Thelma

CAST: Maja Salvador (Thelma), John Arcilla (Thelma’s father), Tetsie Agbayani (Thelma’s mother), Eliza Pineda (Hannah, Thelma’s sister), Alma Muros (Thelma’s trainer), Jason Abalos (Thelma’s boyfriend);DIRECTOR:Paul Soriano

PRODUCER: Time Horizon, Abracadabra and Underground Logic;GENRE:Drama

DISTRIBUTOR:Star Cinema;LOCATION:Philippines;RUNNING TIME:  100 minutes  

Technical Assessment: 4

Moral Assessment: 4

Cinema Rating: For viewers Age 13 and below with parental guidance

Masayang namumuhay sa probinsya ang pamilya ni Thelma Molino (Maja Salvador). Kahit papaano ay nairaraos  ng kanyang mga magulang mula sa paghahabi at pagsasaka ang simpleng buhay at pagpapalaki sa kanilang dalawang magkapatid. Sa edad nya na dalagita ay may mga tipikal na ugaling kapilyahan si Thelma katulad ng pang-uumit ng paborito nilang miryenda na empanada kung saan kapansin-pansin ang kang bilis sa pagtakbo  kasama ng kapatid kapag hinahabol sila ng mga pulis. Hindi masigasig sa pag-aaral si Thelma subalit mayroon din siyang pangarap na umasenso. Matiwasay naman sana ang kanilang buhay hanggang sa dumating ang dagok ng maaksidente ang nakababata niyang kapatid at tuluyang di makalakad dahil wala silang pera upang mai-byahe at maipagamot sa Maynila. Kiinailangan tumigil ni Thelma sa pag-aaral upang alalayan ang kapatid tumulong sa gawaing bahay upang matutukan ng ina ang paghahabi. Dahil sa awa sa kapatid ay hinangad ni Thelma na maibsan ang hirap nito kahit papaano kaya ng malaman niya na may marathon sa kabilang bayan ay di siya nagdalawang-isip na sumali dahil mabilis siyang tumakbo. Nagwagi nga si Thelma sa marathon at nakamit ang perang papremyo na agad niyang pinambili  ng second-hand na wheelchair upang magamit ng kapatid. Suportado naman ng kanyang mga magulang ang kanyang ginawa lalo pa't dati rin palang miyembro ng track and field team ang ina na nahinto ang karera sa pagtakbo ng maagang makapag-asawa. Ang unang panalo ni Thelma ay naging daan upang mapansin ang taglay niyang kakayahan sa pagtakbo. Dahil dito ay nakabalik siya sa pag-aaral bilang iskolar at patuloy na nagwagi sa iba't ibang antas ng paligsahan. 

Inspirado ng totoong buhay ng isang sikat na mananakbo ang kwento ng pelikulang "Thelma". Malikhain ang paglalagay ng cinematic effect na sa bandang huli ay magkakaroon ng sariling pagkakakilanlan ang kuwento at masasabing hindi simpleng paghalaw sa tunay na buhay ng isang sikat na tao. Magaling and direksyon sa paghahatid ng pagiging natural ng lahat. May epektong 3D dating na tila nakamasid ang manonood sa aktuwal na kaganapan ng buhay. Malinaw ang paghahatid ng teknik sa pagsasanay ng pagtakbo at paghahanda sa paligsahan. Epektibo ang pagganap ni Maja Salvador bilang pangunahing tauhan gayundin ang lahat ng kasamahang aktor. Mahusay na nai-transform ni Salvador ang iba't ibang yugto sa buhay ng karakter ni Thelma Molino. Nakakaaliw pakinggan ang palitan ng dialect na ilocano. Naipakita ng sinematograpiya ang magandang angulo ng lugar lalo na ang mga windmills kung saan kilala ang lalawigan ng Ilocos. Akma ang mga inilapat na musika at tunog sa mga emosyon na nais ipakita sa bawat eksena. Sa kabuuan ay kahanga-hanga ang aspetong teknikal ng pelikula.

Ang lahat ng tao ay may pangarap at ang lahat ng pangarap ay dapat pagsikapang abutin at pagtagumpayan. Hindi dapat maging hadlang ang kahirapan ng buhay at ibang pang uri ng balakid upang maabot ang inaasam na pangarap sa buhay. Gayundin ang lahat ng tao ay may taglay na kakayahan na dapat pagyamanin sa sarili upang maging kapaki-pakinabang na mamamayan ng bansa at maipagmamalaking miyembro ng pamilya. Hindi sapat ang pisikal na kakayanan, kailangan magtiyaga sa pagsasanay upang mai-kondisyon ang isipan at damdam sa pagtahak sa napiling larangan ng may disiplina. Binigyan-diin ng pelikula ang kahalagahan ng pagsisikap at katatagan. Ang paghugot ng inspirasyon sa pamilya at mga kaibigan na nagtitiwala sa kakayahan ay mahalaga upang makapag-patuloy sa kabila ng hirap. Itinampok sa pelikula ang pamilyang may pagmamahalan at paggalang  -- mga magulang na masikap at kumakastigo sa pagkakamali ng anak, mga anak na magalang at nagbibigayan. Ang mga kaibigan ay naghihikayat sa mabuting landas at totoong masaya sa tagumpay ng kapwa. Puno ng magagandang pagpapahalaga at aral ang pelikulang Thelma. Mainam na mapanood ng lahat, subalit dahil sa eksena ng pang-uumit at pamamalo bilang paraan ng pagdisiplina at mga eksena ng pangungulila sa pamilya, ang mga batang edad 13 pababa ay kailangan ng paggabay ng nakatatanda.

