Reviews

Banglasia! Banglasia! Banglasia! Thats the only theme song that kinda stick with me in an otherwise kinda satire? Directed by and starring Namewee, the movie covers several political references that is so in your face that sometimes you find it hard kinda to laugh at it (Maybe it wasn't meant to be funny, I dunno). In the beginning you kinda wondered whether Syarikat Timbang (The name of the company) is an agency or what? No doubt the narration in the beginning was saying this and that, I only figured it out in the middle of the movie that it is a metaphor for BN (Or maybe I was kinda slow due to my sleepy head). Saiful Apek's portrayal while funny and comedic was an indirect portrayal of Mahathir and it was only towards the end of the movie where I realised that (It is confirmed during a post-credits scene at the end which is a reshoot). I guess is kinda good that Mahathir is portrayed indirectly as a funny man as oppose to a more serious or how you have seen him in real life and casting Saiful is a genius move (At least to me anyway). While not everybody will get the joke like Saiful's style of humour which I find funny or other jokes being delivered by other characters, like a policeman named Wira which I find so over the top and funny as hell, the "love triangle" between Dirty Harris, Namewee's grandma and Rina at first is a bit funny but after a while it gets a bit tiring (So goes for Saiful's constant singing and ad narration), some racial jokes this and there and of course a Hindustani dream-like sequence which is quite a fun nod to those montages you see in every Indian movies and shows that Namewee indeed does his homework. Overall maybe this is not a satire and it is a dumb comedy (Despite what Namewee says that this movie promotes the values of Malaysians and I say it does that with a song in the end and a cast of 1Malaysia) that so happens to feature a Bangla hero nicknamed Dirty Harris and a cast of 1 Malaysia that carries the movie really well that I was kinda invested. In the end, it is a slightly dated movie that still feels kinda relevant and fresh in our people's mind, that would have benefited more if BN have not been so triggered by its reference of them. Fyi there are only two kinda censored scenes which I find awkward (Maybe Mahathir is triggered by those) and several scenes of gun firing which they cut (Come on! It is cg flour not real blood. That bad is it?).

What can I say about this decent or so-so Marvel movie? A surprisingly (I wouldn't say a good performance but kinda energetic) okay performance from Brie Larson, where if you have seen the trailers, she looks kinda dull and you are instantly worried that she wouldn't be able to carry the movie. While her performance is allrite, both Sam Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, gave a great supporting performance with both Nick Fury and Talos, supporting Captain Marvel in her journey. Her frequent interaction with Fury and their instant chemistry, makes this movie come alive for me and for once a Ben Mendelsohn performance that is not the same as you have seen him before, ever since he broke into Hollywood and playing the same bad guy again and again. His performance as Talos, the kinda leader of Skrulls, an alien race who is involved in a war with the Krees, which Captain Marvel herself is a part of its Starforce, was surprisingly touching and for a moment there I was kinda sorry for their race and wanted him and his race to live. Not to mention Lashana Lynch's performance as Maria Rombeau, Captain Marvel's best friend, who is also good with her constant energy, almost on the same level as Brie, is of course entertaining and her daughter Monica, played by Akira Akbar is also a worthy mention. Speaking about Fury again, the CGI that was utilised to de-age him and Clark Gregg, who portrays the fan-favourite Coulson is flawless as hell, where their first appearances does make you feel a bit unbelievable but as the movie progresses you get absorb into their performance (There's not enough Coulson btw and it is more of a small appearance but they still did good on his face except for that one I think intentional error) and you don't mind the CGI after awhile. Positives aside, there are several flaws with this movie. Firstly, the action sequences. Despite the good CGI used in most of its set pieces, the fight sequences in the movie are bad. Speaking about making cheap fight sequences, this movie had plenty. No doubt Brie Larson and other actors trained so hard for their role, the way the filmmakes shot and edited the fight sequences are terrible. Secondly, the musical score. The first MCU movie composed by a female should be a good thing rite? Well I find the score pretty much underwhelming with several themes barely move you at all as an audience. Compared to other musical scores in the MCU, whereby they are not memorable but at least when you watch the movie you wanna shake your head or at least the music moves you. Here waiting for the Post-credits sequence feels so dull and uneventful. Lastly, the direction. Directed by both Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the filmmaking duo behind critically acclaimed Half Nelson and Mississippi Grind, should be making a great Marvel movie just like Taika Waititi and James Gunn did, where they moved from an Indie background to making blockbusters. But instead this movie feels very dull and the 90's period feels very off, in this case it doesn't feel like the 90's at all. A constant reminder that this movie is set in the 90's with songs and nostalgia is constantly throughout the movie but if not for that, this movie should or definitely set in the present. Some of the shots are unmemorable and speaking about the action, clearly the duo have no experience in shooting action and as opposed to the aforementioned duo of Gunn and Waititi, despite having no background in action whatsoever, they did good there. Overall, depsite some negativities and positivities, Captain Marvel is an allrite movie and knowing Marvel's track record, this is a step down from what they used to do and here's hoping that the Russo Brothers will improve Captain Marvel's image or character in Endgame.

