= Excellent movie, don't miss it	= Try to find the time to watch it
= Watch only if you have nothing else to do	= Don't watch it at all!
= My favourite movie of all time

"Plan Your Flight", Don't Take The "Red Eye"

When an airplane loses pressure, that is not a good thing. But what happens when there's too much pressure?

I remember in 1998, Hollywood produced two movies of the same genre within that same particular year. Both Armageddon and Deep Impact were movies about meteors heading towards earth. Then, Saving Private Ryan was released five months before Thin Red Line.

This year, we see two movies about two women losing their minds while taking their flights. Not because they are afraid of flying, but because the first woman has a psychopath sitting next to her, threatening her with her father's life if she doesn't cooperate in his assasination plot. While another woman loses her 6-year-old daughter in the 2-storey plane and nobody, not other passengers or even the flight crew, seems to have seen her at all.

In Red Eye, the movie follows the journey of Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams of Mean Girls) to Miami after attending her grandmother's funeral. She stumbles upon Jackson (Cillian Murphy of 28 Days Later and Batman Begins) while waiting for her 'very delayed flight'. To her surprise, Jackson happens to be her seat-mate. But can it be just a coincidence or perhaps Jackson is stalking her?

Jackson menacingly reveals the real reason he's on board and why he is on to her. He is an operative in a plot to kill a rich and powerful minister, and Lisa is the key to its success. If she refuses to cooperate, a hired killer (who is waiting outside her home) awaiting a call from Jackson will kill her father.

In order to help Jackson carries out the plan, Lisa who works as a Manager at a renowned hotel must arrange for the minister to change his hotel room. Trapped at 30 000 feet, where can Lisa run and summon help without endangering her father, her fellow passengers and her own life?

This is an engaging thriller! Watch how Lisa desperately tries to figure out her escape from Jackson's clutch, save her father and at the same time warn the minister and foil the plot. Also, witness how Jackson's character changes from a sweet-talking gentleman to a sadistic and merciless terrorist.

Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy are perfect! They have the talents and the looks to keep you glued to the screen. Both share the chemistry as two strangers who initially seem to be attracted to each other and within minutes, trying to hurt one another. As for Wes Craven, he skips his usual clich� of directing horror movies. But, his ability to make us suspense is still apparent even though the actors are within the confines of a jet.

In Flightplan, we get to see Jodie Foster (Kyle Pratt) springs into action after a 3-year hiatus (her last movie was Panic Room). Ms. Foster is amazing as a mother who frantically looks for her daughter (Julia Pratt) who is missing during a flight. As ridiculous and impossible as it may sound, the state-of-the-art E-474 aircraft is huge and has two storeys, making it rather impossible for other passengers and the flight crew to recall ever having seen her.

Situation turns to worse when her daughter's name is not registered as one of the passengers. Also, a morgue in Berlin confirms that her daughter is dead and that Kyle is bringing Julia home to the US to be buried. She (and the rest of the passengers and flight crew) starts to question her own sanity. But it doesn't take long for Kyle to regain her strength and mind, to realise that the body in the coffin is her husband's and that Julia is very much alive (and still missing). Now, all she has to do is to find Julia quick before the plane touches down or risk losing her forever. At the same time, she has to figure out who and why someone would hide her daughter at 37 000 feet.

The storyline is interesting and creative (if not original). This is definitely one of the best movies in 2005. Jodie Foster gives her engaging performance especially during the scene when she starts to believe that Julia may have already been dead. However, the part about the two Arab men being accused by Kyle of kidnapping Julia is a bit improper. Although it turns out that they have nothing to do with Julia's disappearance and one of the Arabs makes amends with Kyle in the end, I still find it to be a rather sensitive issue to touch on during these sensitive times.

All in all and putting that aside, go watch Flightplan as you won't regret it...

War Of The Worlds

Click here to read my review on the trailers and TV spots of the movie.

Click here to view photos from the movie.

I grew up admiring Steven Spielberg (just his work and nothing else), whether when he was in the director's chair or just as a producer. However, when he made Close Encounter of the Third Kind and E.T., I was still too young to appreciate them.

