Thursday 29 September 2016

Movie Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.


Hello readers,
I am back again with another review on the anticipated Tim Burton's film, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Since the film came out today in Singapore, I will try my best not to giveaway the whole plot but only the synopsis.

Based on the novel by Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine is a story which involves time. It starts with the death of Jake's grandfather and later how he figured he should visit Wales where there is a house that homed strange and peculiar children. Jake then discovered lots of things he never knew about himself and also how he was wrong about his grandfather who always told stories when he was very young. In the house with peculiar children, they are then protected by Miss Peregrine, who devoted herself in protecting them from the Hollows and Wights and has an ability to turned into peregrine falcon.

While Miss Peregrine provides a rich and colourful world of peculiarities and danger, its storyline somehow bore me at the beginning. The pace at the beginning was rather slow and sometimes loses focus, especially how the dialogues were draggy. The story in fact for me, begins when Jake visits Wales with his father and the whole mystery, the surroundings and buildings amazed me. I like the locations used in Miss Peregrine which make the film rather breathtaking and so does the visual effects used especially the stop-motion animation, something that is familiar to Tim Burton's audience.

Miss Peregrine build up lots of emotions as the story progresses and I couldn't help but to feel the sense of sadness and the emptiness. I remembered feeling that way when it comes to the scene between Jake and Emma and I think that both Asa Butterfield and Ella Purnell were brilliant in the film, though they can actually try to bring out more feelings and captured that mood. Eva Green, as usual, was amazing as Miss Peregrine and in fact brought me tears when her character supposedly sacrificed herself to save her children, even mean having to leave them. I almost forget to mentioned that the opening of the film was fantastic, being able to captured the feels of the novel itself (the photos, designs and its music).

In conclusion, Miss Peregrine was quite an enjoyable film, particularly I liked the skeletons fighting – truly Tim Burton-ish. Anyone who is a fan of Tim Burton should really give this film a watch and enjoy the beautiful landscapes and the whole peculiarities. While the film was fun and adventurous, I was thinking the story could be a lot more better since the information provided was sparse and a little out of focus at times.

Ratings: 6/10

P.S. Florence + The Machine's Wish That You Were Here is a beautifully written song and it well captured the whole Miss Peregrine, especially for Emma and Jake. If you haven't listen to the song, you should try to give it a listen and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Monday 26 September 2016

Movie Review: Magnificent Seven (2016)

THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.


Hello readers,
I am back after some weeks to give a review on Magnificent Seven. Starring some familiar faces like Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ethan Hawke and Lee Byung Hun, the film brings the audience back to western world and unforgettable gunslinger moment, horses, explosives and of course, a baddie in a town.

In this 2016 remake, Magnificent Seven began with a baddie, Bartholomew Bogue (played by Peter Saaguard) who decided to take over the town called Rose Creek after figuring out there were lots of gold and it was good for mining business. Such a baddie and quite an asshole, Bogue somehow killed a man who wanted to stand up aganist him and as a result, leaving his wife who seeks to revenge. Flash forward many years later, this widow decided to give the avenging task to a sheriff from Wichita, Sam and soon along with him and her colleague, they began travelling to certain places which they scouted for a group of capable men who can take down this Bogue asshole.

While Magnificent Seven perfectly captured the Western period cowboy feel and its music soundtrack reminded me somehow of last year's Macbeth, there were a few moments which bore me out. As someone who never watches the original one back in the 1960s, I can not make much comparison and thus can't argue with those who have seen the original. However, the film cast here were awesome and you can't say that you never saw some comradeship here. The characters did what they could for this small town and hands down to the fight showdown finale between Bogue's people and the town people.

If you are a fan of Western movies (my mother enjoyed this remake), wanting to watch some eye candies with cool fighting choreography (check out Billy Rocks and Red Harvest!) or whatever, Magnfiicent Seven is an absolute Western film to watch this week.

Ratings: 6/10

Wednesday 14 September 2016

TV Series Review: Victoria

THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW.


Hello readers,
I'm back again with a review on pilot episode of Victoria. As you may have already seen or heard of the series, the series depicts the early coronation of Queen Victoria to her marriage to Prince Albert. Starring Jenna Coleman (most prominently known for her portrayal as Clara in Doctor Who) as the titular character, the series also featured her companionship with Melbourne and how her role as Queen affects the household and society.

When I first played the pilot episode, I couldn't help but to be reminded of the 1996 version of Pride & Prejudice. Although these series belong to different era, I can't help but to notice a little resemblance between the two series. Anyone who is interested in history and also how the monarchy worked should try to watch Victoria. Jenna Coleman's portrayal of Queen Victoria was just right and despite that funny looking blue contact lenses, her acting in this series... She made it her own. I am impressed with the scenes of companionship between the Queen and Melbourne (played by Rufus Sewell) and hopefully he would continue to guide her through the stages of being in power.