What happens when you combine the premise of people committing suicide from The Happening and an entity attacking us based on our senses a la A Quiet Place? Bird Box? Yeah this movie combines both concepts and it is not a ripoff but rather a unique baby that isn't perfect but quite intense with zero jumps scares and less corniness. The scene where our society breaks out of order in the beginning is intense as hell and the part where the entity possesses these individuals is scary and lacks the corniness of The Happening, where the individuals there commits suicide in quite a funny or cornier way. Even the part where the survivors have to survive on their own during the flashback scenes is intense as hell. The only part where the movie feels less intense and gives me a mixed feeling is during the current scenes in the first-second acts in the movie. Whenever the movie does that it felt less intense and no doubt the slow and suspense is there, it felt a bit off and when the third act comes in, it creates an uneven tone but nevertheless I was still invested in the story. Overall, I highly recommend this movie if you are into this post-apocalyptic kind of movies as I find it a worthy entry in the genre and if you liked A Quiet Place or dislike it for its jump scares or lack of gore, you might enjoy this more. For sure it is way more serious than The Happening (Thats unintentionally funny. I wanna see that again for sure).

You exploited somebody's art against their will and you will die terrible deaths. That's the message or in this case how I would have described this movie. The whole setting in the art world of L.A. and with a cast of unlikable characters together with the premise of a discovered art, done by an artist who passed away recently and the deaths of people who are exploiting his painting for their personal gains, pretty much sounds a lot for a movie but at the same time it can be interesting if its well executed. How did it turn out? Could have been better. The whole art world of L.A. in itself is full of pretentious, you can say snobbish people, who are fake and backstabbers in every possible way and this movie highlights that and together with the discovery of several paintings done by a nobody, these people exploit it and in return, as you guessed it, die or disappear. What really worked for me though is the supernatural elements incorporated into an otherwise kinda light movie? The whole backstory about the painter and his troubled life and the way these people die or disappear under mysterious circumstances kept me awake whenever its on. But when the movie focuses on these "art" people and their daily routine, romance/affair and planning or whatever is when I kinda lose my attention and didn't really care. I guess the performance of actors like Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo and others did a really good job in playing snobs? I don't have any liking for them at all and I guess its intentional? Well their deaths kept me awake.

"I think it's the expectations and assumptions of others that cause heartache", a line spoken by Reynolds Woodcock, portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis towards Alma, portrayed by Vicky Krieps, during one of their first meetings. It may not be a memorable line or the most significant line (Unless you want to include a number of times Daniel says "f... off" to the doctor or few uses of the word f-word during the argument scene) but in my opinion the line sets up Alma's character throughout the film especially the last one hour of the movie. As for Daniel's portrayal nothing much can be said that is already been said. His performance and commitment to character is well known and most of you heard stories about his method of acting. But what I will talk about is Vicky Krieps. Alma may seemed like any other character. A girl wanting to be loved by a guy but the guy, in this case Reynolds is unable to love her like a normal person do. But what makes it interesting is how her character as the movie progresses, becomes more emotionally complex and complicated. Sure she may do things that are deemed questionable but she will do whatever it takes to make him love her even when Reynolds is becoming more complicated by her standards. That twisty kind of relationship may leave you feeling kinda heavy and complicated despite the relatively easy story. The performances of both Daniel and Vicky are worth noting and of course Lesley Manville who portrays Daniel's sister Cyril is also worth mentioning as her portrayal of a level-headed sister who develops a liking towards Alma and the only one who can tolerate Daniel's character. Overall not an easy viewing but if you don't mind slow-burning drama with a twisty kind of relationship or a huge Paul Thomas Anderson fan, then give this a watch. But other than that i wouldn't put this on my list of films I will definitely watch again on my Letterboxd.

