Look at this list: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, and Jackie Chan. Pretty impressive huh? Those Hollywood stars all share their voiced in the Dreamworks' latest animated offering Kung Fu Panda.

It was the first movie I watched since arriving back from my stint in India and it was a good decision. Kung Fu Panda is a nice take on the Chinese Kung Fu genre with an animated twist. If you haven't watched the film, here are some things to look forward to: The opening dream sequence was something I really liked and the animation durring the fight scenes were superb. 

The story is fairly shares a vein with most of Asian action movies-- a seemingly incompetent character is thrust into a hard situation, then undergoes a physical and emotional transformation where he becomes someone of immense skill and great wisdom, then saves his community and his loved ones. From the way I describe it, it seems to be appropriate for the kiddie crowd, but Kung Fu Panda has enough depth and humor to keep the adults entertained.

The only thing I did not like is how everything just unravels so easily in the end-- the main villain was ferocious in the first 95% of the film but degenerates into a comic act in the last few minutes. But other than that Kung Fu Panda was a fun ride.


Rating: 4/5


Tags: Kung Fu Panda

I once read that a story could be done two ways: put ordinary characters in a very interesting situation or put interesting characters in an ordinary situation. The Savages can be classified in the latter group.

The Savage family the movie focuses on is composed Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), younger sister Wendy (Laura Linney) and their elderly father Lenny (Philip Bosco). Each were living their own separate lives until Lenny suffers from dementia brought about by old age. Siblings Jon and Wendy then come together to go through the process of looking for an adequate nursing home for their father while dealing with their own hangups-- Jon is a theater professor with a romance issues while Wendy is a struggling playwright who is in an illicit affair.

Director-writer Tamara Jenkins has created a family drama that is not as quirky as Little Miss Sunshine and not as outright weird as The Royal Tenenbaums. There is witty situational humor and a healthy dose of real issues most people face and experience great pains and deal with them beneath the surface. The strong actors' performances seal the deal for this finely written film.

From an Asian perspective, the concept of sending your elderly seems a far-fetched idea to a lot of families and the way Jon and Wendy handled their situation could be a good cultural exposition to lot of people. The movie is just a story about taking care of an aging father, but also a story of two people growing up.

Note: Starting with my review of The Savages, I'm adding a portion in the post called "Liza's One-Liner," where my girlfriend shares her thoughts on the movie with just one or two sentences.

Liza's One-Liner: "the acting was very good but the story was sad, even if the movie ended on a good note. i never really thought of how getting old will affect me and the people around me before i saw this movie. it's scary and sad :("


Rating: 4.5/5


Tags: The Savages

The spoof movies as of late have been generally lame, yet I still watch them hoping to catch a gem. The last one I watched was Meet the Spartans and that was lame.

Superhero Movie! is not the gem I'm looking for, but it's definitely a notch above the recent films. The film borrows its story from Spider-Man, where a teenage kid gets bitten by a radioactive dragonfly and develops super-human abilities. The movie is decent because its source material is superb-- Spider-Man as a superhero film is just near-perfect. The humor is still slapstick and there are a lot of toilet humor gags, but that's pretty much the standard for spoof films these days.

Another thing I liked about the movie is its loyalty to the campy nature of comic book characters. A good example is the villain in the movie, Hourglass (played my Christopher McDonald). His power is sucking the life out of people to survive, and he must do so periodically every 24 hours, like, well an hourglass. Another thing, notice that most of characters in the movie are aliterations or have the same first letters for their first and last names (example, Ricky Riker, Lou Landers. I remember an anecdote Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee mentioned before that they name characters that way (e.g. Peter Parker, Reed Richards, Scott Summers) so that they are easy to remember.

If Superhero Movie! is an indication of the quality of the spoof movies, then we're all in luck. The story is decent, there are funny parts (albeit slapstick) and nice pop culture references (the Tom Cruise guy is just hilarious).


Rating: 2.5/5


Tags: Superhero Movie!

Dr. Seuss would be proud with this adaptation of Horton Hears a Who, a whimsical animated feature highlighted by the comic talents of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell.

Horton the Elephant (Carrey) is a determined but kind elephant in the Jungle of Nool who teaches the community's children on various biology and life lessons. One day, he hears a voice from a little speck and he soon discovers that a world exists in that speck-- the city of Who-ville. The city is inhabited by a happy race called the Who's and they are being led by a city council and a Mayor (Carell). The Mayor soon interacts with Horton and asks him to protect their city and bring them to a safe location, which Horton obliges. Horton faces ridicule from the community and the anger of their leader, Kangaroo (voiced by Carol Burnett). Horton and the Who's must convince the community of the value of "a person is a person, no matter how small" before it's too late for Who-ville.

I haven't read the children's book that first appeared in 1954, but the movie was able to flesh out lovable characters and breathe life into the supporting characters. The story is good for kids with a good and clear moral-- the value of life, perseverance and trust on other people. The ridicule Horton and The Mayor faced in their respective domains is a nice touch. The animation is also fluid and colorful. It apparent that the creators learned a lot from animating Ice Age, where a similar pachyderm character figures heavily in the story.

