIVE!

The director may have been too greedy to insert too many elements, e.g. Parts of Infernal Affairs , Ip Man , and In The Mood For Love. All these do not add value and gel well with the overall movie. In fact, they appear excessive and perplexing.

For a local production, I gave 4.5 out of 10. The plot is ok, but it's not solid because of the greed of having too much on the plate, which causes things to scatter around and lose focus.
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7/10
Of all the CNY local + Singapore production, this is the BEST!
27 January 2023
The storyline is simple, BUT solid! It sticks firmly to the plot, elaborates and exerts steadily with neither more nor less, everything is just nice!

With a runtime of 2 and a half hours, the jokes are there to keep your boredom away, and the pace is just nice and viewer-friendly.

The character development is good. All actors and actresses play their roles well and competently. The side role played by "Ah Hui" is fantastic; despite playing the same role all the time, he adds a lot of values to the film! The jokes are simple and natural, without overacting or unnecessary cold jokes.

No doubt, Jack Neo is good at storytelling! He educates audiences about Musang King durians; brings the right amount of emotion into his movie; plays on family relationships (between mother and son); and touches on our familiar memories about Covid-19 and live-streaming. All these engage effectively with the Malaysian audiences very much!

The chemistry between Jack Neo and Yan Yann in the movie is not well depicted, but somehow you feel them, and you wan them to be together. Due to this emotional engagement, at times, you may be worried that they are not together. Also, many parts are touching enough to make you sob, but it soothes the sobbing moment well with jokes in the next scene.

I gave 7 out of 10. Everything is intact, not too much, not too less. As said, it's the BEST movie among all the local + Singapore CNY movie productions. It's worth your money and time for this 2023 CNY! Go, Go, Go!!!
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Sakra (2023)
6/10
The actions are GREAT!! BUT it's a little long and rushed at times!
16 January 2023
It is an adaptation of the "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," from Jin Yong's Wuxia novel. Well, the storyline is pretty simple and straightforward, very much like KungFu Cult Master, whereby the main character is accused of many incidents, and all sects attempt to kill him, and that's where the fight starts and ends.

The pace is alright, packed with action, BUT it could be slow at certain parts! I thought it had ended several times, but it keeps going with a runtime of 130 minutes!

In terms of actions, I like it very much! You could feel the strengths and forces of every hit, and the CGI has enhanced the visual excitement to another level! They really did a great job of combining the "wirework + CGI" and martial arts into a more effective action movie.

A few drawbacks as follows:

Firstly, the movie slows down due to the relationship between Qiao Feng and A Zhu. Yet, it's NOT well managed in such a way that it disrupts the flow and momentum of the movie!

Secondly, Donnie Yen appears to be only good in action, BUT not in romance! There is no spark of chemistry between Qiao Feng and A Zhu! Donnie's acting is rather stiff when it comes to intimate moments with A Zhu. Somehow it's more like a father-daughter relationship than a lover's.

Thirdly, the sub-plot in the 2nd half is rather odd, especially on the introduction of new characters of A Zu's parents and her rebellious sister. It could be due to time constraints, things are rushing off, so it does not gel well to the overall movie and looks disconnected!

Finally, with the ending, we could predict that there may be Part 2 in future. Since it will be a sequel, why NOT break this movie into 2 decent movies, instead of rushing everything out, causing an uneven focus on some details. Also I believe that audiences could enjoy it better, rather than having watched a lengthy movie without proper addresses of some plots.

I gave 6/ 10. Despite the weaknesses above, it's an ok movie for casual entertainment. As said, I love the action and fighting scenes, with the right speed, strength, and force! A watch-able one for this Chinese New Year! Go, Go, Go!!
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7/10
It's a beautiful movie, but lacking in novelty or nothing new to touch one's heart!
3 January 2023
Basically, the storyline or 'format' is almost the same as the first one, just that it's moving from the land to the sea. It is a duplicate of the 1st one in many instances, e.g. Instead of deforestation and strip mining, it is slaughtering the whales! Instead of riding on the "flying creatures," they are riding on the marine creatures... However, the scale of this sequence is much smaller, focusing on a man's duty to protect his family.

The pace is good!! It is filled with amazing CGI and actions to keep your interest going, and your boredom away, even though it is a 192-minute movie!

The movie could be split into 3 parts: The 1st part is about the introduction of characters. As such, anyone who does not watch the 1st episode will learn to know the characters of Sully & his family members + spider + the bad guys. Of course, having watched the 1st episode is always advantageous to knowing this movie better.

