Review: Samara returns in new 'Ring' sequel

The original 1998 Japanese horror film "Ringu,"directed by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kôji Suzuki, became a pop culture phenomenon. Its main character, the vengeful ghost Sadako, with her long black hair covering her face as she crawled out of a well on video and out of the TV to kill her victims, became a cult icon recognized, feared and parodied to this day.

In 2002, Hollywood produced its own version of this film, called "The Ring" directed by Gore Verbinski, starring Naomi Watts. For this American version, the name Sadako became Samara Morgan, which, for me, lost some horror points already. But the critics and public loved it. For the 2005 sequel, "The Ring Two," they even got Hideo Nakata himself to direct, but the reviews were considerably poorer.

I was very surprised to learn that after 12 years, there will be yet another "Ring" sequel this year called "Rings." I then learned that this film was supposed to have been released way back September 2015, but its showing had been pushed back three times until it ended up only being released this month. That did not sound too promising, but I wanted to see where they were taking this mythology.

Julia is alarmed that her boyfriend Holt has not been calling her from his college. When she goes to look for him, she discovers that he had taken part in an experiment conducted by his professor about watching a certain cursed videotape which threatened to kill the watcher after seven days if he was not able to make a copy and make another person look at it. Since Holt's seven days was already running out, Julia decides to watch the video for herself to save him, putting herself next on the line to be killed unless she finds a way to break Samara's curse.

There are no A-list actors on the cast. Do not expect too much acting-wise. Matilda Lutz cannot convince us that her character Julia was that brave to do the things she did, like enter an empty tomb, or go down an abandoned flooded church basement, or confront the suspected killer all by herself. As Holt, male lead Alex Roe was just Julia's pretty consort, nothing more than that. He played the loyal boyfriend but was not really there in much of Julia's daring investigative escapades.

One of the only two actors whose names I recognized is Johnny Galecki who played Holt's Biology professor Gabriel Brown. He is a egotistical jerk who started that video experiment among his students to save his own hide in the guise of scientific inquiry. Imagine him as his "Big Bang Theory" character Leonard, only totally and seriously demented.

The other is Vincent D'Onofrio who played the role of the burly blind man at the cemetery, Galen Burke, who seemed to know a lot about Samara but is not letting on. Being blind, there was a time there when this character was involved in a suspenseful situation very much like that in "Don't Breathe" (2016).

Spanish director F. Javier Gutierrez stuck to the muted palette with that distinctive bluish green filter pervading the screen. Samara's horror is not scary like before anymore, since we already know what she does when she comes out of that well. Gutierrez had to come up with other ways to scare us, mainly by jump scares with startling sound cues. With the update in technology, Samara can now reside in an mp3 file. Copying and sharing does not seem too difficult anymore as well.

I do not get the reason why Julia was different from the other people who watched the video. Why was she the one who seemed to have been specifically chosen by Samara to liberate her? Why was Julia the one who received additional images in the video she copied, providing her several clues as to where Samara was buried? If the reason was mentioned, I did not catch it.

I think fans of the original "Ring" will still find that this sequel stayed loyal to the lore, further unearthing another angle to explore, that of Samara's real parents. This may be interesting for the duration of the film, but will ultimately be forgettable in the long run. Just like the VHS tape which she originally inhabited, I think Samara/Sadako already had her time to scare us 15 years or so ago. Any more efforts to exhume her, like this one, will just prove needless and unproductive. 4/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Review: Hanks plays hero again in short, simple 'Sully'

Tom Hanks is still one of the busiest senior actors around in Hollywood. Most of his recent films still end up with awards attention, like "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (2011), "Cloud Atlas" (2012), "Captain Phillips" (2013), "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013), and just last year "Bridge of Spies" (2015). This year, he has three films with three distinct flavors. "A Hologram for the King" is a slow and puzzling art film. "Inferno" is the third installment of the popcorn Dan Brown-Robert Langdon film franchise. And then there is this film "Sully," a type which may likely attract Oscar attention again.

On January 15, 2009, US Airways pilot Captain Chelsea "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) and his first officer Jeffrey Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) just took off from La Guardia Airport in New York City on a routine domestic flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. A few minutes in midair, a flock of birds flew straight into the path of the airplane, causing both engines to explode and fail.

In the face of certain disaster, Capt. Sully made a decision to land right onto the Hudson River. All 155 passengers and crew survive and the press celebrated this heroic landing "The Miracle on the Hudson." However, amidst the jubilation, Air Safety experts investigated whether Capt. Sully's feat was truly heroic, or was it a foolhardy stunt which actually endangered the lives of everyone on board.

Hanks can really embody these types of characters so well, so cool and collected, so stoic and unflustered. We have seen him in roles like this many times, most recently in "Bridge of Spies." He has been so uniformly consistently good in similar roles like this that they do not make any real solid impact anymore. He is a very good actor no doubt, but incredibly, his last Oscar nomination for Best Actor was way back 2001 for "Cast Away," his last risky performance of note.

