Finding Dory Review

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming...

Finding Dory review - Everyone’s favourite blue tang fish with short term memory loss is back on a new adventure once again after 13 years! 

Meet Destiny, Dory's pipe pal!!!

In Finding Nemo, Marlin (Albert Brooks) had to travel halfway across the ocean to ‘retrieve’ Nemo (Hayden Rolence) back while making new friends which included the absentminded Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). A year later, Dory had settled in well with her ‘adopted’ family until she has a flashback on how she lost her family. Dory then sets on a mission to find her parents with the help of Nemo and Marlin who are worried that Dory might get hurt due to her ‘condition'. The trio once again journey on, this time to ‘the jewel of Morro Bay, California' while meeting interesting underwater and land creatures. Unfortunately once they reach the destination, Dory gets separated from Marlin and Nemo and bumps into Hank (Ed O’Neill) an Octopus (or rather ’spetopus’) who is willing to help Dory in exchange for her ’tag’ while also assisted by her old ‘pipe pal’, Destiny (Kaitlin Olson) the whale shark and Bailey (Ty Burrell) the beluga whale. After losing her parents when she was just a tiny little tang, can Dory succeed in finding her parents or all her efforts go down the drain?

Marlin and Nemo makes friend with two English sea lions. 

After tickling our funny bones in Finding Nemo, it’s only fair that Ellen gets to shine even brighter as Dory in her own adventure. Ellen's voice is spot on to capture all kind of emotions that Dory had to face. This multi talented lady can do no wrong bringing our favourite fish alive with her own twist. Speaking of which, other voice talents were also on their ‘voice best’ to match with their characters. The veterans, Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy could do no wrong as Dory’s parents, Jenny and Charlie respectively. Meanwhile, I personally enjoyed Idris Elba as one of the sea lion with his thick English accent, after parading as Shere Khan the tiger in The Jungle Book earlier, his voice is fast becoming my ears favourite voice to listen to. The storyline however did feel a bit repetitive in the beginning when Dory heads out to the ocean until later part when she goes on her own determined to find her folks one way or the other despite her disability. Same goes for the ocean views as its predecessor had already offered us the lively and colourful scenery of the ocean below us. The setting on the land is rather bland didn’t help much for the eyes as well. Luckily the new characters offered reliefs in exchange for the lack of a much interesting plot and could still capture new viewers attention. 

Meet Nemo's parents, Jenny and Charlie

I remember being blown away by the underwater when i watched Finding Nemo 13 years ago, (until now it’s still one of my favourite animation) so i was a little skeptical when i found out Dory will be doing the same. My doubt was confirmed as i felt Finding Dory is slightly below par compared to Finding Nemo. Perhaps growing ‘older' got to my sense but Finding Dory felt like a there was something amiss in the ocean of my viewing pleasure. Don’t get me wrong, its still an enjoyable film but in my opinion, Finding Nemo is still the better movie, a classic if I may say so compared to Finding Dory. Go watch both and let me know what do you think can?

P/s - Thank you ntv7 for the preview passes. 

The Conjuring 2 Review

Welcome back the Warrens! 

The Conjuring 2 Review - Everyone’s favourite ghostbusters, Ed and Lorraine are back y’ll!

Imagine the seeing your kids getting tortured and not being able to do anything.

After being recognised for their ability to help those getting ‘disturbed by un-wanted visitors', Ed and Lorraine this time travel to London, England to lend a helping hand to a single mother, Peggy Hodgson (Frances O’Connor). A single mother of four (4) children, she is convinced that her daughter, Janet Hodgson (Madison Wolfe) is ‘possessed’ by a spirit of an old man who used live in their house. At first, Janet just sleep walks but thing escalates so quickly until it grabs unwanted attention of the media. Both Ed and Lorraine at first serve as ’the eyes and ears’ of the Church until they witness some strange happenings at the Hodgson’s resident. Little did they expect that they will be facing their own demon that is about to get them. Can the poor family and the Warrens survive this haunting? 

Yearp....this is that Nun! 

The undeniable husband and wife chemistry between Patrick (as Ed) and Vera (as Lorraine) is still strong in this follow-up and further strengthen their relationship when faced with a dilemma of choosing between helping the troubled family and save their own self. Both of them give another outstanding performance as hoped. Meanwhile the new comer, Madison shines as a tortured young teenager trapped between growing up normal while also fight for her life. Heck, even the ghostly nun were freakishly awesome man (that scene when ’she’ comes out of the painting….maigard!!!). Beside the excellent casting, another notable signature of James Wan the Director, is his amazing camerawork, capturing near-to-impossible-angles to scare you even more coupled by the spooky sound mixing that might cause some to wet their pants in fear. The ghost/spirit will not scare you by popping up in your face and what is more scary is the after math it leaves by just lingering in your mind long after you have left the cinema. I’m writing this review a week after watching the movie and still remember how afraid i was (yes, I once again had to watch it with my glasses off!) despite trying to be brave to face the demon-pun intended.    

