LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN MOVIE REVIEW

Sophisticated but just not enough

A glance at the cast's list of " Lucky Number Slevin" is like having half a dozen of "Ocean 12". With a synopsis that surrounds a World-class Hitman (Bruce Willies), a helpless cute lad, Slevin (Josh Hartnett), a nosey Pathologist (Lucy Liu), and two mobster's bosses (Morgan Freeman and Sir Ben Kingsley), would there be any further surprise than a typical crime scene investigation drama? Well, answer is No and Yes.

Lucky Number Slevin looks promising for an ultimate shocking finale when its shows a series of seemingly unrelated events, which your gut would hint you that they are actually linked. Unfortunately, the scriptwriters have made it too easy for the audience. It was like a mere 30 minutes that I already knew what the characters in the movie were up to. It is also a pity that as the mysteries unfolds the plot holes became more distinctive.

Nevertheless, all is not lost. It is a visual treat that every frame was splashed with sophisticated hues and refreshing placement of camera angles. The editing is fast-pace yet does not compromise the story telling and characters development. Even if the dialogue of the protagonist may be repetitive and long-winded to some, it still does not fail to connect the audience with its wits and humour.

This one does not offer any more surprises, but it sure marks the end of yesterday's usual dark and merciless crime thriller.

Movie Rating: 4/5 Stars
Most commendable: Bruce Willis - This time, he is no longer that usual half-drunk cop, running down a busy street with his revolver drawn and shouting "Moove"...

BARNYARD MOVIE REVIEW

A Far-Stretch Outing

I think I am spoilt by the multi-million dollars life-liked animation technology deployed in most Hollywood's cartoons nowadays that I find the drawings of BarnYard totally unappealing. Every animal looks so "rubbery". Nevertheless, being a beef and poultry lover, I thought I should watch this movie so that I could settle to become a vegetarian thereafter for good.

In spite of the low expectation, I am surprise that this movie does makes me crack, something I long forgotten that I must do when watching any animation. It is hilarious to see these farm animals dancing their night away while the farmers went to sleep. I am even thrown off the seat watching them toying behind the suspecting human being. Now, after having watched talking fishes, Ants, Bugs and toys, my imagination could put up with English-speaking farm animals but I thought the ideas that cows and chicken driving vehicles down the highway are overly stretch.

As in any animation, there is always something to teach our young. In this one, besides the typical lessons on father-son love, it is also about the responsibility of a Great Man who not only stands up for himself but also protecting others - rather sexist and individualistic huh?

Anyway, after the movie, I had a wonderful Whopper at Carl's Jr.

Movie Rating: 3/5

Most Notable: In the legendary Chinese Zodiac race, the Rat is a close friend of the Bull and the Rat always likes to sit on the Bull's head. This animation coincidentally portrays exactly that!

HARRY POTTER STAR DANIEL IS A GOOD KISSER

(Source: Chinadaily.com.cn) Harry Potter star Katie Leung had to shoot the boy wizard's first screen kiss 30 times, she revealed yesterday.

Teenage actress Katie, who plays Cho Chang, admitted she had butterflies before the big scene with Daniel Radcliffe.

And they ended up doing it 30 times before they got it right.

But Katie, who is filming the fifth Potter movie, Order Of The Phoenix, said it was no problem, adding: "Daniel is a good kisser. I really enjoyed it."

Katie, 19, from Motherwell, Lanarkshire, had never acted before winning the role of Cho in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire.

But now she has put her plans to study art at university on hold in a bid for screen success.

And she has been tipped to land the role of girl warrior Mulan in a ?ê13.2million live-action version of the story made as a cartoon by Disney.

Katie's character Cho is a Quidditch player who Harry had a crush on in the last film.

Katie said: "She had a boyfriend so nothing happened. But after her boyfriend died in Goblet Of Fire, her relationship with Harry develops in this one."

Daniel, 17, said of the first kiss scene: "It was fun. We were awkward and nervous at first but once we got it, it was fine."

Producer David Yates said even the crew, who have worked with Daniel since he was 12, became emotional over the "tender and loving" scene.

Related news: Harry Potter to be Killed?

MERCURY MAN (2006)

First Thai Superhero to Battle Hollywood at Box Office

(Source: ChannelNewsAsia)Thai filmmakers are hoping that a kickboxing superhero who can scale skyscrapers and deflect bullets will become a box-office rival to Hollywood legends like Superman and Spider-Man.

