MOVIE REVIEW: The Commuter

The Liam Neeson formula that started it all in Taken is again in full glory in The Commuter. He plays Michael MacCauley, an insurance salesman who takes the regular commuter train for the past ten years to work in New York City. A loving family man to his wife Karen (Elizabeth McGovern) and son Danny (Dean-Charles Chapman). Unfortunately, like most any other American family, they lost in the financial crisis in 2008 and live on a paycheck to paycheck basis.

After getting some bad news at work, Michael met a mystery lady (Vera Farmiga) on the train and offered him something that can ease up his financial burden. As the plot unravels, it is linked into something much more sinister.

The Commuter starts slow but just like a regular train during rush hour, it builds up speed to a highly entertaining climax. There are some loopholes in the story but Neeson's everyman in distress acting and some funny moments make The Commuter the better public transit train movie compared to The Girl on the Train.

MOVIE REVIEW: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

The trailers to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle did not do justice. It looked like an expensive cgi-loaded effects movie that is better suited at a discount bin in Walmart. Two weeks ago when it opened in the United States and in most parts of the world (no thanks to the annual Metro Manila Film Festival where only Filipino movies are allowed to be shown in local cinemas), the buzz is strong that the Jumanji reboot is great entertainment and it exceeded expectations. I saw it a couple of hours ago and yes it's all true - Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is fun fun fun!!

The original 1995 film, adapted from the book with the same name and stars the late Robin Williams in one of the iconic family films in the nineties. Getting stuck on a board game and coming out with wild animals on it to wreck havoc on a town?!! The concept sure is made for the big screen.

Two decades later, Sony Pictures decided on a different approach to the new version. In keeping up with the times, students who are in high school detention for various reasons, saw an old gaming console with the Jumanji name on it. They get into the game and the avatars they selected. The players are then transported to the jungle in a game of survival. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Guardian of the Galaxy's Karen Gillan and Jack Black all gave excellent comedic performances as the video game characters that are totally opposite of their characters in the real world. The four actors all had great chemistry and impeccable comic timing. It is best seen on the big screen.