The Guy from TGV.

What do you get when J.J Abrams and Steven Spielberg work together on a project?

An expected movie about…wait for it… ALIENS! BAM!!

 In this movie, Abrams tells a story about a quaint little town that is being ‘harassed’ by an alien. However, Abrams tells it in the manner of ‘ala Shyamalan’ and with the help of young but uber talented cast.  To be honest, the art direction in this movie was simply breathtaking. And when you throw in some nice music scores, voila, you got yourself an epic alien movie.

The script was ‘meh’ and nothing special about it. Yet I was truly mesmerized by a young actress, or do I dare say, a young Drew Barrymore in the making. I don’t remember the rest of the cast because they were just average actors. In fact, the more seasoned actors in this movie were somewhat so-so. Which was a complete letdown.

It is a good thing that I had set my standards quite low for this flick. Because usually, when media and PR overhype a movie, it tends to bomb in the cinemas. And I’m not sorry to say that SUPER 8 has more cons than pros.

Overall, if you really want to catch a good sci fi flick, go and watch PAUL. At least you’ll get a few laughs out of it. Sorry Abrams, this movie may have been a dream project between you and Spielborg, but it was kinda a nightmare for me. 

I grew up watching the ‘Young and Dangerous’ trilogy (a Hong Kong gangster action movie featuring Cheng Yee Kin and Jordan Chan), so when I saw the sneak trailer of this movie, I knew I had to see it. Plus, they had Zizan Raja Lawak in it! 

Anyways, this movie had an OK story line. It was predictable but what made this movie a good flick to watch was because of its action scenes. There were some dazzling moves throughout the movie. In fact, there were a little bit of Tony Jaa’s moves here and there. The fighting sequence was top notch - it reminded me of Donnie Yen’s ‘Flash Point’. Look it up, it’s friggin awesome. 

The movie’s length was an hour and a half but it felt short due to the abundance of fighting. I can’t say much about the film direction but if the director’s intentions was to make a mindless fighting flick, then he succeeded. However, the decision to add Zizan Raja Lawak next to a bunch of Alpha Males i.e Aaron Aziz and Adi Putera, puzzles me. But it turned out well in the end. 

Minor touching scenes here and there, subtle product placements and top notch choreography, I can’t think of a reason for anyone not to see this movie! And coming from a Malay fella like me, who only enjoys western movies, I have to give this movie two thumbs up. Malaysia is well on its way to make some fine action flicks. Even if the script was generic like this one. 

Po returns with a bucket full of awesomeness. And I have to admit, this movie is a must watch for everyone - whether you are young or old.  

In this movie, Po is the Dragon Warrior. Everything is going well for him. His Master loves him, his peers respect him and the whole of China knows who he is. It is the dream that he has been dreaming about. But his quack of a dad always keeps him grounded. 

However, Po is about to discover something great - his shrouded past. And he will discover it through the antagonist Lord Shen, voiced by the stupendous Gary Oldman ( Batman Begins, Dark Knight and Harry Potter).  Lord Shen is on a warpath to destroy those who oppose him. Furthermore, he has a secret weapon that could destroy the whole of China and the fate of kung fu. Upon this threat, it is up to Po and his merry band of Kung Fuers to try their very best to thwart off Lord Shen’s evil plan.

Awesome music, awesome jokes, awesome story telling and a great amount of action, Kung Fu Panda 2 is set to surpass the audiences’ expectations - it definitely exceeded mine.  In fact, there will be one poignant scene in the movie that will give your eyes a little bit of water work (you’ll know which one, once you have seen it).

So bring your kids, your friends and even your parents (if you must!) to watch this movie.  It would be a crying shame if you didn’t . And I’m very sure, Yasmin Ahmad would’ve loved this movie.