"Mercury Man", Thailand's first big-screen superhero, burst into cinemas last weekend.

But the producers say their target is the overseas market, with a slick film that has dialogue in Thai and English, and a plot that plays to the sensibilities of a post-September 11 world.

In the film, a firefighter named Chan receives super powers from a religious object as he tries to stop a group of international terrorists from staging an attack.

"Mercury Man" is something of a stretch for Thai audiences, which tend to prefer comedies and ghost stories, the director and screenplay writer acknowledged.

The film debuted at number three at the Thai box office, taking in a disappointing 4.6 million baht (123,000 US dollars) in ticket sales over a four-day holiday weekend.

The producers at Sahamongkol Film, which have found international success with Thai martial arts flicks such as "Ong Bak" and "Tom Yum Goong", say they have higher hopes for international audiences.

"Demand for this type of movie is much bigger in the international market, which is our main target," director Bandid Thongdee told AFP.

"It was very challenging to make it, but it was worth doing even if we can do very little (in marketing) compared to Spider-Man or Superman."

"Mercury Man" was also very inexpensive compared to those films and even local blockbusters, costing only 60 million baht (1.6 million dollars) for two years of production.

The filmmakers said they spent eight months in post-production working on computer animation for fight scenes between Mercury Man -- played by newcomer Vasant Kantauh, better known as "Bombay," a model making his film debut -- and the terrorists.

Trailers for the film have already appeared in Europe, where the producers hope the superhero's "Thai-ness" will set him apart.

"We want to sell the uniqueness of this movie, which is different from any Thai film that has ever been made," a Sahamongkol spokeswoman told AFP.

"In the international market, we think the Thai-ness represented in this film -- through the Thai design of the superhero costume and his style of fighting which is adapted from Thai boxing -- will differentiate our hero and build its success overseas."

During a summer filled with Hollywood superheroes like the X-Men and Superman, Bollywood also unveiled its own masked crime-fighter in the film "Krrish", which became one of India's most successful films of the year.

Film critic Katarzyna Ancuta, a Polish writer who specializes in Thai film, said she believed Mercury Man could find a market overseas.

"The superhero movies are reawakening, with people more and more interested in superheroes. The more global threats we have, the more people need superheroes," she told AFP.

The special effects don't measure up to Hollywood standards, but Ancuta said "Mercury Man" offers something different because of the style of the fight scenes.

THE BREAK UP MOVIE REVIEW

Love alone would not keep any Relationship Alive

From the movie's trailer, I thought I be in for a wacky time in the theatre watching The Break Up. On the contrary and to my surprise, I sort of learnt something, about relationship, from the movie.

Well, many things have been said that any couple have to work together to maintain their relationship. But the movie has depicted, as if giving you a slap on the face, that living together, as a couple, is never a fairy tale. From daily chores of cleaning up the house to putting up with habits (bad or good) of either party, every moves have to be acted with sensitivity and due considerations. I am particularly impressed that the scriptwriters (one of them is the movie's male lead Vince Vaughn) had bought up the "flower" and "doing dishes" issues. These seemingly harmless stuffs have always proven to be "deadly" if not handle with care. Not going to give away anything here. Watch the movie to find out and I am sure you would go " Awww... This is so very true".

Like I had mentioned in the opening paragraph, expects no genuine comedy here. While you gag at the couple's irrationality in handling their face off, you would cry inside, as you knew, probably from your own real life experiences, that what they did would widen their differences, which lead to an inevitable, break up.

Even though such "Along came Polly" plot looks overused, there is nothing seriously wrong about this movie really. However, I thought there could have been more warm added to its conclusion. Instead, the movie signed off with a meaningless and rather directionless conversation between the leads, making it easily forgettable by the audience. What a pity.

Movie Rating: 3/5 stars
Commendable: what else in the movie does the guys look forward to other than Jennifer Aniston going all bare?

SUPERMAN MAY BE TOO BROKE TO RETURN

(Source: chinadaily.com ) The much talked about Superman Returns sequel to be directed by Brian Singer might be a doubtful starter as studio executives at Warner Brothers are having a comprehensive look at whether a sequel to the movie would be worthwhile and profitable.

Superman Returns 3-D Postcard - $5/piece

The Superman Returns which cost around $225 million only managed to earn less than $200 million.

According to Variety, Warners and Legendary, which have equal shares in the profits in the series, are counting on strong home entertainment sales to make up for the bad box office results.

