Change Your Image
be_kwa
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Wow The Force is Strong with this one
The minute the Star Wars running storyline came on screen with the familiar music score, I had chills. Honestly with so much hype and expectation weighing on this movie I was half-expecting that it would buckle under the pressure. But much to my very pleasant surprise, this was an excellent movie, better than I expected actually.
As I said, I had chills the moment the movie started and I was truly enthralled throughout. The storyline was strong and kept very much in the spirit of the original Star Wars (IV, V, VI). Though it was obvious the original characters had grown much older, they kept their personalities right through. From the charming and roguish Han Solo with his witty one-liners, to the best buddies rapport between Chewbacca and Han Solo and of course Leia. Our much loved characters make a grand return and it is obvious from the way that they make their entrances how much JJ Abrams is a fan of Star Wars.
Talking about JJ Abrams, he has absolutely nailed this. He has painstakingly crafted out a story that rehashes part of the scenes from the original yet in a very tongue-in-cheek manner. And I absolutely loved that. I wanted to cheer every time one of the original characters was "introduced", it brought on such a sense of nostalgia.
But more than just the original characters, what made this movie even better was the introduction of the newer characters from Rey, Finn, Poe to Kylo Ren and of course BB-8. All of them played their parts well. Special mention to Daisy Ridley as Rey. Great introduction of a new character to the story and a strong female lead to boot. Daisy did an excellent job portraying Rey as strong, independent, resourceful yet vulnerable and broken. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing more of her story. I was a little concerned about John Boyega as Finn, but I need not have worried. He showed great comic timing and actually provided some of the laughs. BB-8 is another awesome character introduction. Whoever invented "it" is a genius. Who knew that a robot ball could show so much expression without saying a word.
Of course the dogfight scenes were awesome. IMO, some were even more spectacular than the original, in particular the one involving the millennium falcon and some tie fighters. Watch out of it, it was out of this world! Without giving anything away
let's just say that light-sabers were used and it didn't disappoint.
In short, thank you JJ Abrams for bringing back the Star Wars spirit through great story telling, wonderful old and new characters. Never having seen the original Star Wars on the big screen, this was such a visual treat. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It brought back great memories and I'm sure the series will be creating great new memories with such a great start as The Force Awakens. Truly the force is strong with this one
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
Poor Finale. Probably worst of the 4
I watched the Hunger Games and Catching Fire movies before reading the books. The story was so captivating that I had to read the books. Mockingjay part 1 was already a slight disappointment because they dragged out the final book into 2 parts. As such, I already didn't have high expectations for part 2.
But even my low expectations were not met. In my opinion this is the weakest of the 4 movies in the franchise.
Firstly, the movie trailer practically summarizes the entire movie with all the major scenes.
Secondly, the pacing was all over the place. Sometimes it felt too rushed. At other times it was just too slow. At least in part 1, the pacing was much more even.
Thirdly, this is one instance where being true to the book did this movie no favors. Some storyline or dialogue changes from the book might have helped.
Fourthly and I think most importantly, I felt that the movie was not made with as much care and attention as Catching Fire or even Mockingjay part 1. To me, the editing was not done well and the actors' didn't give me the impression of full commitment.
Lastly, I think that Jennifer Lawrence has totally outgrown this role. She is a good actress with great emotional expression however I just could not emphatize with Katniss here. In my opinion, she expressed Katniss best in The Hunger Games/Catching Fire. But here I just felt like a spectator, watching from a distance. This emotional disconnect together with a poorly edited and paced finale led to disappointment!
On the plus side, the special effects sequences were OK. And, the franchise has finally come to an end.
Jurassic World (2015)
Dull, Uninspired Sequel
Because of its massive box-office and overall hype, I decided to catch it on the big screen. After 20 years since the original Jurassic Park, the technology at use in Jurassic World was impressively more advanced. However the film-making technology was a major letdown. Maybe it was just me but the dinosaurs looked more realistic and lifelike in Jurassic Park. And that was 20 years ago!
I looked forward to the use of the signature Jurassic Park theme song but was so disappointed at the poor usage of the theme song and the overall weak music score. The opening sequence to the actual park felt like a whimper instead of a majestic roar.