The film also celebrates the unprecedented feat of commercial aviation by Capt. Sully, as well as the prompt response of the rescuers from the city of New York. However, the drama and conflict of the film was more about the investigations which came after the landing upon which the career and name of Capt. Sully hung precariously.

Director Clint Eastwood did not waste any time at all with useless diversions, telling the whole story in only a terse yet tense 96 minutes. This extraordinary story was straightforward and simple, and the film was similarly straightforward and simple. This "straight-to-the-point approach" is really the best for true-to-life stories like this. There is no need for extra dramatics in the guise of artistic license.

The emergency water landing scenes were harrowing (even if I did not watch this in IMAX). The inclusion of real-life celebrities like Katie Couric and David Letterman added interest. A heartwarming extra scene during the closing credits added gravitas. 7/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Bad Moms' a crusade against convention

The sleazy local poster of this movie did not look promising at all. I don't know if Mila Kunis even knew she would wind up on such an embarrassing poster layout, wearing unflattering black lingerie like this. Anyhow, I like Mila Kunis and I watch her films. Yes, even the maligned "Jupiter Ascending," I watched and liked. So, I also watched this one even though I had my apprehensions given the title and poster.

Amy Mitchell is trying her best to be a perfect working mom. She gives all her energy and time catering to all the meals, needs, homework and busy schedules of her two spoiled kids, Jane and Dylan. After one particularly disastrous day of failing to juggle her many responsibilities, she still had to attend a so-called emergency PTA meeting organized by the overbearing Gwendolyn, only to find out it was just about a bake sale. Frustrated, Amy walks out. Together with her new friends (liberated single mom Carla and mousy stay-at-home mom Kiki), she decided to stop being a slave to an unrealistic ideal of maternal perfection, and just be what other people may call a "bad mom".

Mila Kunis here reminded me of Cameron Diaz and her own raunchy film "Bad Teacher." Like Diaz, Kunis was able to rise above the craziness of her flawed character and make her delightful and likable. Of course, while Diaz's Ms. Halsey was really a lazy nutcase, Kunis's Amy was a good, overly caring mom to begin with, who just felt she needed to rebel against conventional norms and expectations of modern-day motherhood.

Kristen Bell played Kiki, a harassed mother of four toddlers, a sweet shrinking-violet easily cowed by her demanding husband. Of course, her "Frozen" fans will be surprised as to the shocking things their beloved Princess Anna would get to say in here. Kathryn Hahn played Carla, the loud and sex-starved mother of one hulking teenage boy. She's been around for a while, but I think her role here is her biggest so far. She stole her scenes with her strong screen presence and risque lines.

Christina Applegate played Gwendolyn, a "Mean Girl" who grew up to be a "Mean Mom." I was surprised to see Jada Pinkett-Smith in a much smaller role as Stacy, one of Gwendolyn's minions. Completing their trio is Annie Mumulo as Vicky, who seemed tempted by Amy's cool hip ways, as compared to Gwendolyn's straight-laced bitchiness.

Only one man gets a positive picture painted in this feministic film. He is Jessie (played by Jay Hernandez), a good-looking and buff widower dad all the moms are fawning over. However, the other men here were shown to be jerks. They are either losers, like Amy's husband Mike (played by David Walton); or ungrateful, like Amy's boss Dale (played by Clark Duke); or controlling, like Kiki's husband Kent (played by Lyle Brocato); or wimpy, like Jane's soccer coach Craig (played by JJ Watt); or spineless, like school principal Burr (played by Wendell Pierce).

Being written and directed by the same two guys who wrote "The Hangover" (Jon Lucas and Scott Moore), there were sex jokes galore, including an entire uncomfortably prolonged scene about the uncircumcised penis. There were plenty of scenes and references about alcohol and weed. Having a lot of profanity in the script is probably the least of these naughty offenses. All in the spirit of fun, I understand, but still this type of comedy may not sit well with some sensitive folk (who should have known already what to expect from a film like this in the first place.)

However, under all of the raunchiness, this film actually had an insightful, liberating and poignant message to moms of all types. I could definitely see the connection to what my own wife goes through daily as dictated by our children's schedules in their school, their sports, their tutors, and their extra-curricular activities. If she could tolerate the spicy language and green humor enough to reach the final act, I am sure she (and other mothers) would totally identify and appreciate the female-empowering sentiments of this film far more deeply than any man or non-mom ever could. The surprise extra over the closing credits was a precious bonus. 7/10.

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Ignacio de Loyola' shows saint's humanity

A technical glitch marred the invitational VIP premiere of “Ignacio de Loyola” at the Gateway Mall Sunday. The screen went black for about three minutes even as the audio went on playing, house lights were turned on and the showing briefly stopped.

Director Paolo Dy stood up, apologized, and told the audience that the the movie was not yet over. He joked that he had asked lead star Andreas Muñoz to perform live.

Gabe Mercado, who hosted the short program before the movie was shown, explained that there had been a brownout in the area. The screen worked after that, but it went black once again before the film rewinded to an earlier scene then went on smoothly till the end.

But glitches aside, “Ignacio de Loyola” is a film that can keep viewers hooked from start to finish, mainly because of its portrayal of the main character.