My likings on all things aliens and alien invasion started when a TV series called WOTW, also based on H.G. Wells book, was aired some time in the late 80's. Ever since, shows like The X-Files, Roswell and Taken and movies of the same genre like The Thing, Alien series, Signs, Men In Black (the first), ID4 and many others, become my favourites. So, when I heard that Spielberg teams up with Tom Cruise in making the WOTW movie, my 'adrenalien' is all pumped up.

Throughout the period when the movie was still showing in Malaysia (this review is posted on 25 August 2005), I watched the movie for 6 times (one of which was won via a contest). On the release date (29 June 2005), I took leave just to celebrate its release and decided to watch the movie back to back, while the third time happened on the following day (30 June 2005).

As suspected, the story is well-and-fast paced. This is not a shoot-them-up kind of movie and far from being like the Independence Day movie. This is a movie with substance and stronly-shaped characters, even if they appear only briefly.

You know how sometimes film makers like to make love stories, set in some shady background. Good examples are Titanic (the maiden voyage is the background) and Pearl Harbour (set during the World War II).

WOTW is also a love story - not between two madly-in-love couples; but love from a father to his children, love between siblings and love among mankind. And the story is set during an alien invasion. Once again, Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins show enough credentials to their characters. We can feel the pains and worries that Ray (Cruise) feel while trying to save his children, the fear that terrorises Rachel (Fanning) and the anguish that takes over Ogilvy (Robbin). Despite being a movie laden with special effects, the human elements are visibly shown.

Now let's talk about the special effects. All I can say is that, I found myself scaling every inch of the screen, not wanting to miss anything, especially when the Tripods (and its crew) are attacking. The camera movement (cinematography) is also very professionally executed, especially the 360-degree-view of the van, when Ray and his family attempt to escape at the highway.

THIS IS DEFINITELY BY FAR, THE BEST MOVIE OF 2005......CAN'T WAIT FOR THE RELEASE OF ITS DVD, SOME TIME IN NOVEMBER...........Enjoy!!

Click here to read my review on the trailers and TV spots of the movie.

Click here to view photos from the movie.

Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four is one of the few comics-to-movies adaptations released this year. If about one year ago, their brother "Spider-Man" hit the box office chart with rave reviews, it seems that the rest of the Marvel Comics family don't want to be left behind. F4's opening weekend marks the end of the box office slump in the States (this year is the worst in 20 years) after Cruise (how sadly), Sith Lord (hmm?.), the Dark Night (moviegoers have doubts, maybe) and Mr. Pitt (go figure!) failed to do so.

At times, F4 has the feel and the pace (and the music) of Spider-Man movies. However, fans (comics and movies) may be disappointed as there are not enough duels between the good guys and the bad guy. In this movie, F4 fights Dr. Doom one time only, that is towards the end of the movie. F4 also never fights other (normal or abnormal) bad guys prior to that one. They only get to showcase their powers to the public by 'accidents'.

So you wonder what the heck are they doing throughout the movie? Well, they are busy adapting themselves to their powers and fighting/bickering/bullying among the F4 family members instead.

The Thing has issues with his marriage and his physical 'limitations' after turning into that thing. As he sadly says, "I would give anything to be invisible?" He also has issues with The Human Torch who keeps picking him (aaahh?.poor you).

The Human Torch is the least matured of the lot. He just enjoys himself being so 'hot' so much, that he has to pose for the cameras all the time, and talk braggingly about his gifts. He has the power to ignite fire at will (to supernova level) and can also fly (woohoo!).

Mr. Fantastic can stretch his body parts to as far as he can, that makes him look rather rubbery. He also seems to be the only one who stretches his minds to the limits in finding ways on how to revert their DNA alterations to become normal again. Apart from that, he's also busy stretching his hands, trying to rekindle his broken relationship with The Invisible Woman.

The Invisible Woman is more like a mother in the group. She's always the one to break the fights between The Thing and The Human Torch, the one who worries about The Human Torch's behaviour in public and the one to bring back old memories with Mr. Fantastic.

As for the villain, well, he's just concerned about his company, his stocks and his about-to-be-ex-girlfriend, The Invisible Woman. His rage over all these things causes him to 'silently' kill his doctor, his business partner and a few unfortunate workers. But all other citizens never cross paths with Dr. Doom prior to the final scene. Surely, if this were a real life, during the fight between F4 and Dr. Doom, people would be wondering, "who is this masked person, is he a bad guy and why is F4 fighting him?"

