petetherock Posted January 31, 2013 Author Posted January 31, 2013 Wreck-It Ralph Disney has gone from strength to strength, and this is their latest offering, which is about a 'bad guy' in a computer game at an arcade, who wants to turn and be one of the 'good guys'... The story describes his journey and this animation has much more adult themes than the usual Disney offerings, although the violence is still kid friendly and no one dies, until Pixar's "Up". However the storyline is a little too complex for kids, who will sporadically drift off during the more dialogue heavy moments. I had expected more of this after reading some reviews, it's not bad, but it's no classic, and the action and story are middling at best and I am not confident the kids will lap it up either. Best to rent first and decide. There are plenty of action scenes which should excellent on BR, but I do know if it's a keeper..
petetherock Posted February 7, 2013 Author Posted February 7, 2013 Fairy Tale Killer Sean Lau stars in this by the books murder crime thriller, and usually he is a top performer, but IMO, he doesn't really extend himself in this, and barely rises out of a coma for this movie in which he plays a less than charismatic cop trying to solve a series of murders based on a bunch of fairy tales. The main kicker for me was the fact that it highlighted autism, and gave it some publicity. Otherwise, strictly a rental for me.
petetherock Posted February 7, 2013 Author Posted February 7, 2013 The Fierce Wife Movie Review I wasted two hours of my life on this... somehow the Taiwanese love this, which is a rather unrealistic look at how one woman (who isn't that hot by the way and promotes anorexia if you ask me), loses and then finds love. It's the movie version or finale to a long serial, and squares off the suitors in the final countdown. She gets wined and dined by many guys, with nary a consideration as to whether that's right, and strings them along, although she does try her best to look angst filled and emotional. I guess the ladies dig this kind of thing... Please pass on this one
petetherock Posted February 7, 2013 Author Posted February 7, 2013 Resident Evil Retribution - movie review All I can say is, oh dear... Whilst I can be confident the subsequent BR disc will likely be demo quality, this is little more than an attempt to cash in on the franchise and give the tired series one last spin.. or perhaps the director / producer will keep milking this already dried up cash cow.. How do you revive a flagging movie franchise? A reboot is too complex for Paul Anderson, so he brings back a bunch of actors who starred in one of the previous 5 shows, and place them in a 'first player role' perspective kind of a movie in which some are good guys and others turned bad by the Hive. Then make them blast their way out of an old Russian submarine facility. Plot holes? Well seriously where is the plot? In any case, action thirsty fans lusting to see good ol' Milla J in a skin tight leather S&M outfit will not be disappointed. Add a few more hot chicks and dudes and arm them with never ending ammo, and watch the shakes, rattles and booms as they battle their way out of the underground base, whilst working for the same Wesker. Throw in an Asian perspective with Li Bing Bing who is probably there because Paul Anderson realised the size of the China market and needs to place one of them in a movie to sell tickets. Make sure there is a slit in her outfit which stretches for miles right up to her armpits and make it red in color for hotness and for socialism I guess? The 3D another cash milking excercise, so your viewing pleasure will vary... of course hot ladies in 3D might be reason enough to watch this stuff... So 1/5 for plot 3.5 / 5 for chick factor 4/5 for action Snooze job unless you are a really big fan of the franchise and can't get enough of Milla J. On a more interesting note... I would like to see Ms Selena aka Kate Beckinsale slug it out with Milla J whilst both wear those tight leather outfits which have made them famous... and throw in Jessica Biel or Alba for good measure, and call it the Resident Evil Vs Vampires - Total Recall or whatever...
francis wu Posted February 7, 2013 Posted February 7, 2013 Just finished watching 'SINISTER' and I can you that this is a one of the better horror movie around. Certainly 3.8 for me. The PQ and SQ easily a 4. Surrounds were used discretely but with deadly effects and there were a couple of scenes that will shock you out of your sofa. Get it!
whyeme Posted February 7, 2013 Posted February 7, 2013 Bro francis, how many sleepless nights you reckon SINISTER would give viewers? Anything more than 1 day I cannot afford...haha
francis wu Posted February 7, 2013 Posted February 7, 2013 Aiyah, don't worry lah! This is not one of those run of the mill horror movies that fill the screen with grotesque faces or blood galore slaughterings to scare the shit out of you! This is a creepy and suspenseful piece of work and very good acting from lead Ethan Hawke! :)
whyeme Posted February 7, 2013 Posted February 7, 2013 On 07/02/2013 at 2:19 PM, francis wu said: Aiyah, don't worry lah! This is not one of those run of the mill horror movies that fill the screen with grotesque faces or blood galore slaughterings to scare the nuts out of you! This is a creepy and suspenseful piece of work and very good acting from lead Ethan Hawke! :) alrighty i give it a try! if i cannot sleep i will call you at 3am remind you to go toilet! :)
francis wu Posted February 7, 2013 Posted February 7, 2013 I better switch my cellphone off at the stroke of midnight from now on ;D
whyeme Posted February 9, 2013 Posted February 9, 2013 Whoa...sinister is not as scary as paranormal activity 1...so why whoa? Cos the Dts Hdma track surrounds are best I have experienced thus far. The dragging/creaking of floorboards on the upper level of the house in the movie sounded really like my neighbour upstairs were pulling something across their floor above my ceiling!
