War for the Planet of the Apes

DIRECTOR:  MATT REEVES   LEAD CAST: ANDY SERKIS, WOODY HARRELSON, STEVE ZAHN, KARIN KONOVAL, AMIAH MILLER  SCREENWRITER: MARK BOMBACK, MATT REEVES  PRODUCER: PETER CHERNIN  EDITOR:  WILLIAM HOY, STAN SALFAS  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  MICHAEL GIACCHINO  GENRE: SCI-FI ACTION ADVENTURE  CINEMATOGRAPHER: MICHAEL SERESIN  DISTRIBUTOR: 20^TH CENTURY FOX  LOCATION:  UNITED STATES  RUNNING TIME:  2 hours 27 minutes

Technical assessment:  4

Moral assessment:  3.5

CINEMA rating:  V14

MTRCB:  PG

Enhanced primate Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless renegade colonel (Woody Harrelson).  After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet. (mrqe.com)

After Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War for the Planet of the Apes which is derived from Pierre Boulle’s novel (1963) begins two years after humans and primates fight for existence.  With characters created by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the film is scripted by Mark Bombeck and director Matt Reeves as a character-driven action adventure.  Award-winning actor Serkin’s performance resulting in motion-capture visual effects is flawless.  Serkins as Gollum in Lord of the Rings is unforgettable; as Caesar here he stirs human empathy.  The colonel himself (Harrelson’s character), in an eyeball to eyeball scene with Caesar, says of the ape’s eyes “They’re almost human”.  Of course, Serkin didn’t do it alone—credit also goes to the team of effects artists who create the digital characters from the computerized 3D images of their actions and facial expressions.  Thanks to Seresin’s evocative cinematography and the stirring musical score by Giacchino, the total product is so convincingly real that only the most skeptical would doubt the story’s probability. 

Is it possible for an animal to have scruples, like human beings?  In War for the Planet of the Apes, we see an ape with a conscience and a human being without a heart.  Have man and ape switched roles?  No, and neither is depicted to be judged harshly, for the plot and the dialogue clearly unveil where each is coming from.  In this installment, Caesar is drawn to the dark depths of his heart, wanting revenge more than anything else—but has the discernment to realize that he is becoming more and more like the human-hating ape Koba (Toby Kebell).   The colonel wears a cross and a brown scapular around his neck, displays a small cross on his wall, and yet remains conflicted.  This thought provoking movie offers many topics for discussion, such as leadership, animal rights, compassion, loyalty, friendship, and vengeance as the result of being wounded (whether human or ape), etc.   While plumbing the depths of simian and human creatures, the movie also provides comic relief  through the antics of the zoo chimpanzee self-named “Bad Ape” (Steve Zahn), CINEMA—with due respect to MTRCB’s rating of PG—thinks that’s not enough to let your young children watch it.  The theme and its accompanying violence might scare and scar more than entertain them.

CINEMA TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT REAL LIFE APES

CINEMA thinks the Planet of the Apes trilogy may also bring to focus the implications of real life scientific research utilizing primates, as its plot revolves around the scientists’ search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease that created instead an ape with human-like intelligence.

It’s a fact that primates are being experimented upon by humans for medical purposes.  According to US-based PETA—People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—“over 105,000 primates every year are imprisoned in US laboratories… abused and killed in invasive, painful, and terrifying experiments…”  (See https://www.peta.org/) Primates are prime targets for experimenters because they share important biological and psychological characteristics with humans, such as sensitivity and intelligence.

In July 2011, as Rise of the Planet of the Apes hit the theaters—showing, among other images, a chimpanzee that fired an AK47 towards humans—the Academy of Medical Sciences of Britain (AMSB) said the dangers of disturbing animal-human experiments are real.  In a hard-hitting report the academics warned that research is close to pushing ethical boundaries and urged the government to create tough new rules to prevent such a scenario (of gun-toting primates) from becoming a reality.  Professor Martin Bobrow, a medical geneticist at Cambridge University and lead author of the report, said society needed to set rules before scientists began experiments that the public would find unacceptable.   

Three particularly “sensitive” areas in animal research, the report stated, are cognitive, that of reproduction, and creation of visual characteristics that would make them see themselves as human.  Relating to reproduction, the report recommended that animal embryos produced from human sperm or eggs do not develop beyond a period of 14 days.  The most controversial field, according to the report, deals with animals with “uniquely human” characteristics; the report called the experiments here “Frankenstein types with humanized animals”.  Thus, the AMSB report called for a ban on extreme attempts to give laboratory animals human attributes—such as injecting human stem cells into the brains of primates—and called for a closer monitoring of the experiments by a new body of experts.  “If a monkey that received human genetic material begins to acquire capabilities similar to a chimpanzee, it’s time to stop the experiments,” said Bobrow.

A co-author of the report, Professor Thomas Baldwin, said: “The fear is that if you start putting very large numbers of human brain cells into the brains of primates suddenly you might transform the primate into something that has some of the capacities that we regard as distinctively human—speech, or other ways of being able to manipulate or relate to us. These possibilities are largely explored in fiction, but we need to start thinking about them now.”

