Jurassic World

Direction: Colin Trevorrow; Cast: Chris Platt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson; Story:  Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver;   Screenplay: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow; Cinematography: John Schwartzman; Editing: Kevin Stitt; Music: Michael Giacchino; Producers: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley; Genre: Action, Sci-Fi; Location: Isla Nublar, Costa Rica; Distributor: Universal Pictures Running Time: 124 minutes;

Technical Assessment            : 3.5

Moral Assessment: 3.5

CINEMA Rating: V14

Twenty-two years after the catastrophes with InGen’s Jurassic Park project, Simon Masrani (Khan) has found a way to revive and operate the program and now owns the biggest Themed Resort, Jurassic World, which attracts at least 20, 000 visitors a day. Meanwhile, brothers Zach (Robinson) and Gray (Simpkins) are on the way to Jurassic World to spend some quality time with their aunt Claire (Howard), the park’s Operation Manager. However, Claire has more important matters she feels she needs to attend to and delegates her assistant to look after her nephews. Meanwhile, the park is about ready to release their latest creation, the Indominus Rex, a T-Rex genetically engineered according to the comments of the focus groups.  Accordingly, this dinosaur will be bigger, fiercer, and scarier since the public are tired of the existing attractions. Masrani wants the expert opinion of Owen Grady (Pratt), the parks’ Velociraptor trainer, first so Claire fetches him to show the Indominus. But when they arrive, they find that the Indominus has apparently escaped basing on the claw marks on the fence. A team enters the enclosure but is ambushed by the Indominus who faked his escaped through characteristics from various animals whose DNAs he was made from. A bigger chaos is about to ensue with the unstoppable Indominus on the loose in a full-packed park. The only hope is with Owen and his four Velociraptors.

A successful box-office film gives its remakes and sequels both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the one hand, there is a ready fan base to support the franchise, on the other, comparison is inevitable for the expectant fans. Jurassic World has some huge shoes to fill and it barely does. Storywise, there is a commendable effort to bring in tender moments between man and beast instead of portraying the once extinct creatures as the antagonists. They, after all, have been forced to live beyond their time for the selfish reasons. Main characters were properly developed and well played but supporting ones are forgettable. There is a lack of humor and punchlines in the script but is flows effortlessly still. The computer-generated images are magnificent and worth one’s while. Jurassic Park really comes to life, structure, attraction, dinosaurs and all. However, the suspense and thrill pales in comparison to Spielberg’s 1993 and 1997 films, considering that CGI here is a thousand times better. Jurassic World is an enjoyable movie but it may not be remembered the way its predecessors are.

There is a redemptive satisfaction to be reminded that man cannot dominate creation and nature. You would think that the disaster that took place 22 years ago is enough to teach people that, but no—man finds a way around for the sake a few hundred bucks. Jurassic World is an epitome of man’s greed and conceit and a harsh reminder that these will ultimately lead to his own downfall. On the other hand, Jurassic World emphasizes the importance of relationships and bonds—marriage on verge of breaking up destroys the kids, a woman who focuses on her career more than her family loses meaning, a man who respects life in all forms gains a friend. This specific theme made the difference in this 4^th installment of the Jurassic franchise.  CINEMA raises a yellow flag on some scenes too graphic for very young children that may either scare or desensitize them. Parents are advised to use discretion in allowing their younger children to watch.

San Andreas

DIRECTOR: Brad Peyton  LEAD CAST:  Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Paul Giamatti, Alexandra Daddario, Iona Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Colton Haynes  SCREENWRITER:  Carlton Cuse   PRODUCER:  Beau Flynn  EDITOR:  Bob Ducsay  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Andrew Lockington  GENRE:  Disaster film  CINEMATOGRAPHER: Steve Yedlin   DISTRIBUTOR:  Warner Bros. Pictures  LOCATION:  United States RUNNING TIME: 114 minutes

Technical assessment:  3.5

Moral Assessment:  3.5

CINEMA rating: V 14

            Ray Gaines (Dwayne Johnson), a Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter rescue-pilot is at the midst of his divorce when he takes a dangerous rescue mission and succeeds in saving an earthquake victim trapped in a ravine. Upon knowing that his estranged wife Emma (Carla Gugino) is trapped in a tall building in downtown L.A. and that his daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario) is pinned down in an underground garage in San Francisco, he races across California to rescue them. Meanwhile Caltech seismologist Lawrence Hayes (Paul Giamatti) predicts the 1,300 km San Andreas fault line is about to set off. He organizes his team and media staff to get on air and he warns everyone about the coming massive earthquake. His live broadcast with journalist Serena (Archie Panjabi) helps get some people out of harm's way. As San Andreas fault shifts and rips apart major cities along the fault line from Los Angeles to San Francisco, buildings collapse and the tsunami sweeps away whatever is left, an epic devastation.

