The Mummy

Direction: Alex Kurtzman; Cast: Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, Russell Crowe; Screenplay: Davif Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie, Dylan Kussman,  Story: Jon Spaihts, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet; Editing:  Paul Hirsch, Gina Hirsch; Producer: Alex Kurtzman; Music: Brian Tyler; Genre: Adventure, Horror; Distributor: Universal Pictures; Location: Middle East and USA  Running Time: 107 minutes  

Technical assessment: 2  

Moral assessment: 2.5 

CINEMA rating: V18 

An underground construction team unearth a graveyard of 11^th century knight crusaders somewhere in London. A mysterious man, who says he is authorized to investigate the scene, narrates the story of the ruthless Egyptian Princess Ahmanet (Boutella).  Ahmanet was to succeed her father until her stepmother gives birth to a boy and strips her of her birthright. She murders her family and makes a pact with the Egyptian god, Set, and tries to sacrifice her lover to give his spirit a human form. But the Pharaoh’s priests mummify Ahmanet live and sentences her to a mercury-surrounded prison. In present day Iraq, soldier-of-fortune Nick Morton (Cruise) accidentally frees the tomb while investigating the area with his partner Chris Vail and one-time lover archaeologist Jenny Halsey (Wallis). Ahmanet feeds on humans to regenerate her body and summons her power to possess those around her so she can capture Nick whom she has chosen to be Set’s human vessel. Meanwhile, Edward Hyde (Crowe) intervenes and reveals his mission to rid the world of evil by capturing and experimenting on them. Ahmanet, however, frees herself and recovers the dagger and stone necessary to complete the ritual. In the final struggle, Nick succumbs to Ahmanet and is possessed by Set but regains control when he sees the dead body of Jenny. He kills Ahmanet and resurrects Jenny before disappearing into the darkness.  

This Mummy franchise is by far the most ambitious failure. The storyline erupts with mindless cliché and poor interpretation of themes you've seen elsewhere. There are moments of lightheartedness and enjoyable action but these do not compensate for the muddled plot and characters. This is technically impressive with all the meticulous work in recreating ancient times, modern zombies and a creepy lab fighting evil. But without a solid story, the storytelling tools are useless. The biggest problem with the film is Cruise himself who continuously lives that self-absorbed man stuck in juvenile mode who by some epiphany realizes that selflessness alone can save the day. He is either too old or not believable enough to pull it off. There is absolutely no chemistry between him and Jenny, and not enough reason for us to root for Morton to stay alive and for Cruise to do a sequel. 

A real hero is a hero by choice, not by fate. Almost every movie about the history of a superhero shows us how ordinary people are transformed into superheroes not by physical abilities or supernatural power but by their character that makes them worthy to receive the special gifts that will make them “supers”.  But heroes need not be super (or come with superpowers) because a hero just needs to see what he or she has within. A special talent, a competence, a passion or just the very self. And when that is strengthened, that becomes the power. Now, that power is revealed when they face a critical or a life-and-death situation wherein they need to choose between themselves and others, between protecting their interests or that of the common good. We see also how a selfish, immature or lawless person transforms and reforms to be selfless, responsible and upright when they understand love and sacrifice. And this makes an ordinary person a hero. In principle, The Mummy wanted to show how Nick is transformed into a hero—whether it was successful or not is another question. And with the aggressive action sequences, sexual innuendos and adult themes present, the movie is preferable for the older audiences. 

The Lost City of Z

 DIRECTOR:  James Gray  LEAD CAST:  Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Angus Macfadyen)  SCREENWRITER:  James Gray  PRODUCER:  Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Anthony Katagas, James Gray, Dale Armin Johnson  EDITOR:  John Axelrad, Lee Haugen  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Christopher Spelman  GENRE:  Biographical adventure, historical drama  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Darius Khondji  DISTRIBUTOR:  Collosal Mega Films Co.  LOCATION:  Colombia and Ireland  RUNNING TIME:  141 minutes

Technical assessment:  4

Moral assessment:  3

CINEMA rating: V14

British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) sets out in 1906 to survey Bolivia’s dense rainforests. With corporal Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson), he finds relics of ancient pottery that convince him that deep within the Amazon jungle is a civilization far more advanced than high-brow London society can acknowledge. He calls it the Lost City of Z. Fawcett and Costin return to Bolivia a second time to locate the city, but their mission is sabotaged by self-directed biologist James Murray (Angus Macfadyen). On his third attempt in 1923, Fawcett is joined by his son Jack (Tom Holland). They never return, but Nina (Sienna Miller) does not lose hope that her husband and son are alive, even as she shows proof that someone saw them living with the Amazon people.

Based on David Grann’s book of the same title, The Lost City of Z is a cinematic experience of idyllic meadows in Ireland and dramatic indoor shots and closeups. With good lighting, the scenes become almost like impressionist paintings. The magic is lost when the film takes the audience to the recesses of the Amazon. The supposed emerald greens and glistening forests, even the ancient pottery that was central to the story, failed to enthrall and convince the audience that there might indeed be a Lost City of Z. The script compensates, and is outstanding for unraveling the internal conflicts of the characters: of Fawcett’s desire to restore the glory of his family’s name, his faith in the existence of an ancient and advanced civilization frowned upon by England’s intellectual aristocracy, of Nina’s struggles to transcend the stereotypical role of a devoted wife and mother as she articulates her desire to be part of the expedition herself.

