tiffanyyongwt Reviews

Bring Back the Dead (2015)

love the twist where Jia En thought that De Wei had affair with the new maid. It was super heart-wrenching and well done!

[7/10 · 15 January 2015]

This is the first local film out for 2015, and I thought it was a pretty difficult film to critique. I thought the back story of the characters (above) provide a better and different understanding of the story and why they behave in certain way. So thanks Clover Films for sending me that! The plot is somewhat similar to the recent Thai film, "The Eyes Diary" where the guy brought back things that belong to the dead so that he can see spirits (and his deceased girlfriend). Here, it was a heartbroken mother, doing rituals to remain in contact with her son's spirit, which made me wonder if this (ritual) is really valid.

Now, let's do a quick dissection. In terms of acting, the actors did a flawless job. There were so many layers and emotions in Jesseca's expression that I could feel the pain, desperation, the loneliness, fear and many other emotions as the film progress. Liu Ling Ling's character as Madam Seetoh was a surprise. Her hesitance and guilt helping Jia En (Jesseca) to bring back the dead son was bizarre initially, everything make sense as the story unfolds.

As for Jacko Chiang, I debated with my friend about his character, on whether De Wei actually love his son. Le friend thought that De Wei seem impatient when singing the birthday song for his son, but the act that he was willing to sing the song twice, in an office environment (We know how embarrassing that can be!) showed that he, indeed, love and pamper his son a lot. P.S. I love the twist where Jia En thought that De Wei had affair with the new maid. It was super heart-wrenching and well done!

Cinematography and Sound Effects were ...

Read on: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/12/30/bring-back-dead-movie-review/

The Taking of Tiger Mountain (2014)

Lin Gengxin was almost a Captain America with his leadership quality, and Chen Xiao Gao Bo was like Bucky Barnes, Steve Roger's best friend.

[7/10 · 15 January 2015]

At the first glance (at the movie poster), this is definitely not the usual film that many people would catch. However, before the film was aired in Singapore, I've seen many positive review circulating online. Thanks to Clover Films, I got to watch this film directed by Tsui Hark, the director who filmed most of my favourite childhood Wong Fei Hong films starring Vincent Zhao and Jet Li.

While this film was adapted from a 1957 novel, a famous opera, as well as a real life story, I thought the story was a tad too dramatic, not that I didn't like it, Lin Gengxin was almost a Captain America in the film with his leadership quality, and Chen Xiao (the recent Yang Guo in the New Condor Hero) as one of the be-spectacled Harry Potter-lookalike Gao Bo was like Bucky Barnes, Steve Roger's best friend.

What I like about this film was how they made use of many popular actors and dressed them up in a such a way where they were almost not recognizable, unless you are their super fans. Chen Xiao and Tony Leung as Lord Hawk was one of the many examples.

While fans of these famous opera will love this adaptation, people who do not know about it might find the film over the top, with tanks, bombs and jet planes hidden in the Tiger Mountain. I had to admit that I enjoyed the 3D action, the excellent acting from...

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2015/01/07/taking-tiger-mountain-movie-review/

Hercules (I) (2014)

I quite like how this movie debunk and deconstruct the classic mythology and provided insights how legends are formed

[8/10 · 30 November 2014]

Dwayne Johnson as "Hercules", what other reason do I need to watch this movie? Being a fan of Greek mythology, Hercules is a familiar story. And fans often used this point to judge my review, feeling that I should be disappointed with the movie. Too bad, I'm not at all disappointed, as it gave me almost all the elements I look for in a blockbuster (though with a little too much absurdity nearing the end- toppling with gigantic statue of Hera with his bare hands).

I quite like how this movie debunk and deconstruct the classic mythology and provided insights how legends are formed (thanks to Hercules' nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) who boasts and exaggerates the stories). Well, at least that's also how many "Gods" in Taoism were formed! Here, Hercules is a mercenary who uses the tales of his "divine" or mysterious parentage and superhuman labours to woo new clients and scare the enemies.

While some may find the action scenes a tad over-the-top, I like the exaggerated feats which make one think if those spectacular (past) battles are really what happened. Hey, it's based on a comic and a mythology!

With fast-pace, funny and charming (lines), Hercules' sidekicks were all given their moment to shine with their skills (and Iolaus with his gift of speech) which made each character memorable. Yes, the female-version of Hawkeye, Amazonian warrior Atalanta (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) was pretty good, though VERY busy with her single arrow shooting.

Avid Hercules fans will most probably hate me for liking what they hated, and if there is really anything to pin point on, it would most probably be somewhat fake CGI of the mythical monsters, thought there weren't many of them (thankfully!)

Hercules (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) Ain't Dwayne Johnson THE Hercules? Duh, who else but him? I can't remember who was the previous Hercules actor after watching him as one. Forget 300 (or 400 or 500), Rock's the person. Any one else, but Johnson, will look ridiculous in his conquered lion's head and loincloth skirt (Remember Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter?). The fact that he pull this look off, made him the best and only choice for Hercules.

Amphiaraus (Ian McShane) (Spoiler Alert!) Amphiaraus is perhaps my next most favourite character besides Hercules. As the famed Seer of Argos, Amphiaraus was able to predict and foresee the future quite accurately, with the exception of his own death. While others try their best to avoid death (and you know how it usually end: You can't outrun death), he is one who accepts death with open arms. When he prophesied his death in a rain of flaming arrows, the epic slow motion when the time really come, and Amphiaraus welcoming the "gift" of arrows yet, missing every single one of them, was hilarious. This happened again ...

Read on: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/07/23/hercules-2014-movie-review/

The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom (2014)

Besides the fact that the female lead's hair will turn white (duh), otherwise, it is very different from the 1993 version in terms of content.

[7/10 · 30 November 2014]

I should be around 5 or 6 years old when I first watch the 1993 version "The Bride with White Hair" (白发魔女传) starring Brigitte Lin (林青霞) and Leslie Cheung (张国荣). I tried to find this film to re-watch when I got to know about this remake, however, I couldn't find them any where. (Someone tell me if you can find it!)

The box office for the film was very good in China, but so-so in other countries. Besides the fact that the female lead's hair will turn white (duh), otherwise, it is very different from the 1993 version in terms of content. Here, it took place near the end of Ming Dynasty (perhaps the start of Qing Dynasty), something that Ronny Yu's 1993 adaptation had left out. If you don't know much about China history, reading this might help you appreciate the film a little bit more.

With the historical and political context now reintroduced into the film, The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom is now more about choosing sides during one of the most tumultuous times in Chinese history. It included the infamous "Case of the Red Pills" (红丸案), the famous eunuch Wei Zhongxian (魏忠贤), bringing out the patriotism amongst the citizens back in those days.

Instead of misunderstanding leading to hatred, "trust" is an element heavily played between the two lovers. Sadly, this element was good in a bad way. It's a element most audience will hope the character will have (ya know, screaming "Why don't you believe her, idiot!" during the show) especially for the 1993 version.

