White House Down
Roland Emmerich
The story: Rejected by the Secret Service in his application for his dream job of protecting the President, Capitol cop John Cale (Channing Tatum) is on a tour of the White House with his daughter Emily (Joey King) when a paramilitary group led by Emil Stenz (Jason Clarke) storms the seat of power. It is up to Cale to save President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx).
The White House really needs to beef up its security.
Ever since aliens took a potshot at it in Independence Day (1996), it has been vulnerable to attack in way too many movies – the most recent attempt being in Olympus Has Fallen (2013) in April.
As the latest entry in the presidential-digs- under-threat subgenre, White House Down is perfectly serviceable summer fare with little interest in reinventing the wheel.
The set-up takes a good half-hour though and you have to sit through cheesy, jingoistic lines such as “Don’t we have the best job in the world?” from the mouth of a presidential aide.
The president himself is a saintly fellow who is dignified and idealistic, and director-producer Roland Emmerich’s shorthand for that is: Put a pair of glasses on Jamie Foxx (below) (Ray, 2004).
Once all that is out of the way, the well-paced action sequences finally kick in.
Emmerich has previously wreaked destruction on a global scale in disaster epics such as The Day After Tomorrow (2004), 2012 (2009) and, yes, Independence Day. He has no problems doing the same within the narrower confines of a few buildings here.
He merrily blows up and tears down iconic symbols of power and a spectacular explosion at the United States Capitol Building signals that the mayhem is underway at last.
As hero John Cale, Channing Tatum displays two key characteristics – an agile physicality and an imperviousness to bullets, which he shares with all action stars.
Like Nicolas Cage’s career path after Leaving Las Vegas (1995), once he proved that he could act in Magic Mike (2012), it turns out that what Tatum really wants to be is a shoot-’em-up hero with back-to-back turns in G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and here.
For a while, it seems as though Foxx, who is no slob physique-wise, is going to bust out of being presidential and pair up with Tatum in an action buddy flick. Emmerich sure teases us with that possibility when Foxx gets rid of his leather shoes for sneakers and even handles a weapon, but it does not quite happen.
It could have been fun to have the President going all-out and mowing down villains but then again, avoiding the buddy route cliche was probably the smarter move.
What he does instead is frustrate viewers with an ineffective secret service agent played by Maggie Gyllenhaal and a helpless and scared little girl, Emily, played by Joey King.
It would have been nice to have them taking a more active and heroic stance rather than floundering over the phone or frozen into inaction by fear. But I guess we will have to wait for Kick-Ass 2 for our fix for kick-ass female action.
(ST)
Thursday, June 27, 2013
HK Forbidden Super Hero
Yuchi Fukuda
The story: This is not a sex comedy-satire from Hong Kong like the excellent Vulgaria (2012). HK stands for Hentai Kamen, literally, Pervert Mask. High-school student Kyosuke (Ryohei Suzuki) discovers that he has superhuman powers – when he wears a pair of panties over his head. To protect Aiko (Fumika Shimizu) whom he has a crush on, he has to defeat a creepy teacher (Ken Yasuda). Based on the manga Kyukyoku!! Hentai Kamen (Ultimate!! Pervert Mask, 1992-1993).
Spandex thong, fishnet stockings and a pair of panties over the head – this male superhero outfit is not for the faint of heart.
Kyosuke also discovers along the way that in order for his powers to be unleashed, the panties cannot be brand-new – they have to have been worn.
It is hard to imagine any American summer blockbuster superhero in such an unorthodox get-up. But in Japan, where soiled panties can be bought from vending machines, the idea is much less of a stretch.
It helps that director Yuichi Fukuda fully embraces the B-grade bizarreness of the material.
More than that, he rubs it in your face with close-ups of Hentai Kamen’s crotch. It so happens that one of his power moves involves shoving a baddie’s face right into his nether regions.
Hats off to Ryohei Suzuki (The Full Throttle Girl, 2011) for fearlessly taking on this role. When he transforms into Hentai Kamen, you have to wonder how and exactly where safety tape was used.
On top of which, he manages to earnestly deliver some tricky dialogue. “Those are my golden balls” is one example, and yes, he is referring to anatomical ones.
Hentai Kamen’s nemeses range from Very Serious Guys to Skinny Macho Mask but he is truly tested when he comes face to face with an imposter version who thrives on being humiliated.
For all the sauciness of the material and the amount of crotch-grinding going on, however, there is a certain innocence and sweetness to the film.
Even as Kyosuke’s hormones, and imagination, run amok, his burgeoning romance with Aiko is cutely chaste and awkward.
It turns out Hentai Kamen is as much about the power of love as it is about the power of perversion.
(ST)
Yuchi Fukuda
The story: This is not a sex comedy-satire from Hong Kong like the excellent Vulgaria (2012). HK stands for Hentai Kamen, literally, Pervert Mask. High-school student Kyosuke (Ryohei Suzuki) discovers that he has superhuman powers – when he wears a pair of panties over his head. To protect Aiko (Fumika Shimizu) whom he has a crush on, he has to defeat a creepy teacher (Ken Yasuda). Based on the manga Kyukyoku!! Hentai Kamen (Ultimate!! Pervert Mask, 1992-1993).
Spandex thong, fishnet stockings and a pair of panties over the head – this male superhero outfit is not for the faint of heart.
Kyosuke also discovers along the way that in order for his powers to be unleashed, the panties cannot be brand-new – they have to have been worn.
It is hard to imagine any American summer blockbuster superhero in such an unorthodox get-up. But in Japan, where soiled panties can be bought from vending machines, the idea is much less of a stretch.
It helps that director Yuichi Fukuda fully embraces the B-grade bizarreness of the material.
More than that, he rubs it in your face with close-ups of Hentai Kamen’s crotch. It so happens that one of his power moves involves shoving a baddie’s face right into his nether regions.
Hats off to Ryohei Suzuki (The Full Throttle Girl, 2011) for fearlessly taking on this role. When he transforms into Hentai Kamen, you have to wonder how and exactly where safety tape was used.
On top of which, he manages to earnestly deliver some tricky dialogue. “Those are my golden balls” is one example, and yes, he is referring to anatomical ones.
Hentai Kamen’s nemeses range from Very Serious Guys to Skinny Macho Mask but he is truly tested when he comes face to face with an imposter version who thrives on being humiliated.
For all the sauciness of the material and the amount of crotch-grinding going on, however, there is a certain innocence and sweetness to the film.