Yet even with a laudable script, or perhaps because of it, The Lost City of Z fails to stir our hearts, but as a purely intellectual experience it challenges us to examine our own prejudices. To what extent are we prepared to abandon our preconceived notions, much of them subliminal, of racial supremacy? That the film is told from the point of view of a white man and very little if at all is conveyed about or by the Amazon tribes gives us pause. It mirrors how modern society silences the poor in the periphery, quite opposite the preferential option for the poor that we as Catholics should vow to pursue. We also shouldn’t miss the centrality of marriage and family as drivers of one’s choices in life. The film illuminates this issue so well, showing how Fawcett is at once driven by personal ambitions and lofty ideals, and his son Jack, in rage, questions his father’s convictions. Immensely relevant in today’s Filipino diasporas mushrooming in various parts of the world, where people go in search of better jobs. Overseas Filipinos are our modern day Fawcetts. The Lost City of Z makes us think, and as a tool for introspection, it achieves its purpose. 

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge

Director:   Joachim Ronning, Espen Sandberg  Lead Cast: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Kaya Scodelario, Brenton Thwaites  Screenwriter:      Jeff Nathanson, Terry Rossio, Ted Elliot  Producer:  Jerry Bruckheimer  Editor:  Roger Balton, Leigh Folsom Boyd  Musical Director:  Geoff  Zanelli  Genre: Fantasy-Adventure  Cinematographer: Paul Cameron  Distributor: Walt Disney  Location: United States  Running Time:   129 minutes

Technical assessment: 2

Moral assessment: 2.5

CINEMA rating: A14

MTRCB rating: PG

The fifth installment of the popular franchise, Pirates of the Carribean: Salazar’s Revenge take an all-new adventure with the usual not-so-lucky Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Capt. Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle and are now after him.  Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon—but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer Carina (Kaya Scodelario) and a headstrong young man Henry Turner (Brenton Thawaites), son of  Jack’s old associates Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Turner (Keira Knightley). Henry is out to free his father from the curse of the Flying Dutchman. Jack, Carina and Henry sail together to find the Trident of Poseidon for different reasons. Will they be able get there and survive amidst the rage of Jack’s enemies?  

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge suffers from the usual problems of convoluted storytelling without a compelling center. The point-of-view is confusing from the very start as it introduces the new and young characters Henry and Carina. With the presence of these two, it seems that Jack Sparrow’s presence is just coincidental and does not go beyond from being merely functional. The characterization seems uninspired with most of them bordering on the mechanical. There is no depth of emotional development or human dimension besides superhuman beings and ghosts who appear to be more powerful than the living—result is a poorly developed story with a spectacular backdrop of visual effects and production design. Even the action sequences appear to be as tired as the franchise with no more new tricks and antics to offer other than extending it for the sake of introducing younger characters. Lighting seems to be dark at most times, making some scenes hard to understand. But then the film still tries very hard to live-up to its original appeal—romantic, naughty, action-packed, mysterious, dark yet has something good to say. Perhaps it just pales in comparison to its predecessors.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge revolves around the unfailing love of a son for his father which is later on compensated by a father’s sacrificial love for his daughter. Although these are not attributed to the main character, Jack Sparrow, it is the fuel of the story though not necessarily well-developed. There are questionable scenes of adultery and violence that may not be suitable for the very young followers of the franchise. Such depictions of immorality are easily dismissed as not central to the conflict. However, given that the franchise is made popular by its lead—a drunkard, womanizer, criminal,  a pirate with no apparent redeeming value aside from being supportive and instrumental for others to achieve their pure intentions—the film remains on the borderline of being morally disturbing. Not to mention the graphic violence with a certain degree of blood and gore in most fight scenes which might desensitize young, impressionable minds. CINEMA deems the film as fit only for audiences 14 years old and above.  Parents are cautioned to guide their children while watching this film as its genre will always be misleading as wholesome entertainment.

Baywatch

DIRECTOR: Seth Gordon   CAST: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, David Hasselhoff  SCREENPLAY BY: Damian Shannon, Mark Swift  STORY BY: Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant  BASED ON: Baywatch by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, Gregory J. Bonann  PRODUCERS: Ivan Reitman, Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, Gregory J. Bonann,  Beau Flynn  EDITOR: Peter Elliot  CINEMATOGRAPHY: Eric Steelberg  MUSIC: Christopher Lennertz  GENRE: Action, Comedy, Drama  PRODUCTON COMPANIES: Paramount Pictures, Contrafilm, The Montecito Picture Company, Vinson Pictures, Seven Bucks Productions, Flynn Company, Cold Spring Pictures  DISTRIBUTORS: Paramount Pictures  COUNTRY: USA  LANGUAGE: English  RUNNING TIME:  116 minutes

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment: 3

CINEMA rating: V18 

MTRCB rating: R16

Lt. Mitch Buchanan (Dwayne Johnson) leads a team of lifeguards composed of Stephanie Holden (Ilfenes Hadora) and CJ Parker (Kelly Rohrbach) at the Emerald Bay. Mitch is well regarded by the bay community because of his track record on life rescues. In one of his routine patrols in the bay he finds a pouch of prohibited drugs washed up near the Huntley Club owned by big time businesswoman Victoria Leeds (Priyandka Chopra).  Suspecting something fishy going on at the Club, he sets to investigate its activities, involving his team of lifeguards plus trainees—surfer Summer (Alexandria Daddario), nerd Ronnie (John Bss), and Matt Brody (Zac Efron, a disgraced Olympic swimmer and gold medalist).  Brody initially comes on arrogant, his ego puffed up by his Olympian celebrity status, but with Mitch’s tough mentoring, he learns to work with the team.  The full team works to gather evidence of Leeds’ illegal drug operations   but the syndicate, the bay management, and the police give them a hard time.

