Special Forces

            

LEAD CAST:  Diane Kruger, Djimon Hounsou, Benoît Magimel, Denis Menochet, Raphael Personnaz, Alain Figlarz, Alain Alivon,   Mehdi Nebbou, Raz Degan, Mehdi Nebbou, Morjana Alaoui, Tcheky Karyo DIRECTOR: Stephane Rybojad SCREENWRITER: Michael Cooper, Stéphane Rybojad PRODUCER:  Thierry Marro, Benoit Ponsaillé EDITOR: Erwan Pecher MUSICAL DIRECTOR  Xavier Berthelot GENRE:  Drama, Action & Adventure CINEMATOGRAPHER David Jankowski  LOCATION: France, Djibouti and Tajikistan

Technical Assessment:    4

Moral Assessment:   2.5

Cinema Rating: R 18 ( For viewers age 18 and above)

Special Forces is a French war adventure film. It shows a group of elite French soldiers on a desperate hostage rescue mission of a French journalist kidnapped by the Taliban in the Afghanistan/Pakistan area, who faces the threat of death by execution. 

Lockout

CAST Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Vincent Regan, Joseph Gilgun,  Lennie James, Peter Stormare  DIRECTOR James Mather, Stephen St. Leger STORY AND SCREENPLAY Luc Besson  PRODUCER  Marc Libert, Leila Smith  Genre Sci-Fi Action  Location Outer Space

Technical assessment  2.5

Moral assessment:  3

CINEMA Rating  For viewers 18 and above

In 2079, the US has built a maximum security penitentiary called MS1 outside the earth’s orbit wherein criminals are kept in suspended animation or statis. The president’s daughter Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace) visits the prison to investigate if the convicts are indeed being used as human guinea pigs and if statis leads to psychopathy and dementia. Unfortunately, during the interrogation, one of the convicts escapes and releases all other prisoners, resulting to a riot and the hostage of the Emilie and the rest of the prison staff. The Secret Service devices a plan to save Emilie by sending wrongly accused and sarcastically brooding CIA agent Snow (Guy Pearce) in the penitentiary. Although reluctant at first to accept the suicide mission, his fellow CIA agent Shaw (Lennie Shaw) convinces him to go by pointing out that the only person who will be able to clear his name and reputation is one of the prisoners in MS1. 

The film borrows too much from other movies namely Escape from New York and Alcatraz, to be original. The plot is predictable and the characters come off as caricatures. Although the action sequences are fast-paced and excitable, it shows nothing really creative or innovative. It does get boring after the first few explosions and hysteria of being chased throughout the film. The only successful ingredient in the film is the chemistry between Pearce and Grace providing a few laughs with their constant banter and Pearce’s dead tone liners and electrifying presence. Even at the very start of the conflict, we are sure of which characters will live and which one will die but nonetheless, the audience are glued to the screen as it does deliver an easily digestible and cheap entertainment.

One thing admirable with the film is the desire of the protagonist to help people whether criminals, hostages or the good guys. Emilie is an epitome of people-oriented leader who has no qualms about selflessness and compassion—at times to the point of stupidity (like telling the lunatic Hydell where she can found)—but still enough to make one appreciate goodness amidst a world transformed into self-centeredness and amorality.

Lockout is like most action films where the way to achieve justice, freedom or redemption is to have blood splattered indiscreetly and dead bodies scattered about from the first scene to the last.  Hence, the crude entertainment and modest values it may have is only suitable for older and more mature audiences.

Rock of Ages

 

CAST Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta Jones, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Malin Akerman, Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough, Marie Blige.  DIRECTOR Adam Shankman.  WRITERS Justin Theroux, Chris D’Arienzo.  RUNNING TIME 123 minutes.  GENRE Musical  LOCATION USA.  DISTRIBUTOR Warner Bros., New Line Cinema.

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral assessment:  2.5

CINEMA rating:  R14 (for viewers aged 14 and up)

Prodded by her grandmother to leave small town Oklahoma and follow her dream to be a rock star in Hollywood in the 80s, Sherrie (Julianne Hough) becomes a bag-snatching victim in the big city.  Drew (Diego Boneta) witnesses the robbery and suggests she apply for a job where he works as a bar boy, the Bourbon Room on Sunset Strip, owned by Dennis (Alec Baldwin).  Sherrie is convinced because besides being penniless and homeless, she will get to meet her rock-star idol Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) who’s slated to give his farewell performance at the Bourbon Room over the weekend.  Dennis hires her as waitress, without knowing that she sings and that Drew, in fact, sings with his own band.  Sherrie and Drew get to become close friends, sharing each other’s dreams of hitting it big someday as singers. 