Fright Night

CAST: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse,David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette;DIRECTOR: Craig Gillespie;WRITER: Tom Holland, Marti Noxon

GENRE: Comedy, Horror;RUNNING TIME: 120 Minutes

                        

Technical Assessment: 3

Moral Assessment: 2.5

Cinema Rating: For viewers Age 14 and above

SYPNOSIS: Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all-he's running with the popular crowd and dating the hottest girl in high school. In fact, he's so cool he's even dissing his best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). But trouble arrives when an intriguing stranger Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there's something not quite right-and everyone, including Charlie's mom (Toni Collette), doesn't notice. After witnessing some very unusual activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on his neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone that he's telling the truth, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this revamp of the comedy-horror classic.

Wedding Tayo Wedding Hindi

CAST:Eugene Domingo,Toni Gonzaga,Zanjoe Marudo,Wendell Ramos; WRITER&DIRECTOR:Jose Javier Reyes;GENRE:Comedy/Romance;RUNNING TIME:115Minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3.5         

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 and above

Kasalukuyang namumrublema si Precy (Eugene Domingo) sa kanyang asawang si Ben (Wendell Ramos) ng bumalik ang pinsang si Belay a.k.a Maribel (Toni Gonzaga) mula sa tatlong taon na pamamalagi sa Japan. Sinalubong si Belay ng kanyang pamilya sa airport kasama si Precy at ang kasintahan niyang si Oca (Zanjoe Marudo). Kasabay ng pananabik kay Belay ay nagulat ang mga sumalubong sa kanya dahil sa malaking ipinagbago ng hitsura at pananalita nito. Mula sa simple at malumanay ay naging sopistikada at kabaklaan ang naging lenggwahe ni Belay. Ikinabahala ni Oca ang mga pagbabagong ito kay Belay dahil inaalala niya na di maiibigan ng konserbatiba at relihiyosa niyang ina ang bagong pagkatao ni Belay na nakatakda niyang pakasalan sa pagbabalik nito. Gayunpaman ay sinimulan ang paghahanda sa itinakdang kasal kung saan samu't saring argumento ang nangyayari  tungkol sa maliliit na detalye ng paghahanda na madalas ay kinasasangkutan ng magkabilang partido. Samantala, tuluyang nilayasan ni Precy ang kanyang pamilya dahil di na niya matiis ang kalagayan niya sa piling ng asawa at biyenan na babae. Mabait naman sana si Ben pero mahina ito dumiskarte at nakadepende lagi sa ina na di siya kailanman  nagustuhan. Isa sa ikinapundi ni Precy ay ang pagwaldas ni Ben sa inipon niyang pera ng di ipinagbibigay-alam sa kanya at tuluyan itong maubos dahil sa di magandang investment. Kumunsulta si Precy sa abogado upang mapawalang bisa ang kanyang kasal. Sa tuwing magkikita ang magpinsan ay napapalitan sila ng kuro-kuro, payo at mungkahi tungkol sa kani-kanilang sitwasyon  --- ang masalimuot na paghahanda sa kasal ni Belay kay Oca at ang napipintong tuluyang pagwawakas ng 18 taong kasal ni Precy kay Ben. May pagkakapareho ang sitwasyon ng dalawa ---- parehong mga mahihina at maka-ina ang mga lalaking natutunan nilang ibigin at parehong biyuda na may kasungitan ang mga babaeng ito sa buhay nila.

Simple pero makabuluhan ang kwento ng pelikulang "Wedding tayo, Wedding hindi". Seryoso ang mensahe na nilagyan ng komedya upang maaliw ang mga manonood. May pagkakataon na eksaherada ang ilang eksena pero binabawi ng mga hirit na patawa. Mahusay ang direksyon at nailabas ng mga nagsiganap ang mga kinailangan emosyon upang maipahatid ang mensahe ng pelikula. Epektibo sina Eugene, Zanjoe at Wendell sa kanilang pagganap.  Medyo typecast naman si Toni  sa maingay na pagdeliver ng mga linya at nadagdagan pa ng lengguwaheng kabaklaan sa pelikula. May pagkabulgar ang karamihan sa mga salita na medyo alanganin sa setting ng below middle class families at ng may teaching profession background. Hindi masyadong gumamit ng teknik sa camera, sa halip ay puro malapitan ang kuha kaya kitang-kitang and detalye ng mga subjects. Maingat ang pagpasok ng mga flashback scenes at nakatulong sa maayos na daloy ng istorya. Tama lamang ang mga inilapat na musika at tunog, gayundin ang ilaw.  