            San Andreas owes much of its box-office success to its amazing effects, its vivid depiction of mass destruction, which could be the best to-date.   Because it involves real people in a realistic disastrous situation (and not real people scurrying away from robots or zombies), the movie is able to engage the audience in the emotional ebb and flow naturally rendering human beings helpless in such a calamity.  Director Brad Peyton stages this cinematic destruction of US West Coast in meticulously rendered CGI, so real that it is almost palpable—particularly among audiences in the Philippines when warnings of “the big one”, the imminent splitting open of the West Valley fault. are currently being issued.”  The rupturing of a dam, the fires resulting from power lines going haywire, all those scenes are not likely to boost tourism in California, but it should give the viewers their first scary lecture on earthquake survival.

            Despite the empty nest syndrome—in the middle of a divorce, with his wife now living with a new boyfriend, while his daughter is off to college—Ray has no time to brood as his job throws him into what may be the most challenging rescue mission of his career.  At the end of the day, all those sights of the earth heaving and then breaking up and swallowing people alive really isn’t just about the prediction-come-true of a scientist nobody listens to; it’s more about how catastrophes reduce our personal problems into silliness, how—when all around us the world is literally crumbing we get to realize what matters most in life.  Spoiler coming: Ray is reunited with wife and together they save their daughter, a victory for the family.  Guess who the bad guy is.  (CINEMA tip: please keep young children out of the theater.  We sat next to a couple with a toddler who kept screaming at the scary sights.  The father took him out for a long while and when they returned the kid was asleep—from exhaustion, most likely).

Pitch Perfect 2

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DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Banks  LEAD CAST: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Britanny Snow, Skylar Astin, Elizabeth Banks  SCREENWRITER: Kay Cannon  PRODUCER:  Elizabeth Banks and Paul Brooks  EDITOR: Craig Alpert  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Mark Mothersbaugh GENRE: Comedy/Musical  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jim Denault  DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Studios  LOCATION:  USA RUNNING TIME:  1:15 mins.

Technical assessment:  3

Moral assessment:  3

CINEMA rating:  PG 13

After being humiliated by a wardrobe malfunction at the Lincoln Center—with the President of the United States of America and his wife in the audience—the collegiate singing group, the Barden Bellas, are taken out of the A Capella circuit for being an embarrassment to the Barden University. But they are not prohibited from joining the World A Capella Competition to be held in Copenhagen, although they are discouraged from joining because, as the Barden authorities themselves claim, “no American team has ever won that competition.”  The undefeated champion at present is the formidable Das Sound Machine from Germany.  The Barden Bellas have to try twice as hard to beat them.

 The university feel of Pitch Perfect 2 lends the movie a touch of realism, with characters one might encounter in such a setting.  The simple story is enlivened by the musical score while the acting delivers the requirements of characterization in that genre.  From the time someone’s pants is ripped open to the moment the winner is announced there is no let up, not a second a viewer might be tempted to nap, although the movie resorts to the occasional crude language, obscene gestures, and adult themes and innuendo to keep the viewer awake.

College-age young adults as well as their elders have much to discuss in Pitch Perfect 2, such as the primacy of teamwork, the power of sisterhood, tradition as a positive force in supporting one another for a cause bigger than oneself, etc.  The surprise ending is a heart-lifter, coming so unexpectedly at a moment a boost is most needed.

Para sa hopeless romantic

-->Direction: Andoy Ranay;  Cast: James Reid, Nadine Lustre, Julia Barretto and Inigo Pascual; Story: Marcelo Santos III; Screenplay: JM Gadingan; Editing: Nacelle Sayr; Cinematography: ; Production Design: ; Producer: .; Music: ; Location: PUP, Manila area; Genre: Teen Romance; Distributor: Star Cinema; Running Time:1:45;

Technical assessment : 3 stars

Moral assessment : 3 stars

CINEMA rating: V13

Hanggang ngayon ay masakit pa rin para kay Becca (Lustre) ang paghihiwalay nila ng kasintahang si Nikko (Reid), kaya naman kahit sa kanyang pagsusulat ng nobela para sa dyaryo ng paaralan ay hindi rin niya mabigyan ng masayang pagtatapos ang kanyang mga tauhang sina Maria (Barretto) at Ryan (Pascual) sa kanyang kwento. Pero muli siyang mabubuhayan ng loob nang magkaroon ng di sinasadyang ugnayan sa taong nakaupo rin sa kanyang upuan sa klase dahil sa pagpapalitan nila ng sulat at kwento.

