Netflix review: Adam Sandler is serious and screwed in 'Uncut Gems'

Howie Ratner perilously juggled his gems dealing business with his addiction to high-stakes gambling, for which he has incurred a huge debts for various creditors. It reached a point when he would take out a loan to place a bet usually on the outcome of NBA basketball games, and used his winnings to pay off another debt in a vicious circle.

One day, he was able to get his hand on a piece of rock from Ethiopia which contained a huge lode of opal, which he had committed for a gems auction. When basketball superstar Kevin Garnett desperately wanted to own the opal for its perceived energy, Ratner thought this was his way out of his most major debts from ruthless loan sharks. 

I first heard about "Uncut Gems" when its lead actor Adam Sandler won the best actor award from the National Board of Review early last month. That was really big surprising news for me. Not only because Sandler is not exactly noted for his dramatic acting chops, but even his comedy acting had taken quite a bad rap in recent years. Now here, he actually won best actor in a year dominated by Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" and that is truly incredible. (I felt bad that Sandler was snubbed for an Oscar nomination for this performance as this would probably be his closest brush with it.) 

Sandler's Howie was not a likable guy. He was loud and sleazy in speech and fashion. He split his time with his legal wife Dinah (Idina Menzel) and his employee girlfriend Julia (Julia Fox). He was street-smart to a fault, always trying to sweet talk his way out of the tight fixes he found himself caught in because of his risky activities. 

As the film went along, things do get out of hand, and that reflected on Sandler's increasingly panicked vocal inflections and erratic behavior. Sandler still had some of his known joker in Howie, but the stress here was definitely real and palpable. 

Aside from the inherent suspense of Howie's dangerously chaotic obsessions, director/co-writer brothers Josh and Benny Safdie also gave this project a lot of esoteric touches. The opening shot was that of an extreme closeup of the patterns within a gemstone which segued to an endoscopic view of a colon, which went around vice versa at the end. 

Another innovative feature was its most unusual musical soundtrack, which used psychedelic tunes seemingly totally unconnected to the action onscreen. It was distractingly bizarre at first, but later that music becomes a mesmerizing aspect. 

Noisy, shouty and profane, this is not for everybody. However, I was betting this could have been an Oscar nominee for best picture, but too bad it did not make the final list. 

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

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Movie review: More madness and murder in 'The Grudge' reboot

The original "Grudge" movie was the 2002 Japanese horror movie "Ju-On" by Takashi Shimizu. It originated a story about how when someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage, a curse is born. This curse possessed the house where this death occurred and would corrupt anybody who made the mistake of entering that place. It introduced us to the vengeful ghosts of Kayako, a Japanese woman with long hair covering her face, and her son Toshio, a little boy with wide open black eyes.

This film got an American remake in 2004, also directed by Takashi Shimizu, involving Americans who moved into the house in Tokyo where the curse originated. There had been several subpar sequels in both Japan and the US over the years, culminating in a cheesy crossover featuring the two foremost long-haired lady ghosts of Japanese cinema, Sadako (of "The Ring) and Kayako (of "The Grudge").

The US decided to reboot the 2004 film again this year, bringing the curse to the USA. Like the original movie, the film would jump back and forth in time from 2004 to 2006 to tell the story of four families upon whom the curse had descended. It all started when an American caregiver who worked in the original Tokyo house where the curse began went back home to her home in suburban Pennsylvania. Since then, everyone who went into their cursed address of 44 Reyburn Drive would see ghastly visions which led to madness and murder.


The whole atmosphere is dark and eerie as would be expected from the horror film like this. The musical score and shocking sound effects all contributed to this. Director Nicolas Pesce certainly knew how to build up the suspense for a jump scare, though some may be predictable. He did not shirk from showing disturbing, gory or bloody images of all sorts, not just limited to long-haired ladies in white this time around. I cannot say that all the scares worked as Pesce planned, but at least they did keep audiences at the edge of their scenes.

There was no Sarah Michelle Gellar in this reboot, but there are familiar faces like John Cho (as a real estate agent), Jackie Weaver (as an assisted suicide counselor) and Andrea Riseborough (as a harrassed cop). But, of course, the best (or in this case, the most disgusting) scene of all belonged to none other than American horror film superstar, Lyn Shaye. As the demented Faith Matheson, she had her back turned while working at the kitchen counter with a chopping knife. I will give you three guesses what she was chopping. That scene alone was worth the price of admission for me.