What makes Horton Hears a Who truly enjoyable is the work of Carrey and Carell. They bring great energy to Horton and the Mayor and they work well for over-the-top characters. A must watch for the family this summer.


Rating: 4/5


Tags: Horton Hears a Who

Will Ferrell continues his string of sports spoofs with Semi-Pro, a movie about a 1970's basketball team with dreams of getting absorbed into the NBA.

Jackie Moon (Ferrell) is a one hit wonder who scored his best single in 1970 with "Love Me Sexy." He used his earnings to buy the Flint Michigan Tropics, a hapless franchise in the (noe defunct) American Basketball Association. As owner, he designated himself as the coach and the starting power forward of the team. He was satisfied with being a league sideshow until the news of a merger with the NBA was confirmed and the top winning teams with decent attendance numbers were agreed to be the ones to move up to the NBA. The events prompt Jackie to hire a former Boston Celtic Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson) to improve the team and implement very creative promotional stunts to keep the interest on the Tropics high.

The movie could be the weakest in Will Ferrell's pool of sports spoofs, with Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Blades of Glory being the other movies. The movie does have its moments, but the humor gets spotty in the latter half of the film. Some of Ferrell's usual co-stars are there, but Outkast frontman Andre Benjamin is not that bad as the kid with prodigious basketball talents.

Expect more of the same from Will Ferrell-- physical comedy with lost of goofiness while wearing "short" basketball shorts. The movie doesn't go for a slam dunk-- that's why it ends up as an airball.


Rating: 2/5


Tags: Semi-Pro

I previewed Walk Hard last December and I got the impression that the movie was going to be a funny one. My senses didn't fail me -- I watched Walk Hard in the theater and came out laughing.

The movie is a combination of two things I'm very in to: music and parodies. Walk Hard obviously draws a lot from Walk The Line, the biopic of country legend Johnny Cash. Director Jake Kasdan's treatment of the movie is a mix between the over-the-top spoofs like Scary Movie to the Will Ferrell parodies like Talladega Nights. John C. Reilly is OK at the titular role of Dewey Cox, although I honestly feel Will Ferrell could have been a better choice.

The R-rating for the film is also justified. The depiction of the rock n' roll lifestyle of groupie sex and drugs are explicit (some frontal nudity), but done with humor. The music Dewey Cox plays have playful lyrics and could even have double meaning. The music sequences with Darlene Madison (played by The Office's Jenna Fischer) are filled with sexual tension of "friends."

If you like a movie with a good sense of humor and a good ear for music, Walk Hard is defintely for you. It's nice musical journey from the rock 'n roll era all the way to the hip-hop mashup era. Watch out for cameos of Judd Apatow regulars such as Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd.


Rating: 4/5


Tags: Walk Hard

I was under the weather when I watched Supahpapalicious-- so I didn't know if my head hurt because of my condition or because of the movie.

This Vhong Navarro comedy is really not funny and I think it was really made to rake in box office money from the kids who just started their summer vacations. Seriously, it was that bad, even considering I have high tolerance even for the standard fare "commercial" flicks.

The movie does have a story, albeit thin as paper. A group of orphans children were living fine until one, Ateng (Valerie Concepcion), of them got adopted and went to the city. The remaining friends of Dodong (Vhong Navarro), Inday (Pokwang), Kwatog (Empoy Marquez) and Macho (Mura) decided to follow her but in vain. Ten years pass and the group movies on and is now in the food cart business, with Inday moonlighting as a special effects make-up artist. Dodong meets a lovely single mother who, unbeknown to him, is Ateng. He must please the young son (Makisig Morales) by showing his large family. Since he is an orphan, Dodong creates presonas from Inday's make-up and costumes to pass off as relatives to the son.

The movie is really a stab at Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor-- one actor playing different characters thanks to costumes and prosthetics. But there's really few to like and laugh about Supahpapalicious-- unless you're a fan of corny noon time variety shows.


Rating: 0.5/5


Tags: Supahpapalicious

In the movie 300, a Persian emissary uttered the now classic line, "This is madness!!!" He must have watched Meet the Spartans.

The core of Meet the Spartans is a direct parody of 300, but it's just bad. The movie is especially funny in the first have but degenerates to an unfunny and forced parody-fest of current pop culture fixtures, such as American Idol, America's Next Top Model, Heroes, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, to mention some.

There are also a lot of slapstick-homophobic-sexist jokes that would make the politically correct folks shudder to death. I'm sure the target audience of teenage boys wouldn't mind. As long as there is Carmen Electra providing gratuitous T&A, them boys will be happy.

Meet the Spartans doesn't pretend to be Oscar material, but it's my first bad movie of the year.


Rating: 1/5


Tags: Meet The Spartans

Regal Films and GMA Films' romantic comedy offering for this year's Valentine's season is My Best Friend’s Girlfriend (BFGF) starring Richard Gutierrez and celebrity-of-the-moment Marian Rivera.

The story revolves around Ivo (Gutierrez) who "hires" his best friend's girl friend Grace (Rivera) as his pretend significant other to make his ex (played by the bosomy Ehra Madrigal) jealous and eventually get back together. As you would imagine, the "transaction" takes some inconvenient complication when the Ivo and Grace fall for each other and they have to contend with Ivo's ex and best friend.