Recently seen this film on DVD and to tell you the truth this movie is superb in terms of visuals and martial arts choreography.But story wise,I find this a bit of a let down.Being no fan of the original comic books or the previous feature film(which happens to have the same lead actors),I kinda expect it to deliver more than what I have seen the trailers.Despite the film's bad script and simple execution,I still personally enjoyed watching this movie due to its unique visual feasts(yes, the spectacular fight scenes especially during the films climax) and over the top production which is similar or equivalent to Hollywood productions.Go and see it only if you are a martial arts and love fantasy cum action films!If you are the type who loves watching serious and good movies, I suggest you give this movie a miss.

I recently caught this movies in the cinemas with a friend.To tell you the truth this is the most unique and interesting found footage film i have ever seen!!(compare to the usual horror themed found footage film).The acting is superb and the camera work not so jerky.You also feel kinda sorry for the main character which is Andrew,a social misfit whom is always bullied and abused by his father.In the end,you have the usual story telling how a broken man succumb to the dark side(which is equivalent to Star Wars except that Anakin is a hero whereas Andrew is not!).The different perspective of the camera(including the usage of CCTV cameras)makes this a more interesting and unconventional to the normal type of found footage film!The relationship between Andrew and his new found powers buddies Steve and his cousin Matt is also interesting as you love and cheer during the time they create mischief in the supermarket.You will also be touched by the relationship between Andrew and his dying mother and how he is willing to use his powers for a desperate measure in order to save his mom!.Go and see this movie especially if you are fed-up with the usual superhero or boy with superpowers film!But be warned,this is not for the faint of heart due to some disturbing scenes and a shocking climax!!

I have recently bought a collection of Batman movies(including the ever awesome Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) and decided to go for the Worst Batman movie.My decision?I choose Batman & Robin!Although the movie is generally entertaining,personally i find the movie lacked in so many aspects!First,the level of seriousness is completely out and instead they treat the entire movie like a cartoon waiting to be seen by small kids(especially the hockey themed opening and some of the fight scenes)!!Second the acting is incredibly stale and does not bring any highlight to this dull script.Thirdly,the lines are very lame(especially the ones delivered by Arnold Schwazennegger!) and the heroes and villains are not so memorable at all making this a very dull and clichéd journey!My overall verdict?Its a decent entertaining movie with so many flaws unaccepted!It is highly recommended if only you love lame and unfunny comedies mixed with a bit of actions!!If you don't(which most of you do!),go and revisit Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns and of course the Nolan-Helmed Batman Begins and The Dark Knight(which is far better than the Schumacher-Helmed Batman Forever and Batman & Robin),to heightened up this years highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises!!So long then!!

Last Friday,I grab hold of this DVD,and to tell you the truth,I was very impressed with the film completely!The acting in my opinion was quite good(especially from the lead actor Leonardo Dicarprio) and the direction was so interesting (since the film is directed by Christopher Nolan,I kinda expected it to be as good as his previous film,The Dark Knight to be more interesting) that I was instantly hooked and touched by the movie(despite the film being very complex and complicated with a lot of heavy dialog)!I also found the idea very intriguing and powerful that once this technology really exists,that it can completely changed the world and the way our cooperate society works!I also found the film to be completely touched and how your personal feelings of lost can completely destroy your mission or how it can influence your dream and blurs the line between realities and the world of the subconscious!I also found the special effects completely awesome(especially the part where Arthur was floating in the hotel room) and the CGI commendable(since the director decided not to use many CGI on this movie)!Since I didn't want to reveal much of the plot,overall this film is not for entertainment but is for those who love to think a lot!This film is definitely worth a second watch for understanding!(the first time I saw,I watch it for some action but soon enough I will watch it for clues!By far,this is one of the Christopher Nolan's best film and the most original and intriguing science fiction film of the year(worth being nominated at this years Oscars!)Worth a watch!

I have recently caught the screening of Robin Hood last Saturday and to tell you the truth it was such an awesome and engaging experience!The moment the movie has begun,I was so interested in the movie that I myself could not closed my eyes for 2 hours 28 min.The set and the acting was so interesting that I left the cinema hall with a big smile on my face!The only thing I don't understand is why people hate this movie so much.In my opinion,this is a more interesting version of the legend.It gives a good interpretation of this tale and decides to tell from the beginning of how Robin Longstride became the man known as Robin Hood unlike the previous interpretation before this.I like the idea of Robin Hood being portrayed as a serious man and a visionary rather than a fairy tale character!So in conclusion,I enjoyed this movie better than anyone who despise it!Am looking forward to the sequel if they are gonna make one!4 stars.