However, that "trust" also lessen down the pain of the betrayal, making the "White Hair Turning Moment" a bit forced. Why so? The "trust" between Zhuo Yihang and Nie Nishang felt like "You-Are-My-New-Girl-Friend-so-I-Give-You-Benefit-of-Doubt" rather than the true love kind of trust. Perhaps with the R-rated kind of love scenes in the 1993 adaptation, the artistic and beautiful version in the new one paled in comparison, making the relationship between the main leads unimportant and thinly-sketched.

The seniors from Wudang was disappointing too. There were many loopholes and it seemed that many scenes were cut off, making their sudden re-entrance to say ...

Read on: http://goo.gl/wCWNKX

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

basically a version of the Spiderman + Captain America 2 plot using Transformer's classic babe.

[7/10 · 30 November 2014]

Just like Disney's Mickey Mouse, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are part of our childhood memories. Although I was never a fan of the turtles, I recalled my brother having this gigantic Ninja Turtle cake for his 5th birthday celebration at our childcare centre. The cake was perhaps the most vivid recollections of the turtle heroes, as my brother had to make do with the cake as the shop did not have our favourite Mighty Morphin Power Rangers back then.

To me, this is basically a version of the Spiderman + Captain America 2 plot using Transformer's classic babe. April O'Neil thinks her father's lab partner Eric Sacks is the good guy and tells him everything about the TMNT (like how Peter Parker told Dr. Curt Connors/Lizard about the discovery). So Sacks wanted the turtles' blood for the mutagen which is the antidote to the deadly virus they were planning to release (Harry wanted Spiderman's blood for his illness), and had Shredder to release the toxin and fight the turtles (if you remember how the Winter Soldier fought Captain America on the Helicarriers).

When I watched this movie, I didn't expect much when the online review was only 13%. I had to give credit to the film for the few funny moments (one of them is already on Youtube ie. the elevator beatboxing scene) and the cheesy one-liner jokes delivered by the "young-at- heart-but-not-in-looks" turtles especially Michelangelo's (voiced by Noel Fisher) amusing teenage crush on April. While Megan Fox looks perfectly sexy (in Transformers too) in the film, there were loopholes in the story line which made her look silly. For a lady to run towards the scene where people are held hostage is plain silly for a reporter-wannabe, and I can't think of a reason good enough for her to risk her life to climb up buildings to take photos of the "vigilante mutant turtles" with sound on. Erm, reporter?

April's cameraman-and-boyfriend-wannabe Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett) did not have much scenes, but his acting skills was by far, the best (since the turtles and rats are CGI).

This might be a great family or teenage film, but adults might not be...

Read on: http://goo.gl/6t5sA7

The Expendables 3 (2014)

Just enjoy the over-the-top action and almost-brainless plot

[6/10 · 30 November 2014]

I caught the Expendables 3 a week before the release, and a warning to those who have yet to catch the film. Please don't bring your brain to the cinemas. Just enjoy the over-the-top action and almost-brainless plot (if you think there is any in the first place).

Ridiculous Scenes There were many scenes which doesn't seem to make (common) sense to me! One will be the black-op mission when the team tried to apprehend some arms dealer. What made me burst out laughing was how they enter the area IN BROAD DAYLIGHT using a speedboat without anyone noticing, they even enter the heavily armed region, climbed on to the containers IN BROAD DAYLIGHT without raising any alarm! How is that even possible?

When the "younger" expendables were hired, they kinda balance up the retro "machine-gun shooting" stunts by introducing some technology stuff. Too bad, the "Expendables Lite" wasn't able to pull off their tech-savvy roles well enough. Or should I say, the script seemed to be written by a non-tech person, so much that the "techy" part of the film were all briefly touched on.

Galgo (Antonio Banderas) If I really have to give someone the credit for the score the Expendables 3 is getting from me, it will be the comical motor-mouthed Galgo. The wannabe mercenary was so irritatingly funny, making everyone else looked boring in contrast. OK fine, Wesley Snipes as Doctor Death was pretty cool (especially his tax evasion pun). Aside from that, Jet Li and Arnold Schwarzenegger are pretty dispensable.

Well, I rated this without watching the first two installments, but with the big cast, you might want to catch it just to see them in action together once more.

Credits: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/08/09/expendables-3-movie-review/

Dearest (2014)

Dearest (亲爱的) will be in for a tough fight against The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 which is opening on the same day in Singapore.

[8/10 · 30 November 2014]

I had difficulty getting a friend to watch this film with me, as most expressed disinterest with reasons like, "I don't watch such kind (crying) films." But I thought Dearest is actually the Chinese version of "Taken" minus the actions and kidnapping triads. This is more realistic, given that it was based on the real documentary of how Tian and Lu found their abducted son three years later. The Ayes I did not cry as much as I thought I would, perhaps because I'm yet a parent myself. But I can definitely feel for the parents who lost their kids. This film have various characters where the different groups of audience will be able to relate with. And for me, it's more of the feeling of Lu Xiao Juan's second husband, the Yes-I-Can-Understand-But-I-Am-Not-Part-Of-It group. Most people will think that it's the typical lost-and-found-then-happily-ever-after movie, but nope. The film touches your heart first, and then make you think again. Think of questions that we will usually assume about the abductors. That how most would abduct to make the kids beg for money, that the kids will be suffering and pining for their real parents. It also make one look at the existing policies that might be erred. Like the police report allowed only after the child was missing for more than 24 hour; the rampant child abduction case in China; China's one-child policy; the guilt and repercussion on the parents who lost their child (feeling guilty having another child), all these thought-provoking questions will most probably be at the back of your mind after the film. The various actors were brilliant in their own way. Tian's desperate search for the kid, Lu's depression, followed by her breakdown and revelation on the secret she had been hiding in her heart for months. I teared, at the weirdest scenes, like when the 6-year-old newly-found son held her hand for the first time. The smile that crept onto her face was as if she had to control herself from dancing for joy . Han De Zhong, Captain of the self support group for parents whose kids were abducted and lost, was, I thought, an unimportant role and his performance was actually so-so, until the point where Tian and Lu had recovered their child, and the emotional struggle within him having to deal with a sudden pregnancy with his wife and realizing that only one couple within that support group had found their child. You could almost feel the pain in his heart when he left the celebration to cry in one corner. ... The Nays The opening scene which was the day the 3-year-old son, Pengpeng went missing, was filled with little snippets and details of a daily usual life. Wandering street cat, the massive and messy power line (tied with red ribbon and then marked with chewing gum) and fighting under-aged teenagers. It would be impressive if these details were related and linked to the end of the film (few years down the road). But they were irrelevant, hence making the opening stretch littered with insignificant scenes. This is not a typical blockbuster film that the public will look forward to watching, as it forces people to look at the evilness of humanity. Like Tian, I couldn't understand how could fellow human still try to con and rob a man who had just lost his child with fake news. With such a genre which looks depressing based on the trailer, Dearest (亲爱的) will be in for a tough fight against The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 which is opening on the same day in Singapore.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

there's no Hunger Games in this Hunger Games movie...

