Donnie Yen’s The Prosecutor Review

Really good action-packed martial arts movies had been scarce. Imagine my excitement when I stumbled across Donnie Yen’s The Prosecutor trailer. The fight scenes were of exceptional quality, meticulously choreographed and executed with authenticity.

I was a little worried during the opening sequence. It was a drug bust but it was filmed in a way that it looked like a first person shooter game. It was a relief that this type of scenes were limited to only a few sequences. After watching the movie, I can safely tell you that I was totally on the edge of my seat during the action scenes, but the plot could have been more engaging. Although based on a true story and there were some emotional scenes sprinkled here and there, the rest of the story was not very memorable.

For a few quick bucks, a teenager agreed to let some drug mules use his address for their smuggling activities. Down on his luck, it was not surprising that the police were tipped off and he got arrested. Worse, he was tricked by his own lawyers into pleading guilty. In comes the protagonist played by Donnie Yen - a former cop who decided to leave the force and joined the Department of Justice as a prosecutor.

Sensing injustice, he decided to investigate and the rest of the story became predictable after this. Thankfully, there was hardly a dull moment. The cast was stacked with seasoned actors, so you can bet the acting was top-notch. You will root for the heroes and hate the villains so much you wish they got their ass kicked. And Donnie Yen delivers on that wish with his incredible fighting skills.

It is really difficult NOT to recommend this movie unless you really have something against good kung fu movies or you might have some young ones tagging along. Otherwise, I’d say, go watch this one!

Disney's Mufasa - The Lion King Concise Review

When I first heard of this prequel to Disney’s The Lion King (originally an animated movie turned live-action), I was not too optimistic about the potential success of it. I mean, what would become of a movie about Simba’s father who, in the original movie, was killed off? And after watching both the animated and live-action movies of the same story, why would I want to watch another live-action one about lions?

Well, as it turned out, I did watch it. Not because I was ecstatic over it but more of a family outing instead during this holiday season (bravo, Disney, you released this movie during one of the most strategic times!). And so, I entered the cinema with low expectations (after checking out the Rotten Tomatoes' rating in advance, which was rotten at 55% at the time of writing).

I expected the CGI to be spectacular, and Mufasa did not disappoint. This is as good as it gets with photorealistic animals. I am no expert in this field, but the animals moved and looked so real I could not distinguish if they were 100% CGI or the real deal. It was this good. There is nothing much to comment on acting because there were no real actors on-screen, but the voice acting is what you can come to expect from Disney— superb.

This is the story of Mufasa, a future king that got separated from his parents in a flood but saved by Taka, the would-be king of another pride of lions. This is the story of their destiny. It did not matter if you had watched the original The Lion King or not because the story is your standard fare of brotherhood turned sour. Do not expect any twists or surprises. Instead, just go to the cinema and watch it for what it is — a spectacular visual feast with animals (yay, no humans!) that Disney hoped will be enough to carry the movie until the end.

If you are looking for a movie with depth, you might be disappointed. However, if you are looking for some holiday entertainment and family fun time, especially if you are bringing your little ones, Mufasa will satisfy.

Thoughts: Your Name

Ever since watching Weathering with You a couple of years ago in the cinema, I've been trying to look for the movie that it was linked to, Your Name. It received massive success during its time, three years ago in 2016 before Weathering with You. Alas, I finally found it through streaming service Netflix.

I've not been able to find time to watch it until three hours ago. The anime movie starts off simple enough in a complicated way. The beginning reveals it was built on the body swapping storyline that most of us have come across time and again. It does not attempt to hide the fact that it will eventually build up to a climatic romance but it is interesting to learn that the movie has a really unexpected twist to it.

The animation is top notch Japanese anime and it has great visuals incorporating a suburban town and an apocalyptic event that involves a comet. It is a great two hours spent on watching this movie that is magical in its own way.

#Onward, My #Soul

I rarely miss any Pixar movies but the pandemic left me little choice. Cinemas are closed most of the time, what more with a recent resurgence of the COVID-19 virus with new variants. I have missed Onward, Soul and the recent Luca (for some reason, I have also skipped Inside Out and hope to watch it soon). Fortunately, Disney+ has just become available in my part of the world in the form of Disney+ Hotstar. Since then, I have managed to play catch-up with Onward which stars the voices of Marvel superheroes Tom Holland and Chris Pratt; and Soul voiced by Jamie Fox.