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

Movie review: 'Charlie's Angels' furthers franchise with latest reboot

Elena Houghlin (Naomi Scott) is a scientist behind a powerful new invention which could be dangerous in the wrong hands. When her warnings went ignored by her bosses, she decided to blow the whistle on the project by contacting the Townsend Agency. The tough-as-nails Angels assigned to her case were Sabina Wilson (Kirsten Stewart) and Jane Kano (Ella Balinska). However, after narrowly escaping an intense attempt on her life, Elena joined the Angels to get to the bottom of this case in a wild European adventure that brought them from Hamburg to Berlin, London, Istanbul and Chamonix. 

"Charlie's Angels" was one long-running TV series in the late 1970s about three former policewomen who work as private investigators, receiving instructions from the disembodied voice of a mysterious man named Charlie, whom they've never seen. This show starred Kate Jackson as Sabrina Duncan, Farrah Fawcett (then Majors) as Jill Munroe, and Jaclyn Smith as Kelly Garrett. In the second season, Fawcett was replaced by Cheryl Ladd, playing Jill's sister Kris. When Jackson left, Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts tried to take over but could not recover the initial magic, so the series was cancelled after five seasons. 

In 2000, a film was made to reboot the Charlie's Angels franchise. This action-comedy starred Cameron Diaz as Natalie Cook, Lucy Liu as Alex Munday and Drew Barrymore as Dylan Sanders. In the second film in the series subtitled "Full Throttle" (2003), Demi Moore was cast as a former Angel Madison Lee. John Forsythe, who was the voice of Charlie for the entire five seasons of the TV series, also provided the voice of Charlie in these two films. However, because of mixed reviews, a planned third installment was canned.

This latest reboot was written and directed by Elizabeth Banks, who also took the role of a "Bosley," Charlie's assistant who worked directly with the girls on their cases. Originally played by David Doyle in the TV series and Bill Murray in the 2000 films, Bosley is now an official position title in the worldwide Townsend Agency, who took care of a whole network of Angels. Banks' Bosley was special because she was the first Angel to become a Bosley. Patrick Stewart played the role of the original Bosley who had reached his retirement age.

When I saw the first trailer, Kirsten Stewart was the last person I expected to be cast as an Angel. Since she broke into the Hollywood A-list as Bella Swan in the "Twilight Saga," her screen persona had always been the sullen, unsmiling, mousy girl. But here as Sabina, she was funny, feisty, energetic, smart-ass, bad-ass -- everything Bella was not. Believe it or not, she was even dancing hot moves! Her smile was definitely dazzling and she had a totally winning personality. I liked this all-new Kirsten Stewart a lot.

Aside from Stewart, the two other Angels were relative unknowns. Nevertheless, I'd say they both came up with creditable performances as well. As ex-MI6 Jane, Ella Balinska is a new face, but her height and beauty were quite eye-catching, and she was quite graceful in her fight scenes. Naomi Scott, we just met as Princess Jasmine in the live action version of "Aladdin." Elena is the newbie to the group so she mostly played it cute and awkward as her scientist character gets initiated into spy action. 

The plot of trying to recover stolen technology from those who intended to use it for bad purposes is already a very overused plot device. This film really just relied on the enthusiastic performances of the new Angels to push it to a higher level of entertainment. It was difficult for this set of Angels to surpass the set in the previous film version. 

Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore were all already big names when they were cast as Angels. I'm game to see this new team in another more original adventure for them to prove their worth as Angels. 

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

source: news.abs-cbn.com  

Movie review: Elton John's music shines, drives story in 'Rocketman'

MANILA -- Fresh at the heels of "Bohemian Rhapsody" last year which recounted for us the life of Queen frontman Freddy Mercury, here comes another film that traces the life and career of another legendary name in pop music -- Elton John. 

The director of "Rocketman," Dexter Fletcher, directed "Bohemian Rhapsody" for its final two weeks of shooting, when original director Brian Singer dropped out of the project. 