To enjoy Rock of Ages, don’t take the plot more seriously than its director Adam Shankman does.   From the first tune, blurted out on a bus and which defies all sense of logic  (can you really find so many bus riders singing that professionally on a ride?) to the last toingggg of an electric guitar, Shankman has his tongue cheekily planted in his cheek.  And that’s what makes Rock of Ages entertaining.  It has a stunt casting but its biggest stars do roles against their types with earnestness and intensity—which only shows how versatile these stars can be.  Picture a gun toting Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible and see how many worlds away that is from Tom Cruise as a spoofily dramatic rock star.  Recall what the lovely and lovable Catherine Zeta Jones is in any of her movies and watch her here as a domineering, moralizing politician’s wife with a past to live down, whoa!  Compare Paul Giamatti as a maintenance man in Lady in the Water with the venal star manager in Rock of Ages.  And what of Alec Baldwin as bar owner Dennis in Rock of Ages and Alec Baldwin as Atty. Campbell Alexander in My Sister’s Keeper—goodness, they’re oil and water! 

Rock of Ages being a musical has a right to a predictable plot and some mash—aside from the “oldies” sung, the script possesses no originality; besides, Hough and Boneta are bland leads, but what the heck, the song and dance performances are high-spirited and the actors are obviously having a lot of fun, so, just sing and sway along!  Despite the infectious sense of fun Rock of Ages conveys, it may not be passed on as totally wholesome entertainment for the whole family.  Precocious 14-year-olds may be able to handle it, as long as they are advised by parents, teachers and other concerned elders about extra-marital sex and adult entertainment the movie contains.

Prometheus

Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green Director: Ridley Scott  Screenplay: Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof Cinematography: Dariuz Wolski  Music: Marc Streitenfeld  Distributor: 20th Century Fox  GENRE: Science fiction Running Time: 2:04

Technical:     4                  Moral:           3

CINEMA Rating:  R 14  (For ages 14 up)

It is year 2093.  Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her boyfriend Dr. Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover a series of ancient cave drawings from different cultures, the oldest dating 37,000 years, spanning various civilizations, and pointing to a single location in space—an earth-sized moon circling the sun, called LV-223.  Shaw and Holloway both believe that LV-223 could provide clues to the truth about the beginnings of mankind.  Their belief happens to mirror that of billionaire Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), CEO of Weyland Corporation, who, upon hearing of the couple’s findings, agrees to finance a space mission to LV-223.  Dr. Shaw and Dr. Holloway are to be lead scientists in the mission, accompanied by Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), who, representing Weyland Corporation, is in charge of the expedition; David (Michael Fassbender), an android who with almost human intelligence has inscrutable motivations; and 13 other crew members.  The spacecraft is named PROMETHEUS.  Arriving on LV-223, however, the team quickly realizes that the two doctors had underestimated the implications of the expedition, as their discovery of a superior humanoid life form in suspended animation results in horrible consequences threatening humanity itself. 

This must be said: casting is spot-on, and the acting, superb.  Shot entirely with 3D cameras, Prometheus offers a captivating and believable scenario of Earthlings’ space science a few years short of the 4^th millennium.  Although director Ridley Scott helped define the genre about three decades ago with Alien, it matters little whether the viewer has seen Alien or not—Prometheus can stand alone, and maybe even elicit enough enthusiasm to warrant the making of Prometheus 2.  Unlike most sci-fi movies nowadays which offer little more than fascinating gadgetry and jaw-dropping CGI, Prometheus has gorgeous visuals plus a plot that challenges the imagination and engages the viewer’s moral judgment.

Not that it has a perfectly plausible story—it has over-the-top assumptions, too, like in that scene where Dr. Shaw undergoes strenuous action right after a brutal surgery: not one staple on her abdominal wound gets undone.  Incredible—but you give it the benefit of the doubt since it’s set almost Circa 3000; perhaps medicine and surgery on our planet will be superior by then, and humans will have superhuman strength as well. It also has a scene which sticks out like a huge wart to mar the movie’s almost perfect face: a scientist lost in the underground maze fools around with a strange cobra-like creature—even kindergarteners are smart enough to stay away from unknown creatures, so why would a serious expedition like Prometheus include a buffoon in its crew only to be eliminated in just a stupid a way? 

