Movie Review: 211

My Rating:

3Stars

This evening I saw the movie 211 on AppleTV. I must say this is one of the worst if not the worst movie I have ever seen. Unfortunately, this is not the first bad movie with Nicholas Cage. It is so obvious that the whole movie was filmed at a backlot. Don’t get me started on the dialogue, it was horrible.

I should have paid attention to the Rotten Tomato rating for the movie before I pay to rent it,

Nicholas Cage performance was typical, he just doesn’t have any other character. The characters are weak and doesn’t get time to develop. I have no idea what the purpose of Sapir Azulay’s character Jacobs in the movie. She plays an Interpol agent that goes around claiming she has been hunting the bad guys and pretending to be tough.

Rating Legend:

  Must watch before you die  Must watch before you die

  Wait for the DVD  Wait for the DVD

  Buy from iTunes Store  Buy from iTunes Store

  Rent it on iTunes  Rent it on iTunes

  Waste your time elsewhere  Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Spy (2015)

 Spy (2015) Spy (2015)

My Rating:

This evening I saw the movie Spy at UA Cine Times, Times Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. One of the movies from my Must See Movies list, and the following is my movie review.

I had not written a movie review for some time, not to say that I had not been watching movies. In my opinion this was the best movie I watched this year; even after big names like Avengers: Age of UltronFurious Seven (2015) and Still Alice. That was saying a lot since I watch a lot of movies, both at the theater and via iTunes.

Melissa McCarthy was very good. Something I had expect, ever since I watched her performance in Identity Thief with the not so great Jason Bateman. This time around Melissa was partnered with two famous male actors: Jason Statham and Jude Law, who both have not had blockbusters movies for a while. This time around Jude played a pretty boy James Bond type who didn’t really have any talents, Jason played a guy with tough exterior, all-talk but soft inside.

Melissa’s natural stand-up comic side came out throughout the movie. I can imagine how enjoyable it would have been for the other actors on set. Making the director’s job even harder to stay on track as Paul Feig had envisioned it.

If you’re looking for a fun night out this is definitely a sure bet.

Rating Legend:

  Must watch before you die  Must watch before you die

  Wait for the DVD  Wait for the DVD

  Buy from iTunes Store  Buy from iTunes Store

  Rent it on iTunes  Rent it on iTunes

  Waste your time elsewhere  Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Prometheus (2012)

 Prometheus
Prometheus

My Rating: 

 Wait for the DVD

This evening I saw the movie Prometheus at AMC Theater, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong. One of the movies from my Must See Movies list, and the following is my movie review.

This Ridley Scott movie is a prequel to the Alien franchise. Although the first Alien is the only movie in the series that Scott directed. For fans of the Alien franchise they may find this movie has many unanswered questions.

After the first quarter of the movie the audience will recognize the aliens from the previous Alien franchise. Similar to the other movies in the franchise there is also a heroine, in this movie it is Elizabeth Shaw, played by Noomi Rapace. Rapace may be familiar to many of you as she gain critical acclaim with her role as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its subsequent sequels.

Rating Legend:

 Must watch before you die
Must watch before you die
 Wait for the DVD
Wait for the DVD
 Buy from iTunes Store
Buy from iTunes Store
 Rent it on iTunes
Rent it on iTunes
 Waste your time elsewhere
Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Taken 2

Taken 2

My Rating:

  Rent it on iTunes

This evening I saw the movie Taken 2 at AMC Theater, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong. One of the movies from my Must See Movies list, and the following is my movie review.

Like most sequels that have difficulties living up to the standards and expectations of their respective original episode. The sequel to Taken is no exception. All the suspense and originality from the original are gone and surprisingly the writers did not attempt to introduce anything new.

The movie feels more like a Bourne sequel than Taken. Fortunately that is the saving grace of this movie and earned an extra penguin in my rating.

Although, I did not want to give it a single penguin rating, this is definitely a miss if you have to pay to view this movie.

Rating Legend:

  Must watch before you die  Must watch before you die

  Wait for the DVD  Wait for the DVD

  Buy from iTunes Store  Buy from iTunes Store

  Rent it on iTunes  Rent it on iTunes

  Waste your time elsewhere  Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Act of Valor

 Act Of Valor
Act Of Valor

My Rating:

 Buy from iTunes Store

This evening I saw the movie Act of Valor at AMC Theater, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong. One of the movies from my Must See Movies list, and the following is my movie review.

This movie is very realistic mainly because all the action sequences were done by real Navy Seal and stunt men.

The story is simple and the dialog very amateur but the purpose of the movie is to show off the the tactics and maneuvers of Navy Seal. If you’re into military stuff and particularly war games then you will like this movie.

Even though you are the demographics above you should still consider other options at the box office.

Rating Legend:

 Must watch before you die
Must watch before you die

 Wait for the Blu-ray
Wait for the Blu-ray

 Buy from iTunes Store
Buy from iTunes Store

 Rent it on iTunes
Rent it on iTunes

 Waste your time elsewhere
Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: The Avengers (2012)

 Avengers, The (2012) Poster
Avengers, The (2012) Poster

My Rating:

 Buy from iTunes Store

This evening I saw the movie The Avengers at AMC Theater, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong. One of the movies from my Must See Movies list, and the following is my movie review.