“Ignacio de Loyola” follows the story of Iñigo, a brash young man whose dreams of knighthood are shattered after he seriously injured his leg in battle.

As he finds Christ during his recovery, Ignacio (he changes his name after his conversion) yearns to share God’s word throughout the world, only to find his preaching soon questioned by the Church hierarchy.

We all know St. Ignatius of Loyola as the founder of the Society of Jesus, one of the most influential religious orders in the world. The film, however, focuses on his humanity—his conversion, his short temper, his frustrations, his yearning for God.

Unlike most saint films that depict the apostolic work of the saints until their peaceful deaths, “Ignacio de Loyola” chose to cover only a short part of Ignacio’s life, specifically, the portion before the Society of Jesus came to be.

“On the one hand, in 2 hours, you can’t really tell the whole thing,” Dy told reporters after the premiere. But he adds, he and his team wanted to talk about Ignacio’s transformation from sinner to saint.

“You know the fairytale version is always he got hit by a cannonball, and while he was recuperating he read the book and suddenly, he’s transformed already,” Dy said. “That will work if you’re five years old, seven years old. But for an adult, mature audience, we need something deeper.”

“It’s real and you can see yourself in that attempt to transform yourself,” he explained.

The film’s opening scene is gripping. More gripping still are the moments of frustration as Iñigo wrestles with despair and faces a life where dreams are shattered.

Towards the end of the film, Ignacio is shown fighting his inner demons as he tries to listen to the voice of God. This dramatic sequence could well be the best one in the film, especially as it ends with Ignacio reciting his prayer of surrender: “Take and receive, O Lord, my liberty, my mind, my memory.”

Theologically, the film was spot on. The statement of the First Principle and Foundation of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises (SpEx)—that man was born to praise, revere, and serve God—was accurate. So were the explanations of other key parts of the SpEx.

The part where St. Ignatius “meets” St. Francis of Assisi is likewise a nod to Simple Contemplation, an Ignatian prayer method where one imagines himself in the scene of the gospels with Jesus. Ignacio’s conversation with the prostitute Ana was likewise another accurate depiction of an Ignatian prayer method.

The cast gave a solid performance. Muñoz was excellent and totally owned the role, portraying every nuance of Iñigo’s character perfectly well.

The rest of the all-Spanish cast—which included Javier Godino, Julio Perillan, Pepe Ocio, and Mario de la Rosa—also performed their roles well, portraying their characters with depth.

It’s worth noting, however, that although all the actors were Spanish and all scenes were shot in Spain, “Ignacio de Loyola” is still a Filipino film. Jesuit Communications (JesCom), the media arm of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, produced the film. Lee Briones Meily, who received several awards for her work on Laurice Guillen’s “Tanging Yaman,” was the movie’s director of photography.

The musical scoring was provided by renowned Filipino composer Ryan Cayabyab and performed by the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. The Ateneo Chamber singers also lent their voices to the production, and the music as a whole was perfect for Ignacio’s high and low moments. The jazzy-classical music, however, may not be appealing to younger audiences who have a fondness for pop or rock tunes.

Some scenes in the film that didn’t have scoring are borderline draggy, though the actors can convince you to stay. Be ready to see some blood in the film, too. It is, after all, a medieval war movie, and some scenes may be too gory for the queasy.

Overall, however, the film is intense with a good depiction of man’s deepest frustrations, desires, and hopes.

Some may not be drawn to “Ignacio de Loyola” as the title can connote a striving for divinity that may seem unachievable for some. But “Ignacio de Loyola” is more human than holy, more relatable than preachy.

Looking to reflect on your spiritual life? Come see this film.

Just hitting the cinemas to unwind? Come anyway and see how transformation is possible—and how life can take on a whole new meaning in the face of despair.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Creeps still there in 'Conjuring 2'

"The Conjuring" (2013) was one of the best horror films in recent memory. It told of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren helping the Perron family of Rhode Island with the spirit that haunted their farmhouse. It was a story formula that perfectly lent itself to possible sequels, and now, just three years later, here is the first one.

(Read the full review of 'The Conjuring' here.)

The setting is 1977 in a simple townhouse in the borough of Enfield in London, England, where the Hodgson family (mom Peggy and her four children) lived. The second daughter Janet is seemingly being possessed by the malevolent spirit of Bill Wilkins, the previous owner of the house. The church of their community seeks the help of Ed and Lorraine Warren to investigate the case and help free the poor family from their ghostly tormentor.

There were so many parallelisms between the first "Conjuring" movie and this one in terms of story outline. Ed and Lorraine were investigating the "Amityville Horror" house, while the London incident was happening. The central victim family also had a distraught mother with four young vulnerable children. Eventually, the Warrens get called in to help get rid of the demons, at great peril to their own lives. It was good to revisit the Warren's museum and seeing its prize exhibit Annabelle again.

If there was anything cheesy about it, I'd say it would be every time a CG demon was shown for a prolonged period of time. There was one prolonged scene where Lorraine was being taunted by a female demon dressed like a nun. While the ominous buildup to an attack was very suspensefully edited, it ended in a rather hilarious manner which made me laugh. There were many horror movie cliches as well, like people approaching a ghost they see, instead of running away from it. It is crazy why they do that. (But then again, we probably won't have a horror movie if they don't.)

