Alvin and the Chipmunks 2

We went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel today even though we knew the reviews were poor on this movie. It turns out the movie is even worse than what we have expected. The movie has only a couple of funny moments, the acting is terrible, the story is shallow and the final result is totally expected. This movie might be just ok if you are really young and don't care of the story; 8 year old kids might find it entertaining. The only positive side is on the choice of songs. Some of the songs were quite good to listen to.

We give 2.5 out of 5 for Alvin and the Chipmunks 2.

Avatar

Avatar is not just another movie happening in far away planet with blue humanoids. It has incredible features nicely put together by the director James Cameron, the same director that brought us Titanic and Terminator. Avatar runs for over two hours and in no moment we felt tired or bored. New features and ideas keep coming and are all organised in a fantastic piece of work. The movie shows what greed and human nature is capable of doing. On the other hand it also shows the determination and strength of the ones fighting for what is right.

Avatar is a must see movie in the big screen of cinemas. This is by far the best movie of the year out of over 50 movies we have seen in theaters. Avatar has excellent visual effects and though we saw it in 3D it is probably as good in 2D. As big fans of cinema and supportive of the movie industry we feel proud of having seen such a incredible picture.

We give 5 out of 5 for Avatar.

Planet 51

Planet 51 is the story of an astronaut who ends up in a distant planet that is inhabited by green aliens. The aliens speak the same language and have similar culture as us, although they seem to be still in the late 50's. This animation is really funny with really good jokes and interesting moments from some of the famous movies in the past. We were satisfied at the end and came out of the theatre feeling happy.

We give 4 out of 5 for Planet 51.

The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog is a really entertaining animation in which a girl kisses a frog and becomes a frog. We were in the cinema with our baby and surrounded by families with young kids, who were enjoying the movie. This musical is well-finished, evolves in a good pace and is recommended for families with young kids. It also has a message of perseverance and honesty.

We give 4 out of 5 for The Princess and the Frog.

Ninja Assassin

Ninja assassin is a really violent movie regarding the harsh training of ninjas to be heartless killers. They go around killing people for money. Eventually on of their own betrays the clan and he tries to scape ninjas that are trying to kill him. In the end he faces his masters to the final battle to death.

Despite really strong violence I like the story and the passe of the movie, in which you don't feel bored cause the action keeps coming. I found myself enjoying the movie toward the middle and was already considering giving a high score but eventually the fight scenes became too often and too long, way over the top without necessity.

I give 3.5 out of 5 for Ninja assassin.

An Education

An Education tells the story of a teenager girl who is studying hard to go Oxford and falls in love with older man. The story happens in the 60's in a conservative environment on the suburbs of London. The little girl give up all her dreams and plans when she receives a marriage proposal from this man. The family is also happy with the situation since the charming man is rich and treats them well. Eventually when she finds out the man is in fact married her world completely collapse and she wakes up from the dream.

I really liked this movie: the evolution is good, the story is solid, the acting is superb and I find myself thinking cause it offers a perspective that is happening everyday in the real world. To cheer viewers up the little girl goes to Oxford in the end and everybody is happy. We know the real world is not usually like that.

I give 4 out of 5 for An Education.

Case 39

This is your typical horror movie. A social worker is handling 38 cases with family troubles and she get intrigued when her colleague bring her another case to work on: Case 39. After a couple of meetings the social worker realises the little girl is in trouble by aggressive parents and eventually saves her from certain death. Later the little girl turns out to be possessed or better a devil in disguise. And a lot of good people start to die due to this girl influence. The movie is not that scary but should please the horror lovers.

I give 3 out of 5 for Case 39

New Moon

New Moon is the second movie of the Twilight Saga based on the best seller collection by Stephenie Meyer. There are two more movies to come and my bet is it will get more and more popular. I had low expectations after reading harsh reviews from the critics and was surprised to see a well-prepared movie with some really funny moments and a story consistent within itself. The acting was not fantastic but the whole package came out just nice. I was positively entertained and could see the most of the audience was also happy by the end of the show.

I give 4 out of 5 for New Moon.