May kaunting kiliti ang Para sa Hopeless Romantic, lalo sa mga kabataang sumusubaybay sa mga tampok na tambalan. Nakakatuwa rin ang disenyong pamproduksyon, lalo sa unang bahagi ng pelikula, kung saan kulay rosas ang kapaligiran ng ikinathang mundo nina Maria at Ryan, samantalang makatotohanan ang mga kulay sa mundo nina Becca at Nikko. Wala namang bigat na hiningi mula sa pagganap ng mga tauhan kaya't mapapatawad na ang matigas at tila mala-karton na pag-atake nina Reid at Pascual at ang malatang pagganap ni Barretto. Malinis ang pagkagawa sa pelikula at walang mapupuna sa ibang teknikal na aspeto nito. Kung sana ay sinikap pang pigain ang pagganap ng mga tauhan dahil walang “chemistry” ang kani-kanilang tambalan kaya’t ipinagpilitan ng musika at ng mga angulo ng kamera na palabasing nagkakagustuhan sila, para naman kiligin ang mga manunuod sa mga bahaging ito. Mas malaki naman ang kakulangan ng kwento sa pagtalakay sa pag-ibig dahil nauuwi lamang sa romansang pangkabataan ang mga karanasan nito. Sabagay, kaya nga “hopeless romantic” ang pamagat, dahil ipinapapalagay na hindi masyadong pag-iisipan ang panunuorin.

Bagamat wala namang malaswa o bastos sa Para sa Hopeless Romantic, ay may malaking usapin itong binubuksan—lalo na para sa mga magulang. Ang panahon ba ng kabataan ay panahon ng pagkakaroon ng relasyon? Handa nga ba ang isang mag-aaral na nasa high school na harapin ang kumplikasyon ng relasyon at pag-ibig? Tiyak, ang sagot ay hindi, kaya naman kadalasan ang isang kabataang nahiwalayan ng nobyo o nobya ay halos madurog na ang mundo at hirap nang harapin ang iba pang responsibilidad. Heto kasi ang idinidikta at ibinebenta ng media: "kabataan + romansa = takilya". Akala tuloy ng kabataan, pagtuntong nila ng "teen" ay may lisensya na silang magkarelasyon at duon na iikot ang kanilang mundo at buhay.

Ang tunay na pag-ibig ay mahirap matagpuan sa usbong ng kabataan dahil higit pa ito sa kilig, romansa at kulay rosas na kapaligiran. Ang tunay na pag-ibig ay sinusubok ng panahon, hinahasa ng mga tunay na suliranin ng buhay, pinapalalim at pinapagtibay ng karanasan at ng hamon ng pagbubuo ng sarili.  Kung manunuod ang mga kabataan, nas mabuting may kasamang nakatatanda na makapagpapaliwanag sa kanila ng konsepto ng pag-ibig.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron

DIRECTOR: Josh Whedon  LEAD CAST: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson,  Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cobbie Smulders  SCREENWRITER: Josh Whedon PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige  EDITOR: Jeffrey Ford & Lisa Lassek  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Dave Jordan  GENRE: Sci-fi, Action, Adventure  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ben Davis  DISTRIBUTOR: Walt Disney Studios  LOCATION:  England RUNNING TIME:  2 hrs. 22 mins

Technical assessment: 3.5

Moral assessment: 3

CINEMA rating: V 14

Team Avengers reclaims Loki’s scepter from whose power in time Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downy, Jr.) will attempt to build artificial intelligence.  Stark’s move, unknown to the rest of the Avengers, is hoped to protect humanity against alien incursion, something Stark has seen in a vision.  Stark takes Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) into his confidence, and with Banner’s erstwhile reluctant but amiable cooperation, the experiment is a success.  However, Stark’s supposedly peace-keeping creation Ultron (James Spader), turns out to be an iron-willed Artificial Intelligence that defies the aim of its inventor.  Ultron hates the Avengers and his idea of peace is the total annihilation, not the salvation, of the human race—including the Avengers themselves.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron is anything but average.  Although it’s shamelessly sci-fi, and heavily reliant on CGI, it’s loads of fun and entertainment from start to finish, and doesn’t come off like a video game.  This is not to say it’s a perfect “5” by CINEMA standards—The Avengers: Age of Ultron has flaws like other movies that have too much to string together in a dizzying couple of hours—but by this time viewers realize that action and gags matter more than the plot.  Plot holes are patched over by the other luscious elements in the film, like the special effects,  choreography, and cinematography.  The performance by the charismatic, blockbuster cast—now numbering 18, cameos included—is cemented by a sparky storyline that’s tailor made to bring out the best in superheroes.
Superhero movies of late seem to have increasingly obscured boundaries between humans and robots.  Here, A.I. Ultron takes on a messianic complex that heretofore belonged exclusively to humans.  Point of discussion: if robots have become so complex and competent that they can will to destroy their creator, what will happen to the human race?  But on second thought, Ultron’s ambition, supposedly inappropriate for a robot, could be simply mirroring man’s vanity—doesn’t man also rebel against his Creator?  At any rate, The Avengers: Age of Ultron is an entertaining blend of superheroic bombast and human-size emotions.  Picture the tiny hand of Black Widow tentatively caressing the fearsome green mega-hand of the Hulk—how’s that for a pacifier?   Like a white rose brushing a raging bull’s horn to tame the beast to submission.  Get the picture?          