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga were credible as Ed and Lorraine, as they vacillated between faith and skepticism in this case. For one remarkable scene, we get to see Wilson play the guitar and sing an Elvis love song in full. This is the first time I've heard him sing since his turn as Raoul in the film version of "Phantom of the Opera."

Farmiga was really very good playing a medium going in and out of her eerie visions, without the excessive hamminess lesser actresses may resort to. Young Madison Wolfe gave an affecting performance as the possessed girl Janet.

Director James Wan is really an expert in the jump scare. We still get startled every time the demonic face was shown in a flash with a loud sound cue, even if we expect it. This one felt like a combination of various story elements from "The Exorcist," "Insidious," "Sinister," "Drag Me to Hell," yet executed in its own novel way.

The first "Conjuring" had this memorably crazy game called "Hide and Clap" which provided some really spine-tingling scary moments. This sequel did not exactly have something distinctly its own, but the creeps were mostly still there. 7/10

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Adrenaline overload in 'Furious 7'

"Furious 7" follows the same adrenaline rush formula that fueled the first six film in the franchise to box-office success. The barely-there story just functions to string together some of the most memorable and impossibly spectacular stunts involving the most muscular cars ever captured on film. As the stunts get more and more complex and incredible, there is a dramatic real-life twist that would challenge the filmmakers further for this seventh installment, and that is the death of star Paul Walker in, as fate would have it, a race car accident. How they deal with Walker's death in the film will be a matter of curiosity among fans of this franchise.

The plot here follows right from FF6. Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), a Black-Ops savvy brother of a former fallen enemy, is out for revenge big time. Striking a deal with a secret government agent code-named Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his posse rescues Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), a hacker who had been kidnapped by Jakande (Djimon Hounsou), a terrorist with military-grade firepower. Ramsey had developed God's Eye, a powerful tracking system which can use all available digital devices around to locate any subject.

On the action front, this film is on adrenaline overload as the gang goes from Los Angeles and Tokyo, to Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi. The cars here don't only look great, they also do the most amazing things. I'm sure it was really very hard to top the already over-the-top stunts we saw in FF6, but the insane stunts we see here in FF7 could definitely match them. Cars jumping out of planes ( a major stunt dubbed "air drop"), cars hurtling down cliffs, cars jumping from skyscraper to skyscraper -- they have got it all here!

With Jason Statham there in the mix as the main antagonist, there would not be a dearth of heart-stopping, bone-crunching mano-a-mano fights. Right off the bat, Statham would engage Dwayne Johnson in a hard-hitting brawl that destroys an entire office. Of course, there will also be a climactic Aston Martin-smashing face-off with Vin Diesel himself at the end. Paul Walker had his own breathtaking fight inside a moving van against Thai martial arts star Tony Jaa. Michele Rodriguez had her dynamic fight scene in full evening gown regalia vs. MMA star Ronda Rousey in an elegant penthouse suite.

The FF series is as much about family as it about action, and this is not forgotten here. Toretto is dealing with the amnesia suffered by his wife, Letty. Walker's character, Brian, is trying to quietly settle down as a family man with Dom's sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster).The much-anticipated final send-off and goodbye to Paul Walker was touching yet very manly.

Director James Wan takes a break from his horror films and successfully orchestrates these visually spectacular out-of-this world vehicular stunts with his crew. They were also able to give Paul Walker a fitting and dignified farewell. The scenes where Paul's real life brothers Caleb and Cody stand-in for him were not obvious as the editing was very well done.

Of course, they made Toretto and company virtually superheroes the way they can emerge from all those incredibly dangerous situations unscathed. It does seem absurd, but isn't this really how fans consider them? The "humor" of Tyrese Gibson's character Roman can be groan-inducing, especially in that party scene, but I'd say it's tolerable.

Overall, I would say that this particular installment of the FF series definitely achieved what it set out to do. This is a very entertaining film indeed. The Lykan HyperSport and Nathalie Emmanuel look fantastic. When put side by side with the other FF films I've seen, though, I think Fast 5 and FF 6 were still better than this. 7/10.





This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: New Spongebob movie wacky but wanting

The first SpongeBob movie (2004) was the first time I was formally introduced to the zany undersea world of SpongeBob Squarepants and his crazy friends. The complex plot recounted SpongeBob and Patrick accepting a mission to recover King Neptune's lost crown, while Plankton was hatching a diabolical mind-control plot to take over all of Bikini Bottom. It featured guest voices from Alec Baldwin (as the hitman Dennis) and Scarlett Johansson (as the cute Princess Mindy), and a hilarious cameo by David Hasselhoff (as himself). I loved it as much as my kids did for its quirky sense of humor and memorable one-liners. We would watch it over and over again on home video.

It was with so much anticipation that we watched "Sponge Out of Water," only the second SpongeBob movie for cinematic release in 10 years. Alas, I think we may have set our bar of expectation too high. My kids and I were rather disappointed with how this one turned out.

