Movie Review: G.I. Joe – The Rise of Cobra

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My Rating: 3Stars

This evening I saw the movie G.I. Joe – The Rise of Cobra at UA Cinema, Times Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Another one of the movies from my Must See Movies list.

I had fairly high expectations going into the movie and I was not really disappoint. Like many of the movies of this kind: Fantastic Four, Fast & Furious and Transformers, one should go in expecting amazing stunts and special effects. If you were hoping for intriguing plot you would be disappointed, plus great acting would only be a bonus. G.I. Joe was no different.

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Movie Review: Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen

My Rating: 3Stars

This evening I saw the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Grand Cinema, Elements, West Kowloon, Hong Kong. Another one of the movies from my Must See Movies list.

Before I went to see this movie I avoided all the trailers on TV and at the cinemas, because there were more than the usual number of trailers I did not want to see all the actions from the movie. Luck I did as I was told from others who had watched the trailers, they were the key scenes from each of the action sequences.

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Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

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My Rating: 5Stars

Last night I saw the movie Star Trek at UA Cinema, Time Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Another one of the movies from my Must See Movies list.

It has been 7 years since the last Star Trek movie release in the theater. The last was Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002 with the newest crew of the Enterprise led by captain Jean-Luc Picard.

The latest movie of the Star Trek franchise is a prequel to the crew from the original Star Trek TV series: James T. KirkSpockBonesUhuraMontgomery Scott and Sulu first aired 44 years ago. The movie set started before captain James T. Kirk was born quickly skip through his childhood and to the moment he enlist into Star Fleet.

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Movie Review: Terminator Salvation

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My Rating: 4Stars

This afternoon I saw the movie Terminator Salvation at UA Cinema, Time Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Another one of the movies from my Must See Movies list.

It has been six years since the last movie in the Terminator franchise, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) and 25 years since the first movie, The Terminator (1984). Each of the movies in the franchise had mentions of John Connor; this time played by Christian Bale. This movie gave us, the audience, a refreshing in-depth look at the story of John Connor and the life on Earth (the year 2018) during the machine up rising for the first time.

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Movie Review: Race to Witch Mountain

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My Rating: 2Stars

This afternoon I saw the movie Race to Witch Mountain at UA Cinema, Time Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Another one of the movies from my Must See Movies list.

I went into the movie without much expectation, since it was staring Dwayne Johnson, famous for his WWE character “The Rock” and his motion picture debut in The Mummy Returns, as “Mathayus the Scorpion King“.

The movie had two child actors, AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig, and they were just as bad as Johnson. The only excuse Robb and Ludwig has is that they were playing aliens who are new to human speak, in this case English, but Johnson does not have this excuse, as he was playing an English speaking American.

I guess the blame cannot complete go to Johnson, Robb and Ludwig. The play writes, Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback should take some of the blame these bad dialogs. This would not have been a total surprise if I had known Bomback was the one who wrote the screenplay for Live Free or Die Hard. Next time I will look at the “play writes” in additional to leading actors and director in a movie before deciding on whether to include it in my” Must See Movies list.

Rating Legend:
5Stars Not to be missed
4Stars Wait for the DVD
3Stars Buy from iTunes Store
2Stars Rent it on iTunes
1Stars Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

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My Rating: 3Stars

This evening I saw the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still at Grand Cineplex, West Kowloon, Hong Kong. Another one of the movies from my Must See Movies list.

I never watched the 1951 original version of this movie and wasn’t that familiar with the main character, Klaatu, this time played by Keanu Reeves. But I do know about the famous phrase “Klaatu barada nikto”.

I do like Jennifer Connelly in Hulk and Blood Diamond, this time she also plays a scientist, Helen Benson, but with a much weaker performance. On the other hand Will Smith‘s son, Jaden Smith was almost perfect as he was in his motion picture debut, The Pursuit of Happyness. Although, through out the movie I felt Reeves was just doing his Matrix impression, which was a let down for such an experience actor.