The 2nd part is that they go underwater. This is where one will see how visually impressive and breathtaking the movie is, with soothing colors and all kinds of amazing marine creatures. This part may be slightly lengthy, but overall it is ok!

The 3rd part is all actions pushing toward the final battle. Audiences will get all kinds of visual excitement from the actions.

One thing I love about this movie is that it addresses most of the doubts, e.g. Why is Tulkun so intelligent? What are the steps of hunting Tulkun? What does 'butterfly jelly fish' do and so on. With this, it is self-explanatory, or it clears your doubts when things happen!

However, this movie is not perfect, and there are some drawbacks as follows: Firstly, the Major Quaritch (bad guy) is a military guy, but I saw no tactical or logical wartime attack or defense strategies from him throughout the movie.

Secondly, the emotional value is much weaker this time. It touches on family ties, but it's rather touch-n-go, and audiences are unlikely to be moved or emotionally involved. And, the emotional bond between Tulkun the kids could hardly touch one's heart too.

I gave 3.75/ 5.0. Overall, it's a nice movie. It maintains the standard or quality as of the 1st episode. BUT, what's more, other than the same environmental theme (e.g., deforestation, whale conservation) + beautiful CGI? I supposed audiences would wish to see more than these, after the long wait of 13 years later.
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Black Adam (2022)
7/10
It's a fun and action-packed thrill ride!
28 October 2022
The plot is pretty simple, mainly the introduction of a new DC superhero. Not much and not less, it allows you to understand how he obtains his power and why he is 'violent' and so on.

The pace is great! Once the action starts, it doesn't stop! It goes all the way to the end of the movie, without a moment of boredom!

The action is good and nice, with big hits and big explosions. BUT... to some extent, you may find that it's mostly the ROCK stuff + some CGI effects! And the big fights are pretty repetitive. The good thing is that just well before you get bored and fatigued with the actions, the movie ends there! So, to me, it's just NICE!!

To keep it P13, the movie keeps all the possible violent scenes to a minimum. As such, audiences could hardly see some real brutal and violent scenes, making Black Adam NOT a 'bad-boy' enough!

It's nice to have Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher added flavour to the movie! BUT of all, Cyclone and Atom Smasher are playing very small roles in the movie, mainly a brief intro of their characters.

The biggest flaw that I picked up is the scene where the skateboard-kid speaks to the civilians to unite them against the evils. The speech is supposed to be encouraging, inspiring, touching with force, dynamic and energy, but it ends up being FLAT + BORING! FAILED BADLY!!! Besides, the scene whereby he appears with his skateboard in slow-mo, leading the civilians to fight against the evils, is another FAILURE!!! The "Avengers Assemble" feeling is just there enough!! Yuck!! Sigh...

I gave 3.5/ 5.0. I rated it highly because of its flow and actions. In terms of plot, it definitely lacks depth. BUT for a superhero movie, you just can't expect too much from it. It's worth your money to watch it on the big screen! So, go, go, go for it!!!
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Biko (2022)
4/10
Too many of the same kinds, making it a dull and forgettable one!
18 October 2022
The plot is very similar to many movies, depicting the relationship between a single father and his son... Overall, it's just too predictable!

The pace is alright, but it's flat all the way, without much up and down.

The acting of all the casts is generally average to poor. The side roles are pretty off (e.g. Sara's parents, Amir, Raj...), not natural at all. The only actress that acts well in the movie is "Sherry" (mummy)! She is good, although she is just a side-role, NOT the main cast. I like her acting very much!

I could see that the director was trying hard to earn some tears from the audiences. BUT the vibe is just NOT there enough to make one shed tears. Firstly, the emotional value is lacking depth among Biko, his father & mother. Secondly, it fails to create a "multi-dimensional" emotional point to touch one's heart. It's just too blunt and direct, with the kid crying over and over until audiences are numb! Finally, the illness doesn't add much value to the movie at all. It could have been used to add some crying points at last, making the movie more emphatic.

As said, the storyline is too simple, straight-forward and predictable. Audiences today wish to see a more creative storyline than a plain and dull one. Overall, it's quite a forgettable movie. It leaves plenty of room for improvement.
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Wolf Pack (2022)
4/10
Nothing impressive, just another forgettable movie!
28 September 2022
The storyline is pretty generic, with a squad engaged in overseas security work against terrorist attacks. We have seen quite a number of the same kinds of movies over the years. As such, I don't see anything great or new out of it.

The pace is alright, with actions almost every 10 minutes to keep you awake all the way.