I wouldn't say the movie is dull.......It's fun, really, but to a certain extent. But show us more evil side of the villain, for god's sake. He wouldn't be called Dr. Doom for nothing! Let's just hope the sequel, which is very likely to happen, will feature more fighting capabilities of both the heroes and the villains.

Amityville Horror (remake)

I can say, there are two types of movie remakes. First, the original is (or was) a rather lousy one (at least by today's standard), and movie makers want to introduce a better version (example is the recent House of Wax). Second, the original is a hit and a classic, but the purpose of the remake is to re-live or prolong the memory and create a slightly different version. So far, movie remakes that fall in the 2nd category prove successful (although obviously, I haven't watched all remakes). Examples are War Of The Worlds (a BIG YEAH!!!), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Alfie, The Italian Job and perhaps, King Kong?

The Amityville Horror is another remake that belongs to the first category. The original one failed at the box office. Therefore, they try to add more scary scenes from the book by the same title, that has been omitted in the first attempt of adaptation. I remember only glimpses of scenes of the original movie, so I don't have a point of reference.

But these things have been done so many times before. A haunted house, an invisible friend (usually a girl), furniture moves by itself etc. etc. Go watch the movie if you feel the need to be scared. Otherwise, go rent it or wait till it's screened on tv.

Batman Begins

Everything has a beginning.....in the first Batman (with Michael Keaton donning the bat suit), not much was explored on his origins. But in Batman Begins, the movie traces back to when Bruce Wayne falls into the bat cave, the story behind his parents' death outside the theater, how Bruce transforms the bat cave into his cave, etc etc. If Tobey Maguire is Spider-man, then Christian Bale is Batman. Cillian Murphy is also splendid as the Scarecrow and Michael Caine as Alfred. As for soon-to-be Mrs Tom Cruise (Katie Holmes), well, she's just there. Perhaps Mr Cruise can give her some acting lessons eh....?

The Interpreter

The Interpreter is one of the few serious summer movies out there this year, when all other movies are more into action, special effects and commercial values. So, it is understandable that not many buzz goes around this movie. But it doesn't mean that it should be tossed out!

The movie is about Ms Silvia Broome (the lovely Nicole Kidman), a U.N. interpreter, who inadvertently overhears a death threat in 'Ku' language (fictional) against an African head of state (fictional) scheduled to address the United Nation's General Assembly. She's soon become a target of the assassins as well. In her desperate attempt to save her life and to thwart the plot...she has to get someone to believe her (since she herself has some shady background back when she was still in South Africa). Then there is Tobin Keller (Sean Penn), the federal agent charged in protecting he, who not only help her foil the plot, but help Ms Broome comes to terms with her past grievances.

There is good chemistry shared between the two main cast. Storywise - not bad, acting - close to superb (you can't expect less from these big names) and the special effect (on the bus explosion) is quite convincing. Go see this movie if you love Kidman and Penn and if you enjoy a political thriller.

Mr & Mrs Smith

I don't really understand how come so many good reviews are given for this movie. Ok, it starred two hot actors but then...that's about it...As you might already know, the movie is about two assassins from different agencies who get married to each other without knowing the real respective spouse's career. So, when both of them is assigned to eliminate this one dude, their secrets unrevealed when they crossed each other's paths. As a consequence, they are both assigned to kill each other out, but who gets to who first? Soon enough, when they failed to carry their task, their agencies call all their assasins to kill them both.

Here's the thing, the target is actually a bait, so that this married couple will find out their own secret identities, and will begin a cat-and-cat game. The reason for sending a bait is because, their agencies think that them marrying to each other, is just bad for business. But the thing is, if that's their (the agencies) main reason, why not just send someone to do it quietly, while they haven't discovered their identities yet....in other words, while they both have their pants down or something? Why should use a bait? Of course by doing so, Mr & Mrs Smith will both be alert of the impending danger and will arm themselves with weapons and tactics. Obviously, the people who ran the agencies are a bunch of idiots!