[8/10 · 30 November 2014]

To all non-readers of the Hunger Games trilogy, warning, there's no Hunger Games in this Hunger Games movie (neither will there be any in Part 2)

You know how movies rarely supersede the original books? The Hunger Games trilogy was one of the few which managed to do so. I caught the first Hunger Games movie without reading the book and after watching, I read all the 3 books within the next 5 days. I was surprised (or should I say disappointed) that the movie was way better than the book. I disliked the Katniss in the novel, she's weak, indecisive and cold and I was dreading to watch the next 2 (now 3 films). But Jennifer Lawrence had given the Katniss a better character and in this movie, a bit more emotional depth, albeit a little less action.

Whilst I dislike the third book, because my favourite Peeta went bonkers (due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), I loved Josh Hutcherson's role in the movie. He did not have much screen time as compared to the string of District 13 characters, it made his every single appearance more precious, just like how Katniss treasured that one-way connection every single time, noticing the changes in his appearances. I'm so glad the directors made the characters more likable.

Some might dislike this film for the lack of action, but I love it for the more in-depth emotional development. This is how it's like when preparing for rebellion, preparation is always drier than the flesh-against-flesh punches. That's why when tiny mutinies start in every district, the civilians copying whatever Katniss say, do or sing, and taking down the "peace-keepers", you can't help but want to punch in the air and hiss a silent yes!

t is amazing how Jennifer Lawrence can act as if she's acting (confused much?), when she try to be the Mockingjay icon of District 13. Her satire of a commercialized heroine (Think Captain America before he got to do some kick-ass action) was hilarious, yet she could make the audience feel the jabs of anger and pain when she flared up at the Capitol's bombing of the hospital, and when she saw what Peeta had went through despite everyone else's anger at Peeta's betrayal...

Read on: http://goo.gl/vYfG83

Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 (2014)

You know you can't go wrong when the cast are so good-looking and great with their acting!

[8/10 · 30 November 2014]

I had difficulty rating this film, as my left and right brain have been squabbling for the past few days telling me what rating to give. The logical choice will be to give this a full mark, or almost full mark. The cast were BRILLIANT. Besides charming Louis Koo, and handsome Daniel Wu with the female lead Gao Yuanyuan from the first film in 2011, now there's Vic Chou (My first secondary school crush when he appeared in my life as Hua Ze Lei from Meteor Garden :P) and Miriam Yeung (my role model for acting after watching her Love Undercover in 2002). You know you can't go wrong when the cast are so good-looking and great with their acting!

Besides, this is one of the rare films where the CGI was pretty natural, especially the octopus, so much that me and my friend wonder if it's a CGI octopus or not! Moreover, the film played to its strength and made clever use of the first film for the flashbacks. No real worries for those who did not watch the first film, but of course, having watched that will always be advantageous to know the characters beforehand!

I like how the characters were introduced, showing how there is every reason for an identity mix-up, and well, just like the classic romance film "Turn Left Turn Right" (左走向右走), coincidentally by the same directors, this kind of situation is very possible in the real life! That's basically my left brain talking.

My right brain, on the other brain hand, was obsessively upset for many days after watching it. It actually took me some time to prepare myself (emotionally) to write this review. I love the first film. When Chen Zixin chose "Martian" Fang Qihong over "Earthling Cheung Shen Ren, I was overjoy. A man who two-times and sleeps around is definitely not someone a girl should marry. So when Part 2 is out, I kinda expected what's going to happen.

Yes, as usual, "true love"-or so they say, conquer everything (and Yes, I'm feeling sour, because my favourite Martian guy was dumped!) This made completely and utterly no-sense here, why any women could believe that Shen Ren would stop his philandering behaviour, especially when Chen Zixin witnessed everything across the building herself how Shen Ren continued his usual post-it notes and magic tricks with different women right after their breakup or even the riotous mass-"surprise" birthday celebrations all his girlfriends gave him. True love?

While some might find the first film simple, just like their theme song "Love is Simple" (爱很简 单), the sequel's trailer got me totally confused yet excited. Together with two more classic songs, the film introduced Miriam Yeung who was one of my favourite Hong Kong actress for her numerous comedy-romance films, and Vic Chou! It's such an odd combination that I will never have imagined them together. Yet, their chemistry in the film was uniquely sweet. The handyman who's always there when the girl needs him, he's like the romantic-version of "Da Ren Ge" （大仁哥）. The amazing quadrangular relationship made it super confusing to explain verbally, but ...

Read on: http://goo.gl/J6lhRv

Afterimages (2014)

characters were not really developed properly to give the audience an impact.

[6/10 · 30 November 2014]

First of all, many thanks to Mythopolis for the premiere invite and the success of the event. I guess this is the first movie where I have so many friends acting in it. It was not easy for me, albeit interesting to be reviewing a film where I know so many of the actors.

Ghost Pool Leg (鬼拉脚) This is a very common practice in Singapore – not to swim at night, and especially so during the lunar seventh month. This is the most perfect story of the five. Richard Wylie (Robert Warnock) a character who challenged the lunar seventh month myth by swimming at night, is the perfect example for most parents to show their children and warn them against the swimming at night. The swimming scene done by the midnight swimmers were taken beautifully, so beautiful that it was easily to scare the audience as we would forget to brace ourselves for the scare. Veteran actor Laurence Pang took the role of the security guard, left me an impression with his last scene

Xiao Bao Bao (小宝宝) Xiao Bao Bao is a "logical" story where the witness of a suicide might get nightmares and trauma. Aside from the unnecessary scene where Amy break off with her boyfriend, the whole story was pretty smooth and well-taken. I like the part where the camera (Go-Pro?) was placed on the rotating fan to build the suspense. There were two things which me and my friend highlighted after watching the film: Why did the "ghost" scare Amy with the bloodied face if she wanted Amy to do her favour (this reminded me of the Ghost Whisperer), while I don't understand why she continued staying at home after being scared by the spirits. Won't it be our first instinct to get out of the house?

Skin Deep I was once scared by a CCTV clip which went viral on Facebook, thus when the story started with the CCTV video, I was actually scared. But things go a bit awry later on. Skin Deep focused on a mysterious woman Yasmin (Adeline Pang) who hide a secret, despite the great acting from her (as well as the lift passengers Harrison (Mike Kasem), Helen (Susan Tordoff) and Henry (Daniel Jenkins)), the way the story of the bomoh needles was brought into the picture was a tad too forced. Telling secrets so dark that most will bring to their deathbeds to strangers is just so weird, not to say how it took an asthmatic girl with an overly aggressive friend to get the story going. I was disappointed how it had no direct link to the CCTV (and wondered where the mobile video Romesh (Sylvester Pillay) secretly took went).