I only learned about Elton John in the 1980s when he was part of the quarter Dionne and Friends singing "That's What Friends are For." From then, I went back and checked out his hit songs from the 1970s and had been a big fan of his work ever since. In my opinion, John had written and sung some of the best pop songs ever recorded. 

I had seen him in concert once in the 2000s, and even then, he was still quite an entertainer live. By that time, John's performance style had already toned down several notches than how he was performing in the 1970s with those crazy colorful costumes, as I had seen in photographs and videos. I can imagine John's career may actually parallel Mercury's because of their individual flamboyant personas.

The film began with John, dressed in a wild all-red devil costume, with huge feathered wings, high-raised collar and curved horns, attending a group therapy session, admitting his addictions to alcohol, drugs, sex and shopping. From there, there were flashbacks to show his family life as a child Reginald Dwight with frosty, insensitive, uncaring parents. He was a piano prodigy who can play any complex tune back even after listening to the music only once. When he hit his stride creating hit pop songs, then his phenomenal career and hedonistic lifestyle as Elton John took off. 

It was interesting that John's songs were fully integrated into the script, with characters actually breaking into song at certain points in flights of fantasy. Fans familiar with John's discography will immediately notice that the songs were not presented in precise order when they were released, so this was not a cut-and-dried biopic where factual accuracy was foremost. Here the songs were used as the scene required them for a more emotionally driven storytelling. 

The upbeat first song "The Bitch Is Back" (1974) was sung in a flashback as a young boy Reginald Dwight (Matthew Illeslie) was gleefully prancing and dancing around their neighborhood. "I Want Love" (2001, with a memorable single-take music video with Robert Downey, Jr.) was sung by teenage Reginald (Kit Connor), along with his cold father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh), acerbic mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard) and supportive granny Ivy (Gemma Jones). 

In "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973), John transitions from teen to young adult, played by Taron Egerton. By then, he would already call himself Elton John, derived from his Bluesology bandmate saxophone player Elton Dean, and supposedly John Lennon, whose photograph Elton just saw on the wall when he was asked for his surname. When he met Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell), "Your Song" (1970) and a fruitful songwriting partnership was born. "Crocodile Rock" (1972) was sung at the Troubadour Club in Elton John's American debut tour.

"Honky Cat" (1972) was sung as a duet between Elton and his manager/lover John Reid (Richard Madden). Their love scene together is said to be a first for any major Hollywood production. Reid was portrayed to be the film's antagonist with the selfish abusive way he treated John. (It is interesting to note that Reid would also become Queen's manager in the late 1970s. He was played in "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Aidan Gillen.) 

"Rocket Man" (1972) would accompany John's shocking suicide attempt scene, which would dramatically transition into his memorable concert performance at the Dodgers Stadium.

More of Elton John's hits would be sung as the movie went along "Tiny Dancer" (1972) "Bennie and the Jets" (1974) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1974) (as a duet with his wife Renate Blauel, played by Celine Schoenmaker), "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976), "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973), and of course, "I'm Still Standing" (1983) as the final anthem of strength and survival. 

Taron Egerton does one better than Rami Malek (Oscar Best Actor winner last year for playing Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody) because Egerton actually does all of his singing as John by himself. From the animated film "Sing" (2016), we already heard Egerton, at that time only known for playing Eggsy in "Kingsman Secret Service" (2014), sing his heart out as the voice of gorilla Johnny, singing "I'm Still Standing." 

Egerton was singing and acting immersively at the same time, and this was even more remarkable during the darker episodes of John's life. Egerton's makeup as John was eerily accurate, down to that little gap in his front teeth, with the glasses and costumes to complete the picture. 

This was not an ordinary or conventional biopic. While the factual events were there, psychedelic fantasy was also incorporated into the storytelling. At the Troubadour concert, there was a scene showing John and his audience floating in midair with the music. At the suicide scene, Elton was shown sinking down into the swimming pool where he saw his younger self sitting at the pool floor. 

This was an abashedly florid gay parts of the movie which may not sit well with some more conservative members of the viewing public (even if they were not explicit). Anyhow, true fans will love how the film captured John's unique sense of showbiz swank and sophistication which made him an unlikely pop superstar. 