What’s fascinating in Prometheus is that it unwittingly assures he audience that almost a century from today, humans will still be humans—being smug about their knowledge, having sexual needs, wanting to have children, and still searching for answers about human creation.  A belief in God and Christianity is still compelling for a scientist: Dr. Shaw cherishes the cross around her neck as a meaningful memento from her father.  Theron’s character, Vickers, also exclaims at two crucial moments “Jesus Christ!”  We wonder if this is intentional in the director’s part, subliminal, or simply, an oversight of the scriptwriters.  It is not dwelt upon at length in the movie but (spoiler coming!) the fact that it is the believer alone who survives must say something about the movie’s message.  Elsewhere in the movie, Shaw asks Holloway: “…they created us.  If they created us, why would they want to destroy us…?”  The voice-over close to the movie’s ending has Dr. Shaw asking more questions, saying the search goes on—which implies that searches of such kind will never find answers.

Snow White & the Huntsman

CAST:   Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin; DIRECTOR: Rupert Sanders; SCREENWRITER: Evan Daugherty; PRODUCED BY: Sam Mercer, Palak Patel, Joe Roth; EDITING BY: Conrad Buff IV, Neil Smith; MUSIC BY: James Newton Howard; GENRE: Drama, Action-Adventure- Fantasy; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Greig Fraser; DISTRIBUTOR:  Universal Pictures; LOCATION:  UK; RUNNING TIME: 127 minutes

Technical Assessment:  4
Moral Assessment:    3
Cinema rating:  For viewers 14 years old and above

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN  / TRT  /  june 12

The diabolical Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) becomes the second wife of the King and father of Snow White (Kristen Stewart).  On their wedding night, the Queen kills the King and locks the child Snow White in a room in the castle.  Living in terror of losing her beauty, the Queen in time is told by her magic mirror that Snow White has grown up and will soon outshine her in beauty; meanwhile Snow White escapes to the Dark Forest.  The Queen recruits Eric the Huntsman (Chris Helmsworth), the only one known to have survived the Dark Forest, to capture Snow White.  Threatened with death should he refuse to follow his order, the Huntsman finds Snow White, and upon learning that the Queen has tricked him, begins training Snow White for the arduous battle ahead.  Later on they are joined by the dwarfs (Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Eddie Izzard, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, and Stephen Graham) to restore the land taken over by the dark-hearted queen.

It’s an enchanted realm that Snow White and the Huntsman ushers us to, thanks to the magic of CGI.  Rupert Sanders, its director, has a knack for establishing memorable places, perhaps owing to his background in TV commercials.  Here, two places stand out in contrast to each other: the Dark Forest where Snow White seeks refuge is creepy and menacing, a place where apparently nothing lives but where tree branches morph into serpents and a monstrous troll seems to materialize from the bones of dead trees.  The Fairyland where the dwarfs hide Snow White and the Huntsman is an awesome wonderland where hundreds of one-eyed mushrooms regard the human visitors while pale-skinned naked sprites  pop up here and there to guide them.  Whether it’s black magic or white, every scene calling for the supernatural is a triumph of art direction.  And there’s acting to match.  Theron is especially effective as a wicked witch-queen, flawless and radiant—even when 90 percent of her part is screaming and glaring.  Stewart is plucky enough for the part, and her most shining moment is her stare-down with the giant troll which she faces unarmed in order to save a fallen companion.    

In Snow White and the Huntsman, there is betrayal, wickedness, deception, vanity and greed in the movie (not to mention implied incest) but there is also nobility of spirit, bravery, trust, innocence, and self-sacrificing love of others.  Outstanding is the mention of innocence and purity of heart as the only thing that can vanquish evil: here it means recapturing the glory of the dying kingdom; taken to the personal level it could mean turning away from error in order to enter a paradise on earth.  Adults will have no problem with the movie’s dark side, but children might have nightmares from the violence, and young teens might be misled by all that chicanery and spell-casting lurking beneath veneered exteriors.