"Warners and co-financing partner Legendary Pictures have a shot at breaking even on Superman once all the revenue streams are accounted for, but it's going to be a long, tough haul," IGN reports the Variety as saying. However, director Brian Singer had previously claimed that the sequel could be ready by 2009.

"Negotiations between Singer and the studio would get delicate if Warners wants to include over-budget penalties," Variety reports.

"Warners certainly can't wrest control away from a director like Singer, but it can try to make sure the budget stays under a certain level."

Besides Superman, Warner Bros' also had other big flops such as Poseidon and Lady in the Water this year.

Related News: Jude Law is set to play Superman's arch enemy.

INITIAL D (2005) MOVIE PREMIUMS

INITIAL D Production Information Booklet



Item Category : Production Information booklet

Detailed Description : This production information brings you behind the scene, presenting you the minds behind the movie Initial D, as well as providing you with detailed chronicles of each casts (Jay Chow, Edison Chen etc) in the movie. Of course, there are many exclusive photographs and scene stills of the movie. The booklet is written in both Chinese and English. Printed with matt finishing.

Pages: 16 pages (excluding front and back cover)

Size: 21cm by 14.9cm (B4 size)

Condition: Good

Price : S$15/-


INITIAL D 2005-2006 Desk Calendar



Item Category : Desk Calendar

Detailed Description : Presenting on a one month per page basis alongside an exclusive movie still, this desk calendar is a must have to Initial D fans. The pages are printed in matt finish.



Pages : 22 pages (including front and back cover)

Size : 26cm by 15.5cm

Condition : Good

Price : $15/-



INITIAL D Notebook



Item Category : Notebook



Detailed Description : Printed in Gloss finish, the notebook feature in-set of exclusive movie stills. The in-set also gives a brief about the characters of the movie.

Size: 21 cm by 14.9cm (B4 size), approximately 1.5cm thick

Condition : Very Good

Price : S$20/-


All price quoted includes local postage fee. Please email me to order or if you need further information.

JOURNEY TO THE WEST: A SCI-FI PRESENTATION

A Sci-Fi touch to the All Time favourite Chinese Classic

Zhang YiMou (House of the Flying Daggers, Hero) and Steven Spieberg (Munich) would collaborate, for the first time in the filming of Chinese classic, Journey to the West after the 2008 Beijing's Olympic.

According to Zhang, the classic would be turned into a sci-fi mega-blockbuster. However, he insisted that, in spite of the futuristic flavour, the movie would still be closely based on the original Chinese classics.

As for the contenders for the role of Monkey King, Zhang had hinted that he might prefer Asian pop-icon, Jay Chow.

Jay Chow was crowned the Best Newcomer in 2005 Golden Horse Awards for his performance in Chinese movie, Initial D. He would appear in Zhang's final Martial Art movie "The Shining Armour", which was scheduled to open in the next Lunar New Year (2007).

MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND MOVIE REVIEW

It's SuperGirl, sort of.

It is obvious that Superman inspires the entire concept of this movie. Our hero (or rather heroine) is G-Girl/Jenny Johnson portrayed by the ever-gorgeous Uma Thurman and Matt Saunders is in the Lous Lane's role, as G-Girl's lover. G-Girl's nemesis is Prof. Bedlum (Eddie Izzard), who only motivation is to find the kryptonite to rid G-Girl of her powers.

Even though G-Girl boasts super abilities like zipping through the sky in Mach speed, having laser vision, ultra-hearing and is bulletproof, do not expect her to save the day. In fact, our Heroine here is seen to be abusing her powers: Having sex with her boyfriend while punching through the clouds; throwing a shark at her ex-boyfriend; devastated her ex-boyfriends properties, including sending his car into outer space. Yes, these are hilarious but when rationality set in as you walk out of the cinema, you may question the purpose of the whole outing.

As a date movie, My Super Ex-Girlfriend does not cause any heart-moving impact throughout. No lessons on love were earned here. As a comedy, it is somewhat restraint, probably due to the fact that the leading cast is not any veteran in ultra-foolish comedy. Anna Faris of the Scary Movies fame could have done a better job if she was placed in the anchor role. It is a pity that she has been diminished as a supporting cast in the movie.