Baywatch has a good cast telling a good story but excessive reference to sexual inhibitions of a nerd character and exposure of male genitals of a dead body to elicit laughter is rather distracting.  Exchange of jokes in vulgar language somehow overshadows meaningful dialogue on Baywatch duties.  Nonetheless, the film offers good cinematography in some of the long shots of the bay, underwater and rescue scenes, with compliments of good editing.  The rescue scenes (especially the one with the boat on fire) actually give viewers a ringside view of lifeguarding, and graphically tells them the job is not just about “protecting people from sunburn”.  The production design, costumes and make-up are appropriate either at the beach or in high-end social functions. The musical score gives an overall upbeat tone to the film.

Inspired by the famous American TV series of same title, Baywatch focuses on the interaction between Mitch and Brody—mentor and trainee—and the latter’s maturing through failures until he finds meaning and purpose in his work. All work duties especially as a team leader require dedication, hard work and accountability. This is how the character of Mitch is portrayed in the film.  He does not tolerate arrogance among his team mates and he makes them realize the importance of good attitudes and self-discipline to be able to succeed in a lifeguard job where precious life is always at stake. The film also depicts that no matter how far a person has reached a celebrity status there comes a time that his humility may be challenged to face life’s realities, just like the character of Brody, the disgraced Olympian. When there is misunderstanding between two people with a wide age gap, the older shows firmness and maturity in injecting right attitude and values.  However, the movie is peppered with shots of women’s breasts, butts, men’s sex organ, and expressions of sexual desires with vulgar language.  Did Baywatch intentionally use sexual humor and situations to get the younger audience to sit up and listen to Mitch’s wisdom and sound values?  For instance, we see the dead-man-in-the-morgue footage as a test of Brody’s sincerity to serve seriously as a lifeguard, and we hope that the audience who laughed over this scene saw its value as we did.  Maybe yes, maybe no, thus, CINEMA gives it a V18 rating—for older teens and adults who are assumed to be more discerning viewers.    

Wonder Woman

DIRECTOR: Patty Jenkins   LEAD CAST: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen  SCREENPLAY: Allan Heinberg, Jeoff Johns  PRODUCER:  Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Jack Snyder, Richard Suckle  EDITOR:  Martin Walsh  MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Rupert Gregson-Williams  GENRE: American Superhero Film  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Matthew Jensen  DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. Pictures  LOCATION: United Kingdom  RUNNING TIME: 140 minutes

Technical assessment: 4

Moral assessment:  4

CINEMA rating:  V14\

As the only child among Amazonian women warriors in Themyscira, 8-year-old Diana (Lilly Aspel) is told that she has no father, as her mother Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) had sculpted her from clay and that the Greek god Zeus brought her to life.  Eager to be like the warrior women around, the girl pleads with her mother to start her training, but the maternally protective Hippolyta forbids it.  Hippolyta’s sister, General Antiope (Robin Wright), begins to secretly train Diana until they are discovered when Diana is aged 12, (Emily Carey).  When Antiope argues that Diana should be able to fight to at least protect herself, Hippolyta gives in and tells her sister to train Diana 10 times harder than the rest, but she must never be told the truth that her father is Zeus. After dramatically defeating Antiope in training, Diana (Gal Gadot)—now a young woman—isolates herself, apparently stunned by the supernatural power she has manifested in combat.  At this point she witnesses a light plane plunging into the sea, and instinctively swan dives off a cliff to rescue its drowning pilot, American spy Captain Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), with whom Diana is to begin her mission of saving the world from the god of war, Ares (David Thewlis).

It is easy to see why Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman earned a record breaking 96 percent approval rating (on Rotten Tomatoes) from film critics and moviegoers alike: everything from the solid plot and narrative to the meticulously designed sets can hold the audience spellbound from beginning to end—and yet wanting to see more.  The film’s record-breaking performance at the box office proves Wonder Woman’s appeal to the movie-going public, exceeding all expectations in terms of ticket sales and critical reception (from the first 300 reviews).  

Wonder Woman (1974)

As the first superhero movie featuring a stand-alone female lead, Wonder Woman causes women in the audience, feminist or not, to rejoice and celebrate woman’s pulchritude.  The movie extols the power, wisdom, courage, purity, and strength of women, and chucks the woman-as-sex-object stereotype.

Compare the costumes of Wonder Woman circa 1974 (Linda Carter starring) and this Gal Gadot version: notice how the former is garbed in a strapless costume virtually cut out from the American flag?  It looks more like a bathing suit designed for Miss America contestants—with matching Santa Claus boots at that!  Funny?  Pray tell, how could a bosomy heroine fight evil in that outfit without risking warbrobe malfunction?  Unless it is tattooed on.  Ridiculously funny.  On the other hand, Wonder Woman 2017’s armor combines elegance and wearability, is stylish yet battle-worthy; and modest, too, mind you—thoughtfully concealing the cleavage and the mons veneris from slobbers.  And those gladiator boots?   Masterfully crafted to kickass the badass.  Talk about the dignity of women.