Born To Love You

CAST:  Coco Martin (Rex), Angeline Quinto (Joey), Albert Martinez, Eula Valdez, Malou de Guzmen, Al Tantay; DIRECTOR: Jerome Chavez Pobocan; PRODUCER:  ABS CBN;
GENRE: Drama, Comedy, Romance; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: Star Cinema; LOCATION: Philippines; RUNNING TIME:  105 minutes

Technical Assessment:  3.5
Moral Assessment:    3.5
Cinema rating:  For viewers 14 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: A tour guide (Quinto) who hails from a poor family meets a struggling photographer (Martin) who has never gotten over his mother leaving when he was a kid. At first they get on each other’s nerves but soon they realize that they are meant to be together. However, there are issues and circumstances that threaten to tear them apart.

Piranha 3DD

CAST:  Danielle Panabaker (Maddy), David Hasselhoff, Matt Bush, Katrina Bowden (Shelby), Christopher Lloyd (Mr. Goodman), Ving Rhames (Deputy Fallon), Chris Zylka (Kyle), Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Josh), Gary Busey (Clayton), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Alex); DIRECTOR: John Gulager; SCREENWRITER: Marcus Dunstan, Patrick Melton  PRODUCED BY: Mark Canton,  Joel Soisson, Marc Toberoff; EDITING BY: Devin C. Lussier, Martin Bernfeld, Kirk Morri;  MUSIC BY: Elia Cmiral; GENRE: Action & Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Alexandre Lehmann; DISTRIBUTED BY: Dimension Films; LOCATION: USA; RUNNING TIME: 82 minutes


Technical Assessment:  2.5
Moral Assessment:    1.5
Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old and above

SYNOPSIS:  After the terror unleashed on Lake Victoria in Piranha 3D, the pre-historic school of blood thirsty piranhas are back. This time, no one is safe from the flesh eating fish as they sink their razor sharp teeth into the visitors of summer's best attraction, The Big Wet Water Park. Christopher Lloyd reprises his role as the eccentric piranha expert with survivor Paul Scheer and a partially devoured Ving Rhames back for more fish frenzy. David Hasselhoff trades in the sandy beaches of "Baywatch" to be a celebrity lifeguard at the racy water park.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Cast: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Frances McDormand, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer; Direction: Eriarnell, Noah Baumbach; Based on characters by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath; Producer: Mireille Soria, Mark Swift; Music: Hans Zimmer; Genre: Comedy Animation; Distributor: Paramount Pictures; Location: EuropeUSA; Running Time: 85 minutes


Technical Assessment:  4
Moral Assessment:  3
Cinema rating:  For viewers 13 years old and below with parental guidance


There is a certain charm when wild animals are presented with a counter human-ego, complete with emotions, psyche and personality. Madagascar creators must have realized this that they, not only came up with a TV series but also with the 3rd movie instalment of the lovable quartet. This time, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria tour the greatest cities of Europe as circus performers. They set out to return to New York after being abandoned in Africa. But first, they make a stopover at Monte Carlo to confront the Penguins. In Monte Carlo, Alex and his gang are forced to escape from the cruel animal-wrangler Chantel duBois (Frances McDormand), so they are forced to hide with a travelling circus which has seen better days. The story takes a deeper turn when the Penguins buy the circus and Alex tries to ignite passion into the performances.
On the one hand, the computer-generated effects, vibrant colors and spectacular movements are sheer work of genius. There are still the comedic punch once in a while, mostly delivered by Marty, the Zebra, the lemurs and the penguins. However, the main characters, and not to say the main plot, may be a bit too short and too thin to sustain the interest of the audience. One will find the film overflowing with overrated excitement, frenzy and action that come off as old and tired. There is nothing much the audience can ponder and reflect on as the movie does not attempt to go beyond cartoonish drama and hi-tech excitement.
One of the best valued lessons of Madagascar 3 is the undeniable loyalty and friendship of the four.  Through thick and thin, Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria stick together and help each other overcome danger and challenges.  Also, the movie touches briefly on rediscovering the real self and finding excellence in what you do by learning to love it with passion and dedication.  Had the European team not rediscovered these, they would never have realized how much more they can do.
Madagascar 3 may be viewed by young audiences but parents should still be on hand to explain the destruction and mayhem caused by the animals’ antics and the action scenes.