Bloody Crayons

DIRECTOR: Topel Lee  LEAD CAST: Janella Salvador, Elmo Magalona, Sofia Andres, Diego Loyzaga, Jane Oineza, Maris Racal, Yves Flores, Empoy Marquez, Ronnie Alonte  WRITERS: Carmel Josine Jacomille, Rogelio Panahon Jr., Justine Reyes de Jesus, Kenneth Lim Dagatan, John Paul Abellera  SCREENPLAY: Quark Henares  BASED ON: Bloody Crayons by Josh Argonza  PRODUCERS:  Charo Santos-Concio, Malou Santos  GENRE: Suspense-Thriller  CINEMATOGRAPHY: Zach Sycip  PRODUCTION  COMPANY: ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc.  DISTRIBUTED BY: Star Cinema COUNTRY: Philippines  LANGUAGE: Filipino,English  RUNNING TIME:  110 minutes 

Technical assessment: 4

Moral assessment: 2.5

CINEMA rating: V14

MTRCB rating: R13

Dumating sa isang ilang na isla ang grupo ng mga kabataan para sa shooting ng kanilang film project .  Titira sila pangsamantala sa lumang bahay na pag-aari ng pamilya ni Olivia (Jane Oineza).  Masaya ang lahat sa pagdating sa isla, subalit bago magdilim ay magkakaroon ng tensyon dahil  sa mga isyu ng love triangle  sa pagitan nina Marie (Sofia Andres), Kenly (Diego Loyzaga), at Olivia, at ang maapektuhan ang matalik na pagkakaibigan ng huli kay Eunice (Janella Salvador) dahil sa paglilihim nito sa kaibigan.  May mabubuo ding isyu sa sarili ang direktor ng grupo na si Kiko (Elmo Magalona) dahil sa makikita nya na pagiging malapit ni Eunice kay John (Ronnie Alonte).  Hindi nila kaklase si John, isinama lamang nila marahil para makatulong sa project.  Sa akalang huhupa ang nabuong tensyon sa mga kasama ay naglaro sila ng Bloody Crayon kung saan bilang mga manlalaro ay sasailalim sa confessions, rules at consequence na pag-inom ng pinaghalo-halong inumin sa bloody mug. Sa larong ito unang namatay ay kanilang kasama na si Marie dahil sa pagkakalason sa ininom na tubig pagkatapos uminom ng laman ng parusang bloody mug.  Susunod ang isa-isang pagkamatay ng magkakasama.  

Malikhain ang kwento ng Bloody Crayons na pinatingkad ng ginawang trato ng direktor upang mapuno ng suspense  mula sa simula hanggang sa resolusyon.  Epektibo ang pagpapalitan ng mga eksena ng shooting at aktwal sa paghahatid ng tensyon.  Maganda at masining ang mga kuha ng kamera sa iba’t ibang anggulo ng isla, ng dagat at talampas, ng loob at labas ng lumang bahay, at ng kagubatan.  Maayos ang mga komposisyon katulad ng mga eksena ng pagtatampisaw ng mga tauhan sa dagat, pag-uusap nina Eunice at John sa balkonahe na lihim palang nasasaksihan ni Kiko, ang pag-iisa ni John sa loob ng patibong na may daanan palabas sa dalampasigan, atbp.  Ang mga inilapat na tunog, musika at ilaw ay pawang mga akma sa hinihingi ng eksena at kabuuang istorya. Gayundin ang disenyo ng produksyon, kasuotan  at make-up. Tama lamang at kapani-paniwala ang pagganap ng mga kabataang artista sa kani-kanilang karakter. Gayunpaman, medyo nakakabagot ang pinatagal na eksena ng habulan nina Olivia at Eunice sa kagubatan at ang mahahabang usapan sa mga sitwasyong puno ng tensyon.  Sa kabuuan ay mahusay ang teknikal ng aspeto ng pelikula.