Nakakasakal ang pakikialam ng mga taong nakapaligid katulad sa tipikal na relasyon ng manugang at biyenan sa kulturang Filipino.  Kahit sino na may sapat na gulang at kaisipan na may kakayahang magpasya para sa sarili at sa pamilya ay di mapipigilan na pagsawaan ang ganitong sitwasyon. Gayunpaman, nakakabahala na ipinakita sa pelikula na pwedeng basta na lamang layasan ang pamilya dahil sa nawalang pera na di naman talaga ginamit sa masama. Samantala, anumang suliranin na kinakaharap sa pamilya ay nakakatulong kung mayroon tayong napaghihingahan ng saloobin.  Ipinakita sa pelikulang "Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi" ang kahalagahan na ang mga taong nilalapitan ay may malasakit at hahangarin ang mabuting kahihinatnan ng sitwasyon para sa iyo katulad ng mga ginampanang karakter nina Eugene at Toni.  Sinuportahan nila ang pagiging totoo ng isa't isa sa kanilang mga damdamin pero hindi hinahayaan na manaig ang emosyon upang sang-ayunan ang anumang pagpapasya. Tinitiyak na mayroong pakikinig, pag-unawa, pagpapaalala at malayang pagpapasya na pinag-isipan para sa mabuting kapakanan ng lahat.  Gayundin naman, ang kasal ay higit pa sa isang araw na okasyon. Ang preparasyon ay hindi lamang nakasentro sa mga material na bagay sa  halip ay sa kahandaan ng mga nagkasundong magpakasal. Mahalagang yugto ito sa buhay ng mga ikakasal kaya ang mga magulang ay magsilbi sanang gabay at suporta hindi hayagang nakikialam. Tumbok naman ang kahinaan ng mga lalaki sa pelikula na sa bandang huli ay naisalba ng matanto nila ang kahalagahan na dapat silang manindigan para sa kanilang mga asawa at pamilya. Sa kabuuan ay may aral ang pelikula na maaaring pagnilayan ng mga manonood --- magulang bilang biyenan, manugang, mga anak at kaibigan. 

Bad Teacher

CAST:Cameron Diaz, Justine Timberlake, Lucy Punch, Jason Segel;  DIRECTOR: Jake Kasdan; STORY/SCREENPLAY: Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky; PRODUCER: Jimmy Miller, David Householter; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Alar Kivilo; MUSIC: Michael Andrews;  EDITING:  Tara Timpone; GENRE: Comedy; DISTRIBUTOR:Columbia Pictures;  LOCATION: Chicago, Illinois, USA;RUNNING TIME:89 Minutes

Technical Assessment:  3

Moral Assessment:  1.5

Cinema Rating: For viewers Age 18 and above

Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is a smart and attractive middle school teacher whose values and priorities are distorted. She is an alcoholic marijuana-user who swears at her students and shows movies while she sleeps in class. When her fiancée and his mother discover her motives and calls off the engagement, Elizabeth is forced to return to teaching and find another rich man to marry. She is quick to brush off gym teacher Russell (Jason Segel) and create hostility with model co-teacher Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch).  When she bumps into Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake), a scion to luxury watchmaker mogul, she decides that to win him is to have larger breasts. So Elizabeth focuses her efforts to raise funds for her breast implant surgery to the extent of cheating to get her class achieve the highest scores for the State exams.

Bad Teacher is a successful comedy FOR ADULTS. The jokes are intensely funny and Cameron delivers her lines with depth and conviction.  The detailed characterization of the script is amusing, from the persistent but self-confident gym teacher Rusell, the overly zealous Amy on the verge of neurosis to the dimwit charm of Scott. The storyline is clear and straightforward and moves with a clear direction. Technically, the movie delivers and offers quite a few memorable scenes, although not always in a positive way.

However, BAD TEACHER is A BAD movie because it makes no attempt to redeem Elizabeth’s character. Its attempt to put some soul and maturity into her character during a tender moment with her student but her act of kindness to save the humiliated student during the field trip is actually quite offensive. Even when Elizabeth realizes that she doesn’t need a breast surgery or that money is not what really matters in love, it is not enough to earn sympathy from viewers so disgusted with the sex scene between Scott and her and how she manipulated everyone when Amy finally discovered her deception.

Movies like BAD TEACHER are extremely dangerous because of the cheap laughs and seemingly cruel and blatantly bad values disguised as comedy. The movie should be restricted to adult viewers instead of MTRCB’s PG-14 rating.

TWEEN ACADEMY CLASS OF 2012

CAST: Elmo Magalona ,Joshua Dionisio, Barbie Forteza ,Jake Vargas, Bea Binene ,Joyce Ching, Kristofer Martin, Lexi Fernandez, Derick Monasterio& Louise delos Reyes;DIRECTOR:Mark Reyes;WRITER; Kit Villanueva-Langit;PRODUCER: Annette Gozon-Abrogar (GMA Films),Jose Mari Abacan (GMA Films),Boss Big (SM Development Corporation);GENRE: Comedy/Drama

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3.5       

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 13 and below with parental guidance

Nababahala na ang magkakaibigan na sina Enzo (Elmo Magalona), Kara (Barbie Fortesa), at Georgina (Bea Binene) sa kalagayan nila sa paaralan. Kung hindi kasi sila pinapansin ay pinagkakatuwaan naman sila.  Tinatawag silang mga "imbals" (short for imbalance) dahil sa gawi ng pagdadala nila ng kanilang mga sarili na medyo kakaiba (o kakatwa) sa mga kaeskuwela nila. Nang muli silang makaranas na mapagkatuwaan ay nagkaisa sila gumawa ng paraan upang matigil na ang mga nang-aapi sa kanila. At iyon ay mangyayari lamang kung babaguhin nila ang kanilang mga sarili mula sa kanilang mga kahinaan. Gumawa sila ng listahan ng mga hakbang na gagawin nila sa kanilang mga sarili at itinakda na sa susunod na prom ng paaralan ay mga bagong Enzo, Kara at Georgina na sila --- may mga kompiyansa sa sarili, pagbutihin ang mga kakayahan, at makilala sa kanilang mga kalakasan. Sa maikling panahon ng pagtahak nila sa inaasam na pagbabago sa kanilang mga sarili ay mga taong naging instrumento upang maisakatuparan nila ang pagbabago ng halos nila namamalayan. Katulad ng nabuong paghanga ni Enzo sa remedial class teacher niya na si Ms Madie (Sam Pinto), ang namuong cyber friendship ni Kara a.k.a Supergirl kay Robin a.k.a Colossus (Joshua Dionisio), at ang pagiging mahusay ni Georgina sa larong football at lihim na pagtingin niya sa kababatang si Jepoy (Jake Vargas). Habang pinagdaraanan ng 3 magkakaibigan ang mga pagbabago sa kanilang sarili ay nakasubaybay naman ang mga kanilang mga magulang samantala ang mga kamag-aral na nanunudyo sa kanila ay hinaharap din ang mga kani-kanyang sitwasyon sa pamilya at sa lipunan.