A highly anticipated movie ever since the appearance of Robert Downey Jr. with a cameo in The Incredible Hulk (2008). After seeing the actual movie I am starting to think this was over hyped.

This motion picture version of The Avengers reminds me so much of movie Transformers. The plot is predictable and slow, the dialog is poor without any chemistry among the characters.

Definitely not a movie worth watching in 3D or IMAX. If you have other options at the box office go with them.

Rating Legend:

 Must watch before you die
Must watch before you die

 Wait for the Blu-ray
Wait for the Blu-ray

 Buy from iTunes Store
Buy from iTunes Store

 Rent it on iTunes
Rent it on iTunes

 Waste your time elsewhere
Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Contraband

 Contraband
Contraband

My Rating:

 Buy from iTunes Store   

This evening I saw the movie Contraband at JP MLC Theater, JP Plaza, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. One of the movies from my Must See Movies list, and the following is my movie review.

First of all I will never go to JP MCL Theater again. The design of the theater is such that the seats are way too close to the screen of the cinema. It gave me a headache after only 15 minutes into the movie.

Aside from the headache from seating too close, the movie is fairly good. Mark Wahlberg plays Chris Farraday, an ex-smuggler who turned legit, with a wife, two kids and a custom alarm installation company.

The plot is not that original and some what expected. Farraday’s brother-in-law got in trouble with a gangster after a failed smuggling run, forcing Farraday back into the business he promise his wife and himself not to get back into just to save his family. Telling you any more will just give away the entire movie.

If you have other options at the cinemas definitely save this one for iTunes.

Rating Legend:

 Must watch before you die
Must watch before you die

 Wait for the Blu-ray
Wait for the Blu-ray

 Buy from iTunes Store
Buy from iTunes Store

 Rent it on iTunes
Rent it on iTunes

 Waste your time elsewhere
Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows

 Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes

My Rating:

 Rent it on iTunes

This evening I saw the movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows at AMC Cinemas, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong. One of the movies from my Must See Movies list, and the following is my movie review.

This is the first sequel that I wish there will not be another.

It stars the “always nominated but never wins”, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Now with this movie the audiences can clearly see why.

Downey returns to play his ever eccentric and love-thy-self Holmes and Law plays the trusty sidekick who wants to give up on Holmes but can’t bare the thought of doing so. There are so many scenes in the movie that I still cannot figure out the purpose of them being in the movie. Given the movie is center around Holmes’ ultimate rival, Professor Moriarty, I find the plot to be too weak, and there are not enough excitement or intrigue to keep the audiences at the edges of their seats.

The movie is so unmemorable that I have already forgotten the ending. Unfortunately, there’s not many movies to choose from during the Holiday breaks, but this is still one to avoid at the theatres.

Rating Legend:

 Must watch before you die
Must watch before you die

 Wait for the Blu-ray
Wait for the Blu-ray

 Buy from iTunes Store
Buy from iTunes Store

 Rent it on iTunes
Rent it on iTunes

 Waste your time elsewhere
Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part II

My Rating:

  Wait for the Blu-ray

This evening I saw the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II at AMC Cinemas, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong. One of the movies from my Must See Movies list, and the following is my movie review.

This brings the last of the Harry Potter movies franchise to quite a nice ending.

The 7 books in the series they transpose into a 8-movie franchise are: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) and finally Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011).

Unlike Part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that feels dragged on, this sequel has the right amount of action, storyline and most importantly final answers to the plot of the franchise. To cut up a novel that J.K. Rowling painstakingly written in 784 pages; the longest of the 7 books, is a difficult and challenging task, but the play writes did a fairly good job.

Over the 10 years that the movies spanned, we see improvements in the three young-teen actors: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson; who are now in their early 20’s, with Watson improves the most among the three.

Not wanting to give away the plot, I will not tell you who dies or who are reviewed as good guys. I personally did not read book 7 before going to see the movie so I had no expectations. Although having seen all seven previous movies I am very familiar with the Harry Potter story. As a result I was very satisfy with how this latest movie addresses all the open issues in previous movies.

Before going to the movie I have heard a lot of negative feedbacks on the quality and quantity of 3D effects in the movie. So I was trying my best to locate a cinema showing the regular version of the movie. I was even ready to skip this edition of the franchise because I was not able to find a cinema close enough or a show time that is convenient.

In the end I still watched the 3D version, which I recommend movie goers avoid if possible. It just just not worth the extra ticket prices that cinemas charges. The 3D effects and quality were not great or affective, but the movie is filmed very well and it will be a waste to watch it at home on my home theatre.

Rating Legend:

 Must watch before you die
Must watch before you die

 Wait for the Blu-ray
Wait for the Blu-ray

 Buy from iTunes Store
Buy from iTunes Store

 Rent it on iTunes
Rent it on iTunes

 Waste your time elsewhere
Waste your time elsewhere