Mga kabataan, bilang mga mag-aaral na nagnanais kumpletuhin ang school requirement  upang makapagtapos ng kanilang kurso, ang itinampok sa pelikulang Bloody Crayons. Napadpad sila sa malayong isla dahil dito. Bilang mga responsableng mag-aaral ay ginagawa ang lahat upang matapos ang kailangan sa paaralan.  Subalit kung may mga isyu sa bawat isa ay mas mabuti na ayusin muna  bago pumalaot  bilang magkakasama.  Ang mga nabunyag na paglilihim ang naging mitsa ng pagsambulat ng galit at pagiging mapusok ng mga tampok na kabataan sa pelikula.  Dalawang gintong aral ang dapat tandaan ng isang tao upang mas maging maayos sa buhay: una, “ang katotohanan ang siyang nagpapalaya”; ikalawa, “walang lihim na di nabubunyag”.  Ang mga ito ang hindi isinaalang-alang ni Eunice dahil sa pagnanais niya na protektahan at huwag masaktan ang matalik na kaibigan. Ang inaakalang simpleng film project ay nauwi sa patayan at tuluyang pagtuldok sa mga pangarap na makapagtapos ng kanilang kurso.  Nakakahindik na magagawang patayin ng isang kabataan ang mga kaibigan dahil sa kabiguan sa pag-ibig, pagtataksil ng kaibigan, paglilihim na ginawa siyang tanga. Maaring labis ang sakit na dulot ng ganitong karanasan pero may paraan upang malampasan ito ng isang tao sa pamamagitan ng tamang proseso at paggabay. May pananagutan ang mga magulang at paaralan sa mga ganitong sitwasyon.  Ang pagsisisi ay palaging nasa huli.  Maliban sa pagpatay ay lumutang din ang temang pre-marital sex, pagtataksil at paglalasing sa mga ikinumpisal sa larong Bloody Crayon na siyang pinagmulan ng simbuyo ng mga damdamin sa mga tauhan ng kwento.  Maseselan at nangangailangan ng proseso ang mga temang ito at nangangailangan ng hinog na isipan ng manonood.

Ang Pagsanib kay Leah de la Cruz

LEAD CAST: Sarah Lahbati, Julian Trono and Shy Carlos DIRECTOR: Erik Matti  SCREENWRITER: Charlene Esguera  PRODUCER: EriK Matti & Katski Flores  MUSICAL DIRECTOR:  Francis de Vera  GENRE: Horror  DISTRIBUTOR:  Viva Films, Reality Entertainment  LOCATION: Philippines  RUNNING TIME: 97 minutes

Technical assessment: 3.5

Moral assessment:  2

CINEMA rating:  V18

MTRCB rating:  R13

Isang “inactive” na pulis si Ruth (Sarah Lahbatti), at namamahinga sa Barangay Dalisay.  Palaging laman ng isip ni Ruth ang kapatid niyang si Erik, as tila plagi niyang sinusulatan at inuunawa kahit hindi ito sumasagot.  Galing sa isang simbahan, lalapitan siya ng teenager na si (Julian Trono), at papakiusapan siya nitong tulungan ang kanyang malaking “crush” na si Leah (Shy Carlos) na tila sinasaniban.  Bagamat nayayamot sa kakulitan ni Gabriel, mapupukaw ang kalooban ni Ruth na dumamay nang masaksihan niya ang tangkang pagpapakamatay ni Leah na tatalon mula sa balkonahe ng kanilang bahay.  Kasama si Gabriel, magiimbestiga si Ruth sa kaso nang malaman nilang sinugat-sugatan din ni Leah diumano ang yaya nitong si Rosario bago siya tumalon.  Lalawig ang pag-iimbestiga ng dalawa at may mauungkat sila tungkol sa isang kulto.  Ano ang kinalaman ni Rosario, ng isang pari, ng isang madre, sa pagsanib na nangyayari kay Leah?

Kahindik-hindik ang simula ng pelikula, at agad ay iisipin mong kakaiba itong horror movie—hindi nagtutumili, pero nakakakaba.  Magaling ang cinematography, musika at editing ng pelikula, nagtulong-tulong sila upang mabuo ang “atmosphere”.  Dinala ng mahusay na pagganap ni Carlos, Lahbati at Trono ang kuwento mula simula hanggang katapusan.  Ngunit sa hindi matukoy na paraan, hindi mahawakan ng pelikula ang interes o simpatiya ng manonood sa kanyang kabuuan.  Maraming bagay na dahil salat sa katuwiran o lohika ay nakakawalang-gana nang sundan.  Maaaring humanga na lamang tayo sa galing mag-“emote” ng mga artista, pero ano ang saysay ng kuwento, at ng mga umano’y lihim na isinisiwalat ng ano man yaong espiritung sumasanib kay Leah? 

Maaaring gustong sabihin ng Ang Pagsanib kay Leah de la Cruz na ang mga kasawiang-palad na nangyayari sa tao ay nanggagaling din sa kaniyang sarili—sa kamangmangan o pagkukunwari—na ang isang tao ay “minumulto” ng kanyang lihim, maging ito man ay isang kasalananan o nakaraang hindi maiwanan.  Ngunit ang bagay na ganitong kalalim ay hindi matagumpay na mabibigyang katuwiran ng isang pelikulang gumagamit ng ideya ng “pagsanib” ngunit wala namang malinaw na iginagawad na paliwanag o lunas upang ang manonood ay maniwala sa katotohanan nito at mag-isip kung paano ito pupugsain upang ang manaig at lumutang ay ang likas na lakas ng loob ng tao na nilikhang kawangis ng Maykapal.  Gawa ng malagim na sinapit ng mga tauhan—kahit na ang inaakala nati’y “matibay” sa kanila—binigyan ng pelikula ng labis na kapangyarihan ang puwersa ng kadiliman.  Walang kapatawarang nasasalamin sa kuwento.  Hindi mabuting panoorin dahil baka paniwalaan ng mga murang isipan.

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.