Simple ang daloy ng  kuwento ng "Tween Academy". Pero may diin ang mga mensahe na binigyan-buhay ng mg eksena. Marami ang miyembro ng cast pero nabigyan-lahat ng highlights ang mga tauhan. Sa madaling salita ay markado ang lahat.  Nakasentro sa 3 magkakaibigan ang kwento pero ang ibang tauhan na sa unang tingin ay walang kaugnayan sa sentro ng istorya katulad ng magkasintahan sa pelikula na sina Ashley (Joyce Ching) at Diego (Kristofer Martin) ay makikitaan din ng koneksyon sa bandang huli kung pagbabatayan ang mensahe na nais ipahatid ng pelikula. Hindi mabibigat ang mga eksena ng pelikula na nangailangan ng malalim na emosyon kaya walang masyadong ibinigay sa kanilang mga pagganap ang artista. Akma lamang ang disenyo ng produksyon pero mas mainam sana kung natural lamang lumabas ang make-up  ng mga bidang babae sa mga eksena ng regular classes dahil high school naman ang setting. Hindi rin maganda sa paningin ang mga composition kung saan hindi kinukunan ang buong katawan ng tao. Maganda ang ideya na ginamit sa musical scoring ang music revivals.  Nakatulong ito sa appreciation  ng mga adult viewers para maalala nila ang kanilang mga kabataan.

Ang pagiging kabataan ay minsan lamang darating sa buhay ng tao. Napakahalaga na maging makabuluhan at makulay ang yugtong ito ng buhay upang maging pundasyon ng magandang pagkatao sa hinaharap. Tipikal na mga kabataan na may mga supportive family (kahit na pawang single parents ang ipinakita) ang mga itinampok na tauhan sa pelikula Tween Academy.  Inakp ng mga kabataang ito ang responsibilidad na palaguin ang sarili. May kababaang-loob sila na inaamin ang mga kahinaan at naging bukas para matugunan at maging kalakasan. Sa unang tingin ay hatid ng kayabangan ang maghangad na mapansin pero ipinakita sa pelikula na higit pa sa pagyayabang, ang maghangad na mapansin ay maari rin maging motivation upang hugutin ang mga kagalingan na nasa kanilang mga sarili. Puno ng positibong mensahe ang pelikula na nag-aangat sa magandang kultura ng Filipino katulad ng respeto sa magulang, pagpapahalaga sa kaibigan, pagpapatawaran at pagtanggap ng kamalian, at responsableng pakikipagrelasyon. Sa kabuuan ay ipinakita ng pelikula ang mga tipikal na sitwasyon ngayon ng mga kabataan na pumapasok na sa kamalayan ng paghanga at pakikipagrelasyon. Maliban sa mga tradisyunal na paraan pagpapa-cute sa panahon ng school events, ay nariyan rin ang mga kakaibang lenggwahe at modern technologies tulad ng celphone at internet na dapat isaalang-alang ng mga magulang sa pagsubaybay nila sa kanilang mga anak. Sa kabuuan ay maganda at nakaaaliw ang pelikula subalit dahil sa ilang eksena ng pangungutya sa inosenteng kamag-aral at pagpupuyat sa internet chat ay dapat gabayan ng mga magulang ang mga manonood na edad 13 pababa.

One Day

CAST: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson, Ken Stott, Romola Garai, Rafe Spall;DIRECTOR: Lone Scherfig;WRITER: David Nicholls;GENRE: Romance, Drama;RUNNING TIME: 107 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 2       

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 18 and above

July 15, 1988 is the graduation day of Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter Mayhew (Jim Strugess) – a friendship and an almost-but-not-quite  romance  between the two begins on this day and their lives are never the same. Every July 15ths of the next two decades, they meet to catch up on each eventhough they have gone separate ways. Each time, they explore the possibilities of their failed romance and why can’t it happen between them. They are exact opposites. Emma is a working-class girl who dreams of becoming a writer in the hope of making a difference in the world. Dexter is a happy-go-lucky rich kid who ends up as a TV presenter and sees the world as his playground. She is determined. He is directionless. They will later on be both involved with different partners but still, they would always end up with the wishful thinking – what if, they will be together? Will it be a happy ending for the two of them?

                            One Day could’ve been a well-crafted movie except for two major problems: plot development and casting. The premise of two platonic friends with that “would be” romance is interesting and is able  to keep the audience’s concern for the couple. However, the interest wades down as there is no urgency or stake to look forward to. The relationship of the two and their problems does not seem to escalate and years after, they still have the same issues that are never resolved. Hathaway and Strugess are both good thespians in their own credits and merits but they apparently lack the required characterization and chemistry for the film. Though it’s not really their fault, it is quite a waste for a film like One Day which is intently done to put some flavor and spice to the otherwise worn-out story of the genre.