Set in a fantasy world of elves, wizards, manticore, and other mystical sentient beings, Onward explores the tale of two elven brothers’ misadventures in their quest to correct a spell gone wrong so that they can spend the day (or what is left of it) with their deceased father. This world has lost its magic in the name of development and modernisation, something we can all relate to. This is a neat premise that I would love to explore if I ever become a writer.

The younger sibling, Ian (Holland) is obsessed to meet his father because he was too little when his dad passed away. Unfortunately, while casting a spell to bring him back, something went awry - only the legs appeared, so Ian sets off to find a way to bring his father back as a whole. Inadvertently, his bumbling brother, Barley (Pratt) joins the party. Initially more trouble than help, you can expect Barley to play a significant role in the movie.

Meanwhile, Soul brings us back to Earth where a struggling music teacher, Joe (Foxx), lands a gig of a lifetime to play opposite his jazz idol, only to, literally, fall dead moments later. He becomes a spirit who refuses to accept his fate and vows to return to his body. In the afterlife, he impersonates a mentor tasked to prep a soul for life on Earth. The fun part is, this is a pessimistic soul filled with so much negativity about being human that it has overstayed its due. So the two makes a deal - when the soul is ready, it is supposed to switch places with Joe so that he can return to Earth while the soul remains.

So it is going to be a win-win situation right? Of course not. As with everything that happens in our lives, some things go wrong and some things turn out fine. This is the premise of the movie.

Told in true Pixar fashion, both movies make great family entertainment with important life lessons weaved into the storylines. The animation is always top-notch with fabulous palettes and gentle doses of cuteness. On top of that, the voice talents bring the characters to life and then some. Although I have lots of great things to say about these movies, they do tend to fall into typical and predictable territories. Despite that, the movies have enough elements in them to keep the audience rooted in their seats. Highly recommended for the whole family. The adults will find it just as appealing as the kids.

Review: World War Z

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos
Director: Marc Forster
Maturity Rating: PG-13 (Theatrical), 18+ (Netflix)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Theatrical Release: 2013
Runtime: approx. 116 minutes

Set in the present day (well, the movie was released in 2013), Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and family are stuck in a very bad traffic jam and things start to go very wrong. Everyone eventually panics and we see our first zombies, straight into the action. As a former United Nations investigator, Gerry has a quick wit so it is not surprising that the Lane family manage to survive the night by taking refuge in another family’s apartment. With his connection, he manages to secure a helicopter evacuation the next day. The family in the apartment and their son, Tommy, decide to stay while the Lanes move to the rooftop for the evacuation. As the zombies invade the apartment complex, Tommy manages to escape with the Lane family onto a supercarrier.

Gerry is given a choice. Either aid a virologist to find a cure by locating patient zero or get moved out of the supercarrier. With little choice, Gerry travels to South Korea where things once again go awry. The film follows Gerry’s globe-trotting adventures, one tense moment after another. Will he eventually find a way to help make the vaccine or is it going to be the end of the world?

Brad Pitt holds his own in this movie and pulls the right punches at the right time. Whether or not if you are a fan of the main protagonist or the zombie genre, the movie is worth watching. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the other characters because the focus is on Pitt moving from one place after another so there is little room for the others to shine.

The movie does not have as much blood and violence as some zombie movies of recent times but this is where it works best. Rather than just mindless zombie culling gore, a better plot balanced with enough action steer the movie in the right direction.

The other zombie movie that I have watched and reviewed is the Korean Train to Busan reviewed here.

Review: Gone Girl

People love thrillers, especially those with so many twists and turns that by the end of the movie (or book), the good guy could well be the bad guy that is the good guy who becomes the baddest but ultimately the good guy that is bad and this goes on and on until the end is reached (and the most loved of the crop is where the ending is open for another sequel). The more twists the better. Gone Girl is one such movie but thankfully, the twists are well controlled and not as mindlessly overdone as some movies.