Towards the end of the movie, so many assasins are after them and they create a lot of attention in doing so - the car chase sequence, the explosion of their house and the mall and plenty of gunfire. These people are not from the SWAT team for crying out loud, they are assassins...they should carry out their task quietly and professionally. As suspected, both Mr & Mrs Smith escaped unscathed. It also seems that the agencies have to shut down their businesses since all their assassins are in body bags (and judging from how Mr & Mrs Smith can happily consult a marriage counsellor about their marriage problems). Overall, I'd give this movie a big D.

House of Wax

A road trip to a college football game takes a turn for the worse for a group of teenagers. There are Carly (Elisha Cuthbert), her twin brother Nick (Chad Michael Murray), her boyfriend Wade (Jared Padalecki), her best friend Paige (Paris Hilton) and two other dudes. They encounter a deserted town, run by these two murderous brothers who, after killing their victims (or not), would coat them with wax and having them on display.

In this movie, the gore factor is there, and I mean, really gore...surprisingly our censorship board gave it a go(re)! The story is also there; it's not just some mindless movies showing some chicks running foolishly and helplessly with her stalker walking so slowly from behind and yet still able to catch her.

One of the best scenes is when Paris Hilton says 'bye! bye!' No matter how scared you are while watching this movie, don't cover your eyes or cower behind you friend's shoulder. Make sure your eyes are wide open. Just watch how she dies, people!... By the way, Elisha Cuthbert from the TV series '24' looked so much like Kirsten Dunst in this one (well, that's my opinion).

Anyhow, the movie does raise a few questions though;
(1) The movie implies that, not all victims are already dead before they get waxed (some of them is rendered helpless during the whole waxing process). But how come they can't break free from the wax afterwards? It's not like you are frozen in ice or something...but still, maybe you can't really break free, huh?
(2) Those wax-coated corpses, won't they rot? I mean, they are long dead anyway. I don't think wax can act as a preservative on dead bodies, or can they? I wonder, did the ancient Egypt people use wax as one of the ingredients in the mummifying process?

Madagascar

Madagascar revolves around four resident animals of the Central Park Zoo in New York; Gloria the hippo, Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe and Marty the zebra. Made by the same team behind Shark Tale and Shrek (1 and 2), Madagascar is definitely better than the former but somehow, it lacks the 'ooommpphh' factor to be on a par with the latter.

Most of the punch lines are between the two pals, Marty and Alex. The visuals are amazing although nowadays, these things are easily made possible. Some of my favourite scenes include; the time when Marty is surfing with the dolphins, how Alex desperately needs to fight his cravings for steaks and the 'spit the sea water' acts (now that's creative!).

However, I think Madagascar is too short (less than one and a half hour). Probably the creators could not or failed to widen the scope of the storyline. But that's better, compared to dragging the whole story to the extent where audience find it absurd. But still, not a good deal to go for a DVD on this one if you ask me, regardless of how great the special features will be. It's too short!

Star Wars

According to Peter Parker in his first Spider-Man movie, he said, "Just like any story worth telling, this story is about a girl..." And like most other stories/movies out there, Star Wars 3 story is also about a girl. We know now, one of the main reasons that propel 'the chosen one' Anakin Skywalker to be the 'dark person' Darth Vader is because, Anakin wants to prevent his wife, Amidala from a certain death. And to do that, he has to learn something that can only be learned "...not from a Jedi", but from a Sith Lord.

Of course, there are other factors like a power-hungry ruler who does not want to lose his power. In doing so, he wages a phony war, so much of trying to save democracy. He disguises himself under that evil hood, trying not to reveal his true self, his true nature. Although only disfigured after some time into the movie, he is long disfigured by his lust and evil intentions. Worse still, he manipulates the trust that Anakin has put on him and drags him into the dark hole.

The relevance of a power-hungry ruler and his phony war to that ******* George Bush and its war against terror is undeniably true and apparent. Let's just hope it does not have 'Anakin' by its side, or perhaps it already does?

Back to Star Wars - Star Wars saga has passed through many generations. Star Wars 4 to 6 were the first movies laden with special effects and believable storyline about the outer space. With its light sabers, space ships and plenty of aliens and planets, it was like watching most boys' dream came true. Although the technology used was rudimentary by today?s computer standard, everything had to start from somewhere, right?