Kudos to the scene where Yasmin had to cut her own face to dig out the golden needle (but I was wondering where the blood went ). I really like Adeline Pang's acting, but I wonder if the two stories will be any different if she had exchanged her role with Melissa Yeo to become Amy Tan in Xiao Bao Bao, as Adeline will most probably be able to bring out that role well and Melissa (somehow) fit the role of "beautiful + mysterious" lady more.

Rekindling Rekindling is, by far, the story with the best cast. Veteran actor Vincent Tee played the role of guilty and sad Hok Leng to a T. The strong contrast of sullen Hok Leng (Vincent Tee) and cheerful yet sarcastic Lee Seng (Gim Goh) made the popular murder story enjoyable. With his slight Singaporean accent, Lee Seng (Gim Goh) is most probably many people's favourite character in Afterimages (Yes, including me!). Together with the China wife "Anna Mei" (Julie Ng), both of them provided the audience with some comic relief from all the sudden scaring and ghostly images. I was hoping the ghost will be acted by the same person, but I guess it will be more funny than scary if it's "Anna Mei" acting

Burnt Offerings The five students Derrick (Jeremy Meyer), Tess Ling (Caren Utino), Deuce (Kevin Lagrange), Cameron (Olivia Stiefel) and Rylee (Michael Kwah) aka aspiring film makers were the characters used to frame and link the various stories together. I overheard some audience commenting how the film could easily do away with the characters and it would be nicer without the redundant final story. I had to admit that I was a little disappointed with the characters' emotional transition. There were choppy parts here and there, with one of the girls behaving weirdly (possessed?) in the middle of the film, and suddenly finding some stuff in the house they were staying in and suddenly informing the rest normally. The fearless and almost brainless dabble with supernatural beings made me wonder if they were really aspiring film makers. I believe every film maker should have the common decency to show respect to the unknown.

The 5 characters were not really developed properly to give the audience an impact. There was a part where one of the five suddenly went missing, and I was like, erm, how did he look like again? Similarly, for the two girls Tess Ling and Cameron, they look somewhat similar with different hairstyles. The filler scenes in between stories become repetitive after a while. I guess what spoiled the final story was the poorly done "fire" and "breaking of the doors".

Shooting style Despite the nit-picking, I like how the director used various shooting angles and styles for each story, portraying each story (as well as the Singapore cityscape) in a different light....

Read on: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/09/10/afterimages-horror-movie-review/

The Golden Era (2014)

Some may find it boring and monotonous, but it was just like how a normal person's life is.

[9/10 · 30 November 2014]

3 hours. This is enough to deter many people from watching the film. Maybe it will be different if it is a three hour Marvel hero movie, but it didn't feel like 3 hours to me at all. The Golden Era talks about the life story of a Chinese female writer 萧红 from the June 2, 1911 – January 22, 1942 in the format which resembles that of a stage drama, a documentary and an interview.

Some may find it boring and monotonous, but it was just like how a normal person's life is. Their life was not exaggerated or romanticised or dramatized. I found it enlightening. This is life. It's not a movie, it's not a fairy tale where the male and female lead will get back together and live happily ever after. It's life. A life with regrets and questions.

The Golden Era was not biased towards any characters. OK, perhaps it was biased by choosing a good looking actor Feng Shaofeng as Xiao Jun (the real person was not tall and muscular), and audience tend to pity him during the breakup. It made the audience decide what to believe and made me think. I overheard one of the audience said how there was almost no climax throughout the film. But being able to be in the audience's mind, to be able to make the audience think about the film, is a form of success, a form of "climax" to me.

Award-winning (female) director Ann Hui had left the whole film true to the life story. Unanswered parts were filled up by with her friends' answers. Different sides of the story (like the real reason behind the break up between Xiao Jun 萧军 and Xiao Hong) were also shown.

After watching "The Golden Era", it took me a few days to get over the many unanswered questions that were in my mind. Why was Xiao Hong so calm and unperturbed during her pregnancies and during war time? Why did Duanmu marry her knowing that she was pregnant with Xiao Jun's child? Why did he disappear on her on her final days?

Xiao Jun, Xiao Hong's husband remarried after they broke up and had a total of 8 children. Did he still love Xiao Hong? Did he ever regret? What really happened during the break up? Questions that made me search through the web for days, reading the commentaries and forums from various online sources before I could rest my mind.

If you are wondering why you should even watch this, when you don't even know who this author is (after all, she's not exactly JK Rowling or Suzanne Collins), this is a film you should watch because it's about living life the way you want it and not the way others want you to live. I love the way the actors depict the different characters. They were not acting the characters but being them. I remembered a scene when a character burst into tears talking about Xiao Hong. The audience laughed. I didn't understand why so. Is it funny when you burst into tears when talking about a deceased friend?

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/10/15/golden-era-movie-review/

Kung Fu Jungle (2014)

If there's any film that can be on par with Donnie Yen's Ip Man, I think it will be Kungfu Jungle.

[9/10 · 30 November 2014]

If there's any film that can be on par with Donnie Yen's Ip Man, I think it will be Kungfu Jungle. When we talk about martial arts, it would often be period movies. Even in Donnie Yen's previous movie (Iceman 3D), he came from the Ming Dynasty to the present world. But in Kungfu Jungle, the script writer managed to combine the various forms of Chinese martial arts into a pretty decent storyline and it doesn't feel odd at all!

So if you are wondering what are the highlights of the film, and if you've watched Donnie Yen's Ip Man and remember his classic one versus ten men fight, you will probably want to watch the Kungfu Jungle and witness his one versus seventeen men this time. He's fighting against a bunch of prisoners this time round, in order to get the attention of the lead inspector.

In terms of love, be it (Donnie Yen) Xia's love for his junior or (Wang Bao Qiang) Fung's love for his wife, they were rather subtle.It's rather ironic given that the two martial arts experts had used the "power of love" to push their skills to the extreme. Xia did not exactly expressed his love through expressions, and it is easily mistaken as poor acting skills. But me being biased, will rather take it as an awkwardness of an boarish man who is not good with his words and actions.

In comparison to Donnie Yen's semi-cool and controlled behaviour, Fung was someone who was bold in showing his emotions. His love for his wife was shown in a very unique way – performing martial arts while she chants the mantra for him. It was a very scary thing to watch him move from one expert to another, and very sadistic to watch the way he killed them. I was cringing half of the time watching his amazing but cruel fight scenes...

Besides the great fighting scenes and the fantastic cast, this movie is not without surprises. I was impressed how the film managed to capture the duo personality of Xie (Donnie Yen), his fiery and ambitious nature through his fight scenes; his calm, loving and nurturing personality in jail (by using his skills to ...