                            The film deals with sexual tension between friends of the opposite sex. Sort of saying that a man and a woman cannot be “just friends”. The promiscuity of Dexter though is not tolerated by the rather level-headed Emma but she gives up somehwere in the story anyway and the initial refusal is just a “show” or a result of initial reaction to rejection but not on any moral grounding. The inconsitencies in the characters’ decisions and indecisions leave the audience as  confused as the characters. Although One Day probably tries to show that only real love can make one happy, and that loneliness results into misery, the many scenes devoted to sex, alcohol and drugs contradict any moral it has to say. Dexter all the while in the movie seeks love and sympathy but he does not seem to deserve it until the end. Emma on the other hand seems to have taken all the sacrifice for the wrong choices she makes. In conclusion, One Day is a film that tells the audience that fate is as powerful, if not more powerful, than the decisions one makes.  Still quite contradictory to what our faith would always tell us, that our destiny is determined by our own free-will.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

CAST: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei; DIRECTOR: John Requa, Glenn Ficarra; WRITER: Dan Fogelman; GENRE: Comedy, Romance; RUNNING TIME: 107 minutes.

Technical Assessment: 3

Moral Assessment: 2.5

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 and above.

SYNOPSIS: At forty-something, straight-laced Cal Weaver is living the dream-good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily, has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his "perfect" life quickly unravels. Cal is taken on as wingman and protégé to handsome, thirty-something player Jacob Palmer. Jacob opens Cal's eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can't be found at Supercuts or The Gap. Cal's son is crazy about his 17-year-old babysitter, who harbors a crush on Cal. And despite Cal's makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can't be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.

Conan The Barbarian

CAST: Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Rachel Nichols, Saïd Taghmaoui, Leo Howard, Bob Sapp, Katarzyna Wolejnio, Nonso Anozie; DIRECTOR: Marcus Nispel; WRITER: Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer; GENRE: Action/Adventure; RUNNING TIME: 112 minutes.

Technical Assessment: 4

Moral Assessment: 2

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 18 and above.

A character originally created by Robert E. Howard, Conan is a great warrior in the continent of Hyboria.  When Conan (Jason Momoa) is but slightly older than a boy, he loses his father.  He alone survives when his village of Cimmeria is razed to the ground and his people, including his father, massacred by a marauding army led by Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang).  This sadistic man is assisted by his sorceress daughter Marique (Rose McGowan) in his search for the missing fragments of a strange mask which will give him the powers of a god.  He finds the last missing fragment in Cimmeria and his army marches on its path of destruction.  Conan grows up in the fringes of the cities, sharpens his fighting skills and nurtures in his heart the desire to avenge his father’s death.  When he is ready for his mission of revenge, he goes in search of his father’s murderer.  Khalar Zym, on the other hand, is on another quest for the only surviving descendant of the pure bloodline of an ancient royal dynasty.  He believes the blood of this descendant, a beautiful girl named Tamara (Rachel Nichols) will bring back to life his sorceress wife and thus usher in an era of unprecedented power and evil in Hyboria.  Conan finds himself thrust into a mission that is more than self satisfying revenge.

Conan The Barbarian is an unadulterated war spectacle. Except for some “peaceful” interludes which are actually scenes of impending bloodshed, the film is crowded with graphic gory fights and fierce battles from the beginning to the end.  And at the end everyone and everything evil is annihilated by the hero just like the expected ending of a fairytale.  For the movie is also like a dark hued fairytale with its sorcery, black magic, monsters, accursed object (a mask, not a ring this time), and the “knight” (but not in his shining armor) who rescues a damsel in distress after slaying, not the dragons, but equally hideous serpents and other sea monsters.  This present movie is a remake of an earlier one that is said to have helped launch an unknown (at that time) Arnold Schwarzenegger into his successful movie career.  It is doubtful, however, that this present movie will bring the lead actor into sudden fame.  Though Jason Momoa has a body that may be the envy of many and fighting skills meant for an action picture, this movie can hardly make an impression.  The setting (some building and castles in the midst of barren deserts look like cardboard sets), the costumes, lighting, dialogues, even the music may need upgrading.  Some of the lead actors, though not so well known, are adequate in their acting.  Rose McGowan as Tamara looks lovely but does not have much chemistry with the hero.  The movie with its hi-tech CGI and good special effects may be entertaining for action picture aficionados.

When one hears the word “barbarian”, one conjures up images of cruelty, immorality or behavior unacceptable in civilized society.  Well, all of these are found in this movie.  And since Conan the protagonist here is called the “barbarian”, one wonders if he can be both barbarian and hero at the same time.  For to most of us, a hero vanquishes what is evil and is the embodiment of what is good and noble, though not without a flaw. Well, Conan is consumed with hate and desire for revenge for his father’s death.  And one can understand why he feels this way.  One can empathize with a son who has lost a reversed father and most especially if the father has been murdered.  It is a crime that cries to heaven for justice and yet one can never justify revenge and exact another death or “take the law into your own hands”.  Our Christian values are such that we cannot right a wrong by doing another wrong.  Now this “barbaric” side of Conan is tempered by another facet of his character – his kindness to others especially the oppressed and the unfortunate as seen in his fights to free the slaves and captives from cruel treatment.  He does not have to risk his life for them or for the girl Tamara who he does not know and to whom he is not attracted, at first.  But he does.  This spirit of self sacrifice, also bravery and heroism in the face of great odds especially when done for others are positive values in the movie, but the  excessive violence, gore and brutality are objectionable especially for the young who can get desensitized  to violence.  Although the sexual scenes are mostly done in the shadows, still there is implicit sexual intimacy outside of marriage and this cannot be condoned.