Are you ready for this?

After scarring the crap of the audiences and kinda reviving the scary movie genre, Malaysian born Director, James Wan once again offers us another winning formula to how-to-scare-your-audience-mentally-instead-of-just-scream-when-you-see-a-ghost flick. (Fuh! that was a mouthful!). Despite being a scary cat that I am, I will most definitely watch another horror movie helmed by him. I hope he will dig more into the Warren’s old files and offer us a salvation from the over crowding of Superhero films lately. Bring it on I say altho most prolly i will watch it with my glasses off once again. Hehe. 

P/s - Thank you Screenbite for the preview passes.

The Conjuring Review

Me Before You Review

Amazing pair of Sam and Emilia. 

Me Before You Review - Another best selling book adapted into big screen flick.

Everybody say Awwwwwwwww......

Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) is a carefree daredevil who is left paralysed after a motorcycle accident. While Louisa “Lou” Clark (Emilia Clarke) is a bubbly girl in need of a job to help her parents to make ends meet. As luck or fate would have it, Will’s concerned parents hire Lou to be Will’s new caretaker. What begins as a resentful relationship blossoms into a loving companionship with Lou trying to convince Will to live longer while he ‘teaches’ her to live her life boldly. With such strong bond formed between them, can the two love birds manage to change each other’s mind or decision for better or worse?

....that man and his dimple!!!

First thing first…the casting of Sam and Emilia was spot on to bring Will and Lou’s character to live. These two have a very strong chemistry towards each other, it will get you rooting for their relationship to survive any situation. Emilia will steal your heart while Sam can melt girls heart just by a simple move of his eyebrow and the oh so perfect dimples. That being said, thank God for the perfect pair casting because to me personally, the story felt pretty short from achieving what would have been a much greater height. It did offer some amount of satisfaction but failed to wow me over. Perhaps its just me but I noticed some viewers were down to the last bit of tissue wiping off their tears towards the end of the film.

....close shave but not quite a clean sweep....if you know what I mean...tsk tsk 

The story did however offer an interesting premise on people fall in love. You can’t choose who, where, when, why and how…you just do, just fall in love...trust me, I know. Hehehe. 

P/s - Thank you Lau for the preview passes. 

Demolition Review

Hey Jake! 

Demolition Review - Jake-I-could-never-spell-his-last-name-right-Gyllenhall (I used search button to look up to his last name) is back with dramatic role.

...to demolish....or not to demolish....

Davis (Jake) seems to be living a perfect life as a investment banker who is married to the Boss’s daughter. Until a routine morning commute turns into a disastrous tragedy killing his wife and leaving him in a loop. Davis vent about his frustrating life by writing a complain letter to the vending company machine when it malfunctions on him thinking it would not receive any attention. Little did he knew that the said company’s Customer Service Rep, Karen (Naomi Watts) would actually return his call and both of them form an unlikely connection. Davis keeps up with his destructive ways in order to understand and rebuild his life after finding out more truth behind his marriage. His also develops a special bond Karen’s son, Chris (the very talented Judah Lewis). Can David ever recover from his loss? 

Jake got his groove on!!!

One can depend on Jake to deliver such strong role and once again he prove his acting chops by taking on such powerful persona. He delivers it effortlessly. Sadly Naomi still plays an insignificant character who gets taken over by Judah’s talent as her son. The storyline is quite intense and moves very slowly (I noticed few people leaving the cinema halfway) but pays off well for those who are patient enough to sit thru till the end. It’s not your typical ‘let’s eat some popcorn or potato chips while watching this’ flick but a carefully well thought movie which unfortunately may not suit everyones or anyone viewing pleasure. 

Nothing to see here....move along....

Taking account from my own experience of losing someone dear to me, I could feel Davis’s sense of loss. I remember not being able to cry when I found out that my Amma was no longer around. I’m just glad I had the right people around me to help cope with the sudden lost of direction. I just hope those who are faced with the same situation will be able to overcome their grieve without destroying themselves. If you need a friend during such times, just remember that I’m still around and would gladly lend my shoulders for you to cry on okies.