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

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Movie review: 'After' tells tale of teenage tryst

In the 1980s, there were very popular films like "Endless Love" and "Blue Lagoon" (both starring Brooke Shields) featuring a teenage girl and her first experience with sex. With the way sexual mores have evolved since then, there were hardly any dramatic movies about losing virginity that ever reached that level of popularity any more. This new film "After" seems to want to test the waters if this type of film will work its magic on the box-office again.

Tessa Young is a college freshman. She is a serious studious type, never had been in any sort of mischief in the past. Hardin Scott is the bad boy jock who believed that he could charm any girl into getting into bed with her. One night, they met at a party during an innocent game of truth or dare. After some initial resistance, Tessa and Hardin discovered they both loved literature, and eventually could not get enough of each other. 

The 21-year old actress who played Tessa, Josephine Langford, was indeed very pretty. She reminded me of "Clueless"-era Alicia Silverstone. While watching the film, you will feel protective of her and feel sad for the unfortunate decisions she made. I identified with the concerns of her mother Carol (played by Selma Blair) about her roommates, who looked like bad news from Day 1. I would not have left my Tessa alone with those wanton-looking girls, no matter how much I trusted my daughter. 

The 21-year old actor who played Hardin, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, went for the typical brooding bad boy posturing that worked before for Hollywood teen male movie idols from James Dean all the way to Robert Pattinson. I don't think he could achieve their level of success though. Director Jenny Gage decided not to explore Hardin's personality, nor Tessa's for that matter, as individuals. The film was more concerned about their relationship together, than each of them on their own. 

The plot is very simple, straightforward and lazy plotting. There was absolutely nothing new about the story at all -- it was only based on a Wattpad novel after all. The climate for the depiction of sexuality in mainstream films these days is not anymore as bold as it was before. The sexual encounters depicted here stopped at being tame and suggestive, and nothing more. 

This was a film that merely depended on the attractiveness and chemistry of the two leads to sell it, and unfortunately, their combined chemistry and individual charisma were not exactly that strong.

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

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Movie review: Virus-induced violence in 'Mayhem'

Being in the medical field, movies about viral infections really freak me out. There have been films about bugs which hew close to real-life viruses, like the Matoba virus in "Outbreak" (1995) inspired by Ebola Virus, or the MEV-1 virus in "Contagion" (2011) inspired by the bird flu.

But there had also been highly fictional viruses (we hope) like that in "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) that brings dead people back to life (giving birth to zombie films), or "28 Days Later" (2002) that turns infected people into murderous creatures. Add "Mayhem" to the second kind.

This new virus is called ID-7, also called the Red Eye Virus. When a person gets infected, his id totally takes over his person, and he loses all moral control, causing him to do absolutely anything he wants to do -- however depraved or violent. The virus itself is not deadly, but the person infected is. A court had already decided to acquit a person of murder because he was under the influence of the virus, setting a dangerous legal precedent.

An outbreak of ID-7 has taken over the building of Towne and Smythe Consulting, turning everyone inside into lunatics indulging in unbridled sex and violence. CDC placed it under an 8-hour lockdown until an airborne disinfectant can take effect. Fired lawyer Derek Cho whipped up a plan, together with another disgruntled lawyer Melanie Cross, to take advantage of the killing wave in the building to fight their way up and barge into the penthouse board room in order to assert their rights to the unscrupulous big bosses John Towne and Irene Smythe, by fair means or foul.

I am not fond of gory films. I purposely missed watching "Jigsaw" (or any of the "Saw" films before it), but I end up watching this instead. When this movie eventually turned out to be a relentlessly gore-fest, I admit was not looking directly at the screen anymore whenever that hammer, or rotatory saw blade, or sharp scissors was about to graphically ram into and maim someone's body. As the film goes on, we will be treated to all sorts of gruesome fight scenes and death scenes. It was sickening for me, but I'm sure some people would find this sick in a cool sort of way.

By the over-the-top way all the actors were portraying their roles, you know the intention of director Joe Lynch for the film was comedy. Admittedly, some of the scenes and lines were pretty amusing (well, until the next bloody death came along). I never watched "Walking Dead," so it was my first time to see lead actor Steve Yeun, who played Derek Cho. Samara Weaving (yes, she is Hugo's niece) played Derek's pretty partner in crime Melanie. Steven Brand and Kerry Fox played the despicable bosses Townes and Smythe with a perpetual evil smirk.