Even as Kyosuke’s hormones, and imagination, run amok, his burgeoning romance with Aiko is cutely chaste and awkward.
It turns out Hentai Kamen is as much about the power of love as it is about the power of perversion.
(ST)
Sunday, June 23, 2013
It is a long-awaited reunion. After the success of Monsters, Inc (2001), it has taken 12 years for well-loved characters such as enthusiastic one-eyed Mike Wazowski and genial blue-furred Sulley to appear in a new movie.
Unfortunately, Monsters University is nowhere as magical. Add to that the clunky ride that was Cars 2 (2011) and one begins to wonder if Pixar is losing the lustre of its early years.
And is it mere coincidence that both titles rehash old material rather than creating something new from scratch?
The Pixar of old often told the most engaging story in a most beautiful way.
Its first feature film Toy Story (1995) pushed the envelope on computer animation with a simple but entertaining story. The film was filled with memorable characters, from Woody the steadfast cowboy doll to Buzz Lightyear the arrogant space explorer.
And Monsters, Inc’s central concept of children’s screams powering a city was fresh and different, even as Pixar made strides in animation techniques to make Sulley’s fur appear more life-like.
It is no accident that key Pixar figure John Lasseter is a big admirer of Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli and its co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki is the man behind modern classics such as Spirited Away (2001) and Ponyo (2008), beautifully imaginative works which thrill the eye and warm the heart.
Pixar’s creations embodied that same generosity of spirit and fecundity of imagination. But with Disney’s acquisition of the company in 2006, there has perhaps been a touch of greater corporatisation in the studio’s works.
The critical reception to Cars (2006) was less enthusiastic compared to previous Pixar flicks, but it was Cars 2 that bottomed out with a 38 per cent rating on review-aggregating website rottentomatoes.com.
Merchandise-wise, this franchise is a winner – its anthropomorphic cars are seen everywhere in shops.
This is not to say that Pixar was previously averse to commercialism.
The Toy Story series (1995, 1999 and 2010) was an obvious candidate for spin-off toys and I personally have a soft spot for its three-eyed aliens. More importantly, the trilogy shows that sequels can be done thoughtfully and make a story more layered and fulfilling.
Nowadays, it seems as if the merchandising deal is signed, sealed and delivered at the stage of the movie’s conception. Sell toys, T-shirts and towels by all means, but Pixar needs to hold to heart Lasseter’s mantra that story is king.
Pixar, post acquisition by Disney, has actually delivered quite a few winners. The sci-fi flick Wall-E (2008) was a poignant cautionary tale about environmental preservation which was gorgeously animated and movingly told.
Director Terry Gilliam said: “A stunning bit of work. The scenes on what was left of planet Earth are just so beautiful: one of the great silent movies.”
And the stirring Up (2009), about an unlikely friendship between a cranky widower and an earnest little boy, is one of three animated movies ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.
Not forgetting last year’s inspiring Brave (2012) which featured Pixar’s first female heroine, feisty princess Merida, in its first fairy tale.
The question about whether Pixar has lost its touch is not a straightforward one to answer. It could be that after an extraordinarily successful start, it is going through some growing pains.
In a way, it is a victim of its own success. If viewers have high expectations of it, it is only because we have been spoilt by its stellar creations in the past. So, please, continue to spoil us.
BEST 3 PIXAR MOVIES...
FINDING NEMO (2003)
It is testimony to the depth and quality of Pixar’s work that picking its top three films is a deliciously difficult task. But no matter what your criteria are, Finding Nemo is likely to land a spot because it brings the aquatic world spectacularly to life, features great voice acting from Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres, and has a timeless, exciting and humorous story about fatherly love.
TOY STORY (1995)
Any of the Toy Story instalments could have made the list but the first one is special. It introduced enduring characters from Woody the cowboy to Buzz Lightyear and catchphrases such as “To infinity... and beyond!”. And it made me go: “Wow, so that’s what computer animation can do. And I’ll have a three-eyed alien please, thank you very much.”
THE INCREDIBLES (2004)
Pixar’s sixth feature was the first to have human protagonists and writer-director Brad Bird knocked it out of the park. It was a smart take on the superhero genre and wittily answered the question of why capes are strictly a no-go when it comes to costumes. Bonus points to Bird for voicing the imperious fashion designer Edna Mode.
...WORST 3
CARS 2 (2011)
The ills of sequel-itis struck hard. Cars 2 featured international settings such as Paris and Tokyo and was louder, bigger and brasher, with an overblown story involving spies and an international conspiracy. They should have slammed the brakes on this one.
CARS (2006)
This was Pixar’s final indepen- dently produced movie before its purchase by Disney. Too bad it was not much of a last hurrah. Instead of humming and purring like a top-notch vehicle, this was merely a ho-hum offering about talking cars.
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (2013)
This prequel to Monsters, Inc lacks the element of surprise and coasts by on the goodwill generated by characters such as Mike Wazowski and Sulley from the earlier film.
(ST)
Unfortunately, Monsters University is nowhere as magical. Add to that the clunky ride that was Cars 2 (2011) and one begins to wonder if Pixar is losing the lustre of its early years.
And is it mere coincidence that both titles rehash old material rather than creating something new from scratch?
The Pixar of old often told the most engaging story in a most beautiful way.
Its first feature film Toy Story (1995) pushed the envelope on computer animation with a simple but entertaining story. The film was filled with memorable characters, from Woody the steadfast cowboy doll to Buzz Lightyear the arrogant space explorer.
And Monsters, Inc’s central concept of children’s screams powering a city was fresh and different, even as Pixar made strides in animation techniques to make Sulley’s fur appear more life-like.
It is no accident that key Pixar figure John Lasseter is a big admirer of Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli and its co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki is the man behind modern classics such as Spirited Away (2001) and Ponyo (2008), beautifully imaginative works which thrill the eye and warm the heart.
Pixar’s creations embodied that same generosity of spirit and fecundity of imagination. But with Disney’s acquisition of the company in 2006, there has perhaps been a touch of greater corporatisation in the studio’s works.
The critical reception to Cars (2006) was less enthusiastic compared to previous Pixar flicks, but it was Cars 2 that bottomed out with a 38 per cent rating on review-aggregating website rottentomatoes.com.
Merchandise-wise, this franchise is a winner – its anthropomorphic cars are seen everywhere in shops.
This is not to say that Pixar was previously averse to commercialism.