Street Dance 2

CAST:  Falk Hentschel, Sofia Boutella, George Sampson, Tom Conti, Stephanie Nguyen, Samuel Revell, Niek Traa, Elisabetta Di Carlo; DIRECTOR: Max Giwa & Dania Pasquini; SCREENWRITER: Jane English  PRODUCER: Allan Niblo, James Richardson; EDITOR: Tim Murrell         MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Lloyd Perrin, Jordan Crisp; GENRE:  Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International; CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Sam McCurdy     DISTRIBUTOR  Protagonist Films; LOCATION:  London; RUNNING TIME: 98 minutes

Technical Assessment:  3.5

Moral Assessment:    3

Cinema rating:  For viewers 14 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: When top street dancer Ash (Falk Hentschel) is humiliated and laughed off stage by American crew Invincible, he sets off to gather the best dancers from around the world to take them on - with a dance style they weren't expecting. With landmark locations, a spectacular fusion of dance styles and an unparalleled vibrancy, the sequel to StreetDance sees our hero fall in love with a beautiful salsa dancer as he discovers the magic, power and passion of dancing for the ultimate global dance off.

Men in Black III

CAST:  Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones,  Josh Brolin, Alice Eve, Emma Thompson, Jemaine Clement, Kevin Covais, Michael Stuhlbarg, Nicole Scherzinger, RJ Smith-Tillman, Rip Torn; DIRECTOR: Barry Sonnerfeld; SCREENWRITER:  Lowell Cunningham      PRODUCED BY: Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald; EDITING BY: Don Zimmerman;  MUSIC BY: Danny Elfman; GENRE:  Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Bill Pope;  DISTRIBUTOR: Sony Pictures; LOCATION:  USA; RUNNING TIME:  105 minutes

Technical Assessment:  3.5

Moral Assessment:    3

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old and above

In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back...in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him -- secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

21 Jumpstreet

CAST: Jonah Hill (Schmidt), Channing Tatum (Jenco), Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Dave Franco,  Johnny Dep,  Rob Riggle; DIRECTOR: Phil Lord, Chris Miller; SCREENWRITER: Michael Bacall; PRODUCED BY: Stephen J. Cannell, Neal H. Moritz; EDITING BY: Joel Negrone; MUSIC BY: Mark Mothersbaugh; GENRE:  Action-Comedy; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Barry Peterson;  DISTRIBUTOR:  Columbia Pictures; LOCATION: USA; RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes

Technical Assessment:  3.5

Moral Assessment:  2.5

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier - and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.

Every Breath We Take

CAST:  Piolo Pascual (Leo), Angelica Panganiban (Majoy), Carlos Agassi, Ryan Eigenmann, Smokey Manaloto, Ketchup Eusebio, Joross Gamboa, Janus del Prado,Wendy Valdez, Regine Angeles, Cacai Bautista, Frenchie Dy, and Ms. Nova Villa; DIRECTOR: Mae Czarina Cruz; SCREENWRITER: PRODUCER: ABS CBN; GENRE:  Romantic Comedy; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR:  Star Cinema 

LOCATION:  Philippines

Technical Assessment:  3

Moral Assessment:  2.5

Cinema rating:  For viewers 14 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: Every Breath U Take follows the story of a womanizing bachelor who doesn't believe in love and a woman desperate to find one. When their paths meet, romance ensued

The Cold Light of Day

CAST: Henry Cavill, (Will Shaw), Bruce Willis (Martin Shaw), Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Echegui (Lucia); DIRECTOR: Mabrouk El Mechri; SCREENWRITER: Scott Wiper, John Petro; PRODUCED BY: Marc D. Evans, Trevor Macy, Kevin Mann; EDITING BY: Valerio Bonelli; MUSIC BY: Lucas Vidal; GENRE:  Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR  Summit Entertainment; LOCATION: USA, Spain; RUNNING TIME: 93 minutes   

Technical Assessment:  3

Moral Assessment:  2

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: Will Shaw (Henry Cavill) goes to Spain for a weeklong sailing vacation with his family but his whole world turns upside down when the family is kidnapped by intelligence agents hell-bent on recovering a mysterious briefcase and Will suddenly finds himself on the run. -- (C) Summit Entertainment