Big Game

DIRECTOR: Jalmari Helander  LEAD CAST: Samuel L. Jackson, Onni Tommila, Ray Stevenson, Victor Garber, Mehmet Kurtulus, Ted Levine, Jorma Tommila, Risto Salmi, Felicity Huffman, Jim Broadbent SCREENWRITER:  Jalmari Helander  PRODUCER:  Will Clarke, Petri Jokiranta, Andy Mayson, Jens Meurer  EDITOR:  Iikka Hesse  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Juri Seppä, Miska Seppä  GENRE: Action, Adventure  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mika Orasmaa  DISTRIBUTOR: Europa Corp.  LOCATION:  Germany  RUNNING TIME:  110 minutes

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:    3.5

MORAL ASSESSMENT:  3.5                      

MTRCB RATING: PG 13

CINEMA RATING: PG 13

Finn Oskari (Onni Tommila) faces what every Finnish boy dreams of on the eve of his 13^th birthday: to prove himself a man by surviving a day and a night in the wilds, catch game, and do his father proud. It doesn’t matter if he can barely bend his bowstring, let alone hunt for deer on his own.  Meanwhile, Moore (Samuel L. Jackson), the President of the United States of America is on his way to a G-8 summit meet when Air Force One is suddenly attacked by missiles. He is promptly ensured safety through the escape pod by Morris (Ray Stevenson), head security officer, before the plane crashes on to the forest floor where Oskari is. The young boy finds the President and drags him along his solitary pursuit only to discover that Moore is being hunted by a psychopath with the help of his trusted security aid.  Will Oskari prove himself and bag the biggest game of all?

Big Game opens with a spectacular and breathtaking sweep of what is supposed to be Finnish mountains and woods (it’s actually Bavaria, Germany). The awesome opening sequence alone makes your movie ticket worth it. There is great chemistry between young Onni Tommila and Samuel L. Jackson who both wear their characters with a delightful and solid performance. The action sequences are well choreographed and the musical score heightens the thrill of the adventure. Some parts are ridiculous but the dialogue has wit and it has lots of fun. Plot holes and the war room scenes leave much to be desired. In spite of its flaws, Big Game is a great package of adventure, humor, and ingenuity that somehow works and manages to inject real inspiration without being preachy.  

Big Game actually parodies current conceptions of what it means to be a man. It presents a bumbling president, a rich psychopath, a corrupt secret agent, an incompetent intelligence team, a well-meaning but unenlightened father, and a male community whose criterion for manhood is survival in the wild and a trophy kill. Instead the film shows man’s greatness in the capacity to forget himself and his pursuits in order to help another human being in need. When he surrenders posturing to getting his hands dirty, and valiantly defies any thought for self-preservation to save another, then he becomes a man.

There’s one poignant scene in the wilds when Oskari weeps not because his father made sure he’d be successful. He realizes that even his own father did not believe in him. He throws caution to the wind, and stands up to the challenge surprising even himself. As always, the temptation is to strive and struggle for power, possessions, prestige and position. Big Game teaches us, without any allusion to God or Jesus, the true measure of a man: “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as ransom for many.”

Unfriended

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DIRECTOR:  Leo Gabriadze  LEAD CAST: Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Heather Sossaman, Renee Olstead, Will     Peltz, Jacob Wysocki and Courtney Halverson  STORY: Nelson Greaves  PRODUCERS: Mr. Greaves and Timur Bekmambetov  PRODUCTION DESIGN: Heidi Koleto  FILM EDITORS: Parker Laramie and Andrew Wesman COSTUMES: Veronika Belenikina  GENRE: Horror, Fantasy  CINEMATOGRAPHY: Adam Sidman  PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Bazelevs Company, Blumhouse Productions  DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures  LANGUAGE: English  LOCATION:   United States RUNNING TIME:  85 mins.