The special effects in Star Wars 3 are much better, not just to Parts 4 to 6, but also compared to Parts 1 and 2. The opening battle scenes are splendidly done and fast paced, while the CGI characters (nope, Yoda is no longer a puppet or acted by a small person) are amazingly rendered. Also, watch out for this General Grievous, a strategist with a bad cough, half flesh, and half metal.

The movie also has its unforgettable moments. Like the time when Kenobi defeated General Grievous and the silent moment between Anakin and Amidala, each with their own thoughts and worries. The final duel between Anakin and Kenobi is also rather heart wrenching. We can feel the pain for Kenobi's failure as a Jedi, a mentor and a big brother as he leaves Anakin behind lying on the ground, defeated.

All in all, this movie leaves behind a breath-taking experience, the best in the prequel trilogy. Its ending completes the whole saga circle. As Lucas had admitted, 60% of the plot is contained in Episode 3, while 20% is in each Episodes 1 and 2. Perhaps, this is the reason why we can't really fully empathise with Anakin's struggle; probably due to rather bad script, acting and directing in Episodes 1 and 2.

Lucas should have concentrated in building Anakin's character and put 40% of the plot in just one episode (name it Episode 1). Then, the Clone Wars cartoon should be a movie instead (Episode 2) with modifications here and there. FYI, Clone Wars is a feature length cartoon which shows the events that lead to Episode 3.

But then, that's just my opinion - I'm no George Lucas. Much can be said about the Star Wars saga, but that would still be not enough. By the way, do you know that, works are already in progress to remake Star Wars Episodes 4, 5 and 6?............................................................................ Hahahaha, gotcha!!!

Kingdom of Heaven

Ridley Scott has been criticised for making this movie for two reasons; taking Orlando Bloom as the lead actor and that the crusade premise might cause rifts between Christians and Muslims. After the movie is released, critics have been raving again. Not because the previous criticisms turn out to be true, but actually to the contrary.

Mr. Bloom is indeed climbing his career to become one of the next generations of A-list Hollywood actors. He managed to carry the heavy burden of leading the film as Balian, the son who never knew his father, who just lost his son and wife and got tangled up in decades long of war. Although the (future) success of this movie will not (apparently) depend on his role alone, but he gave a commendable effort. This movie is much better than Gladiator in all aspects, Mr. Ridley Scott (the director).

Regarding the image of Islam in the movie, Islam and Muslims are put in good light indeed. Finally, Hollywood somewhat recognises the true image of Islam and portrays that to the world. In one scene, Balian asked Saladin, the Muslim king, why Saladin let all the people (men, women, children and old folks) go unharmed when the Christians had before killed everyone during their invasions at Muslim cities. Saladin replied, "I am not one of those people, I am Saladin, you know, Saladin..." And I'm just quoting one scene only. Indeed, true Muslims are not barbarians, unlike some people who still exist today and ignited destruction (in the first place) throughout the world. Got the message?

All I can say is that, despite Balian being the main character in the movie, Muslims are the good side here. The final battle scene is somewhat a reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings movies. If in the LOTR movies, we fear for the lives of those people within the walls of Helms Deep and Minas Tirith. But in Kingdom of Heaven, I find myself cheering for Saladin armies, outside the walls of Jerusalem. I'm sure all would agree indeed (unless you helplessly have a crush on Orlando Bloom).

Although the battle scenes are nothing new (pretty much), but they are still brilliantly done. The movie pace is engaging, the acting is above average while the overall directing deserves two thumbs up. I highly recommend this movie to all.

Donnie Darko

I finally got hold of Donnie Darko dvd (mind you, from Amazon.com, not some from pirated peddlers). As the tagline goes, Dark Darker Darko. Indeed.....The movie is about this troubled teenager who travels through time and manages to see the future with the help of his imaginary giant bunny rabbit friend. But, just because he can see what is going to happen, it doesn't mean that he can change what already happened in the past.

This is arguably one of the best cult classic (the movie was made in 2001) available out there. This independent movie has received international recognitions including an award for Best Original Screenplay. It stars Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore (also one of the executive producers), Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze and Noah Wyle. A highly recommended for all adults (since the theme is rather unsuitable to those below 18).

Samara

The thing about sequels is that they normally don't match the originals. Although some may surpass the first installment and to some very few, even won awards at the academy, others just fail miserably.