Victoria not only talks about the life of the Queen herself, but also raised the awareness of the country back then. Women were simply looked down upon for they have different thinking and ideology from men. Also, in this series, Queen Victoria is also finding an identity for herself as she tries to distance herself from her mother and untrusting friend. For an eighteen years old woman, I could totally understand what she was going through at the point of time. By the end of the series, I hope to see the Queen truly knowing what she wants to achieve in years to come.

In conclusion, Victoria is a well paced series to watch and easily digestable for viewers. The series also allows viewers to see bits by bits of the episode instead of jumping from one point to another. As a result, the storytelling is smooth flowing and got me instantly hooked.

Ratings: 7/10

Monday 12 September 2016

Movie Review: Seondal: The Man Who Sells The River

THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.


Hello readers,
I shall be writing another review on this Korean caper film, Seondal: The Man Who Sells The River. Set in the Jeoseun era, the film starred Yoo Seung Ho and the rest of the gang as they teamed up to swindle their way and even elaborate a big game which is the central of the story.

Prior to moving on with the review, the leading man, Seung Ho, I must say that he holds the story very well and along with the cast, Seondal: The Man Who Sells The River is a film which you can't even missed. A veteran in acting, I am impressed by how far he come and by the age of 23, he is already selective of which role to act. Another show I would greatly and highly recommend you to watch is Remember: War of the Son. I will write a review for this series another time.

Back to Seondal: The Man Who Sells The River, initially the first half of the film seemed kind of redundant. Although it does provide some tacky comedy, the film almost lost my attention and also lost its momentum halfway. I was glad the film's pace was picked up again the moment when the gang decided to sell the river that was filled with gold. Anyone who likes conning and swindling theme would like this film as much as I do. For those who are interested in watching Seondal because of EXO's Xiumin's involvement, I suggest you to watch the film online or just go on YouTube and searched for his parts. His involvement although plays a part in the leading character, he only lasted for at least 40 minutes or so.

With the twist and swindling at its best, Seondal: The Man Who Sells The River is an absolute film to watch. Although the film with English subtitle can be found online, my suggestion is find reputable ones or wait for the DVD. Such film should be enjoyed with family at home and watching on an actual DVD player.

Ratings: 6/10

P.S. I look forward to Yoo Seung Ho's upcoming projects, though there isn't any yet. Looking forward to what he will bring to the dining table next. :)

Sunday 4 September 2016

TV Series Review: W - Two Worlds

THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.


Hello readers,
Long time no see! I am totally sorry for neglecting my blog over the month due to hectic schedules including projects, assignments and of course, catching up with my hobbies. I have long wanted to write a review on some television series I have been watching and since I have finished the latest episode of this Korean drama, W - Two Worlds, I thought it would be worth while to share this with you.

For your information, I have named this review as W - Two Worlds because to avoid some confusion and it would be easier for you to find in future. I was recommended by my sister to watch this series and since the last K-Drama series I watched was Master's Sun, I thought I should give it a watch. W - Two Worlds is a K-Drama about this cardiothoracic surgeon, Oh Yeon Joo who was mysteriously pulled by someone from the monitor while trying to find her missing father. Yeon Joo woke up on the rooftop and found the man unconscious and was stabbed very badly. After saving his life, she then found out the man was Kang Chul, the main character of the webtoon named W. This made her realised she was in the webtoon world her father has created and only can enter in and out based on the main character's emotions and thoughts.

Basically, W is a popular webtoon in South Korea created by the leading woman's father. In W, Kang Chul, the main protagonist, is a young and handsome billionaire whose main goal in life was to find the killer who murdered his whole family when he was a teenager. A celebrated Olympic gold medalist in shooting in his early days, Kang Chul's life was ruined when he was falsely accused for the family murder and was placed in prison as a result (though he was later released and remained low profile for a time being).

I totally enjoyed watching W - Two Worlds not only for its original plot but also the wonderful selection of the cast. The leading woman and man were terrific in their portrayals and I could simply relate to and sympathised with them. The most enjoyable part of the series was the comedy and it had me being tickled on my stomach on every single episode. You would agree with me when you see the scenes that include Yeon Joo's notable companion, Soo Bong.

Not only was the series funny, it was also at the same time got me crying so badly. This has to be the first time I ever cried over a K-Drama and also the most since last watching The Danish Girl. Almost all episodes got me emotional and I could not help thinking for the characters in the series. You can trust me when I said that you would totally be easily upset when watching most episodes, so kudos to the creator of W - Two Worlds.

With every emotions going up and down on every episodes, with cute and sad scenes that plays with your feelings and also great acting, W - Two Worlds is worth the watch if you are looking for a K-Drama to watch. Forget about Scarlet Heart and other most popular talked about shows among your friends, go for W - Two Worlds. Not to forget, the romantic interactions between Kang Chul and Yeon Joo are daebak (awesome in Korean) and very sweeeeeeet. :P

Ratings: 9/10