In this remake the writer (screenplay), David Scarpa, updated the story to make it more relevant to issues that concerns us today. For example, the issue of world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Of course the specially effects were modernized to the level expected by today’s audiences.

They turned the plot around so that Klaatu” was shot right at the beginning and the phrase “Klaatu barada nikto” was spoken by Klaatu to Gort rather than Helen.

The best part of the movie was Smith which barely justify the 3 penguins I gave.

Rating Legend:
5Stars Not to be missed
4Stars Wait for the DVD
3Stars Buy from iTunes Store
2Stars Rent it on iTunes
1Stars Waste your time elsewhere

影評: 地球停轉日

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My Rating: 3Stars

剛剛睇完《地球停轉日》, 故事內容非常簡單,但故事背後卻帶出深深的教訓,有警醒的作用,希望每個人睇完戲後除了讚賞其特技效果外,能夠自我反省。若愛我們的下一代,愛身邊的人,愛我們住緊的地球,請不要再自私!

Rating Legend:
5Stars Not to be missed
4Stars Wait for the DVD
3Stars Buy from iTunes Store
2Stars Rent it on iTunes
1Stars Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Hancock

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My Rating: 4Stars

This evening I saw the movie “Hancock” at AMC Theater, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong.

Another very good movie by Will Smith. Further proofs that he is a super entertainer: actor, singer and stand-up comedian.

The last movie I watched with Smith was The Pursuit of Happiness, where you can read my review of in my blog, in which he played a totally different character from his typical roles. Like the the previous movie, in Hancock Smith played a down and out character (John Hancock) with super human power that no one likes.

I thought it was very clever of the writers to name the character “John Hancock”. Half way into the movie the plot made a sudden unexpected twist.

I did not recognize Charlize Theron until the end of the movie when I saw the credits, but I did find the actor very familiar through out the movie. She must have changed her look or matured over time, she no longer have the baby face that she had in past movies.

I am giving it a 4 penguin and you should give it a chance, I am sure you will find it entertaining.

Rating Legend:
5Stars Not to be missed
4Stars Wait for the DVD
3Stars Buy from iTunes Store
2Stars Rent it on iTunes
1Stars Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Jumper

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My Rating: 4Stars

This evening I saw the movie “Jumper” at Time Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

This movie has the feel of the Bourne series. This is not surprising, since it is also directed by the same director, Doug Liman as the Bourne series: “The Bourne Identity“, “The Bourne Supremacy” and “The Bourne Ultimatum“.

You really need to walk into the movie with an open mind and just enjoy the movie as the director has present it. Most of all you should not be analyzing or questioning the possibility of what is portrayed. Fortunately, I did that, hence the 4 penguins, otherwise I might have given it a lower rating.

The acting was so so, I never liked the acting of Hayden Christensen and this movie is no exception.

Rating Legend:
5Stars Not to be missed
4Stars Wait for the DVD
3Stars Buy from iTunes Store
2Stars Rent it if you can
1Stars Waste your time elsewhere

Movie Review: Next

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My Rating: 4Stars

This evening I saw the movie “Next” at UA Time Square, Causeway Bay.

This movie is amazing. It is the first movie I’ve seen that did not require an ending.

The writer and producer Gary Goldman co-authored the screenplay with Jonathan Hensleigh and Paul Bernbaum, who based the story on Philip K. Dick’s novel, “The Golden Man“.

The movie has enough suspense and action to keep you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns to keep you guessing until the “end”. Although, if it wasn’t yet another terrorist-against-the-United-States movie, I would have given it the 5 penguins rating that it deserves.

Without giving away the plot, I do have one advice before going into the movie; this movie can easily be classified as a “Sci-fi Thriller”. So don’t over analyze it and just sit back and enjoy.

Rating Legend:
5Stars Not to be missed
4Stars Wait for the DVD
3Stars Buy from iTunes Store
2Stars Rent it if you can
1Stars Waste your time elsewhere