The Mummy Returns

CAST:  Pokwang, Gabby Conception, Ruffa Gutierez, Kiray Celis, Gerald Pesigan, Jillian Ward, John Lapus, Kerbie Zamora, Ervic Vijandre, Hiro Magalona, Gloria Diaz; DIRECTOR:   Joel Lamangan; SCREENWRITER: Senedy H. Que; PRODUCER:  Regal Films; GENRE:  Comedy; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: Regal Films; LOCATION:  Philippines;

Technical Assessment:  3

Moral Assessment:  2.5

Cinema rating:  For viewers 14 years old and below with parental guidance

Masayang namumuhay ang middle class family ng mga Martirez.  Responsableng ama si William (Gabby Concepcion) at makalingang ina si Ruby (Pokwang)  sa kanyang asawa at tatlong anak sa kabila ng pagiging abala sa jewelry business.  Sa kasamaang-palad ay aksidenteng nakuryente at namatay si Ruby sa araw ng pagdiriwang ng ika-25 anibersaryo ng kanilang kasal.  Katulad ng inaasahan ay lubhang ikinalungkot ng mag-aama ang biglaang pagkawala ni Ruby.  Sa gitna ng pangungulila  ay mabilis na makakatagpo ng bagong pag-ibig si William sa katauhan ni Catherine (Ruffa).  Dalawang linggo pa lamang ang nakakalipas mula ng mailibing si Ruby ay nagpakasal ang dalawa na labis na ikinabigla at ikinasama ng loob ng mga anak.  Hindi nila matanggap na may kapalit na ang kanilang ina sa maigsing panahon at dahil dito ay hindi rin maganda ang pakikitungo nila kay Catherine bilang madrasta.  Samantala ay di mapakali sa kinahantungan purgatoryo ang kaluluwa ni Ruby.  Sa tulong ng manok ni San Pedro na nagbigay sa kanya ng tatlong kahilingan ay nakababa ang kaluluwa ni Ruby sa lupa upang proteksyunan ang mag-aama sa pamamagitan ng pananakot kay Catherine.

Ang pelikulang “The Mommy Returns” ay gumamit ng magkahalong pormula ng patawa at katatakutan upang ihatid ang gasgas na tema ng nagmumultong kaluluwa ng biglang namatay na ina at mahirap na sitwasyon ng babaing pumalit sa kanya sa buhay ng kanyang mag-aama.  May saysay naman sana ang kwento subalit naging mababaw at pilit ang dating dahil sa mga pinakitang sitwasyon ng kababawan at di makabuluhang mga diyalogo.  At lalong malayo sa realidad ang pilit na ipinasok na eksena ng pagbaril ng harapan sa gitna ng okasyon na maraming nakakakitang tao.  Pilit ding ipinasok ang tema ng kabaklaan sa layunin na magpatawa.  At dahil mababaw nga ang istorya ay di kinailangan na humugot ng malalim na emosyon ang mga artista sa kanilang pagganap.  Subalit sa larangan ng comedy, maliban kay Pokwang ay may ibubuga rin sa paghahatid ng mga linyang patawa ang mga batang nagsiganap.  Maganda ang  mga kuha ng camera, nabigyan-diin ang mga tampok sa eksena. Maingat ang effects na ginamit sa paglitaw at paglaho ng ghosts.  Maganda ang disensyo ng produksyon katulad ng purgatory.  Gayundin ang make-up ng mga nagsiganap bilang normal na tao at kahit bilang multo.  Akma rin ang mga inilitapat na tunog at musika.  Sa kabuuan ay naisalba ng mga aspetong teknikal ang mahinang daloy ng kwento at trato ng director.