While not without a few technical slips, Wonder Woman has plenty of wow moments to grab the viewer’s attention and preclude nitpicking from nasty blanket-wetters.  Cinematography, editing, dialogue, sound, lighting, special effects all score high.  Real stunts eliminated the need to rely heavily on CGI for spectacular footage.  Casting real life Olympic athletes, supermodels, beauty queens, martial artists, and equestriennes as Amazonians heightened the realism of the battle scenes.  Gadot herself, who was Miss Israel of 2004, served as combat instructor in the Israeli army for two years, enabling her to tackle Wonder Woman’s superb fight choreography with skill and grace.

The chemistry between Pine and Gadot who are both naturals for their respective roles also does much towards the credibility of both story and characters.  Much of their dialogue establishes characterization and emphasizes the difference in the worlds they’re coming from.  To wit:

Steve:  “Have you never met a man before?  What about your father?”  Diana:  “I have no father.  My mother sculpted me from clay and Zeus brought me to life.”  Steve:  “Well, that’s neat.”   

Diana: “What is that?”  Steve:  “Oh that?  That is a watch.  My father gave it to me….  It’s a good thing it’s still ticking.”  Diana: “What for?”  Steve: “Because it tells time, when to eat, sleep, wake up, work…”  Diana:  “You let that little thing tell you what to do?”  

Steve:  “I can’t let you do that!”  (trying to stop Diana from killing Ludendorff)

Diana:  “What I do is not up to you!”  (brushes off Steve to run after Ludendorff)

As for the title character, no one else could have incarnated Diana Prince/Wonder Woman better than Gadot who infuses the role with the required dose of grit and grace, innocence and resolve, might and beauty, charm and chutzpah, humor and pathos.  Gadot’s portrayal in the hands of Jenkins makes the movie 140 minutes of sheer empowerment.

Through this landmark film directed by a woman and ennobling women, the DC Extended Universe has launched a new icon—a woman who might as well serve as a role model for girls/women with an expansive outlook in life.  Entirely free of guile, Diana—graduating from naivete to humility and compassion—realizes that the world of men, sordid though it seems, may still be seen through the eyes of love, and thus be saved—only by Love. The one thing that makes Diana Wonder Woman in her core is her awareness of and faithfulness to her destiny as a restorer of peace in a chaotic world.  As may be gleaned from Diana’s lines—“I will fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.” “I cannot stand by while innocent lives are lost!”  “It’s not about what you deserve.  It’s about what you believe.  And I believe in love!”—life has shaped the girl who had wanted to be a warrior into a woman who embraces the call to love—not erotic love, but the Love that is willing to deny the self in order to serve a cause that is greater than herself.  Really, how Christlike can a female superhero get?        

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Direction: Guy Ritchie; Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Jude Law, Eric Bana; Story and Screenplay: Guy Ritchie, Lionel Wigram, Joby Harold; Cinematography: John Mathieson; Editing:  James Herbert; Producer: Guy Ritchie, Akiva Goldsman, etc.; Music: Daniel Pemberton; Genre: Epic Adventure; Distributor: Warner Bros; Location: Camelot  Running Time: 126 minutes

Technical assessment: 3                                                       

Moral assessment: 3

CINEMA rating: V14

After defeating Mordred and his minions, King Uther (Bana), the good and powerful King of the Britons and master of Excalibur is betrayed and murdered by his envious brother Vortigern (Law). The child prince Arthur (Hunnam) is safely swept by the river into the brothel where prostitutes find, care and raise him. Arthur grows up tough and cunning. When the river reveals the Excalibur, Vortigern has young men rounded up and forced to try to extract the sword to he can flush out the only threat—Arthur. Meanwhile, Arthur is captured and successfully pulls the sword Excalibur out from the rock. He then discovers his real identity as well as his destiny to defeat Vortigern and free Camelot. But the questions remains: Is Arthur willing to do so?

Richie’s version is at most fun. It intertwines the classic legend with non linear editing techniques familiar to action spy films, avant-garde designs and completely different character personalities. That he tried to impute revisionist visions in the classic tale is commendable. It did away with Camelot’s romance and chivalry and made the well-loved ancient characters interact with modern concepts of society and storytelling.  But his brave attempt delivered nothing more than a muddled version with outrageously cheesy dialogue and a series of scenes that rushed for two hours.   Perhaps the film could have worked if it was not packaged as a King Arthur story. 

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword threads on two main themes: sacrifice and responsibility. We see two sides of sacrifice—the self-serving and the selfless of Vortigern and Uther, respectively. The former consumes and destroys, the latter liberates and unites. Sacrifice gains its worth when its motivation is not the self.  In the same manner, another person's sacrifice reciprocates a call to stand up and become the leader or game changer you are called to be. In other words, a selfless sacrifice begets a commitment to responsibility… again not to the self but for the common good. Needless to say, the film reiterates a simple and straightforward message—that there is good in every person regardless of his background. On the other hand, education, social stature, and authority do not make a person good. It is still a matter of choice. While Ritchie tries really hard to deliver a solid message, he does so with an exaggerated storytelling and unconvincing characterization. We doubt if the audience can wade through the confused plot and flamboyant production. But nonetheless, we did say the film—with Pemberton’s thumping music—is a lot of fun.