The Toy Story series (1995, 1999 and 2010) was an obvious candidate for spin-off toys and I personally have a soft spot for its three-eyed aliens. More importantly, the trilogy shows that sequels can be done thoughtfully and make a story more layered and fulfilling.
Nowadays, it seems as if the merchandising deal is signed, sealed and delivered at the stage of the movie’s conception. Sell toys, T-shirts and towels by all means, but Pixar needs to hold to heart Lasseter’s mantra that story is king.
Pixar, post acquisition by Disney, has actually delivered quite a few winners. The sci-fi flick Wall-E (2008) was a poignant cautionary tale about environmental preservation which was gorgeously animated and movingly told.
Director Terry Gilliam said: “A stunning bit of work. The scenes on what was left of planet Earth are just so beautiful: one of the great silent movies.”
And the stirring Up (2009), about an unlikely friendship between a cranky widower and an earnest little boy, is one of three animated movies ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.
Not forgetting last year’s inspiring Brave (2012) which featured Pixar’s first female heroine, feisty princess Merida, in its first fairy tale.
The question about whether Pixar has lost its touch is not a straightforward one to answer. It could be that after an extraordinarily successful start, it is going through some growing pains.
In a way, it is a victim of its own success. If viewers have high expectations of it, it is only because we have been spoilt by its stellar creations in the past. So, please, continue to spoil us.
BEST 3 PIXAR MOVIES...
FINDING NEMO (2003)
It is testimony to the depth and quality of Pixar’s work that picking its top three films is a deliciously difficult task. But no matter what your criteria are, Finding Nemo is likely to land a spot because it brings the aquatic world spectacularly to life, features great voice acting from Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres, and has a timeless, exciting and humorous story about fatherly love.
TOY STORY (1995)
Any of the Toy Story instalments could have made the list but the first one is special. It introduced enduring characters from Woody the cowboy to Buzz Lightyear and catchphrases such as “To infinity... and beyond!”. And it made me go: “Wow, so that’s what computer animation can do. And I’ll have a three-eyed alien please, thank you very much.”
THE INCREDIBLES (2004)
Pixar’s sixth feature was the first to have human protagonists and writer-director Brad Bird knocked it out of the park. It was a smart take on the superhero genre and wittily answered the question of why capes are strictly a no-go when it comes to costumes. Bonus points to Bird for voicing the imperious fashion designer Edna Mode.
...WORST 3
CARS 2 (2011)
The ills of sequel-itis struck hard. Cars 2 featured international settings such as Paris and Tokyo and was louder, bigger and brasher, with an overblown story involving spies and an international conspiracy. They should have slammed the brakes on this one.
CARS (2006)
This was Pixar’s final indepen- dently produced movie before its purchase by Disney. Too bad it was not much of a last hurrah. Instead of humming and purring like a top-notch vehicle, this was merely a ho-hum offering about talking cars.
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (2013)
This prequel to Monsters, Inc lacks the element of surprise and coasts by on the goodwill generated by characters such as Mike Wazowski and Sulley from the earlier film.
(ST)
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Waiting
Olivia Ong
Hard To Put It Down
Tiger Huang
Feeling frazzled from the fast pace of urban living?
Slow down, take a deep breath and calm your nerves with local songbird Olivia Ong’s Waiting.
She serenades on the title track: “Accompany pure white to wait for a splash of red/Accompany sweetness to wait for sadness/Wait and you’ll know what you’re waiting for.”
Her soothing vocals are best suited for midtempo tracks and ballads, and The Pursuit Of Happiness and Love Enough are among the stronger offerings here.
The lone English track, Wonderland, picks up the pace and Ong has a hand in writing the lyrics and music here. It is not quite as wonderful, though, as the sunny Let It Rain off her last album, Romance (2011).
Taiwanese singer Tiger Huang’s latest album is also at its best when she sticks to the tried and tested.
She emotes with restraint on the title ballad and offers a touching promise: “Whether it’s rain, snow, wind or frost, when you need me, I’ll be by your side.”
Lover mixes it up with Mandarin, Cantonese and Minnan lyrics. Although it feels gimmicky at first, Huang has the vocal chops to pull it off.
Songs such as Still Lonely and Youth revisit familiar territory – the poignant persona of a single woman of a certain age that Huang fearlessly embraced on her comeback album Simple/Not Simple (2009).
It’s a hard-luck life, but there is a moving resilience in her husky voice and songs.
Brave Love is a fast-tempo number that works – that is, until it gets to the ill-advised, cliched English rap.
Huang awkwardly urges: “Come on everybody put your hands in the air/Put your hands together like you just don’t care.”
By all means, try something new, but leave the posturing to the party popsters.
(ST)
Olivia Ong
Hard To Put It Down
Tiger Huang
Feeling frazzled from the fast pace of urban living?
Slow down, take a deep breath and calm your nerves with local songbird Olivia Ong’s Waiting.
She serenades on the title track: “Accompany pure white to wait for a splash of red/Accompany sweetness to wait for sadness/Wait and you’ll know what you’re waiting for.”
Her soothing vocals are best suited for midtempo tracks and ballads, and The Pursuit Of Happiness and Love Enough are among the stronger offerings here.
The lone English track, Wonderland, picks up the pace and Ong has a hand in writing the lyrics and music here. It is not quite as wonderful, though, as the sunny Let It Rain off her last album, Romance (2011).
Taiwanese singer Tiger Huang’s latest album is also at its best when she sticks to the tried and tested.
She emotes with restraint on the title ballad and offers a touching promise: “Whether it’s rain, snow, wind or frost, when you need me, I’ll be by your side.”
Lover mixes it up with Mandarin, Cantonese and Minnan lyrics. Although it feels gimmicky at first, Huang has the vocal chops to pull it off.
Songs such as Still Lonely and Youth revisit familiar territory – the poignant persona of a single woman of a certain age that Huang fearlessly embraced on her comeback album Simple/Not Simple (2009).
It’s a hard-luck life, but there is a moving resilience in her husky voice and songs.
Brave Love is a fast-tempo number that works – that is, until it gets to the ill-advised, cliched English rap.
Huang awkwardly urges: “Come on everybody put your hands in the air/Put your hands together like you just don’t care.”
By all means, try something new, but leave the posturing to the party popsters.