The movie does have its moments, unfortunately, it is not a good enough effort from the man who gives us Ghostbusters and Evolution.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

THE ANT BULLY MOVIE REVIEW

Recycle Theme Kills Surprises

There are sure no lack of animated movies about Ants (A Bug's Life and Antz). As a result, I walked into the theatre, with so much skepticism and "I've seen it all" kind of attitude on The Ants Bully. Although such (attitude) is an insult to my professionalism, as a Film Critics, but the movie just does not surprise me, not even if it boast a stellar list of voice talents like Nicholas Cage, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti and Meryl Streep.

Nowadays, it is getting tougher for animation studios to win the heart of audience. Being frame and colours perfect is no longer enough. Animators, while exercise much care on the detailing works as well as throwing millions on the latest animation technology, have also got to brainstorm for refreshing alternative. In this case, I do not think audience would welcome the recycle theme of Ants.

Nevertheless, the question about why human being does not work together, like Ants, to build their own "colony" had earned some thoughts provoking moments to me.

Movie Rating: 3/5 stars

HOLLYWOOD'S VETERAN CELEBRITIES LOOKING FOR REVIVALS

It's "come back" time

It seems that comeback is now the in thing in Hollywood. We are talking about the many iconic names that were so-awfully familiar in the 90s: Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis.

Later this year, Rocky Balboa, star and directed by Sylvester Stallone, will hit Singapore screen. The movie continues the glory of the fictional Italian boxer, Rocky Balboa. Rocky was a staple in the 90s boxing-movie genre and was another work (after Rambo), which makes Sylvester Stallone a favourite wall pin-up in the army barracks. Would Sylvester Stallone makes a strong comeback with this movie? No tell tale sign from the trailer though.

Early this month, it was announced that Bruce Willis is set to return in the sequel of "DIE HARD", the movie that had shot him to fame. Die Hard IV: "Live Free or Die Hard" (what the?!) is directed by Len Wiseman and the production is expected to start as early as next month.

"Live Free or Die Hard" tells a modern day terrorist threat on the US computer network that threatens to bring the country to a standstill. The hero played by Bruce Willis is called in, again, to save the day. Twentieth Century Fox promised that the fourth installment in the Die Hard series will feature the "biggest, most realistic pieces in the franchise's history".

While the old men stretch their muscles, the mature lady flaunt their charm.

Early last month, Sharon Stone returns in the role of the deadly-sexy, best-selling novelist in Basic Instinct II. However, the box-office and movie critics seems to have suggested that her legs-crossing feat could not do any miracle, twice.

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Now available for sale is BASIC INSTINCT 2 movie poster. This single-sided, gloss finishes poster is going for S$12/- including Singapore postage. Email me for more details.

BATMAN II: THE DARK KNIGHT (FILMING START IN EARLY 2007)

The Cape Crusader returns

Warner Bros. Picture announced that "The Dark Knight," the sequel to last year's "Batman Begins," is to be shot early next year, according to media reports Wednesday.

Christopher Nolan is set to direct the film and academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has been cast as The Joker.

Christopher Nolan revamped the Batman franchise in 2005 with the immensely successful "Batman Begins," starring Christian Bale in the title role, which chronicled the early years of the superhero.

"I'm excited to continue the story we started with 'Batman Begins,'" Christopher Nolan said. "Our challenge in casting the Joker was to find an actor who is not just extraordinarily talented, but fearless. Watching Heath Ledger's interpretation of this iconic character taking on Christian Bale's Batman is going to be incredible."

"The Dark Knight" appears to be an allusion to Frank Miller's groundbreaking 1986 graphic novel "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," which redefined the character with a darker take and paved the way for subsequent comic and film interpretations of him, including Tim Burton's original "Batman" in 1989.

BATMAN BEGINS notebook for sale at S$5/- (including local postage). Please Email me for details.

DRAGON TIGER GATE SET TO BE BOX-OFFICE LEADER

Major Press Swollows their criticism over KungFu Movie's Box-Office Surprise

Hong Kong kungfu movie "Dragon Tiger Gate" has already bagged 30 million yuan in box office takings after only a week across Asia in spite of criticism from major press of the movie's simple plot. It now turns out that audience see otherwise.

Starring Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue, the movie is based on the longest running Hong Kong comic series by Tony Wong.

The encouraging success of the movie has prompted a sequel, which is now in planning stage.

Avaliable for sale now is the Limited Edition DRAGON TIGER GATE's Singapore Postage stamp set. Going for S$15/set (including Singapore postage).

In addition, the DRAGON TIGER GATE's notebook is for sale at $5/piece (Including Singapore Postage).

Please email me for more details.