Alien Covenant

Direction: Ridley Scott; Cast:  Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterstone, Billy Crupud, Danny Mcbride;   Story:  Jack Paglen, Michael Green; Screenplay: John Logan, Dante Harper; Producer; Ridley Scott, Mark Huffam, etal;  Cinematography: Dariusz Wolski; Music Jed Kurzel;  Editing: Pietro Scalia;Genre: Horror-Sci-Fi; Distributor: 20^th Century Fox; Location: outer space  Running Time : 123 minutes

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral assessment:  3

CINEMA rating: V18

MTRCB rating: R16

Alien Covenant takes place after the events of Prometheus although the opening sequence is the beginning of the predecessor film wherein the synthetic David (Fassbender) questions mankind’s creator. Years after, aboard the spacecraft Covenant, Walter (Fassbender) looks after the space crew and the 2000 colonists and embryos onboard to Origae-6, a remote planet they plan to inhabit. Covenant is hit by space debris destroying part of the spaceship and killing the ship’s captain Branson and a few colonists. While repairing the damage, they pick up a radio signal which turns out to be a woman singing an old western song coming from a nearby unknown but habitable planet.  Oram (Crudup) the new captain, decides to check it out instead of continuing their original journey. Daniels (Waterston) disagrees but she is overruled by Oram. An expedition team descends to explore the planet. They discover the Prometheus ship but two crew members are impregnated by alien spores. In a series of mauling and killing, the survivors are rescued by David and led to his hideout in the city full of Engineer corpses. After several discussions, Walter realizes that David purposely unleashed the black liquid they were carrying on board the Prometheus which killed the Engineers. David then experimented on creating a new species, thereby transforming himself from a created servant into the creator and master. Walter and David struggle as Tennessee (McBride) arrives to extract the survivors. Daniels, and injured Lope (Bichir) and Walter escape and return to the Covenant only to face off with another alien who got implanted in Lope. Walter helps Tennessee and Daniels defeat the alien and they resume their journey to Oregae-6 in hyper sleep. Before Daniels falls asleep, she asks Walter to help her build the log cottage by the river, when she sees Walter is not responding as expected, she realizes that but it is David all along. However, it is too late as she succumbs to sleep as David places two alien embryos out of his mouth and into the cold storage together with the human embryos.

Ridley Scott delivers the same mystic suspense and calculated gore to keep the audience interested but sensitive to the images and concepts unfolding in the narrative. The story is well structured and is not hard to follow even without having seen the previous Alien films. It borders on predictability yet keeps the audience glued and anticipating. The elaborate and painstaking design presents a world that is cold yet alive, undiscovered and dangerous. Fassbender gives a believable performance as the charmingly faithful Walter and the manipulative David searching for purpose. It is unfair but inevitable to compare Waterston’s with Sigourney Weaver's Ripley—in all aspects she falls short. Overall, this Alien franchise entertains enough as it explores another philosophical question about existence and purpose. If it gives the answer… that is the question.

The pinnacle of one's existence is to be like God—to have the ability to create. And fortunately, mankind has been bestowed with this gift.  Man creates through arts, through invention, through procreation. And unlike other living creatures, man's ability to create is enveloped in the desire to be human—that is to love and be loved, to serve and be one. When man loses his humanity, his creations become destructive for they are done for self-gratification. Then he loses his purpose—he exists to conquer and devour. Then he becomes a monster. Alien Covenant illustrates this through David and Walter. Both created synthetics but one became more human because he retained his purpose to love, serve and be one with his community, while the other who despite discovering the ability to create transformed himself into the monster.  While the movie delivers profound points for discernment, the graphic action and gore are not suitable for young audiences.

Dear Other Self

DIRECTOR: Veronica Velasco  LEAD CAST: Jodi Sta. Maria, Xian Lim and Joseph Marco,  SUPPORTING CAST: Carla Martinez, Bodjie Pascua, Anna Luna, Paul Salas, Elaine Ochoa  SCREENWRITERS: Veronica Velasco, Jinky Laurel  PRODUCERS:  Charo Santos-Concio, Malou Santos  GENRE: Romantic Comedy  PRODUCTION COMPANY: ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc.  DISTRIBUTED BY: Star Cinema  COUNTRY: Philippines  LANGUAGE: Tagalog  RUNNING TIME: 1hr 48 minutes

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:    

CINEMA rating:  V14 

Isang debotong anak si Becky (Jodi Sta. Maria), kung ang pag-uusapan din lang ay ang pagmamahal sa mga magulang at kapatid na pinatutunayan ng dalaga sa pamamagitan ng materyal na suporta sa pamilya.  Matalino at bibong career girl si Becky kung kaya’t sa kabila ng mga gastusin sa pamilya ay nagagawa pa niyang mag-ipon ng pera sa pag-asang darating ang araw na papalarin siyang mag-adventure sa pamamasyal sa ibang bansa.  Gawa ng isang di-inaasahang pangyayari, masisisante si Becky sa trabaho, na siya namang magiging daan upang sa wakas ay makapag-pasiya na siyang iwanan muna ang mga pananagutan.  Sa Thailand, makikilala niya Henry (Xian Lim), at magsimula na nga and kanyang pagiging adbenturera.