(ST)
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Miracle In Cell No. 7
Lee Hwan Kyung
The story: Lee Yong Gu (Ryoo Seung Ryong) is a simple-minded man who is determined to get a Sailor Moon bag for his six-year-old daughter Ye Sung (Gal So Won). He ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and is sentenced to death for the murder and sexual assault of the police commissioner’s young daughter. Realising that Yong Gu is a good-hearted man, his cellmates help to reunite him with his daughter (Park Shin Hye as an adult) and to prepare for his trial.
For a film with no big stars and a modest budget, this flick performed a, well, miracle at the South Korean box office.
Released domestically in January, it chalked up more than 12 million admissions and is now the third- highest-grossing domestic movie, behind sci-fi thriller The Host (2006) and crime caper The Thieves (2012).
It is all thanks to a story that tugs at the heartstrings as well as winning performances from the leads.
Ryoo Seung Ryong (Masquerade, 2012) is totally convincing in the role of the mentally handicapped father who would do anything for his daughter – a character that could have been impossibly saintly if Ryoo had not made it real.
Writer-director Lee Hwan Kyung effectively milks his character Yong Gu’s plight for maximum sympathy.
Yong Gu is an innocent man who is tricked and browbeaten into admitting a crime he did not commit. His inability to articulate that injustice will have audiences seething in frustration.
As the smart little girl who believes in her father, Gal So Won is excellent. The adorable actress is a natural and has a sweet rapport with her on-screen father, which overcomes thoughts that the treatment of their relationship is baldly manipulative.
Even though the film is a tearjerker with its share of scenes that will turn on the faucets, particularly towards the end, there is also plenty of humour dished out along the way.
Yong Gu’s cellmates are a hodgepodge of criminal types, but luckily for him, they are all of the heart-of-gold variety.
It helps that he has a cute daughter to bring out their protective and paternalistic side.
How they smuggle Ye Sung into a jail cell and then keep her squirreled away from the eyes of the wardens is amusing. The scheme ends with a flight of fancy that is undeniably harebrained but still, you root for it to succeed.
All of this is told in flashback as a grown-up Ye Sung argues her father’s case at a mock trial many years later, in an attempt to clear his name.
Get your hankies ready when she makes her final arguments and Yong Gu’s fate is revealed.
(ST)
Lee Hwan Kyung
The story: Lee Yong Gu (Ryoo Seung Ryong) is a simple-minded man who is determined to get a Sailor Moon bag for his six-year-old daughter Ye Sung (Gal So Won). He ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and is sentenced to death for the murder and sexual assault of the police commissioner’s young daughter. Realising that Yong Gu is a good-hearted man, his cellmates help to reunite him with his daughter (Park Shin Hye as an adult) and to prepare for his trial.
For a film with no big stars and a modest budget, this flick performed a, well, miracle at the South Korean box office.
Released domestically in January, it chalked up more than 12 million admissions and is now the third- highest-grossing domestic movie, behind sci-fi thriller The Host (2006) and crime caper The Thieves (2012).
It is all thanks to a story that tugs at the heartstrings as well as winning performances from the leads.
Ryoo Seung Ryong (Masquerade, 2012) is totally convincing in the role of the mentally handicapped father who would do anything for his daughter – a character that could have been impossibly saintly if Ryoo had not made it real.
Writer-director Lee Hwan Kyung effectively milks his character Yong Gu’s plight for maximum sympathy.
Yong Gu is an innocent man who is tricked and browbeaten into admitting a crime he did not commit. His inability to articulate that injustice will have audiences seething in frustration.
As the smart little girl who believes in her father, Gal So Won is excellent. The adorable actress is a natural and has a sweet rapport with her on-screen father, which overcomes thoughts that the treatment of their relationship is baldly manipulative.
Even though the film is a tearjerker with its share of scenes that will turn on the faucets, particularly towards the end, there is also plenty of humour dished out along the way.
Yong Gu’s cellmates are a hodgepodge of criminal types, but luckily for him, they are all of the heart-of-gold variety.
It helps that he has a cute daughter to bring out their protective and paternalistic side.
How they smuggle Ye Sung into a jail cell and then keep her squirreled away from the eyes of the wardens is amusing. The scheme ends with a flight of fancy that is undeniably harebrained but still, you root for it to succeed.
All of this is told in flashback as a grown-up Ye Sung argues her father’s case at a mock trial many years later, in an attempt to clear his name.
Get your hankies ready when she makes her final arguments and Yong Gu’s fate is revealed.
(ST)
Monsters University
Dan Scanlon
The story: Before they were best buds teaming up in Monsters, Inc (2001), Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) did not always see eye to eye. As, um, “freshmons”
at Monsters University, an eager and studious Mike and a laidback Sulley take an initial dislike to each other. But after they get kicked off the scaring programme, the only way for them to get back in is to work together to win a scaring competition.
Monsters, Inc (2001) was both a critical and popular hit. It earned more than US$562 million worldwide and received a glowing 96 per cent rating on the review aggregator rottentomatoes.com.
Its central concept was fresh and clever – the screams of children powered the city of Monstropolis and so monsters would harvest them by scaring the little ones at night. Add quirky, welldesigned characters and a generous sprinkling of humour, and the result was a film that appealed to the young and old.
There is even a heartwarming twist at the end – the monsters realise that laughter generates even more power than screams and change their mission to entertaining kids instead.
Perhaps the twist was too neat and happy that capitalising on the film’s success with a sequel would have been tricky. So Disney Pixar scares up a prequel instead, complete with the problem that plagues most prequels – the lack of surprise.
As creative as the Pixar team has been all these years, Monsters University does not solve this conundrum in a fully satisfactory way. The key plotline here has Mike and Sulley taking part in a scaring contest that they need to win to get back on the scaring course.
Although they are the underdogs, there is not enough excitement in watching how this plays out.
The school setting is also too familiar, from the classroom scenes to the rivalry between fraternity and sorority houses, even if it is given a monster makeover.
Still, the characters have generated so much goodwill from the first film that there is some pleasure here in watching how Mike and Sulley go from being at loggerheads to being best pals.
The origin of their rivalry with the chameleon- like monster Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi) is also revealed here.
There is also visual appeal in the vividly coloured film and some cute throwaway jokes, including a snail rushing to get to school on time.
Among the new characters, Helen Mirren’s formidable Dean Hardscrabble leaves the biggest impression, and the scuttling of her many legs each time she appears is a nice touch. But her character could have been better embedded into the story.
The themes here of friendship and finding your place in the world are well-meaning but have been explored to better effect in past Pixar offerings such as the Toy Story movies (1995, 1999, 2010).
Monsters University could well take a lesson or two from them.