A pirate named Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas) reads a story written in a magically self-fulfilling book to his seagull audience. It was about the mysterious disappearance of the Secret Formula of the Krabby Patty that caused Bikini Bottom to fall into wild apocalyptic disarray. Once the gang discovered the magic that made the formula vanish, SpongeBob and friends use it to launch a super-powered Avengers-like attack to recover that precious piece of paper and restore their beloved Bikini Bottom back to normal.

The trademark SpongeBob sense of wacky silly humor is still there and all, but I cannot help but compare this film with the first film and feel let down. For me, the problem is the very simplistic plot that was stretched out beyond its reasonable limit. Several side plots were employed to prolong the events, like time-traveling via a photo-booth and meeting Bubble the cosmic dolphin, which did not really lead anywhere. The funny parts only elicited smiles and snickers from us, not all-out guffaws we had with the first one.

The superhero personas of the Bikini Bottom crew, which was the climactic fun highlight of this sequel, had too short of a screen appearance. The live actor guest star Antonio Banderas was no David Hasselhoff when it comes to self-deprecating humor.

Overall, it was still a good time in the movie house for the whole family. I just wished the 10 years that passed between the first movie and this sequel could have given creator Stephen Hillenburg and director Paul Tibbitt to come up with an original story with more sophisticated plotting, rather than this one with a conveniently easy "magical" device that lazily drove it towards the happy ending we all expect. 5/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Cinderella' makes kindness its own magic

MANILA -- There's a warmth to Disney's live-action adaptation of "Cinderella" that's sorely lacking in what passes as kids' entertainment nowadays. You come out smiling, knowing you've been entertained without completely knowing why.

Part of it is seeing the familiar: a fairy tale that hits all the right beats without crushing it under a cynical boot heel. There's CGI in the movie but not at the sacrifice of character. There's darkness but never at the expense of joy.

"Cinderella" teases you with the promise of a traditional fairy tale, charms you with lavishness and then strips away its own trappings to reveal the beating heart of its own humanity. It's the type of movie you wish Hollywood would do more of for kids -- at once, both old-fashioned and charming in its own right. And once in a while, we get our wish.

What's refreshing about this take is balance. Director Kenneth Branagh provides no deconstructions here, no misunderstood witches or horrifying giants, no damsels in distress with swords and full body armor. Cinderella, as played by Lily James, exudes the kind of beauty that radiates from the inside, soft as starlight.

At the start of the story, Ella's happy childhood loses part of its luster when she loses her mom, played by Hayley Atwell. Before dying, mom gives Ella some words of wisdom: "Have courage and be kind" - words that Ella will live by until adulthood. The words sound twee and there's a wee bit of lag as Ella grows up but it's all set up for what comes ahead: more heartbreak, loss, abuse, redemption.

When Ella's coldly malicious stepmother, Lady Tremaine, and her two daughters enter the picture, you know you've found the stuff that teleseryes are made of. Cate Blanchett as the stepmom is in full Cherie Gil mode here, deftly hiding her contempt for Ella in silken gloves -- insisting that Ella call her "Madam" before relegating her to the attic.

Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drizella (Sophie McShera) fare no better as the lazy, contemptuous stepsisters but it is the stepmother that is given an extra layer of malevolence. Tremaine grounds her wickedness in human need; you recognize her selfishness and remain chilled as she twists things to her own advantage. When Ella suffers taunts that turn to bullying and then outright abuse at her stepmother's hands, you ask - will kindness and courage be enough? This story tells us - everyone needs help, even from the most unexpected places.

Here, too, do we find Branagh's courage and confidence in the Cinderella story. Ella's first meeting with Prince Kit (Richard Madden) in the woods is as comfortable as wearing a glove. Prince Kit comes off as a boy learning to be a man: his goodness is rooted from the lessons he learned from his father, played by a commanding Derek Jacobi. When he finds his counterpoint in Ella, in a meeting of unknown equals, something is kindled and we find the spark. This, then, is the stuff that fairy tales are made of -- a recognition of kindred souls with similar values.

From here on out, it's all razzle-dazzle and spectacle. The prince invites all young maidens to a royal ball to find the girl in the woods, but Ella is forced to stay behind. Here, she meets her fairy godmother, played by a delightfully kooky Helena Bonham Carter, and gets a complete makeover complete with glass slippers, pumpkin turned golden chariot and mouse friends turned into steeds.

And then off to the ballroom scene, surely the most lush and beautiful in recent cinema before that breath-taking run back as the coach turns back to a pumpkin, the coachmen become lizards and the horses become mice. And of course, that glass slipper and the search for the runaway bride-to-be.

I'll stop there because everyone knows the ending. Branagh strips away artifice and lets kindness create its own magic, its own deus ex machina. And the restraint pays off. You don't need fairy godmothers to make storybook beginnings. Kindness to others, the courage to stand up for what's right, and a lot of help from friends - these are the things that can create their own magic.