Technical Assessment: 3.5

Moral Assessment: 2.5

CINEMA Rating: R18

            Blaire (Shelley Hennig) and her friends are chatting on Skype when they all start to receive messages from an inactive account of a common friend, Laura Barns, who had committed suicide a year ago after her humiliating video was posted on the Internet. They think at first that they are being hacked. But things start to get violent and they are all forced to admit their dirty little secrets leading towards the truth as to why Laura killed herself. Now they know and are convinced that they are all in trouble. Will they be able to escape the ghost of their past?

            The film makes full use of the latest communication technology to give a new look and perspective to a rather worn-out horror premise. The film succeeds in this aspect as it was able to keep the audiences glued on their seats. The film’s highlights that mostly happen on the computer screen are able to capture audience’s interest. Unfriended uses realism as a technique and is very effective at delivering such, which is a challenge given the film’s rather unrealistic premise. The characters are all effective at being both unlikeable and pathetic—making them appear as real human beings, flawed, weak, committing mistakes without being intentionally evil. Plot wise, the film has little to offer but presentation wise, it is able to deliver.

            Unfriended is a statement on the irresponsible use of social media. The film clearly states that although the media is powerful in shaping perception and influencing beliefs, the humans who use it still remain supreme. It is the users who create content who should be held liable for whatever outcome media content may bring. In the case of Unfriended—that centers on the suicide of Laura Barns—it is not the media that killed her, but the irresponsible people behind the video uploading. Hers is another case of cyberbullying and the horrors that go with it.  Although the film goes overboard in making the victim so vindictive, it may have been done intentionally to create a greater impact on its message—and there goes the irony as a communication media: the film makes a critique of another  medium, the internet, thereby contradicting itself by being as dangerous for audiences to watch.  Clearly computers are used here by evil forces making revenge possible, and how!  This is the reason why CINEMA deems the film as appropriate only to audiences age 18 and above. There is so much cursing, sex, drugs, and violence in the film, although done in context, that may not be suitable to young audience’s impressionable minds.

Your place or mine

--> Direction: Joel Lamangan; Cast: Andi Eigenmann, Bret Jackson, Jovic Monsod, Andre Paras; Screenplay:Keiko Aquino; Story: Turning Japanese; Editing:Joel Lamangan; Producer:; Music:Emerzon Texon; Location: Metro Manila; Genre: Romantic-Comedy; Distributor: Viva Films; Running Time: 95 minutes

Technical assessment: 1.5

Moral assessment: 2 
MTRCB rating: R 13

CINEMA rating: V18

            Pagkatapos makipaghiwalay sa nobyo, maglalasing si Haley (Andi Eigenmann) para lunurin ang sama ng loob. Pero mauuwi sa pakikipagniig sa di kilalang lalake at pagmamadaling umuwi at kalimutan ang nangyari kinabukasan. Pagkalipas ng ilang araw ay malalaman niyang ang lalaking iyon, na si Rusell (Bret Jackson) ay siya ring pinili ng kanyang mga magulang upang pakasalan niya. Pangsumandali ay mahuhulog ang loob niya kay Rusell hanggang matuklasan niya na sinadya pala ng lalake na magkatagpo sila. Tatakbo si Haley sa kanyang kababatang si Seth (Andre Paras) na may lihim din palang pagtingin sa dalaga.

            Tamang-tama ang linya ni Haley, “This is one big sick joke”. Mas babagay nga kung ito ang ginawang pamagat ng pelikula para simula pa lamang ay handa na ang isip at kalooban ng mga manunuod. Unang-una, tila isinulat ito ng isang bagitong walang alam sa buhay at nagpupumilit bigyan ng lalim ang one-night stand;  walang alam din sa paghahanap ng tunay na pag-ibig, relasyon, kasal, at pagiging magulang. Pilit at hilaw ang kwento at lalong malabnaw ang pagbubuo sa katauhan ng bawat isa. Sa paningin, maganda ang pelikula dahil tadtad ito ng magagarbong gamit, lugar at disenyo. Pero dahil sa babaw ng kwento ay nagiging panakip butas ito para malibang ang manunuod kahit papaano. Lalo namang masakit sa ulo ang pagganap ng mga pangunahing tauhan. (Nakapagtataka at anak pa nina Mark Gil at Jackylyn Jose si Eigenmann).  Sana ay ginastusan sila ng acting workshop para nagkaroon naman ng lalim at buhay ang kanilang pagganap, para naman nadala kahit kaunti ang pelikula. Maayos ang ibang aspetong teknikal at pamproduksyon, pero dahil walang kwenta ang mismong kwento at ang pagganap ng mga artista ay wala rin itong silbi sa kabuuan.