Revenge Of The College Ghost

CAST:  Carly Schroeder, Cody Linley, Micah alberti; DIRECTOR: Tyler Olier; GENRE: Horror/Suspense; RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes

Technical Assessment: 2

Moral Assessment: 2

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 18 and above

Newly high school graduates Sandy (Carly Schorader) her brother and friends are having fun in their graduation party when they suddenly decide to go to the graveyard where they used to play hide and seek with rhyme as children and do it again as adults.  On arrival at the game site, a strange girl appears and wants to play with them.  Despite finding it odd, they think there is nothing wrong to have her in the game so they take her in.  They continue the fun until the strange girl is trapped to be the end loser of the game and at the full sight of Sandy jumps off the cliff.  The friends report the incident to the police, however the body is nowhere to be found.  Since then, the friends of Sandy are killed one after another without any trace. They disappear together with memories of them except with Sandy who is the only one left to remember her missing friends.  Because of this, she is mistaken to have developed lunatic tendencies and needed medical helps. In Sandy's struggle to prove otherwise, she realizes that a childhood friend named Angela whom they have wronged many years ago has something to do with the strange happenings particularly the disappearance of her friends. 

One thing unusual in the story of the film Revenge of the College Ghost is that, the spirit in revenge is not of the dead rather that of a living person under the state of comma relying on life support who has been confined for a long time at the hospital.  The idea of deleting people in the memories of people they lived with except the lead character is mind boggling for viewers.  However, this niche of the story does not compensate the overall treatment of the film.  The settings together with the flashback scenes are like bits and pieces put together without continuity.  The cast does not look like newly high school graduates in their teens. They appear to be all experienced adults who are into active sex, drinking and looting spree.  Acting wise most of the actors in the film could not do any better.  The film is actually more of a suspense thriller than horror.  The appearance of the shaking ghost does not help either.  Overall, the film has not much to offer technically.

Everybody is called to be good at any stage of life.  The film Revenge of the College Ghost depicts that the wrong deeds in childhood will haunt and even make a person's life miserable.  It touches on a confusing theme of the unlikely wandering of a revengeful ghost of a still living person that is capable of  killing people who wronged her in the past.  With the varying manners of death particularly the very gory ones, obviously, life is not valued in this film. The young people depicted in the film have the tendency to be irresponsible and insensitive.  Whilst the film has the context of the western culture, the Filipino viewers may be cautioned that high school graduation weekend happening can be wholesome as against sexually-oriented, alcoholism, looting and daring graveyard night game as depicted in the film.  Even the lead character who initially resists but eventually joins the looting and even unofficially applies euthanasia to the girl in comma.  The little effort that show good sides of the characters are hardly notice due to overwhelming exposure of conflicting values in the film.

The Smurfs

CAST: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara; DIRECTOR: Raja Gosnell; WRITER: Peyo, J. David Stem, David N. Weiss; GENRE: Animation, Family, SciFi/Fantasy; RUNNING TIME: 86 minutes.

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 13 and below with parental guidance.

SYPNOSIS: The Smurfs make their first trip to the big screen in Columbia Pictures'/Sony Pictures Animation's hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village, they're forced through a portal, out of their world and into ours, landing in the middle of New York's Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

CAST: James Franco, Tom Felton, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, David Hewlett, Tyler Labine, Leah Gibson, Jamie Harris; DIRECTOR: Rupert Wyatt; WRITER: Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, Jamie Moss, Pierre Boulle; GENRE: Animation, Suspense/Thriller; RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes.

Technical Assessment: 4

Moral Assessment: 3.5

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 13 and below with parental guidance.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes opens with a mad hunt for simians in the deep jungle, for transporting to a laboratory in New York, where Will Rodman (James Franco) does research  exploring drug therapies for diseases of the brain.  One of the apes, named Bright Eyes, soon catches the technicians’ eye for her superior intelligence—the effect, apparently, of her being given the test drug.  Convincing his boss that the drug has great potential for medical and financial success, Will makes a presentation for the board of directors to invest in the breakthrough drug.  Bright Eyes is supposed to be the star of the presentation, but as she is coaxed out of her cell, Bright Eyes becomes vicious, resulting in a wild chase in the laboratory that ends in the presentation room where Bright Eyes is shot dead on the conference table.

Soon Will and his assistant discover a baby chimpanzee under Bright Eyes’ bed, and realize that the dead chimp in her ferocious behavior was not being aggressive but only being protective of her new born.  Meanwhile, the boss has ordered that all 12 chimpanzees being drug tested be put away.  Because Will and the assistant do not have the heart to put down the baby chimp, Will agrees to secretly take it home for a few days.  Days stretch into weeks, months and years until the baby chimp, named Caesar by Will’s Alzheimer-stricken father, grows into a remarkably intelligent simian.  Caesar’s loyalty to his human family results in mayhem, disturbing the neighborhood until there is no choice but for Caesar to be hauled away to the local zoo. 

If you have seen Planet of the Apes’ progenitors, you might expect another B-movie of this one, but no.  First, the apes here are no longer actors wearing ape suits.  And the apes here are… well, the apes here rise, as the title says.  Especially Caesar.   Motion-captured by Andy Serkis, Caesar—who reaps our kudos for singlehandedly creating the suspense in this film—is nothing the audience is prepared to meet.   Serkis motion-captured the character Gollum in Lord of the Rings—remember?

