MOVIE REVIEW: Smurfs: The Lost Village

The first fully animated feature film in the franchise, Smurfs: The Lost Village goes back to its TV animated roots of my generation's childhood. It's a delight to see the blue elf like creatures back in their natural habitat devoid of live action and Neil Patrick Harris. The animation is modern yet it doesn't measure up to the charm of the TV series in old school 2D. 

The film is basically about Smurfette (voiced by pop superstar Demi Lovato), the only female in the village. It is a good premise since we were all wondering when we were kids on why she's the only one. The answer lies on this film with the old Smurf gang and the villain Gargamel (voiced by Rainn Wilson this time, a step back from Hank Azaria's commendable turn in the 2 live action animation films) and his cat and sidekick Azrael. The  new additions are the Forbidden Forest and what's inside. I won't spoil it but it certainly preps up for more films in the series.

Smurfs: The Lost Village could have been better as a film but undoubtedly it has a heart. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Ghost in the Shell

I entered the theater without any prior background and knowledge on the original source of the film. I only know the poster of the anime film and that my younger cousins were talking about it before during one of my stays in San Francisco.

Ghost in the Shell is basically a dark film whose brightness only comes from the neon lights and 3D larger than life hologram images in an unnamed city. Scarlett Johansson, in a slight variation of her titular role in 2014's Lucy plays Major, a human saved from an accident and cyber-enhanced to fight crime. She will soon discover that it ain't the truth while a new kind of criminal that can hack into people minds bring havoc to them. 

The production design is awesome but not necessarily groundbreaking. We had seen it before in other films such as Blade Runner and even the first Lego Movie. Oscar winner Juliette Binoche playing Dr. Ouelet is the film's heart and uber cool Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano steals some scenes as the lead's big boss Aramaki. The two mentioned are the standouts among the supporting actors.

Ghost in the Shell is best seen on the big screen. It enhances the films visual appeal. There's bound to be questions on Johnson's casting of the lead character but otherwise it's entertaining to watch.

MOVIE REVIEW: Beauty and the Beast

Disney's live action remake of the first animated film to be ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar back in 1991 stays faithful to the original material and yet still comes off as fresh, thanks to an amazing cast anchored by the fully grown (from her Hermione days in the Harry Potter series) and beautiful Emma Watson and Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens, hidden 95% in the movie in prosthetics makeup as the Beast. The two leads can also carry a tune!!

Whatever the animated movie lacked, this Bill Condon directed film made it up by adding some new songs also composed by its original songwriter Alan Menken which further enhances the characters feelings. In my opinion, the showstopping "Be Our Guest", sung by Ewan McGregor channeling his Moulin Rouge character Christian, outdid the original one and the iconic dance number with Emma Thompson being a worthy successor to Angela Lansbury's Mrs. Potts singing the title song was beautifully shot and gracefully choreographed.

Luke Evans was born to play Gaston. He showed off his vocal chops that was well known in his stint on the West End stage and Josh Gad provides comic relief with some innuendos as his sidekick Le Fou. The film also stars the great Ian McKellen as Cogsworth and for diversity Broadway's sweet voice Audra McDonald as the new character Garderobe and the ravishing Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette.

The film bridges the gap between those who first saw the first animated film and their kids that they are bringing in watching this new version. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Kong: Skull Island

This is a fresh take on a classic Hollywood icon that delivers a solid piece of entertainment that touches base on every demographic of the movie going public. The setting this time is 1973, after U.S President Richard Nixon announces the withdrawal of American troops in Vietnam. Some were asked to do a one last mission before heading home. Led by Samuel L. Jackson's Packard, they would accompany scientists on an uncharted island in the Pacific and solve some mysteries coming in from that place that left people scratching their heads.