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike play the estranged couple Nick and Amy Dunne. Apparently, one morning after a walk by the beach, Nick goes home and finds evidence that Amy was attacked and she is nowhere to be found. So he goes to report to the police. The narration by Amy and back flashes in the early part of the movie reveals how their marriage had degraded over the years. Slowly, but surely, all the evidence points to Nick but is he guilty? If he is, what has he done to her?

While Rosamund Pike fits well into Amy’s role, I think anyone can become Nick if Ben Affleck’s acting is the threshold. Pike can express warmth and frost quite well but Affleck is just frustrated all the way.

I have a major gripe - I don’t understand why the movie is mostly in the dark. It could do with brighter scenes. Probably it’s just me but I always dislike movies with too many dark scenes. Instead of setting the mood, it becomes too straining. At least this one is not an action movie or else it’s difficult to distinguish who is fighting with whom.

The movie has just the right pace and is supported by a rather intelligent plot. These alone make the movie watchable although the nude scenes will limit it to a more mature audience.

Review: Weathering with You

Weathering with You is set in Japan during a very unusual rainy season. The movie starts with Hina by her dying mother’s bed in a hospital when she sees a ray of sunlight in the distance. She leaves the hospital to investigate. When she reaches an abandoned building, she finds the light illuminating a shrine. After she prays, she is blessed with the power to alter the weather, particularly the capability to bring sunshine into the otherwise gloomy and rainy weather.

Hodaka is a runaway underaged teenager setting out to explore Tokyo. He tries to fit in but fails. Along the way, he briefly stumbled upon Hina and was touched by her generosity to provide him with food. He managed to find work with a magazine on urban legends. Not long after, he meets Hina again and eventually teamed up to start a business providing sunshine to people.

Hodaka’s status as a runaway catches up with him as the police start to look for him after his parents filed a missing person’s report. Meanwhile, both Hina (who lives with her younger brother) and her brother are about to be placed under social services. Left with little choice, the trio decides to run away. Amid all these, the weather worsens while the romance between the main protagonists blossoms. By now, most will be able to predict what’s coming next. There are little surprises here. However, accompanied by an excellent soundtrack, the movie managed to keep my attention on the screen with its beautifully done animation and artwork.

At the core of it all “Weathering with You” is a love story that feels tepid at best because there was not much avenue for the main characters to build their relationship. Besides that, the plot about weather control appears flawed. Fortunately, when combined, the movie, with its stunning visual and soundtrack, manages to build to an emotional climax that does not disappoint.

Review: Train to Busan

Zombie movies are aplenty but our appetites for mindless violence can never be satisfied. The last memorable zombie movies that I can recall are the Resident Evil series (I’ve not watched the last instalment) and the standalone I Am Legend. Today, I had the chance of watching another. One that I’ve heard received rave reviews from my peers. It was released in 2016 and was a surprised blockbuster.

There were little to differentiate this film with the others. The usual: There was an epidemic and it went out of control. Whoever that got bitten will become a zombie. On the plus side, the film did not skimp on the thrills and emotions. There were the expected sacrifices and there were selfish people, too. There were scenes where the protagonists had only moments before the zombies were upon them. So don’t worry for any lack of those.


I can’t really say if the effects were good or not because the pace of the film was fast enough that I did not have the time to look for flaws. What I can say is the CGI did its job well enough.

Overall, this zombie film was nothing revolutionary but it had the ingredients to engage the audience albeit being predictable. Besides that, I was rather pleased that it was mostly done in the day. I’ve had enough of dark, and I mean lack of light kind of dark, undead movies. It’s really refreshing to watch one mostly in the light and still able to thrill. Recommended!

If you like this movie, you would be happy to know that a sequel is in the works. It’s due for a 2020 release. ;)

Review: Batman Ninja

This review of Batman Ninja seems timely as we celebrate eighty years of Batman. The Caped Crusader first appeared on 30 March 1939. Recently, I streamed the animated feature on Netflix.