As Freud described it, the id has no morals. It only wants instant gratification. An integral part of the id is the aggressive instinct of destruction which only sought to destroy things that get in our way of getting what we want. This film's showcase for the human id could be fun in a dark, morbid sort of way, but the insanely excessive gore in its murder and mutilation scenes were too much for me. Nevertheless, I did like the attempt at redemption at the end, leaving the audience with a positive message after all the mayhem. 4/10

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

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Movie review: Big-screen 'Baywatch' a beach bummer

"Baywatch" was one of the most popular TV series back in the 1990s. Lead star David Hasselhoff, despite receiving a lot of beef about his acting style, is an international superstar. Several sexy female starlets donned those signature red bathing suits and became pinups in many bedrooms -- such as Erika Eleniak, Nicole Eggert, Alexandra Paul, Yasmine Bleeth, Carmen Electra and of course, Pamela Anderson.

I don't know why Hollywood can't leave these hit TV series well enough alone. I cannot honestly name a popular TV series that was actually done better when adapted for the big screen. A lot, if not all, of these feature film adaptation fell way short of expectations and in so doing, marred the fond memories audiences have of their favorite shows. "Baywatch" was by no means an award-winning series with awe-inspiring acting. However, it had its own distinct hook that I felt was not going to be easy to replicate.

Mitch Buchanon is a popular lifeguard team leader on the beach of Emerald Bay in Florida. One summer, during the tryouts for new lifeguards, Mitch was forced by his boss to take on Matt Brodie, a two-time Olympic gold medal-winner swimmer with a big ego and bad attitude. The two never see things eye to eye, constantly bickering about Mitch's unconventional training style. Mitch wants his team to get involved and actively aid in the investigation of crimes (from drugs to murder) on the beach, and Matt aggressively resists.

I thought the whole main cast, while all in great physical shape, was miscast. Dwayne Johnson does the leadership role well, but he seemed too heavily muscle-bound to swim as a lifeguard. Zac Efron does the cocky jerk role well, but he already looked too old to play an immature brat. Alexandra Daddario and Kelly Rohrbach both looked great in their red Speedos as Summer Quinn and C.J. Parker respectively, but it felt like they should switch roles when it came to job seniority.

I am thinking that this film by Seth Gordon (of "Horrible Bosses" infamy) was probably made to be more of a mindless spoof than a tribute to an already campy original show. However, most of the humor, especially those by Efron (in a dress, in the morgue), were of the cringe and groan type that did not really fly for me. Even the not-so-surprise cameos of David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson were disappointing. The writers could have thought of better scenarios for them to appear.

Most of the laughs came in the beginning care of Jon Bass (as newbie lifeguard Ronnie) who had no shame getting himself in the most embarrassing comic situations in his adulation for CJ Parker. As can be expected, these gags were mostly in the raunchy "American Pie" variety. I did like some of those lower-key visual gags of the Rock using toys to fight or temping as cellphone salesman.

I have only seen a few episodes of the "Baywatch" TV series before, so I would not really know how they were able to expand the rather flimsy concept of sexy lifeguards to a decade worth of episodes. For this film, the whole script is not only a contrived stretch, but it is also a messy mishmash. Does a lifeguard really have jurisdiction to involve himself into criminal investigations independent of the police? This movie felt like cops from another TV show, like maybe the "21 Jump Street" guys, crossed over and went undercover on the beach as lifeguards.

Daddario and Rohrbach are definitely 10s, but the film as a whole can only muster a 2/10.

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

source: news.abs-cbn.com

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: Salacious, subversive 'Sausage Party'

With a poster proudly announcing that this animated film is by the guys who brought us "This is the End" (specifically Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg), we automatically know "Sausage Party" won't be for kids.

We immediately expect what kind of comedy this film will be pushing -- crass, rude, profane, off-color, gross. We know this movie will definitely NOT be for kids. It is not the first CGI-animated film to be rated R in the US for nothing. You know if you are its target audience or not, so watch this at your own risk.

Once upon a time, the groceries in Shopwell believed that once they get picked up by one of the human customers, they would live happily ever after. Frank the sausage and Brenda the bun looked forward to getting put into that shopping cart and spend eternity together doing more than just touching fingertips. However, they would soon discover the harsh and horrible truth about what really happens to food items after they leave the store.