"Cinderella" opens in cinemas in the Philippines on Thursday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Why kids love Paddington bear

From the jungles of deepest darkest Peru, British explorer Montgomery Clark discovers a family of special bears who can speak English and love orange marmalade. He tells the bears that if ever they get to London, he will be more than happy to take them in. One day, after a strong earthquake causes the death of his beloved Uncle, a young bear decides to stowaway on a ship to go to London to find a better life for himself.

In London, a friendly family, the Browns, decide to take him in. They named the bear after the train station they found him in, Paddington. The father Henry is always wary of his family's safety, while the mother Mary is more welcoming and warm. The daughter Judy is a whiz with languages, while the son Jonathan is a genius with mechanical matters. While searching for the elusive Mr. Clark, Paddington crosses paths with Millicent, a sadistic taxidermist who wants to make him a stuffed bear, for more reasons than it would seem.

I only knew Paddington Bear as a piece of childhood trivia. I never really knew him, other than the fact that he was a cute little British teddy bear with a hat and overcoat. I have not read any of the books by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum, which was first published back in 1958.

This film was my first formal introduction to this beloved character and I clearly can see why he has endured through the years. He is truly adorable! His childlike innocence is heartwarming and delightful. It is to the credit of Xian Lim, who voiced Paddington in the local release. Lim does not really have a truly distinctive recognizable voice. However, more importantly, he was able to convey the most essential heart and spirit of Paddington. In the original British version, Paddington was voiced by Ben Whishaw. It appears they have a different voice actor per country of release, an interesting publicity gimmick.

Like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Space Jam" and "Garfield" before it, the animated Paddington here flawlessly interacts with live human actors. "Downton Abbey" actor Hugh Bonneville plays a stern but kind Henry Brown. "Happy Go Lucky" actress Sally Hawkins plays the quirky and happy Mary Brown, she who always wore red. Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin play the two Brown children. Two-time Oscar-nominated actress Julie Walters plays Mrs. Bird, the loyal housekeeper of the Browns.

Nicole Kidman plays the cruel Millicent with so much evil relish, it is fun to watch her. Her final scene is hilarious! Other esteemed British actors fill out the other character roles. Jim Broadbent plays Samuel Gruber, friendly antique shop owner. Peter Capaldi plays the Brown's annoying neighbor, Mr. Curry. Imelda Staunton and Michael Gambon provide the voices of Paddington's Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo back in Peru.

Be you a long-time fan or first time viewer, this "Paddington" will endear himself to you. His antics, mishaps and misadventures were so well-executed by director Paul King, who also wrote the script together with Hamish McColl. The timelessness of the story and characters is also reflected in the wonderful production design which incorporated elements from various decades seamlessly. Some moments as the story turns dark can be scary for very young kids so parental guidance is recommended.

Overall though, be prepared to enjoy and be enthralled this very charming piece of British comedy. You will leave the theater with a smile on your face. You will also want to whip up your own orange marmalade sandwich right away. 9/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Exodus' is lavish yet lackluster

MANILA -- "Exodus: Gods and Kings" tackles a story that had already been tackled very well in previous films. The most famous of them all is the epic "The Ten Commandments" with Charlton Heston as the definitive Moses. Other filmmakers have tried to replicate this Moses story with different actors or even in animation, but the 1956 classic remains secure in its place.

This year, yet another attempt is made by director Ridley Scott with big star Christian Bale as Moses, a combination that is too promising to ignore. So despite the lukewarm to negative early reviews, I wanted to see and judge this film for myself.

We all know the story of Moses from the book of Exodus. He was a Hebrew who grew up in the Egyptian palace side by side with Pharaoh's own son Rhamses. When Moses' real origin was revealed, he was exiled. There in the wilderness, he obeys God's orders by way of the burning bush to return to Egypt to ask the new Pharaoh to set the Hebrews free from slavery. Only after God sent ten dreadful plagues did Rhamses relent. Moses led the Hebrews across the Red Sea and into the Promised Land of milk and honey.

This film is basically faithful with the biblical story, with the advantage of higher technology in special visual effects to create grander vistas and more realistic plagues. It tried to inject some scientific logic into the supernatural events, particularly the Red Sea crossing. However, the explanation for the turning of water into blood was quite a stretch. This Moses did not have a miraculous staff. The Angel of Death scenes were presented curiously just like the way it was done on "The Ten Commandments"!

The lackluster portrayal by the actors added to the coldness of the film. Despite his reputation as a good actor, Christian Bale did not make a very good Moses. He felt like he was going through the motions here, no passion whatsoever. Joel Edgerton was totally wrong as Rhamses. He looked ill at ease the whole film, and it was obvious from the posters alone! The presence of Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver and Aaron Paul in cast were wasted in small unremarkable roles.

Some people may expect this to be a religious film. However, the whole film felt soul-less, and this made the long 150-minute running time seem so unbearably slow.

The very way God was portrayed did not sit very well with me. God in this film was personified as an imperious young boy who was projected to be mercilessly violent and vindictive. There was no hint of compassion nor magnanimity here. Moses was even arguing with God. The film felt like it had an anti-God undertone, even atheistic, which was uncomfortable for me.