Part monster movie and part war movie, Kong: Skull Island succeeds thanks to its solid cast from Tom Hiddleston as a British mercenary to Oscar winner Brie Larson as a photographer documenting the journey. John C. Reilly is winsome as a World War II survivor stuck on the island and John Goodman is at his usual best as the company that initiated the journey to Skull Island. It's nice to know that the film was partly shot in Vietnam - most scenes in the film echo Apocalypse Now. This only is Jordan Vogt-Roberts second film and I'm looking forward to a few more in the series if we base it on the post end credits scene.

MOVIE REVIEW: T2 Trainspotting

The cast and director of one of the groundbreaking indie films of the nineties Trainspotting reunite for the sequel that absolutely no one asked for but since there's already one then it's worth a look. After the first film, it's director Danny Boyle became an Academy Award winner thanks to 2008's Slumdog Millionaire, it's lead actor Ewan McGregor a global superstar and Jonny Lee Miller tabloid fodder thanks to his short lived marriage to Angelina Jolie.

When Renton (McGregor) goes back home to Edinburgh to reconnect with his old chums Spud (Ewen Bremmer) whose life is still in turmoil and Sick Boy (Miller) who now runs a prostitution and blackmail ring with partner Veronika (cast newbie Anjela Nedyalkova) , he got more than what he expected when Begbie (Robert Carlyle) unexpectedly shows up to settle some score.

Boyle based the sequel from the original Trainspotting book by Irvine Welsh as well as it's follow up Porno. It doesn't do any justice since the film shows lack of coherence. But in signature style of the director, the brilliant shots and editing are there as well as outstanding music.

If you are a fan of the first film then by all means watch T2. It's such a marvel seeing the same cast do it of their love and gratitude from now classic movie.

Just don't have any high expectations.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Great Wall

Legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou's first English language feature is a spectacle. It is beautifully shot with excellent costumes and top notch production design. The hiring of A-list Hollywood superstar Matt Damon is a feat in himself and if I'm the Oscar winning actor/screenwriter, I say "Why not??" Yimou has an excellent filmography among them the visually outstanding spectacles Hero, House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower as well as my personal favorite the quiet and touching Not One Less which proved that he can also tell a story without the aid of visual effects.

There's a lot of stories of how the Great Wall of China was built and for what purpose. The film tackles one that's suitable for the big screen: to protect the land against the Taotie, a deadly lizard like beast with paranormal strength and ability. Matt Damon enters the picture as William, a mercenary caught just outside the wall with his companion Tovar played by Pedro Pascal from Game of Thrones. After the two have shown to the army that they have killed a Taotie and shown them a claw, they all have joined forces to fight the mythical monsters.
The Great Wall is the first collaboration of Legendary Pictures with it's Chinese partners and as a form of big screen entertainment. it's commendable. However with the amount of talents involved both from Hollywood (Damon, Pascal, Willem Dafoe and screenwriter Tony Gilroy among others) and the East (Andy Lau, Tian Jing and Yimou) it could have been better. There's something missing in its writing and despite the visual spectacle, the film is just like one of those CGI Hollywood films that lacks character and emotion.
U.S. President Donald Trump could learn a thing or two on how a wall no matter how tall or strong can still be invaded. Don't discount the element of surprise and teamwork of those who have been persecuted.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Lego Batman Movie

Lego continues to work wonders in the movie world with The Lego Batman Movie. Just like in the first film three years ago where the Caped Crusader was a part of the cast of familiar and endearing pop culture characters, the film is flooded with well known superheroes and villains in the DC and Warner Brothers film universe. Some expected and some will totally surprise you in a pleasant way.

The film begins in a style that echoes last year's excellent comic book movie Deadpool and yet it mocks rival Marvel with a password that put downs one of its famous characters that equals the same traits of Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne.

The voice actors from The Lego Movie led by Will Arnett as Batman still remain and unless you still remember the talents behind the voices in the film, you should definitely stay thru the end credits and it will fun knowing who the actors voiced, most especially the new characters that weren't around in the fist movie.

The Lego Batman Movie also pays homage to previous films starring the Caped Crusader and unlike the recent live action ones, this is one Batman movie that brought back the fun in the character that's prominent in the old animated TV series.