May “gimmick” ang paglalahad ng kuwento ng Dear Other Self: sa pamamagitan ng mahusay na editing ay maayos nitong napagsalit-salit ang mga eksena ng dalawang posibilidad sa buhay ni Becky—kung mananatili siya sa Pilipinas, ay ganito ang maaaring mangyari sa kanya; at kung  makikipagsapalaran siya sa ibang bansa, ay ganoon naman ang maaaring sapitin niya.  Hindi gasinong pinalalim ng pelikula ang kuwento—masyadong sinikap nito na maging masaya at nakakakiliti ang aspetong romansa—ito ba’y dahil sa isang rom-com (romantic comedy) lamang ang pelikula?  Akma ang pagganap ng mga artista sa kani-kaniyang mga papel—lalo na si Sta. Maria na kinayang tumambal sa dalawang karomansa sa iisang pelikula—bagama’t may mga eksenang (close up) nakakabagot dahil pinahaba nang walang katuturan.  Nagdagdag ng kulay sa Dear Other Self ang mga eksenang kuha sa Thailand, at kapani-paniwala din ang mga artistang Thai sa husay nilang gumanap.

May isang kaugaliang Pilipinong napapaloob sa Dear Other Self ang maaaring talakayin sa pag-uusap-usap ng pamilya o mga kaeskuwela: ang pagsasakripisyo alang-alang sa pamilya, tulad ng ginawa ni Becky—bukas palad na pagpapautang sa ama kahit binabalaan na ng ina na sa bisyo lamang gagamitin ang pera; patuloy na pagpapaaral sa kapatid na inuuna pa ang kalaguyo kesa pag-aaral.  Paano ito nakabubuti?  Hanggang saan dapat magsaskripisyo nang ganito, at kailan at paano itong nakakasama sa kabila ng ating mga magagandang intensiyon?  Pansinin din natin ang di-kanais-nais na gawi ng dalawang estudyante na pinasok ang pre-marital sex sa kabila ng pagtutol ng magulang.  Sa bandang huli, diumano’y “tumino” ang estudyanteng kapatid nang lumayo si Becky—ano ang sinasabi ng pelikula sa pangyayaring ito?

Our Mighty Yaya

DIRECTOR: Jose Javier Reyes  LEAD CAST: Ai-Ai delas Alas, Megan Young, Zoren Legazpi, Sofia Andres  SCREENWRITER:  Jose Javier Reyes  PRODUCER:  Roselle Y. Monteverde, Lily Y. Monteverde  EDITOR:  Bebs Sabellano Gohetia  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Michael Idioma, Immanuel Verona  GENRE: Family Drama-Comedy  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Patrick Layugan  PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Ericson Navarro  DISTRIBUTOR: Regal Entertainment  LOCATION:  Philippines  RUNNING TIME:   103 minutes

Technical assessment: 2

Moral assessment: 3

CINEMA rating: PG 13

MTRCB rating: GP

Si Virgie (Ai-ai Delas Alas) ay isang taga-probinsiya na nangarap ng magandang kinabukasan para sa kanyang anak. Nang hindi na sapat ang kinikita nilang mag-asawa sa bukid, napilitan si Virgie na tanggapin ang alok na trabaho sa Maynila bilang yaya. Mamamasukan siya sa mayamang pamilya ni Antonio Sevilla (Zoren Legaspi), isang biyudong may tatlong anak. Sa simulaý mahihirapan si Virgie na makibagay lalo pa’t tila mahirap makasundo ang bagong asawa ni Antonio na si Monique (Megan Young) na pilit ginugustong mapalapit sa mga bata ngunit sadyang mailap sila dito. Mapapalapit naman si Virgie sa mga bata—bagay na hindi magawa ni Monigue kung kaya’t sa halip na makabuti ay ito pa ang maaring ikapahamak  ni Virgie dahil lingid sa kanyang kaalaman, kinaiingitan na siya ni Monique.

Maraming pagkukulang ang Our Mighty Yaya pagdating sa mga teknikal na aspeto ng paggawa ng pelikula. Kulang sa bigat ang kuwento at tila hindi maliwanag kung ano ang nais nitong patunguhan. Ang mga patawa ay pawang pilit din na pinagtatakpan ng mga magkakahiwalay na maliliit na eksena para lamang maging kakaiba at katawa-tawa. Ngunit walang sinusundang malaking kuwento ang pelikula. Si Virgie bilang pangunahin at sentrong karakter ay hindi gaanong nahimay at nahagod ang buong pagkatao. Nabigo ang pelikula na ilabas ang kaluluwa ng kuwento. Nanatili ito sa mga pormula at isteryotipikal na pagkukuwento. Sa madaling salita, walang bagong inihain ang pelikula sa kabuuan.