This is yet another disappointing biblical film debacle this year. To be fair though, I would not consider as bad as the total disaster that was "Noah." 4/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Scarlett returns to action in sci-fi 'Lucy'

Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is a party-going American girl studying in Taipei, who meets a guy named Richard in a club. Richard tricks her into delivering a suitcase to a certain Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik). Instead of a simple turnover, Richard is shot and Lucy is abducted. Jang turns out to be a maniacal sadistic Korean drug lord. The contents of the suitcase turns out to be a blue crystalline drug, and Lucy is to become its mule.

A bag of this powerful substance is surgically implanted into her abdomen, but it leaks and spreads throughout her body. The drug accelerates Lucy's usage of her brain to levels no one has yet experienced, giving her incredible superhuman abilities. Lucy eludes her abductors in order to reach eminent expert in brain physiology Professor Samuel Norman (Morgan Freeman) in Paris to offer herself for the benefit of science.

Scarlett Johansson finds herself again in another sci-fi feature -- her third in a row now. First she was the voice behind Samantha, the operating system Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with in "Her." Just last month we saw her as the mysterious alien seductress picking up and killing hapless men in "Under the Skin." This time, like her most popular film role as Black Widow in "The Avengers," she again gets to use her action star skills to good use as Lucy. Her performance is distinct in each of these recent films, and in "Lucy," she gets to display great range as her character undergoes the dizzying effects of the drug.

Director Luc Besson is back in the groove as he sells us this outlandish story of an unlikely super-genius in great style and flair. Besson is known for his over-the-top action scenes in films like "Taken" and "The Fifth Element," and he displays some of his work best here. There are those bloody violent fight scenes, so well-conceptualized and executed in brutal grace. There was that ridiculously awesome car chase scene in Paris had some of the wildest car stunts I have seen onscreen.

The sci-fi aspects of the film are very imaginatively presented, with surreal images ranging from microscopic cells dividing to vast galaxies of stars. Besson would intertwine images of nature to his narrative, like that of a cheetah going after a gazelle which added further tension to the scenes when Lucy was abducted. The authoritative voice of Morgan Freeman keeps the film grounded, lending credence to the science on which this story is based on.

Besson also keeps us updated on the percentage of Lucy's brain access as the film goes along. It was interesting to note their theory that the more realized human brain potential is, the less human we become. The extraordinary sequence of events that happen when Lucy reaches 100% was a cornucopia of bizarre images, highlighted by an incredible series of flashbacks of Times Square in New York City through history to prehistory to the beginning of time. Those dreamlike scenes need to be seen on the big screen for best effect.

Overall, "Lucy" is an exciting, fast-paced, action-packed sci-fi thriller, very entertaining to watch. It keeps you at the edge of your seats during the ride, and concludes the trip with awe and wonderment.

We may have seen this same scenario of drug-induced brain perfection recently with the film "Limitless" starring Bradley Cooper. But "Lucy" went further with the idea, taking it to a more philosophically ideal level. Lucy did not use her new-found genius to try to solve her own personal problems, but instead she aimed for something more altruistic. 8/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Son of God' bound to be a Lenten hit

Filipinos know the story of Jesus's passion and death very, very well. We recall these sorrowful events every year since our childhood during the yearly Lenten rituals we perform and Lenten movies we watch. Owing to its simple, audience-friendly, homespun style, this latest film about Jesus entitled "Son of God" is bound to join the list of classic religious films the whole family can watch and meditate on during the seasons of Lent and Easter.

"Son of God" covers everything from the Annunciation, the Birth in Bethlehem, His ministry, passion, death and resurrection and the beginning of the early Church with Paul and Ananias. Initially it would play like a documentary, with a narrator telling the story in between scenes. But starting from scenes with the adult Jesus, narrations were not needed anymore. Towards the end though, narrations were needed again to tell the stories about the early fathers of the Church.

The actors were all unknown to me, no big stars here. The casting and acting was predictable. The good characters look and act kindly. The bad characters look and act evil. All the events happen more or less in the order we know it. We hear most of the verses we expect to hear. They may not be said in the same context as it was in the Bible, but the effect is generally the same. Yet, despite being so familiar, it still remains compelling to watch.

Jesus is played by Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado. He has a calm and gentle face, with smiling eyes. From the first time we see him at his Baptism at the Jordan, to his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Morgado's portrayal of Jesus, while in no way as intense as Robert Powell's or James Caviezel's, is still very much on point. He should be favorably appreciated by the faithful. He plays Jesus with kindness, humility and dignity.

It turns out that the actress who plays the older Mother Mary is Roma Downey, who was in the inspirational TV series "Touched by an Angel" and one of the producers of the History TV series "The Bible" from which this movie was derived. She was very effective in her portrayal of the Lord's suffering mother during the scourging at the pillar, the way of the Cross to Calvary. Her Mary will move us to tears.