Read on: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/10/29/kungfu-jungle-movie-review/

The Eyes Diary (2014)

"We hurt, not because we remember the bad parts of the relationship, but we remembered the good parts of the relationship."

[7/10 · 30 November 2014]

I was forewarned that this film will be scarier than what we think it would be (based on the trailer). I'm almost a fan of Thai films, I think it was ever since Mario Maurer came into my life (figuratively) with Crazy Little Things Called Love (First Love) when I started noticing how many Thai films I've been watching unknowingly. As for Thai horror films, it was the recent years, when GTH worked with Sentosa Spooktacular to produce Movie-themed horror houses when I explore more into the Horror Sector. I mean I wouldn't want to scare myself by watching all these films alone!

"We hurt, not because we remember the bad parts of the relationship, but we remembered the good parts of the relationship." This was one of the most memorable lines in the film which me and my friend couldn't get out of my mind.

Just like the Ghost Whisperer, the ghosts in The Eyes Diary are portrayed as super scary or in their original appearance when they died when they are first seen. But if you are not afraid of them, you actually see them as who they are before they die. So, yes, do be prepared to be scared by sudden sound effects and gruesome ghosts. I wondered why is the film called "The Eyes Diary" in the first place, but I guess, the word diary was a figurative description of how the main lead Nott goes all the way every time to try to see the dead…

A weird part was how a ghost (Pla) could still feel pain and bleed like a human when she was attacked by other ghosts. I actually thought the main lead was rather creepy, taking belongings from dead people who died of unnatural causes and John (Kittisak Patomburana), who was the supporting actor was the "normal" one, despite him being the one who was able to see ghost.

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/11/26/eyes-diary-movie-review/

Neighbors (I) (2014)

This is probably the best comedy of the year.

[9/10 · 8 May 2014]

This is probably the best comedy of the year. And yes, Zac Efron, the girls drool, the guys envy. Oh and Dave Franco, I mistook him for his brother James Franco (I was telling my friend the guy in Bad Neighbours was the Harry Osborne in the Spiderman trilogy) and then started wondering why is he shorter than Zac Efron (Oops!). If you've watched the trailer, you will know why is the film hilarious, and guess what, those are NOT the only funny parts. I'm so glad that there were more than that (hint: the airbags; and you will know what I mean when you watch it.)

Yea, I know you'll think I'm biased for rating the movie so high because there's Zac Efron, which is true because I watched the movie BECAUSE of Zac Efron, but I did not come up with the rating. This rating was given by my MALE friend (and I seconded it), so I'm not rating it high because I'm a Zefron!

Zac Efron and Dave Franco I paused for a moment to ponder on what I got to write for the duo. Heading the fraternity, Teddy (Zac Efron) and his deputy, Pete (Dave Franco) party for a living. Teddy somehow reminded me of Leonardo DiCaprio's in Wolf of Wallstreet, albeit a younger, milder version, with a body much hotter! Whereas Pete's the brain who stayed for brotherhood and besides the butt-showing scene, it was difficult for Dave Franco to perform much beside a charming Zac Efron. No worries, he's still charismatic in his own ways. The rest of the guys don't make much of an impression, OK fine, with exception of Christopher Mintz-Plasse (from Kick-Ass) as a minor sidekick, Jerrod Carmichael for his accidental waxing and Craig Roberts for his "honesty" which are enough to make me return to the cinemas again.

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne Seriously, if I'm to have a family next time, I hope my relationship with my husband will be like Mac and Kelly's. This pair of dream couple ain't perfect, but they are good together. They are new parents, still worried about the huge (baby) change in their life, and they still want to party now and then. Rather than the typical wife-who-says-no, Kelly is more of a go-getter, supportive of her spouse revenge schemes (some of them are hers in fact) which made the whole movie even more fun!

Family VS Frat Neighbors (or Bad Neighbours) is a fairly simple plot without much depth to it, but I like how the film is honest, and sometimes, so ridiculous that ...

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/05/08/bad-neighbours-movie- review/

That Demon Within (2014)

Dave Wong (Daniel Wu) is a Good Cop with a demon in him, while Nick Cheung plays the role of the Good Cop and the "demon"

[7/10 · 8 May 2014]

I caught this movie in Johor, Malaysia together with a group of friends simply because we wanted to avoid the weekend crowd at the customs and I've watched almost all the nice blockbusters around. It was screened in Cantonese, with 3 language subtitles. I thought That Demon Within 魔 警 was pretty good, but some of my friends did not like it. Well, it ain't perfect, but at least it's worth the money and time spent (for me).

Daniel Wu and Nick Cheung Dave Wong (Daniel Wu) is a Good Cop with a demon in him, while Nick Cheung plays the role of the Good Cop and the "demon" (Well, I'm trying not to spoil the film here). Although they are both the leads, there were little direct interaction between Daniel Wu and Nick Cheung, yet their characters are closely linked by an unknown past. Short flashbacks left me wondering what exactly the problem is, and who's who. A friend commented how "bad" Daniel Wu, aka that Chinese dude that acts in movies, looked in this movie. Well, I guess Daniel Wu managed to achieve what he wanted, losing so much weight for this film.

Nick Cheung, as always, solid in his acting, was able to turn from bad to worse and worst to good all in a flash, although, I'm glad how these were always cut short to keep the story in suspense. Whereas for Daniel Wu, he is no longer the pretty boy from one of my favourite Hong Kong comedy "Love Undercover" 新紮師妹 but one with mature acting skills.

Many might find the film bizarre, but for me, there was a sense Déjà vu. Just some time back when I was hosting a travelling show in Malaysia, one of the crew members shared with me his experience of breaking down due to stress and how he went berserk and did stuff to harm himself. And all these, seemed to come alive in front of me in That Demon Within 魔 警.

Cinematography That demon within used quite a number of visual tricks and lens effect to represent the character's emotional and psychological condition. I particularly like the part where Dave (Daniel Wu) received the bad news while driving and the lens did a 360 degree turn, showing ...

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/04/18/demon-within-movie-review/

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

I always wonder why Spider-Man isn't in the Avengers alliance with my favourite Captain America...

[9/10 · 29 April 2014]

I had always been (somehow) against the remake, and even with the first Amazing Spider-Man being a success, Tobey Maguire has always been the better Spiderman in my heart. I chanced upon the opportunity to watch the first Amazing movie just two months before The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Ok, I was actually forced to watch it), I can't help but compare how different the character of the two Peter Parkers (Tobey Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's) as well as the relationship between Peter Parker and his uncle (Well, I prefer the latter). Relationship-wise, it's a Peter Parker-Mary Jane versus Peter Parker-Gwen Stacey, so comparing it will be like comparing apples and oranges. Although I've got to admit the effects of the Amazing Spider-Man trilogy is much better (10 years does a lot for the CGI).

