Limitless

CAST: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth; DIRECTOR: Neil Burger; SCREENPLAY: Leslie Dixon; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jo Willems; EDITOR: Naomi Geraghty; MUSIC: Paul Leonard Morgan and Nico Muhly; PRODUCERS: Leslie Dixon, Scott Kroopf, and Ryan Kavanaugh; EXECUTIVE PRODUDER: Tucker Tooley; PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Patrizia Von Brandenstein; GENRE: Action thriller; RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes

Technical Assessment: 4
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: Audience Age 18 and above

Struggling writer Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is at a low point of his life --- career, relationship and finances, when he accidentally meets his former brother-in-law Vernon ((Johnny Whitworth) while walking in the street. Realizing his present state during a brief catch up, Vernon offers Morra a mind-stimulating pill called NZT that allows him to access 100 percent brain intelligence function and enables him to step up in his life. Cynical at the beginning, but on discovery of immediate amazing effect on his first try, he knows what to do next. He asks Vernon to give him more pills. But before Morra gets his share, Vernon is murdered. Morra manages to find a bag of pills. As expected, he suddenly gains back the lost glory as a writer, his girlfriend, and the liberty to enjoy the benefits of overflowing knowledge. His services become in demand in the business community where he had the opportunity to work with a business wallstreet tycoon Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro).

The film "Limitless" has an interesting plot to start with. However, as the story builds up, it somehow struggles to sustain the interesting momentum. The scenes become predictable and has the tendency to prolong unnecessarily. The chasing scenes, for example, are not clearly established whether there is paranoia, real life and death situation, or just obsessions to the pills. For any reason, why death scenes have to be very violent. The director may also have overestimated the use of voice over for this film, because often the narration causes destruction. It already has a good casting coup that fits the requirements of the characters in the film. Acting wise, both Cooper and De Niro did well in their respective roles. If not of the good special effects, the film can be dragging at some points. Lighting is good and it helps in establishing emotions as required by the scenes. The cinematography is well complimented by special effects. Overall, the film goes with good technical qualities.

The film shows that accessing 100 percent utilization of brain function can bring amazing effects to the person, the economy and society in general. The problem is, the film disregards the natural process for it and instead promotes cheating and so called "instant" culture. It is simply drug addiction that is harmful to the body. The film shows how it makes people greed for instant success, money, fame, and power. The main technology is the human mind that people can use to bring out their full potentials with due respects to natural process. But the film ends with an alarming conclusion that it is okay to continue with an experimental drug for as long as it is taken "responsibly" with a right dosage and for a good purpose. The film also shows that sex is an easy trade off for a service of 'smart' person. The death scenes are too violent and absurd (such as sipping human blood). The film requires a mature audience who can understand the whole saga of this wonder drug and the accompanying circumstances.

World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles

CAST: Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Michelle Rodriguez, Ne-Yo, Michael Peña, Ramon Rodriguez, Will Rothhaar, Cory Hardrict, Jim Parrack, Gino Anthony Pesi; DIRECTOR: Jonathan Liebesman; SCREENWRITER: Christopher Bertolini; MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Bryan Tyler; GENRE: War/Action/Fiction; LOCATION: USA; RUNNING TIME: 116 min.

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: Audience Age 18 and above

SYNOPSIS: For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany,... China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.

Mars Needs Moms

CAST: Seth Green, Dan Folgi, Joan Cusack, Elisabeth Harnois, Mindy Sterling, Julene Renee, Ryan Ochoa, Jacquie Barnbrook, Matthew Wolf, Raymond Ochoa; DIRECTOR: Simon Wells; SCREENWRITER: Simon Wells, Wendy Wells, Berkeley Breathed; PRODUCER: Robert Zemeckis, Steven J. Boyd; GENRE: Action & Adventure, Animation, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy; DISTRIBUTOR: Walt Disney Pictures; RUNNING TIME: 88 min.