After a time machine mishap, Batman ends up in feudal Japan with Gotham’s most dangerous criminals - there’s no way the story guys would miss out arch nemesis Joker and Penguin in something like this. We will find out later, Batman’s faithful butler Alfred, Catwoman, Robin and gang are also transported to this timeline. Sounds just like another good versus evil Batman movie-length cartoon doesn’t it? That is, until the surprises start to trickle in.

The bad guys arrived earlier in time than Batman and managed to become warlords and establish their own clans. It is only for sure that the already chaotic era becomes a bigger mess with this bunch’s meddling. Thus, begins the quest for Batman’s gang to right what was wrong whilst finding their way back to their own time. Naturally, there will be setbacks and betrayals along the way as the movie progresses.

The Batman Ninja version that I watched was in Japanese. The feature has all the characteristics and exaggeration unique to Japanese anime. The creative team even threw in some over the top giant robots that can combine to become an even bigger one. One can look forward to the climactic fight scenes. Coupled with some good storytelling, Batman Ninja is an experiment that just works.

As media consumption becomes readily accessible, quirky ideas like Batman Ninja are a welcome addition to the mundane styles that are common every where.

#LongLiveTheBat

Bumblebee (2018 Film) Review

Before we start, I’d like to state that I’m a huge fan of the original first generation Transformers cartoon (people seem to use the word “cartoon” less and less these days, preferring to call them animation). All the subsequent ones never quite found a place in my heart.

Looking at the big picture, Bumblebee pretty much recycles the same plot materials from the Michael Bay Transformers movie series, especially the first one - ugly, complicated robots in disguise, Decepticons aiming to destroy earth, foolish and gullible humans, humourous clumsy robots, mindless slugfest, etc.

Thankfully all these had been toned down and refined. There is also a much better actress than the Sam Witwicky-plus-hot chic combo. Surprisingly, these actually made the movie work for me.

The whole movie is much more watchable this time around with much, much lesser Michael Bay’s Transformers. In fact, the focus is on just three robots (Bumblebee and two Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick - never heard of these two until now) most of the time. It’s unfortunate Michael Bay’s ugly, overly complicated versions of robots still plague this movie but this is somewhat saved by the simpler Bumblebee and some added colours to the other two Decepticons.


Some scenes in the movie paid homage to the first generation cartoons. These gave me hope that the originals could return someday and helped me forget the current version of Optimus Prime that philosophise too much of the obvious while sounding like a too-good-to-be-true leader. I couldn’t quite remember why I used to love Optimus Prime. I most certainly don’t now because he’s really a boring hero. I suppose this movie worked because he’s not the focus.

I was disappointed that this movie is a very relevant prequel to the first 2007 Michael Bay movie. I had hoped for a complete reboot. I wait with hope and anticipation for what’s next. A message to the filmmakers - as proven in this movie, less is more, simple is better so please do away with the confusing fight scenes and it’s really not necessary to have a very attractive chic running around much ado about nothing.

Movie Review: First Man

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy

First Man (based on the authorised biography First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen is a beautiful film that focuses mostly on Neil Armstrong’s life during the period when he got involved with NASA’s plans to reach for the moon to eventually taking the giant leap for mankind. We get to know more about him - the first man on the moon - from the loss of his daughter, friends and colleagues to his withdrawn attitude and eventually what was really consuming him. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the film was not riddled in dialogues. Instead, the emotions and psychological agony skilfully portrayed by its very capable cast spoke wonders.

Besides that, the film briefly explored some very interesting questions - was the space project so important that it’s worth sacrificing lives and investing huge amounts of money? Was it truly for the sake of humanity or was it just to satisfy a nation’ pride in a space race against its biggest rival? Would it be done differently today where human rights are supposedly uphold above all else?

One major qualm that I have, though I never doubted the movie was filmed by a director with great taste, was I found it rather nauseating when the camera had to shake every so often in a big chunk of the scenes. Well, on the bright side, while I had to walk out of Cloverfield I was thankful I still managed to sit through this one so it was still tolerable.

If you have some time to spare, I would not hesitate to recommend that you catch this longish movie. Although it may be slow moving at times coupled with vomit inducing camera movements, I never found the need to drift off into space. It was an engaging journey into humanity’s first round trip to the moon and the lost that came with such a historical achievement.