Moreover, I always wonder why Spider-Man isn't in the Avengers alliance with my favourite Captain America, so all I can say is that I wasn't exactly super keen to catch the Amazing Spider-Man 2. But well, Sony Pictures Singapore's invitation to catch the sneak preview changed my mind. In fact, I start to worry if it will supersede my favourite Marvel Hero's Winter Soldier's movie shown less than a month ago.

Peter Parker aka the Amazing Spider-Man aka Andrew Garfield A more confident Spider-Man, with an almost Tony-Stark arrogance (he's not as wealthy though), Andrew Garfield plays a character which is completely different from Tobey Maguire's. The best and worst thing about the movie was his relationship with Gwen Stacey. While girls love the sweet albeit complicated relationship, some online Spidey fans find it too draggy. I love the genuine chemistry between Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield (Duh, I'm a girl too), the lines, the little actions, the romance is so real that it gave me the same feeling Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron did back in High School Musical.

The Villains Many people were skeptical of Jamie Foxx being casted as the Electro because he's a Black (How racist!) but after watching his performance in Django Unchained and White House Down, he is one actor who can take up any role and be that character. Of course, i have to credit the Amazing soundtracks and songs by Hans Zimmer that brought out and enhanced the anger in Max Dillon (the Electro). It is in fact one of the rare times that I actually noticed the songs/soundtracks in a movie. Through the music, I could feel so much of the Electro's anger that I can't help but feel for him. He is indeed the reason why Spider-Man 2 is so amazing.

The Green Goblin in the Amazing Spider-Man 2 is no longer just suit and armour, but also ...

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/04/30/amazing-spider-man-2-movie- review/

Iceman (2014)

This is not another solemn and patriotic Ip Man movie, nor is it the Asian version of Captain America (though the plot is somewhat similar).

[7/10 · 26 April 2014]

Before I start to go a little in detail about the characters, let's set everyone's expectation right. This is not another solemn and patriotic Ip Man movie, nor is it the Asian version of Captain America (though the plot is somewhat similar). So, if you watched it with an open mind, this film is mostly entertaining.

Many might cringe (or laugh) when the first thing He Ying (Donnie Yen) did when he defrost was to pee, same for many little actions he did, like listening to the ground for incoming enemies or even standing on the rooftop to think about stuff. But if these actions were taken place in period films, these will seem normal. I like how Donnie Yen was able to incorporate the "Qing Gong" as well as the little details of how martial arts practitioners behave into the film, a big contrast with the current era.

Battle Scenes The battle scenes between He Ying and his two other brothers, Niehu and Sao were impressive, but were spoilt by the CGI, making the atmosphere of the fight comical. Some of them were also exaggerated, like using the shield to snowboard and pothole covers to fight.

Broken plots and Split personality I was disappointed with the role of Xiao Mei, a nightclub hostess with inconsistent personality. She's a money-loving girl initially, and somehow transformed into a heroine by saving a bus-full of passengers trapped by the warriors' fight. The combination of the various disparate parts makes up a disjointed story, and it made people hard to take the story seriously.

The movie ended abruptly, only to reveal that there is a part two to the film. If you need a good laugh, do catch the movie and don't think too much about the nonsensical "curry chicken spaghetti".

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/04/17/iceman-3d-movie-review/

Noah (2014)

Instead of portraying Noah as a saint, Russell Crowe made him a human, pained and struggling with the thought that he had to carry out the creator's request to ONLY save ...

[7/10 · 20 April 2014]

I guess most people roughly know about the story of Noah's Ark (Ya know, ship in the big rain which saves plenty of animals), regardless of whether you are a Christian or not, so you most probably get the gist of the movie even before watching it.

Regardless, this movie got me (and my friend) googling and researching about the story right after the film, as we weren't familiar with the Bible and the Old Testament. I watched the movie with the initial aim to support Emma Watson, so I had little expectations for the film. However, the movie did give me quite a few surprises and set me thinking. Noah Russell Crowe as Noah Instead of portraying Noah as a saint, Russell Crowe made him a human, pained and struggling with the thought that he had to carry out the creator's request to ONLY save a pair of each species of all the innocent animals, and this did not include him and his family. It was also interesting how the time lapses between each scene were shown using Noah's hair length (From long to crew cut, and then growing back again) besides the building of the Ark.

Emma Watson as Ila Emma did a pretty good job bringing out the role of Ila, a barren girl who miraculously got pregnant, and gave birth to a pair of twin girls. However, it was difficult for me to see her acting out intimate scenes after ten years of watching her grow up as Hermione.

Noah's Sons Out of the three sons, acted by Douglas Booth (Shem), Logan Lerman (Ham) and Leo McHugh Carroll (Japheth), only Logan caught my attention (perhaps because I recognize only him). His character here was a huge contrast to Percy Jackson. Here, he portrayed an angsty youth desperate for a wife and family, making his role more distinct as compared to Shem and Japheth.

Noah Tubal-Cain Ray Winstone as Tubal Cain Tubal Cain is most probably the type of antagonist the audience would hate, and wish for his death, a blatant man who is willing to do anything to survive. We may hate him for all we care, but I cannot deny that he is the personification of the evil that exists in all of us, the ultimate reason why the Creator wanted to wipe out the human race in the movie.

Religious film with little bias Before watching the film, I had wondered if Noah would be a movie with an extremist's view. I was surprised to see that Aronofsky, who interpreted the movie based on the Old Testament, managed to show respect to the religion and engage the audience without hostility and condescension, despite being a non-believer.

Beautiful Abstract of the Scripture I was less than impressed, when I saw the transformer-like stone creatures (with the voice of Optimus Prime) appearing in the film. But as time went by, I realized the fallen angels were interpreted in a form where I could hardly fault Aronofsky (Watch the movie to know what I'm talking about!). Who says angels have to take the form of human? This is not a Disney movie after all.

Aronofsky was able to express the story of Adam and Eve, the snake and the apple with beautiful CGI artistically and concisely, yet selectively dramatizing lesser-known but significant details from Noah's life, such as his inner struggle with allowing him and his family to survive while having to watch the rest of humankind die, as well as the scene where he fell down, drunk and naked, as his son Ham looked upon him with contempt.

A meandering plot While the scenes were majestic and beautiful, there were two points where the plot slowed down, once...

read more... http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/04/03/Noah-movie-review/

Divergent (2014)

The story had an antagonist Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) whose character resembles "President Snow" (The Hunger Games).

[9/10 · 29 March 2014]

I wrote this review before reading the book, so do pardon me if some of the observations/reviews/assumptions were wrong. If I have to summarize the story of the film in a few words, it will be a Harry Potter + Hunger Games. In the movie, you are "sorted" in the muggle way by taking an aptitude test. The story had an antagonist Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) whose character resembles "President Snow" (The Hunger Games). She felt that people who are Divergent have to be killed, which drove Tris and Four to the outskirts of the city.

