Jack Ryan (2014)- Short Movie Review

Plot Summary:

Based on the character created by bestselling author Tom Clancy, "Jack Ryan" is a global action thriller set in the present day. This original story follow a young Jack (Chris Pine) as he uncovers a financial terrorist plot. The story follows him from 9/11, through his tour of duty in Afghanistan, which scarred him forever, and into his early days in the Financial Intelligence Unit of the modern CIA where he becomes an analyst, under the guardianship of his handler, Harper (Kevin Costner). When Ryan believes he's uncovered a Russian plot to collapse the United States economy, he goes from being an analyst to becoming a spy and must fight to save his own life andthose of countless others, while also trying to protect the thing that's more important to him than anything, his relationship with his fiancée Cathy (Keira Knightley). (c) Paramount

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG-13

Sex and Nudity- 2/10 (one PG scene of Pine and Knightley in bed)

Language- 2/10 (nothing notable)

Violence- 5/10 (Snipers, and one scene of murder by drowning)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 2hrs 25 mins

Review:

This has been a surprising film for me. After disappointing adaptations of action novels, I fully expected this to bomb. Chris Pine has sealed his action star status in his portrayal of intellectual and brawny CIA agent Jack Ryan. While he has come a long way from chessy romcomedies, there are some overly saccharine scenes that become incongruous with the solemnity of the film and would fit right into the romcom genre he graduated from. Somehow, he pulls it off. The combination of his boyish looks and macho build makes his appeal transcend age and gender. American-accented Keira and Kevin were wasted talents in the film. We know what they are capable of. But the script writing confined and reduced them to forgettable characters. The antagonists are fairly good. Branagh portrayed the dichotomy of a villain well enough to evoke a twinge of sympathy for his plight.

The plot was dragging at first and suddenly picked up pace midway which made the scenes feel rushed. However, the quality of the action scenes in the second half of the movie made the drag forgivable. The script was heavy with Wall Street jargon making around 60% of it incomprehensible to the layman. I found myself explaining the plot to my companions in the cinema. The audience would struggle to grab on to any clue just to understand the context. But then we get dazzled by the break-neck speed of the action scenes that we forget about the technicalities of the terrorist plot. Somehow, this is where it is successful. It gets the viewers to cheer on the hero without understanding what he actually has to do. It succeeded in making the hero so likable that we sympathize with him without comprehending the severity of his problems.

Fave Character:

Jack Ryan (yes one of the few times I loved the actual lead character)

Least Liked Character:

William Harper (what a waste)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Cathy: I’ll have dinner with you when you are able to run out of here. We’ll split the check.

Fave Scene:

Nonso-Pine fight scene

47 Ronin (2013)- A Short Movie Review

Plot Summary:

From ancient Japan's most enduring tale, the epic 3D fantasy-adventure 47 Ronin is born. Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honor to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors. 47 Ronin is helmed by visionary director Carl Erik Rinsch (The Gift). Inspired by styles as diverse as Miyazaki and Hokusai, Rinsch will bring to life the stunning landscapes and enormous battles that will display the timeless Ronin story to global audiences in a way that's never been seen before. -- (C) Universal

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG-13

Sex and Nudity- 2/10 (a bare-chested Keanu with some “geisha” leg)

Language- 1/10 (No room for English swearing in a samurai themed movie)

Violence- 7/10 (Decapitation, sword fights, and mass suicide)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 2hrs 7 mins

Review:

I may have overrated this movie. I love samurai fights, and I had a brief obsession with the original Matrix movie (yes… I once fantasized of flying though the Matrix with a trench coat clad Keanu).

Since I have absolutely no background of the legend this movie was based on, I couldn’t critique on whether or not it did justice to the original plot. The magical element of the movie allowed beautiful special effects but it seemed too fantastical to allow character development of the samurai. Keanu portrays a character that is reminiscent of his Neo aka “The One” role, he even had a “come-over-here” moment in a climactic fight scene. Even if we choose to ignore the fact that the lead character of a samurai film is not Japanese, we can’t help but question the legitimacy of various cultural elements in the movie. The characters are so obvious and so unidimensional they become parodies. Villains are my favorites in films and taint my overall perspective of the movie. Kira. ugh. disappointing. The witch however was so senselessly evil I ended up liking her best just for her ability to pull it all off despite her character's lack of depth.

The best part of this movie is not its stilted Japanese-accented dialogue. Nor is it the revenge honor and forbidden love centered plot (which they unnecessarily stretched into a 2-hour film). The best parts are the fight scenes with sharp swords and agile “ninja” moves. The big budget is apparent in the special effects and cinematography. The sets are also beautifully made and some segments allowed me to concede that 3D movies are not so bad. It succeeds in transporting audiences into 18^th century Japan. 

Although it had a generally sullen vibe,  it is occasionally broken by some moments: The stereotypical fat guy blunders, the lead samurai's name Oishi (Hi, I am samurai Delicious hehe) and the pompous smile of Kira. You spot familiar faces (wohoo! Cary Tagawa!). All in all, it was a decent film that requires little brain activity to understand the scenes. Watch if only for my favorite scene of the wedding crashers.

Fave Character:

Witch (deliciously wicked).

Least Liked Character:

Kira (most useless villain ever. hehe)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Monster Monk??: Mika will never be yours in this lifetime.

Kai: Then I would die praying that I would find her in the next.

Fave Scene:

Wedding Reception/wall breach scene. Can’t find a screen cap so below is the cheesiest scene.

Thor (2013)- Short Movie Review

Plot Summary:

Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's "Thor" and "Marvel's The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all. (c) Disney

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG-13

Sex and Nudity- 1/10 (just one gratuitous shot of Hemsworth’s ripped upper body)

Language- 1/10 (no swearing I remember)

Violence- 4/10 (Fight scenes with swords, blades, arrows and blood)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 1hrs 52 mins

Review:

I try to hold back the comic fan girl in me when I watch the movie adaptations of my favorite heroes. While Thor was not on the top of my hero list, I still hoped the original plot wouldn’t be (too) massacred for the sake of Hollywood. I am glad to say that this movie had most of the things I expected in its predecessor.

The special effects were grandoise and artistic. No awkward CGI moments for me. While I commend scriptwriters’ attempts to put Thor in the forefront as the hero, his character remained blah and “jock”-ish to me. The feminist in me was disappointed that Jane Foster (Portman) was portrayed as the a weak damsel-in-distress for majority of the movie. However, I quite enjoyed Queen Friga and warrior woman Sif’s brief “superwoman” moments and hoped that their characters would be developed further…which didn’t happen. Loki (Hiddleston) was the star of this film. He is, in my opinion, the second most likable villain (behind Heath Ledger’s Joker) I have seen so far. His dry wit delivers the laughs, he provided a better demonstration of fighting skills, and his character has so many layers that you love him and hate him at the same time.

This is a movie wherein the whole is much better than its parts. While I think that it still rides the success of the Avengers franchise, this film has the elements that would delight the Marvel Movie fan base – otherworldly action scenes, awkwardly placed comedic moments, a Stan Lee cameo, a Marvel hero cameo, and special shorts at the end of the credits.

Fave Character:

Loki (So good at being bad)

Least Liked Character:

Jane Foster (I expected much more from a character played by Portman especially since she had some sort of super power in her)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Loki: Hitting does not solve everything

Fave Scene:

Queen Friga fight scene (such a whoa moment however brief)