The story of the central characters Frank and Brenda (Seth Rogen and Kristen Wiig) were on a predictable romance track. More interesting side stories were provided by supporting characters, like insecure dwarf sausage Barry (Michael Cera), Sammy Bagel Jr. (Edward Norton) and Kareem Abdul Lavash (David Krumholtz) representing the Jew and Arab rivalry, a lesbian taco Teresa del Taco (Selma Hayek), Native American Firewater liquor (Bill Hader), a suicidal bottle of Honey Mustard (Danny McBride) and a Stephen Hawking-like chewed-up Gum (Scott Underwood). Someone's imagination really went wild here. He was most probably high when he came up with these ideas.

In a clear parody of Disney and Pixar films, the rather sacrilegious opening song "The Great Beyond" was by no less than composer of "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" -- Alan Menken himself! In that song, the various foodstuff were blissfully living their lives in the supermarket shelves waiting earnestly to be bought and brought home by humans, whom they consider their gods.

This innocent idealism would later be shattered when they reach the kitchen. The film takes a dark and disturbing turn when we get a view of what food items feel when they are being peeled, chopped, cooked and chewed. Those scenes were not easy to watch, especially that one with those cute little baby carrots (Sugar Lyn Beard). You will never look at a cookbook the same way again after you see that major horrific revelation scene here.

Even if it was expected, I did not like the profanity which was so rampant in this film. There was a dirty word present in almost all the lines, it was already so numbing in its frequency. Every scene with that hateful main villain Douche (Nick Kroll) and store manager Darren (Paul Rudd) was vile and repulsive, especially when Douche was in the open fly of Darren's pants.

Like the other Rogen films, there were drug references and scenes aplenty here as well. Of course, James Franco would again voice a drug addict here. And then there was the very violent free-for-all in the supermarket aisles as the food items attacked the humans.

The posters and trailer were selling this as an all-out animated sex comedy. However, those people who only came expecting to see raunchy scenes alone may be disappointed. This animated feature actually tackles a variety of heavy topics like race and religion throughout its 89 minute running time. The outright sex part came only at the last 10 minutes, an extended, comically graphic sexual orgy of food items that push the limits of the R rating, certainly not for the prudish nor the squeamish.

Overall, this was not my cup of tea. Some interesting, innovative and inspired moments of out-of-the-box daring comedy all over, but the general flow and spirit of the movie did not really sit well with me. Must be my age. 4/10

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

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: Excited about Pokemon Go? Watch 'Nerve' first

"Nerve" is the name of an internet game where players are dared to do wild stunts for cash prizes and fame among the Watchers. One day, mousy and nerdy girl Vee gets pressured by her friend Sydney to play the game. On her very first dare, Vee meets another player codenamed Ian. From this first dare, Vee and Ian would go all around New York City doing task after task as they escalate from plain crazy to dangerously deadly.

This film lets us enter an unseen world of the Millennials of this internet age. This world drawn here in "Nerve" is all so cool and colorful, but it may not necessarily be a pretty sight or a safe ride. We get drawn in and get mesmerized by this youth culture, probably in the way films like "Rebel Without a Cause," "St. Elmo's Fire" or "Fight Club" did in years past.

It is the charisma of the lead characters and the likability of the actors who portray them which make this risky ride worthwhile.

Emma Roberts may be less memorable than her same-name contemporaries Watson and Stone. I only recall her seeing her once before playing Nancy Drew. As Vee, she really hits her stride when she is already playing the game, looking mighty fine in that pricey green cocktail dress she wore for most of the film. I like her winning smile, her fresh innocence and girl-next-door vibe that would make you root for her to win it all.

As Ian, Dave Franco plays another fun, devil-may-care guy like what he played in "Now You See Me." He has a distinct charm from his more famous brother, James, and should have no trouble establishing himself on his own. He had great chemistry with Roberts in the dares they did together, especially in that wacky stunt in the swanky department store. It was clear to see why they attracted plenty of "fans" in the film.

I was really surprised when I recognized Juliette Lewis playing Vee's harassed mother Nancy. Time really flies. If this film was done back in the '90s I would not be surprised if quirky Lewis would be cast in it. She would most probably be perfect in the role of Sydney, Vee's insecure best friend played here by Emily Meade.