Still, I can't help but like the movie, for some odd reasons. I was gasping Maggie Q's name when she first appeared, no surprise, she played a minor role, but the character was important enough for me to be impressed, as she was a familiar face in many Asian films.

One main reason why I like the film was the choice of cast for the "badass" characters. When I first saw Miles Teller as Peter in the movie, I was amused by his appearance, partly because of the prior comedy "That Awkward Moment" which he starred in screened just not long ago. Playing the resident bully in Divergent, Miles Teller brought a slightly humored approach to the film character by making the jerk a little more tolerable and interesting. Down side, another character Al (Christian Madsen) looked a little like Teller, which got me kinda confused between the two characters during the film.

Kate Winslet as the antagonist, Jeanine Matthew? Seriously? She looked so nice and smart that I could just take in what she say without any questions. If she says the Abnegation are bad, they are bad. No questions ask. Reasons for overthrowing them seemed so sound and legit coming from her. Well, what can I say? She's a villain you got to be careful of.

When Four (Theo James) showed Tris his tattoo, I could hear giggles and squealing in the cinemas. It was almost like the anticipation of Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) stripping his clothes for the Twilight. The only part I was a tad disappointed with was the drug-induced fear hallucination of Tris. I'm not sure if this was according to the book (Yet to read till that chapter!) but getting stuck and attacked by crows is definitely not what I will define as scary. I can't help but refer to The Hunger Games, but the obstacles in the games were definitely scarier than Tris' dreams.

While many online reviews lament about the similarities from various sources, the fact that the film raised several thought-provoking questions ie. individuality, where you belong, facing your fears, etc… made it a relatively interesting movie to catch. It might not be the Hunger Games, but if you watch it without the comparison, it will have almost everything you want in a movie (or perhaps it's just me): Excitement, Romance, Great Cast, Thought-provoking points, so there is no reason why you shouldn't catch it too!

For those who have caught the movie, so which Faction did you belong to? Take the Aptitude Test here now: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/03/20/divergent-movie-review/

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

the Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie is one of the best solo Marvel Super Hero film (so far)

[10/10 · 29 March 2014]

Captain America is by far, my favorite amongst the other Marvel Super Heroes. And the Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie is one of the best solo Marvel Super Hero film (so far). Taking place 2 years (real and reel time) after the Avengers (yea, that movie was awesome too!), Captain America and Black Widow are both agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fighting in the streets…

I can probably go on and on blabbering on why I love the almost-flawless movie so much, but it will probably sound too bimbotic after a while, so here just three filtered, non-superficial points why the movie is GREAT!

Amazing Fight Scenes: Unlike the other solo Marvel movies, this time, the antagonists are human (or human-lookalike/ non-God) with no superpowers where you can simply just use special effects. There were numerous fight scenes, be it the opening rescue (fight scene with Batroc, the leaper), the Winter Soldier versus Captain America fight scenes or the enclosed elevator fight scene, they were all cleverly fused with real-world action with some sort of super-hero powers that are somehow still achievable by great gymnastics stunts.

It is refreshing to have the action sticking to the ground, with street chases, shoot-outs and brawls in broad daylight, creating real suspense by putting the innocents in harm's way. In one of the interview articles, it was revealed that the various fighting choreography made used of a mixture of Parkour, Brazilian Ju Jitzu, karate, boxing and gymnastics.

The Winter Soldier surprised me with his jaw-dropping knife-fighting skills. I was literally on the edge of my chair despite knowing that Captain America will most probably survive the fight unscathed. Is it odd to have a "favorite" villain? Loki might be funny, but he's not from the Earth, so well, the Winter Soldier wins (for now). P.S. I will love to learn his skills someday.

Return of The 2 Most Well-Loved Characters from Captain America: The First Avenger: The return of Bucky Barnes was a wish came true (for me). I was almost squealing "Yes, I knew he will be back!" when I saw him again. I don't think it was much of a surprise given that he has appeared in one of the many movie posters, however, it was immensely satisfying for me. The appearance of the other (secret!) character was definitely a tear-jerker. To have a Marvel Hero film making me cry is rare, but Captain America did that not once, but twice (in both of his films!). My tears welled up when I saw Steve Rogers visiting his past - one of his biggest regret.

This film is closely linked to the first movie, as well as the Avengers, and the ability to weave the man from the 1920s with mindset "frozen" in the 1940s while living in the present day time was amazing. I could feel the anguished Steve Rogers in a real drama, not some staged character in an exaggerated Super Hero film (pun int.). In one of the scenes where he had to use his old blue uniform, his patriotism gave me an overwhelming sense of loyalty.

Captain's Strong Chemistry with Falcon and Black Widow: No weak link can be found in the cast of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Black Widow's (Scarlett Johansson) femme fatale character went beyond the token female role this time, with her own little back-story and secrets. The humorous-yet-non-romantic interactions (or should I say conversations?) were simple yet impactful.

To me, Sam Wilson aka the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) felt like an Iron Man who willingly followed the orders of Captain America. His fight with the machines was exhilarating to watch, and a Falcon he is, indeed. Just like how Robin is to Batman, I can just see them fighting together, air and ground for the future Marvel movies.

I can go on and on about Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson)'s action scenes (and wonderful car), Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford)'s political schemes but I guess the best way to enjoy it is to watch it for yourself how the strong cast combine with conviction.

All in all, this is one of those movies where... read more: http://bit.ly/1pnPz4W

re: solve (2014)

Good art direction but Underdeveloped plots and characters...

[5/10 · 13 March 2014]

The plot was actually interesting enough to pass off as an interesting movie, if only the pace (editing) had been a little faster. There were odd hesitations here and there, especially in the way the actors speak (the awkward Mandarin), which made the flow a little choppy. There were a few unexplained loopholes here and there in the plot, (*spoilers ahead*) like why the mentor Tianle was blamed for the explosion when it was shown in the scene that it was not his fault. There were not enough back story to establish the characters, and the members of the elite Special Tactics Unit were also not given enough screen time for the audience to know each and everyone, thus, when they died, the audience couldn't empathize with the characters. There were also not enough action scenes to make the film an action movie, it's more like a crime mystery movie to me?

Many veteran actors like Zheng Ge Ping and Xiang Yun were involved, but they not given enough screen time for their characters to develop properly. The most disappointing part was the character Qizhen (Mico Chang) whose expression was so dead that my friend wondered if she had botox prior to the filming. Her agitated voice did not match her expression when she was talking to her sister-in-law (Xiang Yun), which kinda show that the voice was dubbed on later.

Wu Tianle (Sunny Pang) was a character which I wished they had delved a little more. Was he really dead? Or had he really turned bad because of all the accusation? Sunny Pang was able to get the audience wondering and guessing for some time before the plot unveiled. Besides Wu Tianle, Yuan Shuai was the only one which somehow saved the movie and made it a little more watchable. While some might feel that he over-exaggerate his expressions, I felt that he gave the film the energy that a crime thriller should have. The character's agitated nature made up for the main lead's sub-standard acting. This led me to wonder...