The Ring is one of my favourite horror movies of all time (see Movie Charts) . However, Samara which is the sequel to the horror flick is a big disappointment. First of all, the trailer give too much away. Just by watching it, you will definitely be able to guess how the story will end (at least in this part if there's no more sequel).

The tense and panic that the movie tries to build up is usually hampered by its predictability. But praise should be given to Naomi Watts and the kid actor. Their acting is top notch, I'm telling ya! I wonder should a movie sucks, can the actors still be awarded for their acting?

Robots

In the movie Robots, for some reasons, I could not help notice a few similarities between Robots and Monsters, Inc. For examples, the crook lady in Robots reminded me of the cop lady doing undercover job in Monsters, Inc. Also, the Boss of the robots factory in Robots reminded me of the Boss of the scare factory in Monsters, Inc. Both companies even had their commercials aired on tv in the beginning of both movies. Do you have any opinions on this?

Anyhow, I think the movie gives Fox the edge to compete in the animation industry, together with Disney's, Pixar and Dreamworks. After the successful Ice Age, Fox has done it again. The movie portrays some of the most realistic animation ever created, while the characters are voiced by some of the well-known actors out there. Go watch it as you won't regret it.

Lemony Snicket's

Another one of those great children's books that finally made it to the silver screen - Lemony Snicket's. Jim Carrey does what he does best - being funny and an amazing actor at the same time. The three young actors who play the Bauedelaires' children can also be lauded in bringing the stories to life (mind you, they combine three books into one movie). Even the 'supporting' actors like Meryl Streep and Jude Law add colours to the movie brilliantly. And the special effects - pretty impressive work done here.

Sepet

Sepet is a local Malaysian-made movie that has garnered international interests; having won an award and been invited to a few international film festivals. As for me, this would be my third time of watching a Malay movie at the cinema during my adult years. I have nothing against Malay movies, not really. It's just that for a majority of cases - the stories are so predictable and revolve around the same matter (usually about college kids who never actually study but just concentrate on their puppy love), the acting is hideous while the scrip is weak and make you want to puke since you know people don't actually say those things in real life.

But still, I don't really mind catching a Malay movie if it's out of the ordinary and they actually took the effort in creating a masterpiece. As for Sepet, it really deserves two thumbs up. The acting and the script are marvellous and natural (after all, these two factors need each other). Very well directed, the lives of two families are interwoven to become an interesting plot. The movie reflects the culture of Malay and Chinese people brilliantly, without the need for exaggeration. Also, for the first time, the cinema hall is packed with people from all races - Malays, Chinese, Indians and even some Westerners. A word of caution though - the movie contains some rather steamy scenes that might be offensive to our local taste. Meantime, check out the movie's website at www.sepet.com.my.

Hitch

The first romantic comedy by Will Smith. Quite an entertaining movie, with good storyline and some comedy to tickle you along the way. Not really a fan of this genre, but somehow Hitch manages to attract and impress.

The movie touches on an issue where some guys (and maybe girls) can really relate to. It deals with relationship issue where a guy who has difficulty in getting his girl meets this date doctor. But in the end, the guy ends up with the girl due to his own effort and charm, with very little help from the date doctor.

Meantime, girls around New York heard of this date doctor and not comfortable with him, fearing that the date doctor actually teaches guys to dump them after getting them into beds. But the truth is, this date doctor is very much like most of his clients. He who helps also needs help in relationships. Pretty cool stuffs!

Constantine

The movie is heavy with special effects and rather philosophical, which refers a lot to the Christian religion (so Muslims beware, don't easily get swayed). There are some good scenes like the time when the 'bats' attacked the two main characters on the street and the visuals of Hell are rather realistic. However, Keanu Reeves' stereotyped acting is becoming more stereotyped. He looks and behaves more like Neo from the Matrix, except that in this movie, he can't really fly and can't dodge bullers. As for Rachel Weisz, nothing can go wrong with her. She is just great...

Racing Stripes

This is a feel good family movie but there is nothing great about it. It's all been done before. Even the talking animals/insects fail to impress, although of course there are some funny lines. Remember Babe, Stuart Little or Cats and Dogs anyone? So, you should know the drill. Overall, I should say the movie is forgettable.