I believe this movie will be a Holy Week staple from this year onwards for my family and for many other Catholic families. This is the version of Jesus' life and death most of us know by heart. The good intentions of this film's makers radiate through and touch the viewers. This version is safe, straightforward and uncontroversial, with violence mercifully muted for younger viewers. This film may be judged as plain in the artistic sense, but artistry is probably not as much its intention as it is to inspire. 8/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Carrie' victim of CGI overload

The story of "Carrie" is by now is very well-known. It was first a best-selling novel in 1973 by master of horror fiction, Stephen King, his first novel. It had already been given a film treatment by another master of suspense, Brian de Palma, with Oscar-nominated performances by Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie. Locally, there had just been a musical theater version of the same story, which had just closed.

Carrie White is a teenage girl severely sheltered by her fanatically religious mother, Margaret. She is a victim of bullying at school, especially by Chris Hargensen and her gang. When Chris goes overboard with her cruelty, her good friend Sue Snell felt very guilty. Sue asks her boyfriend Tommy Ross to take Carrie to the prom. Carrie defies her mother's prohibition and accepts her prom date. Of course, Chris will not let Carrie have her fun. Little did they know the powerful telekinetic abilities that mousy little Carrie possesses!

My main interest to see this film is for the performance of Chloe Grace Moretz in the title character. It was brave of her to take on the very memorable, star-making, signature performance given by Spacek in 1976.

Moretz manages to hold her own with her own spark of innocence. She gives us a very sensitive performance as the troubled Carrie. Her face is extraordinarily expressive even with the minimum of words she says.

Julianne Moore gives an over-the-top yet sympathetic portrayal of Margaret White with her Biblical mumblings and self-mutilation. Compared to Piper Laurie's portrayal of Margaret in 1976, Moore was more miserably anguished in this version, while Laurie was more raving mad in the original.

Gabriella Wilde and Ansel Elgort, who play Sue and Tommy respectively, are both very attractive, and do well enough in their roles. Portia Doubleday and Alex Nolan, who play the villains Chris and Billy, do alright, although they did not have a good enough screen presence in my opinion. It will be interesting to see if any of these young stars will achieve the career status of their 1976 equivalents, namely Amy Irving, William Katt, Nancy Allen or the biggest eventual star of them all, John Travolta. That does not seem too likely now, but we'll never know, can we?

If you compare this version with the 1976 version, you can recall scenes done almost exactly alike with practically similar lines. You can see similarities in little details of the production design, like the ruffles on the tux Tommy tries on, or the stars decorating the prom venue ceiling. There is none of the nudity seen in the opening credits now, nor are there the "Psycho"-like musical cues whenever Carrie uses her powers.

What I thought this production did wrong was unduly going overboard with computer-generated special effects. The director, Kimberly Peirce, seemed to have had too much fun with these new "toys" to the detriment of her film. This advanced technology should have been this film's distinct advantage over the 1976 version, but the blatant lack of subtlety is jarring. Carrie can fly. Carrie can cause an entire street to break open with a single stomp. I guess you get the picture. Brian de Palma was able to create a tenser and scarier atmosphere at the prom and the house at the end with much less technology in the original film.

This 2013 film version is no means really necessary, but here it is. Still I think it is still worth the time to witness the acting of Moretz and Moore. It is just too bad that the overwhelming unrestrained CGI extravaganza did them all in towards the end. 6/10.

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Arnie, Stallone hatch 'Escape Plan'

I went in to watch "Escape Plan" with very low expectations, not knowing anything of the plot, prepared not to like it. But surprisingly, this film turned out to be very engaging and fun to watch after all.

Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) is a Houdini of jails, having the ability to escape even the highest of high security enclosures. He finds himself locked up in The Tomb, an unofficial prison facility whose problematic heinous inmates are meant to "permanently disappear." In this technologically advanced and remotely isolated prison, Breslin's escaping skills will be put to the ultimate test.

Stallone still delivers his lines as garbled as ever, but he looks good for his age, and has not lost his charisma as an action star. He managed to be quite credible in playing such an incredibly skilled individual. We are ready to suspend disbelief and accept that he can do the impossible. Hey, that is Stallone on that screen!

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a German inmate named Rottmeyer, who befriends Breslin and becomes his escape partner. Arnie plays it light here, with his acting so typically awkward and actually funny, but we know and love him in this tongue-in-cheek style of his.

Jim Caviezel is very intense as Hobbes, the warden of this special prison, as well as its proud designer. He will go to all extremes to prove that his prison is escape-proof. Caviezel's career seemed to have taken a dip after "The Passion of the Christ" and that is unfortunate after the limits he pushed with that memorably emotional performance. He is sadistically good here in a potentially one-dimensional antagonist role.

It was very good to see Sam Neill on screen again, also after what seems to be a long absence. He plays the prison physician here faced with a moral dilemma.

The story telling by Swedish-born director Mikael Håfström is well-paced and actually quite exciting. The set design of the prison was very high- tech, and well thought of. That version of solitary confinement was harsh! The escape sequences seemed logically planned and were thrillingly executed. The revelation scenes are very well-staged and that is only how far I'm going to describe them so you won't be spoiled with the many surprises this film has in store for you.

Recommended for those looking for a good, entertaining and unexpectedly smart action film. You may think you already know how it all ends, but the road it took to get to that ending is quite an enjoyable ride. I had a really good time watching this. 7/10.

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com