            Isinusulong ng pelikula ang nakakasanayang gawi ng kabataan sa panahon ngayon: pakikipagtalik bago kasal; laro-laro muna at saka na lang magseryoso. Kahit na ang pinakapundasyon ng kwento ay ang paghahanap ng tunay na pag-ibig, inanod naman ito ng mababaw na pananaw sa relasyon, kasal at pakikipagtalik. Hindi nakabubuti na ang one night stand ay pinilit na itapat sa tunay at wagas na pag-ibig pagkat maaring isipin ng mga bata na pagbibigay katwiran ito sa kanilang kapusukan. Hungkag ang kahulugan ng tunay na pag-ibig sa kwento—sa isang iglap ay payag na si babae na pakasalan si lalake dahil posible namang niyang mahalin ito balang araw; sa isang iglap ay naniwala si lalake na naglalandi ang nobya dahil me kausap itong ibang lalake; sa isang iglap ay iba na ang napagkasunduang pakakasalan at sa gitna ng paglalakad sa altar ay biglang magpapalit ng kapareha…Dagdag pa ay ang masamang imahen ng isang babae na ipinakikita ng pelikula. Walang kakayahan si Haley na magdesisyon o ipaglaban ang sarili. Una, sa kanyang mga magulang na pumilit sa kanyang magpakasal sa lalakeng hindi naman niya kilala; ikalawa, sa asawa na pumilit sa kanya na magsilbi, magbuntis at umintindi sa kanyang bawat kapritso ng damdamin. Ang masakit ay natatapos ang pelikula na masaya at naging buo ang pagkatao ni Haley gawa ng desisyon ng ibang tao para sa kanya.

Kid Kulafu

DIRECTOR: Paul Soriano  LEAD CAST: Robert Villar, Alessandra de Rossi, Cesar Montano  SCREENWRITER: Froi Medina  PRODUCER:  Marie Pineda  EDITOR: Mark Victor  GENRE: drama [biographical]  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Odysse Flores  DISTRIBUTOR: Star Cinema  LOCATION:  Southern Philippines  RUNNING TIME:  70 mins.

Technical assessment: 3.3

Moral assessment:  3.5

CINEMA rating: V14

       “Before Manny Pacquiao, there was Kid Kulafu”—ito ang mensaheng nasa mga poster ng pelikulang Kid Kulafu.  Inilalahad ng Kid Kulafu ang dinanas na paghihirap ng “Pambansang Kamao” na si Manny Pacquiao—ang mga pagsubok at pasakit na bumalot sa kanyang buhay, kasama ng amang manhid at ng inang matatakutin bagama’t deboto.  Sa kabila ng lahat, hindi naglaho ang pangarap ng batang Emmanuel na umangat sa buhay at iahon ang kanyang pamilya mula sa kahirapang dinaranas.  Nang matuklasan ng batang Pacquiao na siya ay may kaibang kakayahan sa suntukan, ginamit niya ito bilang hagdanan upang marating ang pangarap nang buo ang loob at walang walang lingon-lingon, kahit na sa harap ng malalaking balakid.

       Sa simula pa lamang ng pelikula ay mababakas na ang kakaibang kalidad ng Kid Kulafu—mahusay ang potograpiya, ginagawang kapanapanabik ang istorya.  At bagama’t may mga “mabibigat” na eksena (tulad ng paglalabanan ng military at rebelde), ang mga ito ay “pinaraan” lamang at hindi pinalawig upang manipulahin ang damdamin ng manunuod.

       Kahanga-hanga ang pagganap ng mga artista, lalo na nila Alessandra de Rossi na bigay-todo ang pagsasalarawan kay Dionisia, at Buboy Villar na sadyang pumailalim sa pagsasanay bilang boksingero at nagbigay-buhay sa batang Pacquiao na hindi nakilala ng publiko.  Ang matalinong paggamit din ng mga simbulo ay nakatulong sa makinis at malalim na pagbubuo ng salaysay.

       May ilang mga kritikong iginigiit na hindi isang lehitimong pelikula ang Kid Kulafu kungdi isang advertisement, isang anunsiyo, at ang ibinebenta nitong produkto ay ang “pambansang kamao” na hindi na naman kailangang ibenta diumano pagkat “mabili” na ito.  Maaari ngang walang isang “cinematic plot” na matuturingan ang Kid Kulafu ngunit kung isasa-alang-alang natin ang layunin ng pelikula, tama ang ginawang hagod at habi ng direktor (Paul Soriano).  Pagkat naging pakay ng “biopic” na Kid Kulafu na ituon ng manunood ang kanilang pansin sa papel na ginampanan ng tadhana sa buhay ni Emmanuel Pacquiao, hindi ito umasa sa isang tradisyonal na sangkap tulad ng “plot” upang mabuo—sa halip, tinuhog nito nang buong husay ang ilang mga pangyayari, karanasan, at eksena sa buhay ng Pilipinong idolo upang palitawin na ang paglalakbay ni Pacquiao tungo sa rurok ng tagumpay ay iginuhit ng tadhana.