All of the main characters were dull and frankly forgettable. Honestly I could not care less about any of the humans and in the end was only interested in the fate of the raptors. It's ironical that the other summer blockbuster Age of Ultron managed to humanize super-heroes and yet here the humans are de-humanized.
Most disappointingly, this film had none of the artistry, attentiveness to detail and passion evident in Jurassic Park. Somehow it felt like a cash-grab effort.
The only plus to me was the cool technology at Jurassic World. Give me a gyrosphere ride anytime.
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
Funny, Enjoyable but Dis-aca-ppointing Sequel
Was waiting expectedly for this sequel as I loved Pitch Perfect. It's entertaining and funny but just missed the mark for me.
First the good stuff: 1. The whole gang of weirdos are back! It's so cool to see them all together again. 2. Rebel Wilson - very funny!! Steals nearly every scene she's in 3. Finale was better than I expected 4. Beca's interactions with DSM leader were quite funny
The disappointing parts: 1. It lacked the freshness and originality of the original (duh!). They tried to use the same formula as the 1st movie, IMO it didn't work as well 2. None of the musical or singing sequences were particularly memorable 3. The commentary hosts (John Michael Higgins & Elizabeth Banks) were not as funny this time around 4. Anna Kendrick didn't get to perform a memorable solo (I love her voice) and her talents were quite under-utilized
Overall I still enjoyed this movie especially seeing all the girls back together again. It's not as good as the original and IMO the storyline (or lack thereof) plays a big part. If there is a Pitch Perfect 3, I hope they risk it for more originality and dare. Great 1st time directing effort by Elizabeth Banks though. Girls rule the world!!
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Visually Grand Space Opera
Feuding siblings, romance, betrayal, greed, murder and deceit; doesn't this sound like a soap opera? But it's a soap opera played out in a spectacularly grand scale in the far reaches of this universe and beyond.
However you would like to describe it, one thing is for sure. This is a whole new world!
The visuals were stunning. I've never seen planet earth look so pretty before. The greenery appeared greener than green, is that even possible? There was so much detail and attention spent on the colors and hues. The spaceships were beautifully crafted and designed like winged creatures. Each planet and location were unique with exquisite details.
One of the first action scenes was a dream come true for me. It was such a realistic mix of the "future" set against the present. Jaw-dropping awesome!
Though there were many characters involved and remembering their names was near to impossible, each character was visually distinct. Because of that, it was easy to differentiate the different factions and their underlings.
But this is by no means a masterpiece. The biggest flaw is that there was just too much information condensed in the 2 hours. A new world was introduced but there was just not enough time to provide the details and back-stories needed. This led to a convoluted plot. However the central theme was clear to me. And that is probably why Jupiter Jones and her imperfect earthly family was so endearing to me.
On a whole, I liked this movie much more than I expected. It's more enjoyable than the Star Wars prequels and even The Matrix. The Matrix was revolutionary but was serious and much darker in tone. This on the other hand is light-hearted, even tongue-in-cheek. Almost like a wink to us saying "don't take it too seriously".
I'm glad I watched this on one of the largest screens possible. There was eye-popping visuals throughout and I was thoroughly entertained. It was a great break from reality.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
An Unexpectedly Outstanding Movie
From the moment the movie started till the end I was completely mesmerized. The tight confines of the theater, the camera angles and long continuous take was visually immersing. Straightaway I felt like I was there. That alone would make this movie a must-watch for me.
Unexpectedly, there was nothing predictable about this movie. Many of the lines and scenes completely caught me off guard. There was nothing formulaic at all and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. To me, it is a very original "original" screenplay.
And to top it all off, the acting from the entire cast was superb. I'm not a fan of Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts or Zach but they did great work here and I'm totally impressed.
I think this is the sort of movie that you will either love or hate with no in-between. Nothing is told directly and demands our own interpretation. Much like poetry. Maybe even like real-life which is never black or white.
This "thinking" movie so mesmerized and entertained me that after leaving the theater I'm still captivated by what I saw and heard. That to me is a mark of an outstanding movie.