Motion-capturing is a fascinating cinematic process where the human actor plays the part but the film character’s image is subsequently superimposed on the actor’s.  Avatar used the same technology and the same WETA FX team of technicians.  In this case, the actor is Serkis, and the character is Caesar the chimp.  Thus in the final product we don’t see Serkis anymore, only the chimp.  That’s pretty tough for Serkis who had to learn how to move and emote like an ape for his character to be credible.  Human acting skills plus technology equals astonishing movie moments.  Director Rupert Wyatt plus Serkis plus WETA FX techno-magic equals the rise of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  Add to that the just-right script by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and you have a powerful tale to remember.  Franco’s performance also reveals a compassionate dimension never before seen in past roles.  We cannot go on assessing the film without eventually giving spoilers.   In order to grasp the complexity of the plot as well as the mysteriousness of life that it dwells on, one must view the film—rather, experience the film—even without reading a review of it.    

One exceptionally good thing about Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the confident handling by Wyatt of red-hot issues like DNA manipulation, man’s cruelty to animals, father-son relationship, corporate greed and the dignity of death.  His almost casual treatment of such delicate subjects serves as a flawless background for unexpected tenderness, much like crumpled black velvet cradling exquisite pearls in its folds.  We have yet to meet a person who wasn’t uplifted from watching this film.  Go see it and tell us what you think.

Cowboys & Aliens

CAST: Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Sam Rockwell, Clancy Brown, Paul Dano, Keith Carradine, Abigail Spencer,, Ana de la Reguera, Noah Ringer; DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau; SCREENWRITER:  Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby; PRODUCER: Alex Kurtzman, Scott Michelle Rosenberg, Roberto Orci, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard; EDITOR: Dan Lebental, Jim May; MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Harry Gregson-Williams; GENRE: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller,  Western & Adaptation; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Libatique; DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures; LOCATION: USA; RUNNING TIME: 118 minutes.

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 and above.

A stranger (Daniel Craig) who knows and remembers nothing except the English language stumbles into a desert town named Absolution with a shackle around one wrist.  Lean and mean, he s a gunslinger and is feared from the start, but when recognized as the wanted criminal Jon Lonergan, he becomes the target of the town’s iron-fisted ruler Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford).  Absolution’s town folks live in fear but the fear of human tyrants turns into terror of the unknown when the town is attacked by screaming aliens who set it on fire and abduct townsfolk at random.  Then the mysterious stranger Lonergan becomes the town’s sole hope for salvation. Lonergan slowly starts to recall who he is and where he’s been, and discovers the power behind the shackle on his wrist.  Aided by another mysterious traveler Ella (Wilde), Lonergan forms a posse oddly composed of  his opponents, Dolarhyde and his cohort, outlaws, Apache warriors.  They have one thing in common: their survival is threatened by the aliens.

The title sounds jokey, but the movie is not.  It’s in fact a cross between a class B Western (set in 1873) and class B science fiction, but in fairness, director Jon Favreau makes the odd combination work, turning it into light entertainment that is never too funny to look trivial.  But maybe because at this point, one cannot imagine a movie being that funny when Daniel Craig is in it, he who plays characters in movies that forbid him to smile.   Besides, Craig is, after all, still James Bond in the back of our mind, nobody to fool around with.  That may not be too good for Craig’s career in the long run.  Stereo-typing equals predictability, see?  It’s bad for the box office.  But let’s focus on Cowboys and Aliens for now.  Technically it’s okay, even surprising at some turns in spite of its computer generated protagonists, and with some big names in the kitchen like Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Gazer, the viewer is assured the storyline is worth the time it takes to finish a bucket of popcorn in the theater.

Cowboys and Aliens is “new” in the sense that the good guys and the bad guys of the traditional Westerns here stop trying to annihilate each other and instead merge to fight off the extraterrestrials.  When enemies unite to reduce collateral damage by saving the innocent, that’s good for planet earth, isn’t it?  When bad guys rise to goodness and good guys rise to heroism, the transformation does everyone a lot of good, correct?  Cowboys and Aliens is strong on promoting the family, too, and that makes it easier for the viewer to close an eye on its Western style and CGI violence.  There’s a part where a character complains that God hasn’t done much for him, and another answers to the effect that we shouldn't expect God to do everything—we have to “earn His presence... recognize it, and act on it”.   Not a bad message for a movie that aims to be a different Western, one with aliens with secret inner parts that unfold from their chest cavities—like the lethal drills that protrude from James Bond’s car tires—to rip humans open.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

CAST: Eugene Domingo, JM de Guzman, Kian Cipriano, Cai Cortez; DIRECTOR: Marlon Rivera; SCREENPLAY: Chris Martinez; LOCATION: Manila; GENRE: Comedy; RUNNING TIME:100 minutes.

Technical Assessment: 2.5

Moral Assessment: 2.5

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 and above.

Hindi magkamayaw sina Rainier (JM de Guzman) at Bingbong (Kian Cipriano) sa ginagawa at binubuo nilang indie film  na pinamagatang “Walang-wala” na siyang ipambabato nila sa mga international film festivals.  Si Rainier ang producer habang si Bingbong naman ang direktor. Kasama nila bilang Production Manager si Jocelyn (Cai Cortez). Habang pinag-uusapan ng dalawa ang binubuong kuwento ay nabubuo naman ang mga eksenang ito sa isip ni Jocelyn. Ang “Walang-wala” ay patungkol sa isang ina na si Mila na nahihirapang tustusan ang pangangailangan ng pito niyang anak kung kaya’t mapipilitan siyang ibenta sa pedopilya ang isa niyang anak. Si Eugene Domingo ang pangunahin nilang artista na nais nilang gumanap bilang bida. Sa sanga-sangang imahinasyon at paghihimay nina Rainier at Bingbong, kasama na rin ang panghihimasok ni Eugene Domingo bilang bida ng pelikula, makikita ang iba’t-ibang perspektibo at posibilidad ng “Walang-wala”. Nariyang maging isa itong dokumentaryo, musical at maging isang soap opera.