Wize Posted February 10, 2013 Posted February 10, 2013 Sinister's ending not good...It feels to me the writer doesn't know how to continue the story.
petetherock Posted April 18, 2013 Author Posted April 18, 2013 Just finished watching "Undefeated" - a documentary about a mid American high school football team.. This documentary went onto win the Oscar in 2011. Highly recommended..
petetherock Posted May 17, 2013 Author Posted May 17, 2013 A lot happened recently so movies have take a backburner... but I am glad I picked up this hit from Mongolia.. No CGI, and spoken in Moghul with English subtitles. Not too great acting, but great action and a solid simple and meaningful plot... Recommended. ARAVT:
petetherock Posted May 19, 2013 Author Posted May 19, 2013 Cabin In The Woods Finally got round to this... Interesting plot, and unexpected ending, and a very solid surround experience.. not your typical slasher..
petetherock Posted June 27, 2013 Author Posted June 27, 2013 Happy by Roko Belic A well made documentary, and it gives perspective to what really makes us.... Happy.. Recommended.
elias1876 Posted July 19, 2013 Posted July 19, 2013 Identity Thief This is a good movie. For me this is about good values in the modern world. I liked also that the concept of justice wasn't diluted because everyone became friendly to each other towards the end - forgiveness is different from justice.
petetherock Posted July 26, 2013 Author Posted July 26, 2013 Saw a few movies recently on the plane: Trance: An Inception-lite movie, with slightly less ept acting, less invovling plot, and less believable characters. I reckon the only 'wow' moment was Rosario Dawson totally starkers... Rental at best Dead Man Down: Another rental at best movie with some decent moments from Naomi Rapace and Colin Ferrel, but not enough to save this rather dark movie with a difficult to understand plot. Burt Wonderstone: A light weight comedy, with not much against it, but also not a lot for it. Worth a rental and a few laughs, but the magicians story is a warm, and ultimately forgettable story, which neither offends or impresses much.
francis wu Posted July 26, 2013 Posted July 26, 2013 Just finished the BR 1080 rip of Oblivion. A complicated story line but pace okay. Watching on a MBP, the PQ is excellent and I am sure the SQ will be fantastic on DTS Master HD. Loaded the MP4 movie to my 7" mini pad and will definitely get the BR on this trip!
Audio Posted July 27, 2013 Posted July 27, 2013 Obilvion I saw on Thursday night. Unbelievable picture quality. Tom Cruise's face, you can see every facial hair. The jets of all the flying vehicles is realistic, flights are all so fun. Even the greenery of the Tom's cabin scenery is so detailed!! I like the story, it was handled pretty well, not too weird. Good plot. Highly recommended. (Audio)
petetherock Posted July 27, 2013 Author Posted July 27, 2013 Side Effects A suspense thriller that is decent but not great. It's good in spurts, but slows down too much in others. Apart from the erratic, it's quite good, with a commendable performance from Jude Law who plays a psychiatrist who finds seemlingly unpleasantly side effects in a new drug he uses on a patient. He has to fight to clear his name when the patient kills her own husband... Rooney Mara also does well but Channing Tatum is a piece of wood in his rather short-lived appearance... Catherine Zeta Jones does pretty well too. The portrayal of the pharma industry and the doctors who seem to be in bed with them is more reflective of the USA scene, but even then, it's not indicative of all doctors, and certainly not the case around here.. Good enough for one or two viewings...
whyeme Posted July 29, 2013 Posted July 29, 2013 Finally did Oblivion. Really liked the sound design, especially that of the flying droids. Nice little story for a sci-fi flick too.
petetherock Posted August 10, 2013 Author Posted August 10, 2013 On 17/01/2012 at 3:47 PM, Avonez said: Watched these 2 European films on blurays recently; suggestions for the coming long holiday weekend. A Lonely Place to Die, from a small budget independent filmmaker is a thriller about a group of mountain climbers stumbling upon a kidnapped Croatian girl hidden below the ground during their climb. The pace quickens when the kidnappers began hunting down and picking off the group to ward off their rescue and flight to safety. I was attracted to the film premise of a thriller set in a mountain climbing backdrop as I have a small penchant for mountaineering film, especially documentary / docu-drama for their out-of-reach sceneries and the ultimate portray of human endurance. This film did not disappoint on the sceneries as the opening scenes captured the lovely Scottish highlands, especially vivid and clear on the bluray disc and gradually zooming to a mountain cliff where you see the climbers attempting to scale its face with ropes and pins. It helps that the director and his brother, who is also the co-producer, are avid mountain climbers themselves and can perform simple technical climbs to capture the best angles. Some technical climbing shots were filmed with a Canon 5D II (small budget, remember). Melissa George who plays the protagonist, is also a pleasant lass to watch. The storyline is quite predictable but the gem for me is the sharp verbal exchanges between the cold kidnapper and the non-intimidated girl’s father right hand man during the ransom exchange in the pub. The girl’s father is a kingpin himself and it’s a nice change to see a thug versus a thug to see who blinks first. Overall, an entertaining thriller to watch if you aren’t too picky (what’s up with the policeman?) and don’t expect cinematic climaxes like Cliffhanger or Vertical Limits, it’s British made after all. Got round to watching this too, and I also highly recommend it. Good use of surrounds and bass. Lovely scenery...
Guest neeravks Posted August 23, 2013 Posted August 23, 2013 I watched "There will be blood" last weekend... The movie is long...very long..but its edgy and dark and keeps you occupied..its based on the book Oil! by upton sinclair the acting by Daniel Day Lewis is out of this world...he is edgy , dark and complex.... definitely the worlds best actor alive...I would say amitabh bachan is another one who is damn good... The direction is fantastic...everything moves ever so slowly but never leaves you bored.... the first few minutes of the film has no dialogues...but sets the tone for the film.. Sound quality and picture quality all fantastic... brilliant film making...great acting...fantastic movie....watch it!
petetherock Posted August 26, 2013 Author Posted August 26, 2013 Up on Poppy Hill A simple movie about the post war period in Japan... Recommended..
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