Read More: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/02/25/resolve-movie-review/

300: Rise of an Empire (2014)

300: Rise of An Empire is both prequel and sequel to "300″

[6/10 · 13 March 2014]

The first movie 300 had been a hit with the audience, and when this movie was announced, many people who looking forward to it. To be truthful, the first movie was all but a blur to me, I forgot all about the plot, and all I could remember is lots of strong half-naked guys with nice looking abs, loads of roaring and fighting, and they somehow all died in the end.

So when this film was out, I was thinking how could the film possibly continue with all the 300 guys dead? Vengeance? Prequel? Surprisingly, 300: The Rise of An Empire is both prequel and sequel to "300″. It is the story that happened along-side with the story of 300. I was surprised how this film showed more girl power this time round, with Artemesia as the navy head of the Persian, and even Queen Gorgo coming to join the battle, avenging for her husband. It felt like the Chinese version of Yang Male and Female Warriors.

What I like about the film was the tactical battling between Themistocles and Artemesia. The fight between the mere farmers and the strong Persian troops were impressive. The flashbacks helped refresh the audience's memory about the Spartan's battle (And help me recognized the characters as the guys looked all the same to me), as well as provide a little back story for those who did not catch the first film. However, that were the only good points about the whole film. With so many slow-motion effect, I wondered (more than once) if they had to do that to extend the film as it was too short. Besides that, the sudden appearance of weird sea monsters left me feeling bizarre, how did those serpent-like monsters fit into the story? Was it to show off the 3D skills?

Some people talked about the sex scene which drew the whole attention away from the battle. A friend said it was nonsensical, but I thought ...

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/03/06/300-rise-empire-movie- review/

Non-Stop (2014)

The movie is almost an Argo...

[8/10 · 13 March 2014]

re you one of Liam Neeson's fans? I mean, he's almost every girls' dream dad ever since Taken (ok, at least for me). The movie is almost an Argo (like a 75% of Argo if you've watched the award-winning film). What I love…146 passengers, 146 suspects.

It's like reading a mystery novel, it gives just enough hints for you to suspect the same person (if you are thinking or guessing when you watch) as Bill Marks, just about the same time he discover. The film doesn't give you hints to let you know right at the start, it made you sit on the edge, wanting to find out the murderer before the Air Marshall.

Bill Marks ain't the perfect nor predictable hero here. He had drinking problems, he smokes in the toilet (illegally) when he's nervous, he's in debts, he might even be a little crazy, to the extent where you might wonder if he was the delusional antagonist instead of the protagonist (especially after the first person was killed in the plane, exactly as planned/threatened). I like how the action scenes were handled (cleverly). A slight spoiler will be the tremendous fight sequence in the tiny airplane bathroom, where I was surprised how they could fight in a space so tight that punches could hardly be thrown.

The Disputable Scenes The suspicious, potentially a hijacker, characters were highlighted right from the start. Some say they are over-qualified to be in the supporting cast, with oh-too-little lines. This is especially so for "Downton Abbey"'s Lady Mary—Michelle Dockery—as the main flight attendant Nancy, Lupita Nyong'o of "12 Years a Slave", who spouts barely five lines on camera, Scoot McNairy of "Argo" as the skinny nervous guy with glasses and Corey Stoll from Netflix's "House of Cards" as the evil-looking NYPD cop. Yes, I do agree they might have too little a screen-time, but I love how they acted with their body instead of lines. Their eyes and gestures were doing more acting (see Michelle Dockery's interaction with the co-pilot), they made the film amazing.

What Can be better… Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/02/27/non-stop-movie-review/

That Awkward Moment (2014)

Labelled as the male version of Sex and the City, That Awkward Moment talks about how three friends tried to resist being in a relationship, and failed horribly.

[7/10 · 13 March 2014]

Labelled as the male version of Sex and the City, That Awkward Moment talks about how three friends tried to resist being in a relationship, and failed horribly. The online reviews for the film were mostly negative, but well, for me, there's Zac Efron, so how can I NOT watch it?

While many find many scenes really awkward (pun intended) and unoriginal, I thought it was precisely because there were so many "familiar" scenes that made the film hilarious. Many cliché scenes where we see in our typical sappy films (which every one complained about yet watches), the guys did it instead of ladies.

What's more, girls get to ogle at Zac Efron's butt, pecs and basically his whole body without feeling grossed out. Yes, if you prefer Michael B. Jordan's or Miles Teller's instead, they flaunted theirs too.

"So…where is this going?" A line that turned up a few times in the film, a question which will often appear in many ambiguous relationships. It was a serious case of Déjà vu for me, as that's like my personal situation right now? And I really wanted to say the "So… where is this going?" to that person! Talk about awkward!

That Awkward Moment gave a little insight to the guys' perspective of love, and brotherhood. Why do guys prefer picking up girls instead of being in a relationship? Why is being in a relationship perceived as something bad? This film skimmed through these topics, giving the ladies some hint about what's going on inside the dude's brain.

Before I watched the film, I was quite disappointed by the choice of ladies chosen for the film, Imogen Poots with Zac Efron?! Gosh! However, the joke was on me when I realised that the ladies became the highlight of the film when they showed the characters why it was worth it to be in a relationship.

What could have been better?...

Read More: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/02/12/that-awkward-moment-movie- review/

RoboCop (2014)

A remake from 1987 (before I was born!), I thought a review of the film as its own (instead of comparing with the original) will be more apt,

[8/10 · 24 February 2014]

A remake from 1987 (before I was born!), I thought a review of the film as its own (instead of comparing with the original) will be more apt, since I've never caught the original and that the technology had advanced tremendously over the past 27 years to make a fair comparison. This is one of the films that was able to give me goosebumps with just their special effects. Swedish-American actor Joel Kinnaman delivered an engaging performance, especially at the part where he became conscious and discovered what's left of his body. Seriously, I can totally imagine myself going berserk if that happened to me.

Which led me to think about the question of Euthanasia. Will I make the same decision as Murphy's wife, Clara (Abbie Cornish), or will I let go? Letting go is definitely a tough decision, but imagine the horror of seeing your own husband alive, left with only a pair of lungs, heart, face and… brain?

Gary Oldman managed to give the audience the image of sympathetic Dr. Dennett Norton, who was humane yet secretly and crazily awed by what he can do with the human brain. He can get away with anything and not be blamed with his perfectly restrained performance.

The other character who caught my attention was Patrick "Pat" Novak, host of The Novak Element (Nick Fury in Avengers). A contrast to his cool and nice role in Avengers, Pat Novak is now a charismatic and pro- robot host who is able to turn any situation to his benefit.

Read more: http://tiffanyyong.com/2014/01/30/robocop-2014-movie-review/