(ST)
Dan Scanlon
The story: Before they were best buds teaming up in Monsters, Inc (2001), Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) did not always see eye to eye. As, um, “freshmons”
at Monsters University, an eager and studious Mike and a laidback Sulley take an initial dislike to each other. But after they get kicked off the scaring programme, the only way for them to get back in is to work together to win a scaring competition.
Monsters, Inc (2001) was both a critical and popular hit. It earned more than US$562 million worldwide and received a glowing 96 per cent rating on the review aggregator rottentomatoes.com.
Its central concept was fresh and clever – the screams of children powered the city of Monstropolis and so monsters would harvest them by scaring the little ones at night. Add quirky, welldesigned characters and a generous sprinkling of humour, and the result was a film that appealed to the young and old.
There is even a heartwarming twist at the end – the monsters realise that laughter generates even more power than screams and change their mission to entertaining kids instead.
Perhaps the twist was too neat and happy that capitalising on the film’s success with a sequel would have been tricky. So Disney Pixar scares up a prequel instead, complete with the problem that plagues most prequels – the lack of surprise.
As creative as the Pixar team has been all these years, Monsters University does not solve this conundrum in a fully satisfactory way. The key plotline here has Mike and Sulley taking part in a scaring contest that they need to win to get back on the scaring course.
Although they are the underdogs, there is not enough excitement in watching how this plays out.
The school setting is also too familiar, from the classroom scenes to the rivalry between fraternity and sorority houses, even if it is given a monster makeover.
Still, the characters have generated so much goodwill from the first film that there is some pleasure here in watching how Mike and Sulley go from being at loggerheads to being best pals.
The origin of their rivalry with the chameleon- like monster Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi) is also revealed here.
There is also visual appeal in the vividly coloured film and some cute throwaway jokes, including a snail rushing to get to school on time.
Among the new characters, Helen Mirren’s formidable Dean Hardscrabble leaves the biggest impression, and the scuttling of her many legs each time she appears is a nice touch. But her character could have been better embedded into the story.
The themes here of friendship and finding your place in the world are well-meaning but have been explored to better effect in past Pixar offerings such as the Toy Story movies (1995, 1999, 2010).
Monsters University could well take a lesson or two from them.
(ST)
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Mayday Nowhere World Tour 2013
Singapore Indoor Stadium/Last Friday
Every single member of the audience was part of the performance at Mayday’s gig.
Thanks to the specially designed lightsticks which were programmed to sync with the songs, the stadium transformed from one colour to the next in striking unison as fans waved them about fervently.
After rising Taiwanese newcomer Bai An warmed up the crowd with two songs, the Taiwanese band held the near- capacity audience of 8,000 in thrall for three hours.
Mandopop’s biggest group also sold out a second show on Saturday.
Vocalist Ashin promised, though: “We want to use up our energy tonight.”
Their latest tour revolved around the concept of Noah’s Ark, a track found on their end-of-the-world-inspired album, Second Round (2011).
Doomsday is not exactly the most uplifting idea but the band have seized upon it to deliver a message of being in the here and now. Do not wait to live your life is the exhortation on songs such as the title track Second Round.
Dressed in white tops and black pants, Ashin, guitarists Monster and Stone, bassist Masa and drummer Guan You emerged in a cloak of smoke and kicked things off with a string of rousing rockers including DNA.
The tight-knit band could get your pulse racing one minute and then your heart stirring the next on sensitive ballads such as Starry Night.
When they performed You Are Not Really Happy, the lightsticks were all dramatically extinguished before Ashin sang the final line: “Begin to live again.”
The thumping track Jump! The World had fans on their feet dancing and singing along loudly: “I won’t let myself feel wronged one second more.”
The concert’s sense of drama was heightened by the visually arresting video projections. Even the platforms which could be raised and lowered were made of screens so the band members would stand on top of a shifting landscape of images.
And during costume changes and short technical breaks, there was a concert- themed idol drama starring Jerry Yan and Ariel Lin about the end of the world to keep fans entertained.
We also got to see the lighter side of the band as they joked about onstage. Guan came in for some good-natured ribbing and Ashin and gang pretended to forget about him during the thank-yous.
To the amusement of the crowd, Guan also told a joke about doors which hinged on a slightly saucy pun.
The evening ended with the ballad Onion and a cheekily titled new number Sad People Don’t Listen To Fast Songs.
Ashin said at one point that he hoped that their songs would always be around. He also sang on OAOA: “I believe rock ’n’ roll can live forever.”
On a night like this, we could all believe it too.
(ST)
Singapore Indoor Stadium/Last Friday
Every single member of the audience was part of the performance at Mayday’s gig.
Thanks to the specially designed lightsticks which were programmed to sync with the songs, the stadium transformed from one colour to the next in striking unison as fans waved them about fervently.
After rising Taiwanese newcomer Bai An warmed up the crowd with two songs, the Taiwanese band held the near- capacity audience of 8,000 in thrall for three hours.
Mandopop’s biggest group also sold out a second show on Saturday.
Vocalist Ashin promised, though: “We want to use up our energy tonight.”
Their latest tour revolved around the concept of Noah’s Ark, a track found on their end-of-the-world-inspired album, Second Round (2011).
Doomsday is not exactly the most uplifting idea but the band have seized upon it to deliver a message of being in the here and now. Do not wait to live your life is the exhortation on songs such as the title track Second Round.
Dressed in white tops and black pants, Ashin, guitarists Monster and Stone, bassist Masa and drummer Guan You emerged in a cloak of smoke and kicked things off with a string of rousing rockers including DNA.
The tight-knit band could get your pulse racing one minute and then your heart stirring the next on sensitive ballads such as Starry Night.
When they performed You Are Not Really Happy, the lightsticks were all dramatically extinguished before Ashin sang the final line: “Begin to live again.”
The thumping track Jump! The World had fans on their feet dancing and singing along loudly: “I won’t let myself feel wronged one second more.”
The concert’s sense of drama was heightened by the visually arresting video projections. Even the platforms which could be raised and lowered were made of screens so the band members would stand on top of a shifting landscape of images.
And during costume changes and short technical breaks, there was a concert- themed idol drama starring Jerry Yan and Ariel Lin about the end of the world to keep fans entertained.
We also got to see the lighter side of the band as they joked about onstage. Guan came in for some good-natured ribbing and Ashin and gang pretended to forget about him during the thank-yous.
To the amusement of the crowd, Guan also told a joke about doors which hinged on a slightly saucy pun.