Layunin daw ng pelikula na bigyang pugay ang mga ina kaugnay ng paggunita ng Mothers’Day.  Subalit bakit naman kaya ang mga pinakita ay imahe ng mapanadyang multo  na naka-highlight ang mga  kakulangan kaya di nakatuloy sa langit.  Ang madrasta naman bilang kapalit na ina ay bahagya lang nakitaan ng pasensya at pang-unawa sa mga batang nabigla sa pagdating niya sa buhay nila at naging magaan ang kamay sa pananakit.  Ang ina naman ng madrastra ay isang materyosang babae na nag-uudyok ng taliwas na ideya ng pagpili ng mapapangasawa ng asawa at pangunahin din ang pagkahumaling sa lalaki at yaman. Kung tutuusin ay mas nagpugay ang pelikula sa isang responsable at mapagmahal na ama na inaalala ang kapakanan ng anak sa sandaling maigupo sya ng malubhang karamdaman.   Subalit mali pa rin na inilihim niya ang sakit na siyang dahilan ng pagmamadali niya makahanap ng kapalit ng nasirang asawa.  Tila pagbibigay pugay rin sa mga bakla ang pelikula, mula sa mga lenggwahe, imahe ng anghel na tagabantay sa purgatoryo at ang kumbinsidong batang lalaki na isa syang magandang “babae” at matagumpay na  bakla paglaki.  Maganda sanang pagkakataon ang pagtalakay ng purgatory bilang pansamantalang hantungan ng kaluluwa ng mga yumao katulad ng paniniwala ng mga Katoliko na syang  mayorya ng populasyon sa Pilipinas.  Subalit hindi naman nabigyan-pansin ang bagay na ito.  Mayroon namang konting aral na hatid ang pelikula katulad ng subalit mas namayani ang kababawan, mga linya na may malisya, pagbibigay katwiran sa pananaw at gawain ng mga bakla na bagamat inihatid bilang mga eksenang patawa ay  lubhang nakababahala at maaring makagulo sa isipan ng mga bata kaya nangangailangan ng matured na isipan ng manonood.

Dark Shadows

CAST: Eva Green, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller; DIRECTOR: Tim Burton; WRITER: Dan Curtis, John August, Seth Grahame-Smith; GENRE: Comedy / Fantasy; PRODUCED BY: Richard, D. Zanuck, Graham King, Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, David Kennedy; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Bruno Delbonnel; EDITING BY: Chris Lebenzon; DISTRIBUTED BY: Warner Bros.; LOCATION: United States; RUNNING TIME: 113 minutes

Technical Assessment:  3.5

Moral Assessment:  2

Cinema rating:  For viewers 14 years old and above

Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine.  The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green).  A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972.  He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets.— Warner Bros.

Tim Burton revives the classic cult series through Dark Shadows, tagged as a “murderously funny fantasy” starring Depp as Gothic vampire Barnabbas Collins.   The movie may be escapist, all right, and with production designer Rick Heinrichs providing the atmospheric interiors, exploited to the max by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, and topped off with the tingling score by Danny Elfmann, it does provide an elegant and glamorous escape, whether or not you go for vampires or Goths.

For a bit of history: the original Dark Shadows, Dan Curtis’s vividly melodramatic ABC-TV series, pioneered the use of supernatural elements in soap opera.   It ran weekdays from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971, amassing 1,225 episodes, which is more than most other sci-fi series, including Doctor Who and Star Trek.  Now—both director Burton and star Depp have professed to being obsessed with Dark Shadows in their youth, and especially with debonair vampire Barnabas Collins, the series’ most memorable character.

Those who have seen the original (even internet-smart kids nowadays can download the complete original series) would naturally compare this Dark Shadows to the original concept; they might notice that Burton’s adaptation relies for impact on jokes and special effects instead of the foreboding atmosphere of the original.  The dashing vampire playboy is sometimes overpowered by Depp, the go-to for such bizarre character roles, who as the vampire resurrected after 200 years is a stranger to the modern world circa 1971, when they had only television.  Imagine how that vampire would react had he lain underground for another 40 years, when we have internet and all that!  Anyway, it’s an old team, as Burton and Depp also collaborated on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland.

Would you want children to see Dark Shadows (2012)?   Why not, as long as you warn them it’s fiction.  There’s a lesson somewhat to be learned here about fooling around with love.  Jilted women (like the witch who falls madly in love with Collins) could give you hell even if they can’t turn you into a vampire or curse your whole family; they could be witchy enough to make your life really miserable, even if only through Facebook.  Depp’s role here exhibits a mellowed character towards the end, who—although as a vampire he also inflicts harm on others—may not be totally unredeemable.   