Fantastic Mr Fox

This afternoon I had the opportunity to see this movie which has received positive reviews from the critics. Therefore I developed high expectation about this animation and was a bit frustrated that the movie is not of that standard. The flow is good, the story is alright but it comes around a bit flat. It is a movie for the young, easy to follow and involving simple ideas without any thinking or any deep message. The story is about a fox, the good guy, that steals chickens from farmers, the bad guys. Eventually the farmers unite to try to catch the fox. In every occasion fox and farmers try to outsmart each other and eventually the Mr Fox wins in the end to the amusement of the kids.

I give 4 out of 5 for Fantastic Mr Fox.

A Christmas Carol

Last night I had the opportunity to see A Christmas Carol in 3D in Eng Wah cinema, West Mall. It was my first experience watching a 3D movie and I was impressed by the 3D effect. Jimmy Carey had a really good performance as Scrooge, an old man that does not believe in Christmas and spend his life working hard and saving money. Suddenly he is visited by three ghosts representing his Christmas past, present and future. And that changes his attitude towards Christmas and life in general. I confess to be disappointed with the fact the movie was way to dark for a Christmas movie, the idea is exactly the same as in the movie 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past'. I don't who came first but the entire movie seems a complete repetition only with a different theme.

I give 3 out of 5 for this movie.

2012

After seeing so many adds, we were heavily excited and curious about 2012 -- the end of the world. The movie turned out to be long, boring and full of inconsistencies. The 'luck' of the main family in escaping death in so many occasions made it look like a Walt Disney animation. The idea behind the movie is catchy, the special effects are good, some scenes are well-prepared but the story line is a complete mess and it is unclear where the story is leading or where it is ending. Half way through the movie I found myself looking at my watch which is never a good sign.

All in all, we give 2.5 out for 5 for this movie.

Astro Boy

Astro Boy is an animation about robots. They were developed to help and protect the humans. Eventually when the kid of the leading scientist died, he made a robot that was a perfect copy of his kid: "Astro Boy" with the best technology available. He went on to fight engaging enemies and save the planet. Though nothing wrong with the plot and animation, the movie comes along quite flat and really predictable. Should be ok for 12 yo kids who want some entertainment.

I give 2.5 out of 5 for Astro boy.

Michael Jackson This Is It

We just saw this really entertaining and interesting documentary regarding the last months in Michael Jackson's life. It shows the preparation and rehearsals for the well publicised Michael Jackson's 50 return shows in London which were sold out way in advance. The movie shows an inspired Michael always looking for perfection. Every song was practiced tirelessly with amazing choreography specially designed for the perfect combination. We had the opportunity to see his talent as a singer and entertainer. We were quite surprised to see that he was very kind and down to earth. We strongly suggest people to go and see this documentary.

We give 4 out of 5 for this show.

Aliens in the Attic

We just saw Aliens in the Attic in Eng Wah. The movie was quite entertaining, but it was clearly aimed at very young audience. It was by no means a bad movie, but if you are not a young kid, you'd be a bit bored at some stage. It is a typical movie that they play on TV as a holiday or after school movie, so chances are you'll be able to see it soon without having to pay to see it at the cinema.

We give 2.5 out of 5 for this movie.

District 9

District 9 is is like a suburb or a ghetto or a slum in which aliens have been kept for the past 20 years in a far land called South Africa in an obscure place called Johannesburg. Humans call these aliens 'the prawns' due to their peculiar shape. This interesting documentary shows the evolution of the tensions and administrative measures to keep the aliens from interacting with humans after the excitement of welcoming them had faded. In a last resort to counter popular anger the authorities decide to remove all the aliens and to put them in the middle of nowhere 200 kilometers from the city. The human hero, Wikus van der Merve is leading the eviction process and visits paper-made houses to give the eviction letter to every 'prawn' family. A series of events happen and eventually Wikus becomes half human half prawn after being in contact with some strange liquid. Eventually he becomes one of their own and helps them to become free.

I confess I was skeptical of this movie after seeing the trailer which seemed dodgy. But the good reviews brought me to the movies anyway. I was surprised to see a sold out theatre in a cold tuesday night and the reason became clear. The movie is really good, the plot worked for me and the fast pace would not bore anybody even though some scenes were so dodgy I had to laugh. Despite the science fiction nature of the movie, there are many interesting messages about culture and human nature hidden within the story.