The evening ended with the ballad Onion and a cheekily titled new number Sad People Don’t Listen To Fast Songs.
Ashin said at one point that he hoped that their songs would always be around. He also sang on OAOA: “I believe rock ’n’ roll can live forever.”
On a night like this, we could all believe it too.
(ST)
Thursday, June 13, 2013
The People I've Known
Bevlyn Khoo
Breezy & Sunny is the name of a track here and it is exactly how this album starts out.
Over the cheerful strumming of a guitar, home-grown singer-songwriter Bevlyn Khoo invites you to laugh along with her on The Haha Song. When one is feeling down, she gently suggests: “Serious people are all the same/Mulling it over in your head, why not laugh instead?”
The vibe continues on Breezy & Sunny, which lightens your mood with its effortless bossa nova groove. And then on the title track, the mood turns contemplative as she ponders the passage of time.
The versatile Khoo also delivers a few tracks in English. Her last release Feel About You (2011) was also bilingual. But it is the Mandarin material that feels more distinctive and on which the sentiments are a tad more compelling.
Still, there is an honesty and simplicity to this record that is charming.
By the time she is crooning about her Soulmate on the closing track, you feel glad that you have had the chance to get to know her through her music.
(ST)
Bevlyn Khoo
Breezy & Sunny is the name of a track here and it is exactly how this album starts out.
Over the cheerful strumming of a guitar, home-grown singer-songwriter Bevlyn Khoo invites you to laugh along with her on The Haha Song. When one is feeling down, she gently suggests: “Serious people are all the same/Mulling it over in your head, why not laugh instead?”
The vibe continues on Breezy & Sunny, which lightens your mood with its effortless bossa nova groove. And then on the title track, the mood turns contemplative as she ponders the passage of time.
The versatile Khoo also delivers a few tracks in English. Her last release Feel About You (2011) was also bilingual. But it is the Mandarin material that feels more distinctive and on which the sentiments are a tad more compelling.
Still, there is an honesty and simplicity to this record that is charming.
By the time she is crooning about her Soulmate on the closing track, you feel glad that you have had the chance to get to know her through her music.
(ST)
Switch
Jay Sun
The story: Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains is a priceless painting that all the gangsters are after. And hot on their heels is super agent Xiao Jinhan (Andy Lau). His insurance executive wife Lin Yuyan (Zhang Jingchu) is drawn in as well, while Lisa (Lin Chi-ling) is the femme fatale he gets entangled with.
This movie is so stupid that even The Three Stooges would be embarrassed by it.
Essentially, the painting is split into two parts. Different groups of baddies are after them and the clock is ticking away as an exhibition of the joined-together work looms.
The action flits about restlessly from Dubai to Zhejiang to Taipei to Japan and cuts among a British smuggling group, twisted Japanese baddie Yamamoto and a mysterious figure known as Empress.
The set-up is tedious and confusing, and there is zero suspense over who will get the painting and who will double-cross who because one cannot be bothered. Everyone is overacting badly and you wish the cheap-looking scroll would just go up in flames already.
If Taiwanese model-actress Lin Chi-ling thinks this is her big break, she is sorely mistaken.
She is like a dress-up Barbie here – dolled-up in dominatrix leather in one scene, appearing as a nun with a clean-shaven head next and even putting on that tired cliche of a nurse’s uniform. None of the disguises though can disguise the fact that she cannot act.
The other actors do not escape unscathed either.
Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau must be wondering how he ended up in this turkey and his matinee idol smile gets tighter and tighter each time he has to flash it.
Meanwhile, Zhang Jingchu gets to grimace grimly as a bevy of women unleash their killer acrobatic moves on her.
Writer-director Jay Sun pilfers freely from movies such as Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) but does so in a half-baked, haphazard manner.
And stretches of the boring and long-drawn-out flick look like a tourist promotion video for Dubai as the camera pans about the interiors of locales such as Atlantis, The Palm and the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa.
Add woeful-looking CGI to the mix and this is one Switch that will turn you right off.
(ST)
Jay Sun
The story: Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains is a priceless painting that all the gangsters are after. And hot on their heels is super agent Xiao Jinhan (Andy Lau). His insurance executive wife Lin Yuyan (Zhang Jingchu) is drawn in as well, while Lisa (Lin Chi-ling) is the femme fatale he gets entangled with.
This movie is so stupid that even The Three Stooges would be embarrassed by it.
Essentially, the painting is split into two parts. Different groups of baddies are after them and the clock is ticking away as an exhibition of the joined-together work looms.
The action flits about restlessly from Dubai to Zhejiang to Taipei to Japan and cuts among a British smuggling group, twisted Japanese baddie Yamamoto and a mysterious figure known as Empress.
The set-up is tedious and confusing, and there is zero suspense over who will get the painting and who will double-cross who because one cannot be bothered. Everyone is overacting badly and you wish the cheap-looking scroll would just go up in flames already.
If Taiwanese model-actress Lin Chi-ling thinks this is her big break, she is sorely mistaken.
She is like a dress-up Barbie here – dolled-up in dominatrix leather in one scene, appearing as a nun with a clean-shaven head next and even putting on that tired cliche of a nurse’s uniform. None of the disguises though can disguise the fact that she cannot act.
The other actors do not escape unscathed either.
Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau must be wondering how he ended up in this turkey and his matinee idol smile gets tighter and tighter each time he has to flash it.
Meanwhile, Zhang Jingchu gets to grimace grimly as a bevy of women unleash their killer acrobatic moves on her.
Writer-director Jay Sun pilfers freely from movies such as Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) but does so in a half-baked, haphazard manner.
And stretches of the boring and long-drawn-out flick look like a tourist promotion video for Dubai as the camera pans about the interiors of locales such as Atlantis, The Palm and the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa.
Add woeful-looking CGI to the mix and this is one Switch that will turn you right off.
(ST)
Saturday, June 08, 2013
Opus Jay 2013 World Tour
Singapore Indoor Stadium/Thursday
It has been a long wait of three years for fans of Mandopop king Jay Chou.
Not counting his gone-in-a- flash appearance at the Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix last year, his previous major concert tour here was in 2010.
That slickly produced gig at the Indoor Stadium was filled with bells and whistles and a hologram version of the singer. While that was a frenetic affair that could have done with a breather or two, it so happens that the 34-year-old’s latest concert could have done with snappier pacing.
As it was, it ambled along without really building to a climactic high over close to 2½ hours.