Of course, the technological advances in special visual effects that the industry uses these days make the impossible possible to happen onscreen in a more realistic manner. They can literally make characters ride a motorcycle down through NYC traffic blindfolded or hang by one hand from a crane atop a skyscraper, and make special effects make it appear that these can happen. In a film like this, we suspend our disbelief and breathlessly immerse in the fun and the danger vicariously.

I thought it would be very interesting for the older generation (Baby Boomers and Gen X'ers) to watch this and worry about what their kids could be up to these days. Like several films about the internet, like "Disconnect" or "Unfriended," this is another cautionary tale about the risks that abound within the Net. The current craze Pokemon Go is already getting some youngsters into trouble and accidents. This technology we see in "Nerve" may not be as far-fetched as you may think. 7/10

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: 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' raises Marvel bar

I do not know what it is about films in the Marvel franchise, but more than often, they can manage to exceed our already high expectations of their films. Just when you thought that "The Avengers" was already a pinnacle of superhero action film perfection, along comes another one that challenges that position.


"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is more than just an excellent action-packed superhero film. Aside from those big fist fights, gun fights, car chases, it also has piracy on the high seas and gigantic aircraft of mass destruction to add to the mayhem. All of these action scenes were executed perfectly - the stunts, the CG effects, the editing, the set-ups -- no loose ends. Those who found the sound levels of "The Avengers" too much would find the quality of sound here just right. The set design of the glass Triskelion building, headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D., is amazing.

The directors Anthony and Joe Russo hit all the right notes in their execution of a complex film. We do not feel the two-hour plus running time pass us by.

Chris Evans gets more and more comfortable in playing this good-natured All-American hero. His physical aptitude is of no question in all those high-energy action scenes. More than just his chiseled face and physique though, he also proves he has the acting chops for those unexpectedly emotional dramatic scenes in the film. There was a charming one set in a museum, and another one in a hospital bedside, featuring a surprise guest cameo.

Scarlett Johansson is bad-ass and kick-ass as the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. She had a lot more complex stunts to do here over those that wowed us in "The Avengers." We also get to know Natasha a little better -- her background, her work ethic, her skills -- but just enough to whet our interest even more about her mysterious character.

Samuel L Jackson reprises his recurrent role as Nick Fury. Again, we get to see Nick Fury more in action here as ever. There was a particularly exciting sequence where Nick's car was ambushed in the middle of city traffic that was jaw-dropping in its execution.

It was really good to see Robert Redford back in a big role in a mainstream film. He plays Secretary Alexander Price who oversaw S.H.I.E.L.D. for the US government. Redford still had that cool and collected touch of class that made him a big box-office star in the early 1970s.

There will be new characters introduced. Anthony Mackie gets to be ex-soldier Sam Wilson, who will later don those awesome metal wings as Falcon. The beautiful Emily VanCamp (of TV's "Revenge") is first introduced to us as shy nurse and Steve's next door neighbor, Sharon Carter, but she will also have surprises up her sleeve later. Hope to see more of these two characters in future CA -- or even Avengers -- films.

The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely was able to smoothly tell us about the Cap and the people he loved, along with the history of S.H.I.E.L.D., the history of HYDRA, the history of Black Widow, the history of the Falcon, all on top of a solid politically-charged thriller of a main story about a deadly S.H.I.E.L.D. project called Operation Insight. Again, all these multi-layered details were all tucked in neatly, with no significant plot holes to ponder about.

There are two extra scenes in the end credits. One will be shown midway after the main names (again with great-looking artwork!), featuring Loki's scepter and two new beings with powers. This promises an interesting story line for a future film. Another shorter extra scene will be shown at the very end of all the smaller print credits.

I am not really sure if there is still any surprise about the identity of The Winter Soldier. If I mention who plays him, you will already know. So I will just leave that for you to find out when you watch this film. I am sure you will go watch this. 10/10

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

Review: 'Gravity' an incredible lost-in-space adventure

"Gravity" tells of the unenviable situation experienced by medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and her astronaut mission commander Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) when an accidental disaster caused by a shower of satellite debris destroys their space station, leaving them floating in deep space.