American Pie: Reunion

CAST: Jason Biggs (Jim), Alyson Hannigan (Michelle), Chris Klein (Oz), Thomas Ian Nicholas (Kevin), Tara Reid (Vicky), Seann William Scott (Steve Stifler); DIRECTOR: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schossberg; SCREENWRITER:  Adam Herz, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schossberg; FILM PRODUCER: Chris Moore, Craig Perry, Warren Zide; EDITING BY: Jeff Betancourt;  MUSIC BY: Lyle Workman; GENRE:  Comedy, Romance; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR  Universal; LOCATION: USA; RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes

Technical Assessment:  3

Moral Assessment:  1.5

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old and above

Thirteen Years after they have graduated, Jim (Biggs),Kevin (Nicholas), Oz (Klein), Finch (Thomas) and Stifler (Scott) return to their old town to attend their High School reunion over a long weekend and to momentarily relive their carefree adolescent lives.  Jim, now married to highschool geek Michelle, is suffering from a lacklustre sex life after the birth of their 2-year old son; while Oz’s booming celebrity career and high-profile relationship is merely a façade for the frustration he feels within. Finch is nowhere to be found and Kevin seems happily married and content as a stay-at home dad while Stifler is totally disgusted with his job and his tyrannical boss. When the boys get together, Stifler tries to recreate their high school life complete with slutty behaviour and sluttier parties but realize that his batch mates have outgrown him and actually have matured a notch. Jim gets advice from his dad, now a widower, on how to rekindle their marriage’s romance while the latter gets tips from his son on how to move out of his loneliness. The reunion provides an avenue to each of the characters to resolve their issues and realize how much their friendship means to them after all these years.

American Pie Reunion does not offer anything new. While it remains faithful to its core formula of sexual awakening and the growing up pains that it involves, the fact that the characters are now pushing 40 poses an issue with that premise. It doesn’t help that most of the jokes revolve on exposed body parts,  body fluids and bad attitude because it merely made the movie a little too juvenile. The attempt to give each character a storyline further thinned the already frayed plot.  The actors portrayed their characters as if they were still naïve hormone-driven teenagers raving to explore sexuality which makes them downright silly and pathetic. There are a few cheap laughs here and there and some noteworthy one-lines but who would want to waste two hours on such trashy film?

There are three problem areas with this movie. First, sex is treated as a commodity. Even with Jim’s “sex is sacred and you should save yourself for someone special” line to Kara does nothing to redeem its view on sex as something available to anyone anytime, anywhere. Everyone is just too horny and self-centered and seem to care nothing more than getting laid.

Second, the movie is composed mainly of immature characters who have no qualms about consequences, values or setting an example. It was one thing when the prequels involved highschool teenagers (although this is still not an excuse for sluttiness). But it is totally disgusting to watch 30 something men – some married, most holding a serious profession – trashing out their lives, getting too drunk to remember to wear their pants and finding themselves in silly situations where their marriage and reputation can be jeopardized over the weekend.

And third, although the ending provides a closure or resolution for each of the characters’ conflicts, it does so with a flimsy twist that neither redeem their previous actions or show hope that they are afterall respectable people just a little late on the maturity department.

American Pie Reunion has some good points though. It emphasizes fidelity in marriage and actually celebrates the commitment given to each other despite odds and challenges. Friendship and brotherhood resonate throughout the film. But sadly, these messages are not enough to drown the disgusting storylines and objectionable scenes.

The Cabin In the Woods

CAST: Kristen Connolly (Dana), Chris Hemsworth (Curt), Fran  Kranz (Marty), Anna Hutchison (Jules), Jesse Williams (Holden), Bradley Whitford, Richard Jenkins, Amy Acker, Brian White; DIRECTOR:  Drew Goddard; SCREENWRITER: Joss Whedon., Drew Goddard; PRODUCER: Joss Whedon; EDITING BY: Lisa Lassek;   MUSIC BY: David Julyan; GENRE:  Mystery & Suspense, Horror; CINEMATOGRAPHER     DISTRIBUTOR: Lionsgate  

LOCATION:   USA; RUNNING TIME:  95 minutes     

Technical Assessment:  3.5

Moral Assessment:  1.5

Cinema rating:  For viewers 18 years old and above

SYNOPSIS: Two technicians in a sophisticated industrial facility are getting ready for an unknown operation, one of several taking place around the world.

Meanwhile, five college students drive out for a vacation to a remote cabin in the woods, while the technicians keep an eye on the students with hidden cameras. Through the use of sophisticated environmental controls and the release of mood-altering drugs into the air, each student is manipulated into a fairly common horror archetype by the organization. These changes generally downplay the students' intelligence, while enhancing sexual libido and lack of