     Tiyak na may ilan ding mahahalagang pangyayari sa buhay ni Pacquiao ang nalaktawan sa ginawang pagtatagni-tagni ni Soriano sa Kid Kulafu, at ang pagtatapos ng pelikula sa pagtatagumpay ni Pacquiao bilang boksingero, ngunit dapat alamin ng manunood na hindi isang dokumentaryo ang Kid Kulafu; bagkus, ito ay isang salaysay sa nais magbahagi ng pag-asa at inspirasyon sa mga makakapanood nito, lalo na’t kung sila ay nasa abang kalagayang tulad ng kampeyon noong kanyang kabataan.  

       Hindi maikakaila na may mga magagandang “values” na lumutang sa Kid Kulafu, tulad ng pagiging masunuring anak (ni Manny), kababaang-loob, pagmamahal sa pamilya, matatag na pagtitiwala sa Panginoon, disiplina upang matamo ang tagumpay.

Home

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DIRECTOR: Tim Johnson  LEAD CAST:  Rihanna. Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Martin SCREENWRITER:  Tom J. Astle, Matt Ember  PRODUCER:  Chris Jenkins, Suzanne Buirgy  EDITOR:  Jessica Ambinder-Rojas, Alexander Berner  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Lorne Barfe  GENRE:  Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi  DISTRIBUTOR:  20^th Century Fox  LOCATION:  United States RUNNING TIME: 94 minutes

Technical assessment: 3

Moral assessment:  3

CINEMA rating: PG 13

Aliens who called themselves the Boov are looking for a new place to inhabit and to escape their enemies, the Gorgs. They find a new home on earth and invade the planet on command of Captain Smek (voiced by Steve Martin).  Carefree Oh (voiced by Jim Parsons) is overwhelmed by a new home. He works to have a housewarming party but no one of his invitees show up. Out of disappointment, Oh sends out mass invitations which unfortunately reach the Gorgs. The Boovs are alarmed and disown Oh. Realizing what he did,  Oh tries to find ways to make up for his mistake. He meets and becomes friends with a human teenager Tip (voiced by Rihanna),who is looking for her mother Lucy (voiced by Jennifer Lopez). As he helps her find her mother, he discovers many good qualities of humans. But their friendship is put on test when Oh is torn between stopping the enemy in full take over of the planet Earth and the promise to help a human friend.

Home is a combination of sci-fi and animation with an interesting storyline with a struggling plot development. Using color changes to show the changing emotions of the Boovs is quite clever. Humor is constantly injected in the film to the delight of the viewers. Technically, the movie is consistently good with a superb soundtrack which allows the audience to recall the film way after the credits .

The film is about valuing family and friendship. It shows how a mother and a daughter struggled and sacrificed to find each other, inspiring even an alien to do the same. An alien who did not believe in friendship realized the blessings of having friends to enjoy life’s journey  and successes. There is value in recognizing the presence of friends and their contribution to our growth and happiness. This can be best achieved if there is full awareness and acceptance of oneself first. Overall, Home is an entertaining film. But parental guidance may be required by young viewers for some vulgar humor.

Fast and furious 7

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DIRECTOR: James Wan  LEAD CAST:  Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Gary Scott Thompson  SCREENWRITER: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson  PRODUCER:  Vin Diesel , Michael Fottrell, Adam McCarthy, F. Valentino Morales, Neal H. Moritz, Thomas Tull, Samantha Vincent  EDITOR: Leigh Folsom Boyd, Dylan Highsmith, Kirk M. Morri, Christian Wagner  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Brian Tyler  GENRE: Action, Crime, Thriller  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Stephen F. Windon, Marc Spicer  DISTRIBUTOR:  Columbia Pictures  LOCATION:  USA, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Japan  MTRCB rating:  PG  CINEMA rating:  A14 RUNNING TIME: 124 minutes