Director Alfonso Cuaron has created a masterpiece that knows when to move for excitement and when to stop for meditation. We enjoy the breathtaking ride through the dangerous outer frontiers. We also get to look inwards to the essence of our own minuscule humanity in stark contrast to the vastness of the universe. We will feel agoraphobia and claustrophobia at the same time, while Stone and Kowalski struggle to keep themselves alive.

"Gravity" is not much of a story to be told by mere words, but a story that needs to be experienced best via the medium of film, and all its modern abilities.

This film employs the best of cinematographic technique (by Emmanuel Lubezki), editing efficiency (by Cuaron himself and Mark Sanger), top-of-the-line 3D visual and eerie sound effects to re-create the harshness of outer space. The musical score by Stephen Price can be both soaring and quiet as the scene called for it. I truly see ALL the technical Oscars going to this fantastic team that created the most convincing atmosphere for this film to come to life.

There may be some scientific principles amiss as some incredible coincidences arise to move the story forward. However, we care so much for our two characters that these minor details done in the name of artistic license can be overlooked with no big deal. The film successfully makes us feel emotionally connected with them. We really feel we are out there with them, and we want to escape this scary and hopeless situation with them. Just allow yourself to be immersed in this unique milieu.

Bullock comes up with a precious performance of a lonely person desperately confronting the biggest fears of her life in the bleakest of situations ever. Her range of emotions ran the gamut from fearful despair to hopeful determination. She is front, center and everything this movie is about. She did not lose her sense of humor when we also needed it. This has got to be a Best Actress performance of the highest merit.

Supporting Bullock is Clooney as that believable voice of calm and reassurance we all need. With him there, Ryan felt she can overcome any adversity she faced. His wit and charm carried Ryan through her ordeal, and this was palpable enough to carry the whole audience along the ride with her.

"Gravity" might as well be declared the Best Picture of this award season already. As of now, it can already be considered a lock for the big prize because of its audacity of scope, its technical excellence, its memorable performances, and above all, its images full of artistry and symbolism.

This film needs to be seen on the big screen for the best effect. Watching this in 3D (and most likely, IMAX) will actually further enhance your viewing experience. 10/10.

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

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Review: 'Pee Mak' more funny than scary

Pee Mak comes home from the battlefield with his four soldier friends, namely Puak (with the winged victory hairstyle), Ter (with the glasses), Shin (with the bun) and Aey (with the mustache). They are met by his beautiful wife Nak with their newborn baby boy.

However, it does not take long for his four friends to notice something strange about Nak. And this leads to a merry comedy of errors and terrors, Thai style.

Being in a foreign language and set in the past, I am sure a lot of the nuances have been lost in translation. However, visual horror and slapstick comedy is universal. While "Pee Mak" is also a horror film, the more commercial and memorable aspect of this film is actually its comedy. The horror takes a back seat to the comedy here.

You just simply have to watch and enjoy those hilarious sequences of the silly gang at the dinner table, playing charades, in the haunted house of the amusement park, the boat on the river and in the Buddhist temple with the monk! These scenes were laugh-out-loud funny beyond words! Don't miss those extra scenes during the end credits as well.

A deglamorized Thai/German actor/model Mario Maurer (as Mak) and the four actors playing his zany friends indeed have great comic chemistry and timing together. They were such a delight playing cartoonish nincompoops and stupid idiots as they were terrorized by the ghostly presence around them.

Thai/Belgian actress/model Daveeka Hoorne also has her dramatic moments as Nak, as her character was mainly the straight man of this farce. I am sure she had a difficult time keeping a straight face in front of all that ridiculous foolishness around her.

I think the only other Thai movie I have seen before was the thrilling and haunting horror film "Shutter" (2004). After I watched "Pee Mak," I discovered that these two films were actually directed by the same man, Banjong Pisanthanakun. "Shutter" was his directorial debut; "Pee Mak" is his latest and biggest hit. Now I think I want to check out Pisanthanakun's other films.

I am sure Filipino film fans will have a good time watching "Pee Mak." The inane comedy/horror genre is also very popular here, and the slapstick faces and routines will be familiar. I am sure we can even think up of specific local comedians who can play these crazy roles.

What "Pee Mak" adds is the exotic Thai cultural setting that gives it that unique mystic feel that adds to the eerie nature of the basic story. This is more fun than scary. Very entertaining! 7/10.

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

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com