The evening had actually started out quite dramatically, with a flying vehicle seen in an introductory video clip appearing, stationary, on stage.
And Chou emerged from it in a red outfit, looking as though he had haphazardly raided Ali Baba’s treasure cave and piled on the gold accessories. The most eye-catching accessory, though, was doubtlessly his fab abs.
He launched into the fast-paced Exclamation Point and Dragon Fists backed by a phalanx of dancers as jets of flame burst forth on the edge of the stage.
It was a fiery start but Chou seemed to be in a nostalgic, almost pensive mood when he spoke to the sold-out crowd of 9,000. He thanked fans for their support over the last 12 years and asked: “Have I gotten older? Have my fans become dads and mums?”
He was not subdued exactly but maybe he was holding back a little given this was the first of three sold-out nights at the stadium.
Or maybe he has been stretched thin with his upcoming nostalgia musical The Rooftop. He plugged that with an entire sequence as the stage was transformed into a makeshift movie set and he put on 1970s-inspired retro garb.
The mini-musical did not work too well partly because there was no plot and partly because there were stretches when those singing were not named Jay Chou.
The concert was most enjoyable when it reminded one of the genius of the songs the star has penned over the years.
The giddily entertaining Dizzy Eunuch was a definite high point on his most recent album Opus 12 (2012) and the words tumbled out at such a furious pace your brain could barely keep up with his singing.
At the other end of the spectrum were winning ballads such as Quiet and Obviously, which Chou performed on an ornate piano that Liberace would have felt at home with.
A medley of past hits stripped down to guitar and vocal accompaniment had fans cheering in delight as they recognised each familiar refrain. But it was a pity that Chou launched only into snippets of classic tracks such as Starry Mood.
During the second encore, the mood brightened up when he brought a Hawaiian party vibe along for Ukelele, complete with giant beach balls bobbing about in the crowd.
As the concert ended to the strains of Common Jasmine Orange, one could not help but wonder if the energy level would pick up over the next two nights.
(ST)
Singapore Indoor Stadium/Thursday
It has been a long wait of three years for fans of Mandopop king Jay Chou.
Not counting his gone-in-a- flash appearance at the Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix last year, his previous major concert tour here was in 2010.
That slickly produced gig at the Indoor Stadium was filled with bells and whistles and a hologram version of the singer. While that was a frenetic affair that could have done with a breather or two, it so happens that the 34-year-old’s latest concert could have done with snappier pacing.
As it was, it ambled along without really building to a climactic high over close to 2½ hours.
The evening had actually started out quite dramatically, with a flying vehicle seen in an introductory video clip appearing, stationary, on stage.
And Chou emerged from it in a red outfit, looking as though he had haphazardly raided Ali Baba’s treasure cave and piled on the gold accessories. The most eye-catching accessory, though, was doubtlessly his fab abs.
He launched into the fast-paced Exclamation Point and Dragon Fists backed by a phalanx of dancers as jets of flame burst forth on the edge of the stage.
It was a fiery start but Chou seemed to be in a nostalgic, almost pensive mood when he spoke to the sold-out crowd of 9,000. He thanked fans for their support over the last 12 years and asked: “Have I gotten older? Have my fans become dads and mums?”
He was not subdued exactly but maybe he was holding back a little given this was the first of three sold-out nights at the stadium.
Or maybe he has been stretched thin with his upcoming nostalgia musical The Rooftop. He plugged that with an entire sequence as the stage was transformed into a makeshift movie set and he put on 1970s-inspired retro garb.
The mini-musical did not work too well partly because there was no plot and partly because there were stretches when those singing were not named Jay Chou.
The concert was most enjoyable when it reminded one of the genius of the songs the star has penned over the years.
The giddily entertaining Dizzy Eunuch was a definite high point on his most recent album Opus 12 (2012) and the words tumbled out at such a furious pace your brain could barely keep up with his singing.
At the other end of the spectrum were winning ballads such as Quiet and Obviously, which Chou performed on an ornate piano that Liberace would have felt at home with.
A medley of past hits stripped down to guitar and vocal accompaniment had fans cheering in delight as they recognised each familiar refrain. But it was a pity that Chou launched only into snippets of classic tracks such as Starry Mood.
During the second encore, the mood brightened up when he brought a Hawaiian party vibe along for Ukelele, complete with giant beach balls bobbing about in the crowd.
As the concert ended to the strains of Common Jasmine Orange, one could not help but wonder if the energy level would pick up over the next two nights.
(ST)
Thursday, June 06, 2013
First Love
Aska Yang
Even established singers are getting a fillip from reality competition shows now. And not as judges but as contestants.
China’s I Am A Singer has reminded everyone how gorgeously Terry Lin can sing and former One Million Star contestant Aska Yang has been wooing fans anew with his clear and soaring vocals.
The Taiwanese singer’s pipes are made for emotive ballads and that is where the focus of his third album lies.
Yang contributes lyrics and works with a roster of top names including composer-producer Jonathan Lee and singer-songwriters such as William Wei, Yen-j, Wu Jiahui and sodagreen’s ubiquitous Wu Ching-feng.
The mood is mildly melancholic as Yang sensitively parses love, loss and loneliness in an urban landscape. On opening track Actually Nothing At All, he sings: “In a city with rapid footsteps/I still live alone/I’ve had hope before but nothing came of it/Can only count on a song to tell my story.”
The title track has him in a nostalgic mood: “Thinking of my first love, thinking that my earliest dreams are there no longer/Thinking of youth, I was once fearless, failure mattered not”.
Even when the material is not as strong, Yang’s voice keeps things consistently compelling.
(ST)
Aska Yang
Even established singers are getting a fillip from reality competition shows now. And not as judges but as contestants.
China’s I Am A Singer has reminded everyone how gorgeously Terry Lin can sing and former One Million Star contestant Aska Yang has been wooing fans anew with his clear and soaring vocals.
The Taiwanese singer’s pipes are made for emotive ballads and that is where the focus of his third album lies.
Yang contributes lyrics and works with a roster of top names including composer-producer Jonathan Lee and singer-songwriters such as William Wei, Yen-j, Wu Jiahui and sodagreen’s ubiquitous Wu Ching-feng.
The mood is mildly melancholic as Yang sensitively parses love, loss and loneliness in an urban landscape. On opening track Actually Nothing At All, he sings: “In a city with rapid footsteps/I still live alone/I’ve had hope before but nothing came of it/Can only count on a song to tell my story.”