Technical Assessment: 4
Moral Assessment: 4
CINEMA Rating: Audience Age 13 and below with parental guidance

SYNOPSIS: Take out the trash; eat your broccoli -- who needs moms, anyway? Nine-year-old Milo finds out just how much he needs... his mom when she's nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. "Mars Needs Moms" showcases Milo's quest to save his mom -- a wild adventure that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader. With the help of a tech-savvy, underground earthman named Gribble and a rebel Martian girl called Ki, Milo just might find his way back to his mom -- in more ways than one.

Red Riding Hood

CAST: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Lukas Haas,Shiloh Fernandez, Michael Shanks, Julie Christie, Virginia Madsen, Max Irons, Darren Shahlavi; DIRECTOR: Catherine Hardwicke; GENRE: Drama; RUNNING TIME: 100 min.

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: Viewers 14 and above

Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is in love with the brooding but passionate Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) but her parents want her to marry nice village boy Henry instead to help the family financially. Neither man is bad looking, and Valerie who likes Henry but is more attracted to Peter, agrees to elope with Peter. But their situation gets more complicated when Valerie’s sister is killed by a werewolf that strikes every full moon night. This terrifies the whole village: why would the werewolf kill a human being despite the village’s monthly animal sacrifice to keep the creature satisfied? So they call in famous werewolf hunter Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) who arrives in the village with a retinue of black bodyguards and a huge metal elephant. Soon, during another full moon attack, Valerie discovers she has a connection with the killer wolf but she keeps the discovery a secret. Father Solomon tells the villagers the werewolf takes human form by day, thus it could be one of them. Valerie suspects the werewolf could be someone she loves or who loves her.

Any screen character portrayed by Seyfried seems to automatically elicit sympathy from the audience, thanks to her wide-eyed look that lends her face childlike innocence. The trailer of Red Riding Hood apparently implies evil lurking behind those can’t-do-anything-bad eyes, but the movie would soon belie that sneaking suspicion. Obviously she’s not the werewolf but you nonetheless hang on to find out what ultimately happens. That, dear viewer, shows you how a bias for certain actors gets you hooked on the story despite the presence of some elements you would otherwise consider ridiculous or irrelevant. Here, they are the metal elephant that turns out to be torture chamber for suspected werewolves and witches, and the color of Valerie’s hood which contributes nothing to the story but which makes a great frame against a snow-covered landscape. The title itself makes you wonder, why “red riding hood” when Valerie never rides; doesn’t she only walk to her grandmother’s cottage and run away from the wolf? Some film critics would rip Red Riding Hood apart on account of its bearing vestiges of Twilight—this thing about werewolves, virginal heroines falling for bad boys yet spared from wolf attacks, but whatever, it’s an engaging story from beginning to end.

Of course, it’s a sin to kill a human being. But when a werewolf kills, it is not quite human, so is the act of killing then outside the scope of human morality? Aah, that’s a gray area in red riding hood country! How could CINEMA pass judgment on a werewolf’s trespasses, or is it worth the bother at all? We cannot do that without spoilers, so you might as well see for yourself why we’re giving it a 2.5 score in the moral arena. This teaser might help you, though: Why did the carnivorous werewolf who used to be satisfied by the villagers’ animal sacrifices kill a woman but did not eat her? a) the werewolf was scared away by the woman’s screaming; b) the werewolf was allergic to the fabric of the woman’s dress; c) the werewolf wasn’t hungry. Enjoy the ride.

The Adjustment Bureau

CAST: Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp,John Slattery, Daniel Dae Kim, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Kelly, Liam Ferguson, Anthony Ruivivar; DIRECTOR: George Nolfi; WRITERS: George Nolfi and Philip K. Dick; GENRE: Romance, SciFi/Fantasy; RUNNING TIME: 106 min.


Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA rating: For viewers 18 and up

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: If the movie seems a hybrid of Matrix and Sleepless in Seattle, it’s because it strives to deal intelligently and entertainingly about fate, choice, free will, predestination, topics that elsewhere would require doctorate degrees to understand. On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. A metaphysical puzzle for mature minds; it could also be mistaken for a romantic sci-fi.