The actions are rather flat, plain, and NO BIG DEAL! If you wish to see new tactical attacks, weapons, and actions, I m afraid that you will be disappointed badly. Because what is presented is almost identical to what you would have seen in any Hollywood film 5 years ago!

The character development is fair. Of all the characters, the female is the most outstanding, while the rest are just playing a flat role, without much 'remembering points'. Somehow I do not see the synergy or x-factor within the team that made me like them!

A few weaknesses that I picked up are:

Firstly, some parts are pretty predictable! You will roughly know either this or that will be sacrificed during the operation, and true enough..! Ha!!

Secondly, the acting skills of Aarif Lee are so STIFF and unnatural! He is NOT the material for this movie!! Also, his role is rather EXTRA and unnecessary! The sentimental value between him and his dad, or Max Chang and his dad. Is so vague, and meaningless!

Thirdly, the fight scene between the 2 females is rather iconic and "embarrassing"! The female villain looks so tough and strong! BUT she was defeated easily! I turned to my friend beside with my two hands open + thousand and one questionmarks in my mind.. "What???"

Finally, the ending is so "FAILED"! I expect to see some exciting and challenging operations at the end, BUT... again.. I open my 2 hands with my mouth open, looking at my fren beside.. "What??" again!!!!

Well, I gave 4/10. It's truly a disappointment! I love Max Chang (Zhang Jin), BUT he doesn't shine and add much value to this movie at all! Overall, it's quite a failed + forgettable movie!
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Juang (2022)
9/10
It's a good and touching movie that belongs to all Malaysians!
16 September 2022
It is a movie that pays tribute to the unknown heroes, with their untold stories without our awareness. The storyline goes around the untold difficult moments that frontliners were facing during the Covid 19 pandemic. Their challenges, stress, sacrifices and moments of despair are all shown to let you feel them.

The pace is great! There is a good mix of the scenes from the 5 different frontliners to keep the momentum going! Each brings a new challenge in his/her duty!

Of all, I love the Indian lady - Santhia - the best! I felt her very much! I am NOT surprised that we did have many 'Santhiasss' in real life, who faced marital, family, financial issues during that difficult moment, yet she shall stay strong to live on!

I was in tears in many parts of the movie! The human and emotional value touches all hearts! You will see that all Malaysians, regardless of race, are helping each other during this difficult time!

Some of the incidents in the movie are real, e.g. The traffic incident that sacrificed a life of a police officer during a roadblock; and the serious accident that involved many cars (even during MCO). In the movie, again, you feel the extra burdens from the frontliners (especially medical staff) due to our ignorant behaviors!

The few pitfalls that I picked up are: Firstly, perhaps the young Chinese actor is rather inexperienced in acting, he did not carry his role well. Secondly, as there are too many sub-stories of the frontliners in the movie, it lacks the depth that could have left a more meaningful impact on the audiences, although overall it's good enough!

It's definitely a movie that all Malaysians shall watch to appreciate what the frontliners have done for us, during that difficult moment. From the movie, you will understand that "staying at home" is the BEST help to all frontliners, yet many of us were still running around for the sake of boredom or fun! Good respect and salute to all frontliners! Thank you, frontliners! Thank you, Malaysia!

Buy your ticket on this Malaysia Day (916), and be proud of all Malaysians for walking through the difficult times over the last 2 years!
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8/10
It's old-fashioned and predictable, BUT I LOVE it so much..!!
15 September 2022
The storyline is very predictable, just like any "high-school musical" or sport competition-related movies, with the same formula, same format, same ending and all same same x 1000! HaHa...!

The move is about 2 hours and 23 minutes! BUT I m good with it, and I do NOT feel a sense of boredom. The pace is good, everything is intact, and you just go with the story!

The character development among the kids is good! I love the racial harmony among the kids! The interaction among the Malay, Chinese and Indian kids is good too! Each kid has his own sub-family story! From the movie, you could see how they were brought up, e.g. Chinese kid is stressed with high expectations; Indian kid is happy with his estate life; and Malay kids are facing family issues. Although it may look pretty much stereotyping the different races, it reflects who we Malaysians are in general!

I love the side-role, especially Pak Arab! He is the typical Malay uncle who is loving, open-minded, nosey, and talkative! He acted well and I really love his character in there!

Overall, it's good, except.. everything is predictable! How I wish we could see something different from this kind of typical generic teenage sport-related storyline!

A recommended movie during this month of Malaysia Day, to feel the racial harmony, and appreciate the friendship among the different races! It's definitely worth your money to watch in the cinema!
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