Technical assessment: 2.5
Moral assessment : 2 stars
CINEMA rating : V14
Deckard Shaw (Statham) swears vengeance against Dom (Diesel), Hobbs (Johnson) and their team for putting his older brother in a comatose. He chases them one by one and almost kills Dom. Fortunately a Mr. Nobody (Russell) intervenes in time and offers Dom a chance to outsmart Shaw if he and his team will rescue Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) and retrieve her creation—God’s Eye, a program which allows the user to use all cameras worldwide as a spycam.  For the mission, Mr. Nobody reunites Dom’s team, including his girlfriend Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez) whose memory is slightly erased after a car accident in the previous Fast and Furious movie.
One seriously needs to be a Fast and Furious fan to make sense of all the time jumps and characters featured in the past sequels. But taking this franchise as a standalone, the plot is both thoughtlessly thin and fabulously absurd. Really? A group of race car drivers turned spy. Really? A vengeful brother who talks too much before his lethal blow. Really? An unknown financer who has all the money, technology and resources at his fingertips yet turns to a bunch of underground ex-criminals to retrieve something as precious and delicate as a spy program. Setting aside the storyline, the action sequences are exhaustingly overextended. One chase scene allowed us to take a long bathroom break and buy some snacks. Yes, it does achieve that moment of heart pounding thrill but without a solid storyline as its backbone, the film would need several overstretched action scenes to sustain its audience. The production design is superficial and superfluous. It makes everything glossy and clean but disengages the audience as nothing is relatable anymore. Camerawork and scoring scream high budget production but with cardboard performances and flat storyline, technicalities are wasted. The only good thing you can appreciate in the film is the redevelopment of Walker’s character so the succeeding franchise can continue even without him. Overall, Fast and Furious 7 is okay for adrenaline junkies with nothing better to do.
Fast and Furious 7 tries hard to celebrate family as demonstrated by the number of times the characters had lines that mentioned this word. Yet, the actions and decisions of the characters contradict the principle. Family is protecting each other, not teaming up to kill someone else. Family is sacrificing one’s self but do you bring your whole team and endanger them in the process? The sentiment is touching but it feels empty and shallow because of the violence and thrills of the chase and action scenes. Definitely, not a movie for the younger audience.

The longest ride

DIRECTOR: George Tillman Jr.  LEAD CAST: Britt Robertson, Scott Eastwood, Alan Alda, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Melissa Benoist, Lolita Davidovich  SCREENWRITER:  Nicholas Sparks (novel), Craig Bolotin (screenplay)  PRODUCER:  Marty Bowen, H.H. Cooper, Wyck Godfrey, Michele Imperato, Theresa Park, James Paul, Mitchell Smith, Nicholas Sparks, Robert Teitel  EDITOR:  Jason Ballantine  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Mark Isham  GENRE: Drama, Romance  CINEMATOGRAPHER:  David Tattersall  DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century Fox  LOCATION:  North Carolina, United States RUNNING TIME:  139 minutes

TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT:  3.5

MORAL ASSESSMENT:  2.5      

MTRCB RATING: R-13

CINEMA RATING: V 18

Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood) is set to reclaim his title as champion bull rider after last year’s nasty fall. At a rodeo, he meets Sophia Danco (Britt Robertson), an art student ready for an internship in New York City. They spend time getting to know each other but realized they are worlds apart to make the relationship work. He needs to ride a bull to save their ranch while she needs to fulfil her dreams in the big city. In one of their dates, they rescue Ira Levinson (Alan Alda), a 90-year-old man and his box, from a car crash. While in hospital, Ira (portrayed by Jack Huston as a young man) shares memories of his beloved wife Ruth (Oona Chaplin) and their enduring love. Will Luke choose the 8-second bull ride championship or the ‘longest ride called life’ with Sophia?

If you’ve read a Nicholas Sparks’ novel or seen any of the film adaptations, you’d know the formula. Girl meets boy from a different background, they fall in love but there’s a hindrance. You don’t get only one story but two. There’s another, older couple who faced the same dilemma, and through letters this older couples’ story inspire the younger ones. Tragedy strikes, but it doesn’t end there.

The Longest Ride doesn’t veer of course. Be that as it may, the film showcases the talents of its actors. Eastwood shows promise and Robertson essays her role well. It is the young Levinson couple, Oona Chaplin and Jack Huston, who bring their endearing 1940s characters to life. Although the film weaves the two stories together, one can’t help asking why the young Ira had to write Ruth about something she herself just experienced. There are beautiful scenic shots of North Carolina and the bull riding scenes are gripping. The dialogue can be improved and some scenes are just too long – it would have been better if it were less than 120 minutes.

The Longest Ride, like all Nicholas Sparks’ story, is not your typical Hollywood romance. It shows good, old-fashioned chivalry and dedication to duty before self interest. Love is not a one-night-stand that crumbles when faced with difficult situations. “Love requires sacrifice...always.” It is noble and true. It allows the beloved his/her freedom and it endures, no matter what. This is not confined to romantic love alone. The film shows care and concern for one’s parent, neighbor, and friend, even at the cost of one’s life.

The film may garner negative comments from critics for being unrealistic and sappy but it stands firm on its Christian view of love and its four forms: agape, phileo, storge, and eros.

CINEMA gives this film an V18 rating for extended sex scenes/nudity, war and violence.