I give 4 out of 5. You need to see to believe.

Public Enemies

This movie tells the story of John Dillinger, a bank robber during the Great Depression. A great performance by Johnny Depp showing a man that loved what he did and lived openly in the roads of Chicago. Eventually the government and FBI start to put more effort in running down crime so John ends up alone and is eventually killed. I really like the story which is based in real people from those tough times of the depression.

I give 3.5 out of 5 for this movie.

10 Conditions of Love

Yesterday I saw this amazing documentary about Rebiya Kadeer who advocates for the independence of Uyghur (East Turkestan) from China. It shows the struggles and punishment her family went and go through because of that. Kadeer rose from obscurity and poverty to become the seventh richest person in China and was two-time nominee for the Peace Nobel Prize. The documentary is fantastic, well produced and bringing the reality from the point of view of Kadeer and her family. I had the opportunity to learn a lot about this region of China and their culture and beliefs. Despite the fact it was a monday and really cold and raining the theatre was fully booked since this moving is getting a good word of mouth. I would recommend this documentary to anybody interested in learning about the struggles people go through to see their people free.

I give 4 out of 5 for this movie.

I also had the opportunity to the the short movie prize winning "Two Men". Basically there are two men running really fast one after the other and a third person watching them and narrating the ideas that go through his mind. I think is a fantastic idea.

The Proposal

Just came back from the theatre, where we saw The Proposal with Sandra Bullock. We were expecting a comedy with a lot of jokes, but in fact this movie was quite serious with only a few funny moments. The story line follows an idea that has been used so many times before, in which a marriage is staged to avoid deportation. As usual, the couple hate each other at first, and end up falling in love. Unfortunately the chemistry between the two people was not there, and it was less that clear when they were falling in love. Overall, the movie was reasonable with beautiful views from Alaska.

We give this movie 3 out of 5.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

We saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince a few weeks ago and although it's a bit too late, we'd like to write a quick review about it. We really enjoyed watching the movie, but we might be a bit biased since we are great fans of the books. A lot of people think this movie is a bit boring, too dark and flat with almost no jokes, but it is supposed to be like that, since it is more about explanation and preparation for the final movie. This movie follows the book closely with just a tiny bit of modification to make it shorter.

We give this movie 4 out of 5.

G I Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Just came back from the cinema and decided to give some thoughts about the movie. We think G I Joe is quite entertaining and will be specially suitable for the young since it defines from the start a bunch of bad guys against the good guys. And the good guys always win; in fact the good guys have quite an easy time in this movie. Those who like action and special effects without thinking much of the story will have a fun time since this is the strength of Rise of Cobra. On the down side, the story is poor and there is no need for thinking since all the information is clearly given.

We give 3 out of 5 since it will be mostly appreciated for a restricted audience.

Up

Up just opened in Singapore and we went this afternoon to see it. As usual we had our baby Carla with us. She was behaved once again and got to see a bit of the movie herself. We had fun watching the movie as it is really entertaining. Children will love Up, since it is full of cute animals, colourful features and the story is easy to follow. Parents who accompany their children will also enjoy this movie, although it does not have clever jokes that are usually featured in animation movies to keep parents as well as children entertained.

We give 4 out of 5 for Up.

Hangover

Hangover has been really popular in the US raising more than 250 million up to today and the reason is clear. The movie is extremely entertaining, fast paced and funny most of the time. It is made for the young audiences but not too young since is R16. It can please everybody with a good sense of humor. The idea is not completely new: 4 guys go to Las Vegas for a bachelor night and crazy things happen. They wake up next morning and try to find out what happened the night before and go through a lot of trouble to find the groom who is missing.

We give 4 out of 5 for this movie. Worth your time and money.

Dear Readers

In this blog we will post small reviews of the movies as we see them. We live in Singapore and go to a cinema nearby called Eng Wah in West Mall. We usually bring our baby Carla and sit in a sofa in the back and enjoy the movie.