Bagama’t maraming pagkukulang sa kuwento, hitik sa magagandang aral ang  Our Mighty Yaya patungkol sa mahalagang papel na ginagampanan ng mga kasambahay sa ating pamilya. Pambihira na ang mga katulad ni Virgie pagdating sa pagmamalasakit sa mga alaga at pamilya na kanyang pinagsisilbihan. Maaring sa simula ay nahirapan si Virgie na makibagay sa kadahilanang nakikita siya ng mga lahat ng tao sa bahay bilang pangit at ignorante—ngunit bandang dulo nama’y lumutang ang kabutihan ng kanyang kalooban kung kaya’t nakuha rin niya ang nauukol na paggalang at pagmamahal ng pamilya Sevilla. Isang huwarang yaya ang karakter ni Virgie—bagay na mahirap nang makita sa tunay na buhay.  Kung mapapanood ng mga yaya ang pelikula, nawa’y magsilbing insipirasyon ito sa kanila upang pagbutihin ang kanilang napiling papel na gampanan sa mga pamilya. Sa mga amo naman, isa ring mabuting halimbawa ang pamilya Sevilla pagdating sa pagtrato sa kanilang yaya at kasambahay. Hindi sila itinuturing na iba—bagkus sila ay pinakikisamahan ng tama. May mga bata ring sobrang pilyo tulad ng mga bata sa pelikula—pero kung minsan, ang kapilyuhan at pagiging spoiled ay maaring maiwasan kung gagabayan nang tama ng magulang ang kanilang mga anak. Dapat din itong makita sa pelikula—na ang paghubog sa karakter ng mga anak ay hindi lang dapat iniaasa sa yaya o sa paaralan, pagka’t laging may malaking papel ang magulang. Sa bandang huli ay pagmamahal pa rin ang namamayani—sa gitna ng inggitan at alitan, ang kabutihan at pagmamahal ang magpapanatiling buo sa pamilya, kasama na rin ang mga yaya at kasambahay.  Bagama’t maaaring panoorin ito ng mga bata, may mga eksena pa rin sa Our Mighty Yaya na nangangailangan ng gabay ng mga magulang.

Luck at First Sight

DIRECTOR: Dan Villegas  CAST:  Jericho Rosales, Bela Padilla, Cholo Barreto, Kim Molina  PRODUCER:  Joyce Bernal  SCREENWRITER:  Ays de Guzman   PRODUCER:  Joyce Bernal  EDITOR:  Marya Ignacio  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Emerzon Texon  GENRE:  Romantic Comedy  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mycko David   PRODUCTION COMPANY: VIVA Films and N2 Production  DISTRIBUTOR: Viva Films  COUNTRY:Philippines  LANGUAGE: Filipino  RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment: 2.5

CINEMA rating:  V14

MTRCB rating: PG

Magkukrus ang landas nina Joma (Jericho Rosales) at Diane (Bela Padilla) sa panahon na  pareho silang  nahaharap sa matinding pangangailangan sa pera. Talunan sa sugal si Joma at binabantaan na nang mahigpit ang kanyang buhay ng kanyang pinagkakautangan.  Si Diane naman ay niloko ng kapartner sa maliit na negosyo, at mahigpit na nangangailangan ng pangtustos sa ospital at mailigtas ang buhay ng biyudong ama.  Mapagpaniwala sa mga pampaswerte si Joma kaya makakabili siya ng “life charm”—mistulang holen na luntian—na diumano’y magdadala sa kanya ng solusyon sa mga pinansiyal niyang problema.  Sa mga di sinasadyang pagkakataon na makikita niya si Diane ay magaganda ang mga nangyayari sa kanya kaya matantanto niya na si Diane ang life charm  niya.  Makikipagkilala at makikipagkasunduan siya kay Diane na maging “business partners”.  Sasamahan siya ni Diane sa pagsusugal para masiguro ang panalo na paghahatian nila. Bilang life charm, mas pisikal na malapit si Diane kay Joma ay mas malaki ang panalo at parehong malulutas ang problema nila sa pera. Labis ang kasiyahan nila sa swerteng ito. Kaya lang kundisyon ng life charm na hindi dapat sila magkagustuhan dahil kapag nagkagayon ay mababaligtad ang swerte sa malas.

Bagamat predictable ang kwento, maayos naman ang script  ng Luck at  First Sight.  Mahusay ang pagkakadirehe sa mga nagsiganap.  Natural at epektibo si Rosales at si Padilla sa kani-kaniyang papel.  Nakakaaliw din ang mga eksenang patawa nina Kim Molina at Cholo Barreto bilang mga sidekick  ng dalawa, pero medyo OA ang dating ng eksenang nagpapa-sexy si Diane sa harap ng kolektor ng ilaw na bading naman pala.  Hindi rin makatotohanan ang disenyo ng produksyon sa ilang mga eksena tulad ng sobrang linis na sabungan, pinipinturahang botika,  tindahang naputulan ng kuryente, at sa ospital kung saan nasa private room pa ang ama ni Diane gayong kapos nga sa pera.  Wala rin sa hitsura ng ama na may sakit siya—masyadong malusog ang dating.  Mahusay ang editing lalo na ng mga eksenang nagpapakita ng mga sunod-sunod na pagwawagi sa sugal ng dalawa. Akma ang mga inilapat na musika at nakatulong upang paigtingin ang pinaghalong romansa at patawa ng pelikula.