The title track has him in a nostalgic mood: “Thinking of my first love, thinking that my earliest dreams are there no longer/Thinking of youth, I was once fearless, failure mattered not”.
Even when the material is not as strong, Yang’s voice keeps things consistently compelling.
(ST)
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
Zombie 108
Joe Chien
Being eaten alive by the undead would be less traumatic than sitting through this Taiwanese zombie movie.
The 108 refers to the postal code of Ximending, where a deadly viral outbreak occurs. Cops and mobsters are reluctantly thrown together and have to figure out how they are going to stay alive.
The zombie part of the film is not particularly horrific or fresh, given what can be seen on the small screen nowadays with The Walking Dead (2010 to present).
Instead, what is truly stomach-turning here is the inclusion of a grotesquely deformed sicko who keeps naked women chained up in his basement and violates them for his amusement.
The vile visual assault of this nasty piece of exploitative trash from writer-director Joe Chien will leave you shellshocked. And that is why it gets zero stars from this reviewer.
(ST)
Joe Chien
Being eaten alive by the undead would be less traumatic than sitting through this Taiwanese zombie movie.
The 108 refers to the postal code of Ximending, where a deadly viral outbreak occurs. Cops and mobsters are reluctantly thrown together and have to figure out how they are going to stay alive.
The zombie part of the film is not particularly horrific or fresh, given what can be seen on the small screen nowadays with The Walking Dead (2010 to present).
Instead, what is truly stomach-turning here is the inclusion of a grotesquely deformed sicko who keeps naked women chained up in his basement and violates them for his amusement.
The vile visual assault of this nasty piece of exploitative trash from writer-director Joe Chien will leave you shellshocked. And that is why it gets zero stars from this reviewer.
(ST)
Now You See Me
Louis Leterrier
The story: Four street magicians are brought together by a mysterious figure, and for their first show as The Four Horsemen in Las Vegas, they rob a bank while on stage. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) appear to be executing some larger game plan even as FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol agent Alma Vargas (Melanie Laurent) chase after them. Rounding out the star-studded cast are Michael Caine as Arthur Tressler, an insurance magnate who bankrolls the Four Horsemen’s shows, and Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, a former magician who makes money by revealing the secrets of others in the trade.
This caper movie pulls off the neat little trick of assembling a top-drawer cast and then delivering a fun flick with plenty of nifty sleight-of-hand setpieces. Director Louis Leterrier (Clash Of The Titans, 2010) works with a light touch here and keeps things moving along.
The Four Horsemen are quickly sketched out in compact little scenes at the start of the movie and the casting helps to establish their personalities.
Eisenberg’s (The Social Network, 2010) Daniel is a cocky whiz-kid who is something of a control freak. Fisher (Confessions Of A Shopaholic, 2009) is his lovely former assistant who is perhaps there to prevent the enterprise from being too testosterone- driven. Harrelson’s (Zombieland, 2009) Merritt is a rascally hypnotist with a flirty leer. And Dave Franco, younger brother of the more famous James, is the charming Jack who has a knack for picking locks.
The repartee is quick and quippy, and it would have been nice to have more of that interplay among the four.
And the magic shows that follow, in Las Vegas, New Orleans and finally, New York, are staged with oomph and pizzazz and are engaging in their own right. All the while, you wonder how the stakes will be raised from show to show and what the end goal is. Are the Horsemen in on what is happening or are they willing pawns in some scheme that is bigger and beyond them?
As the FBI agent hot on their trail, Dylan (Ruffalo from 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers) is led around in circles and is always two steps behind. Likewise,
Leterrier carefully plants scenes as well.
A story about a former magician whose final trick went fatally wrong and a playful scene of Eisenberg trying, and failing, to read magnate Tressler’s mind, pay off in spades later.
Some of the mumbo-jumbo about the power of The Eye of magic feels hokey and the romance
between Ruffalo and Laurent is a little awkward but they are minor quibbles.
When Leterrier eventually whips away the curtain, the big reveal is a surprising and satisfying one.
Sure, he used smokescreens and mirrors but one does not mind being hoodwinked when the result is a snappy piece of entertainment.
(ST)
Louis Leterrier
The story: Four street magicians are brought together by a mysterious figure, and for their first show as The Four Horsemen in Las Vegas, they rob a bank while on stage. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) appear to be executing some larger game plan even as FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol agent Alma Vargas (Melanie Laurent) chase after them. Rounding out the star-studded cast are Michael Caine as Arthur Tressler, an insurance magnate who bankrolls the Four Horsemen’s shows, and Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, a former magician who makes money by revealing the secrets of others in the trade.
This caper movie pulls off the neat little trick of assembling a top-drawer cast and then delivering a fun flick with plenty of nifty sleight-of-hand setpieces. Director Louis Leterrier (Clash Of The Titans, 2010) works with a light touch here and keeps things moving along.
The Four Horsemen are quickly sketched out in compact little scenes at the start of the movie and the casting helps to establish their personalities.
Eisenberg’s (The Social Network, 2010) Daniel is a cocky whiz-kid who is something of a control freak. Fisher (Confessions Of A Shopaholic, 2009) is his lovely former assistant who is perhaps there to prevent the enterprise from being too testosterone- driven. Harrelson’s (Zombieland, 2009) Merritt is a rascally hypnotist with a flirty leer. And Dave Franco, younger brother of the more famous James, is the charming Jack who has a knack for picking locks.
The repartee is quick and quippy, and it would have been nice to have more of that interplay among the four.
And the magic shows that follow, in Las Vegas, New Orleans and finally, New York, are staged with oomph and pizzazz and are engaging in their own right. All the while, you wonder how the stakes will be raised from show to show and what the end goal is. Are the Horsemen in on what is happening or are they willing pawns in some scheme that is bigger and beyond them?
As the FBI agent hot on their trail, Dylan (Ruffalo from 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers) is led around in circles and is always two steps behind. Likewise,
Leterrier carefully plants scenes as well.
A story about a former magician whose final trick went fatally wrong and a playful scene of Eisenberg trying, and failing, to read magnate Tressler’s mind, pay off in spades later.
Some of the mumbo-jumbo about the power of The Eye of magic feels hokey and the romance
between Ruffalo and Laurent is a little awkward but they are minor quibbles.
When Leterrier eventually whips away the curtain, the big reveal is a surprising and satisfying one.
Sure, he used smokescreens and mirrors but one does not mind being hoodwinked when the result is a snappy piece of entertainment.
(ST)
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