Isang matalinong produksiyon ang Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank. Nagawa nitong kilitiin ang imahinasyon ng mga manonood sa maraming posibilidad ng isang materyal pampelikula. Sa pagsilip sa mundo ng paggawa ng independent film ay makikita ang maraming realidad na nakapaloob dito. Bagama’t simpleng maituturing ang kuwento ay hitik ito sa mensahe patungkol sa pang-aabuso ng sistema ng sining na siya mismong kinabibilangan ng pelikula. Walang itulak kabigin ang mga nagsiganap at nangungun na riyan si Eugene Domingo na gumanap bilang siya at ginampanan din niya sa iba’t-ibang atake ang papel ni Mila. Isa ito sa pinakamahusay na pagganap ni Domingo at hindi tatayo ang pelikula kung hindi dahil sa husay niya. Sa kabuuan ay pulido ang pagkakagawa ng pelikula sa kabila ng kakulangan nito ng tunay na kuwento. Ang mga komentaryo nito sa lipunan ay sapat na upang mapukaw at makiliti ang mga manonood.

Sa gitna ng matitinding hagalpak ng tawa ay hinahalukay ng Ang Babae sa Septic Tank ang maraming sakit ng ating lipunan. May matinding kahirapan sa ating paligid at walang konkretong aksiyon ang mga mamamayan upang ito ay maibsan. Sa halip, ito ay niroromantiko at inaabuso ng ilang sektor ng lipunan na tulad ng pulitika at particular na rin ang sining ng pelikula. Sa kahirapan ng buhay nakakatagpo ng inspirasyon ang mga alagad ng sining na ginagamit lamang nila sa pansariling interes. Ang kahirapan, prostitusyon, at marami pang sakit ng lipunan na makikita sa mga bansang kung tawagin ay Third World tulad ng Pilipinas, ang siyang pumapatok at bumebenta sa mga film festivals na karaniwang ginagawa sa mga bansang mauunlad. Ang pelikulang tumatalakay sa mga sakit ng ating lipunan ang siyang ipinapamalas sa mata ng mga banyaga. Sa prosesong ito, nagiging mababa ang tingin sa atin bilang lipunan kapalit ng tagumpay para sa mga tinuturing na alagad ng indie filmmaking.  Katulad ng mga simbolong umiinog sa pelikula, sa kabila ng kinang ng mga bituin at makinang na daigdig ng pelikula, pawang “dumi” lang ang  lahat na itinatago ang kabulukan sa halip na usisain at gawin ang nararapat upang maiangat ang uri ng pamumuhay ng mahihirap nating mga kapatid at kababayan. 

Larry Crowne

CAST: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Rami Malek, Bryan Cranston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wilmer Valderrama, Taraji P. Henson, Pam Grier; DIRECTOR & WRITER: Tom Hanks; GENRE: Comedy, Drama; RUNNING TIME: 99 minutes.

Technical Assessment: 3

Moral Assessment: 3.5

CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 and above.

Just-divorced Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) has been Employee of the Month for eight months straight at the local UMart store.  But he is the first to go when retrenchment time comes.  Reason?  He has no college degree.  Now jobless and with a mortgaged house, he sells all but the barest necessities through his neighbor Lamar (Cedric the Entertainer) and enrols at the local community college.  There he is befriended by a fetching young woman Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who playfully christens him “Lance Corona”, updates his look and his lifestyle to match the new name, and invites him to join their scooter club.  In Public Speaking class he meets the teacher Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts), and from then on life becomes one safe and  wholesome scooter ride.

 

The story is good, no doubt about that.  But in its telling, the viewer might somehow expect something more gripping, some seismic spurts to lend spice to break the bland succession of events and to heighten the impact of the plot’s positive aspects.  But then, although the subject is serious enough to merit a more profound, dramatic treatment, Larry Crowne is still billed as a romance-comedy, so it’s a compromise at best, but not without merits.  As far as the script demands, lead stars Hanks and Roberts did their best and came out convincing and credible personae as what you might encounter in a small town that can pretty much exist without the rest of the world encroaching on private lives.   You get to view them as Larry Crowne and Mercedes Tainot, stripped of the glamour of their real life Hollywood identities, which makes them real good actors in our eyes. 

 

In its own quiet way Larry Crowne succeeds in giving hope for fresh beginnings to persons nearing the end of their line.  Larry is tearful over his retrenchment but it also serves to emphasize his tender nature: he is one hero who rises above misfortune without firing a gun, burning a building or plotting revenge on his oppressors.  The only “violence” here is when he smashes his scooter onto a couple of tables displaying cheap garage sale items.  Hanks as director and writer (with Nia Vardalos) probably created the Larry character to remind us that gentlemen are a vanishing breed in this day and age.  For what male nowadays would have the guts to disengage himself from a woman’s tight embrace and a devouring kiss-hungry mouth, say goodnight politely, and while tickled to high heavens still walk away without looking back?  Larry Crowne is also a subtle statement about prejudice against non-college graduates in America, a bias so common it’s been taken for granted.