Parehong taliwas sa tamang pagpapahalaga ang pagsusugal at paniniwala sa swerte ang lumulutang na tema ng Luck at First Sight.  Sa tindi ng pangangailangan, swerte at sugal lamang ang idiniing solusyon ng pelikula.  Katulad ng nangyari sa kanyang ama ay sugal din ang naging dahilan kung bakit nalubog sa utang si Joma pero mukhang hindi pa rin siya nadala—nangdamay pa siya sa paniniwalang ito at sinamantala ang pagtitiwala sa kanya ni Diane.  Lubhang kaakit-akit ang paglalarawan ng sugal sa pelikula, na pinatamis pa ng pagkakahulugang-loob nina Joma at Diane.  Dahil dito, baka hindi na mapansin ng manonood ang positibong mensahe ng Luck at First Sight: ang tunay na tagumpay ni Joma.  Bagama’t sa sugal muli siya umasa at pinalad namang manalo, ang sandali ng kanyang tunay na pagwawagi ay noong talikuran niya ang kanyang pagiging sugapa sa panalo.  Hinimok siya ng kalaban sa sugal upang “palakihin” pa ang kanyang napanaluhan, ngunit tumanggi siya.  Ang mensahe sa puntong ito ay: nakilala na niya ang kasawiang-palad na dulot na pagiging sakim sa panalong dala ng “swerte”.  Tumanggi siyang isugal pa ang hawak na salapi, at lumisan siya ng bahay-sugalan.  Dahil sa tatag ng kanyang desisyon, nagawa niya ang nararapat: ibalik ang perang dapat ay kay Diane, bayaran ang utang sa nagbabanta sa kanyang buhay, at magsimula ng marangal na hanapbuhay.  Paalala ng CINEMA: ang kabuhayan o pagkita ng malaki ay pinaghihirapan at hindi dapat iasa sa sugal, anting-anting o pampaswerte.  Sa pagharap sa hamon ng buhay ay mahalaga na mayroon pagsisikap, tamang desisyon, at pananalig sa tanging nagkakaloob ng biyaya na walang iba kundi ang Diyos. 

Fast and Furious 8

DIRECTOR: F. Gary Gray   LEAD CAST: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson,    Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Scott Eastwood, Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren  WRITTEN BY: Chris Morgan  BASED ON CHARACTERS BY: Gary Scott Thompson  PRODUCERS: Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Michael Fottrell,   FILM EDITORS: Nei Christian Wagner, Paul Rubell  GENRE: Action, Crime, Thriller  CINEMATOGRAPHY: Stephen F. Windon  MUSIC: Brian Tyler  PRODUCTON COMPANIES: Original Film, One Race Films, Perfect World Pictures, China Film Group Crporation  DISTRIBUTORS: Universal Pictures  COUNTRY: U. S. A.  LANGUAGE: English RUNNING TIME: 2 hours & 16 minutes

Technical assessment: 3.5

Moral assessment: 3

CINEMA rating: V14

MTRCB rating: R16

The eighth installment of the popular Fast and Furious franchise, this one follows the honeymoon of Dominic Torretto and Letty (Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez) in Cuba while the rest of the crew are exonerated and living the semblance of a normal life. Then one mysterious woman, Cipher (Charlize Theron) interrupts Dom on their way back home and offers him to work for her. Dom is hesitant at first but she shows him something that causes him to consider the offer.  Back home, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) once again recruits Dom and his crew to prevent a strong weapon of mass destruction from falling into dangerous hands – but at the end of the mission, Dom betrays Luke and steals the weapon from him. It is then revealed that Dom now works for Cipher—who apparently is an international terrorist and hacker—and the entire crew is soon forced to go up against them. Has Dom really turned his back on the team he calls family?

Fast and Furious 8 remains to be an exciting spectacle of fast cars and high technology. As expected of its genre and for what the franchise is known for, there are explosions, destructions, havoc, speeding cars and car crashes galore. Audiences are fascinated by all these considering the feast of flashy luxury cars and the involvement of cyber-technology in its manipulation. But central to the spectacle is the heart of the story that revolves around family and teamwork. Amidst the seemingly chaotic picture is a story with a clear villain and a team that is up to stop her at whatever the cost—even if it means going up against a former member whom they consider family. The plot gets to be interesting as it reveals layers and layers of motivations—clearly defining each character’s significance in the entire story.  The film has no pretensions of going bizarre and philosophical but it is still able to elicit a certain level of suspense and excitement with a dose of drama and humor.

Fast and Furious 8, despite its expected noise and chaos, centers on family and relationships anchored on values that are explicitly Christian. The team has developed a familial bond that goes beyond blood relations. They protect one another and do not turn their backs entirely on a member believing that family is family. The crew is always keen on saving humanity from harm and evil plot and it takes a team of their caliber of courage, strength and bravery to do such life-threatening mission. The cross is a major element in the plot and plays a vital symbolism for the characters’ faith and salvation. Even the seemingly ultra-powerful villain is defeated by the presence of the cross—although the battle may not be really over.  The characters are seen making the sign of the cross, praying in the middle of the battle, saying grace before meals and their central goal is to save a family and the world—traits that are characteristic of a good person and a good Christian. However, it cannot be denied that inherent to the film’s genre, there are frequent scenes and graphic images of violence, cursing, and some sexual innuendoes which are inappropriate for the very young audiences even if those scenes are within the film’s context.  So CINEMA deems the film as appropriate only to audiences ages 14 and above.