I have to admit, the movie is a good rom-com escape. The story doesn't try to be original (heck, the "let's pretend to be a couple" storyline has been done many times before.) but it's the chemistry between the characters played by Richard Gutierrez and Marian Rivera that carries the movie. The movie effectively finds humor on the fact that Ivo is a rich bum and Grace is a cash-strapped MA student, and it plays the "war of the social classes" comedy adequately. I'm a bit surprised the audience I watched the movie with found humor on some seemingly insignificant scenes. (Talk about unintentional comedy.)

This movie could spur the whole Richard Gutierrez-Marian Rivera screen couple to a good commercial and creative vehicle given the comfort of the two in melodrama and comedy. Watch this movie if you feel the need for a rom-com fix this Valentine's weekend with your friends.


Rating: 3/5


Tags: BFGF

Fox Searchlight Pictures' films do not perform generally well in the box-office since it tends towards "non-mainstream" themes and slants toward the indie genre. So when one of its releases jump the $100 million box-office earnings hurdle, there must be something up right?

Juno is that film and it has won over critics and the movie-going public with a story about an acerbic, fast-talking teen rocker who realizes she's pregnant. Ellen Page plays Juno Macgruff with much skill and ease that her performance ties Diablo Cody's excellent writing and Jason Reitman's skillful direction together in one tight bundle. Here's a sample line from the movie, said by Juno as and advice to a prospective adoptive couple:

You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like
free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and
shoot them out at sporting events.

Nice line huh?

If the movie is a lens to what's happening in American society, I am personally surprised by how the characters reacted to Juno's pregnancy. It seemed like it was automatic to visit an abortion clinic, parents to outright accept the situations and find adoptive parents in classified ads. This is probably because of the cultural differences in the Asian and North American contexts.

Storywise, Juno is no heavyweight, but it's the dialogue and character development that gets it over the hump.


Rating: 4/5

Tags: Juno

Three brothers take a train to go to around India and visit the "spiritual" hotspots. Sounds trite, right?

But taken under Wes Anderson's helm and a name "The Darjeeling Limited," the trip goes in a whole different and not commonplace.

Anderson has directed Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums his latest project is another showcase of how he deftly handles black comedies. Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman play the three brothers who try find spritual enlightenment in a holiday. While the film works well with the Indian backdrop, the movie avoids "the story in a travelougue trap."

Dialogue is also sharp and the overall feel is that this is not your typical film. You may feel uneasy at first because the movie starts off the bat with a prologue featuring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman. This is classic Wes Anderson.

The movie is all about the brother's relationships and their emotional baggages. There's a scene in the finale where the brothers, after going through the trip, jump on the train and leaving their luggage behind. The Darjeeling Limited does well because of the quirky characterizations and situations the lead characters are in. Think "Y Tu Mamá También" crossed with "The Namesake." If those movies are not your cup of tea, then take a trip elsewhere.


Rating: 3.5/5


Tags: The Darjeeling Limited

After watching The Hearbreak Kid and Good Luck Chuck, I watched another wedding-related rom-com: 27 Dresses. (Hmmm... what's with the wedding movies producers are making these days?)

Grey's Anatomy mainstay Katherine Heigl follows up her strong performance in Knocked Up with this movie about the eternal bridesmaid-- with 27 wedding dresses to boot! James Marsden (X-Men, Superman) plays the male lead as the resident wedding announcements writer in their city's leading newspaper. If you ask me, a very interesting mix of characterizations for the lead characters, although it has "Wedding" written all over it.

The movie treads on the familiar romantic-comedy path, but adds little quirks here and there: Heigl's character, Jane, was a wedding junkie until her sister gets engaged; Marsden's Kevin Doyle is a regular in most weddings because his work required him to, and has become cynical about the whole "conspiracy" of the bridal and wedding industry, until he, of course falls for Jane.
Ultimately, I feel 27 Dresses is a concept movie, that is, the movie was built around the idea of a girl with 27 dresses and how it wonderfully wraps up in the rather predictable ending. And given the movies I've watched recently, I would probably say this movie is the Anti-Good Luck Chuck-- a good watch for the ladies.


Rating: 3/5


Tags: 27 Dresses

After watching Good Luck Chuck, I learned that Jessica Alba was nominated as Worst Actress of 2007 for her performance in this movie and that the leads Alba and Dane Cook were nominated for the Worst Screen Couple for 2007 at the Razzies.

How did that happen?

Well, it's really much of a shocker once you watch the film. Good Luck Chuck is a slapstick comedy that offers gross out humor and obviously wants to draw the young male demographic. Expect jokes on female breast augmentation surgery, promiscuity and, surprisingly, abstinence.

I totally agree with the Razzie nomination for Jessica Alba. Although she has yet to display sufficient acting talent in any of her movies, this movie is like tasting a bad burger in a fastfood place-- you're not expecting much, but this is just too awful. (And I thought Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer set a new acting low for Alba).

No doubt that the movie does have funny moments, but if you're not part of the movie's target's audience good luck with enjoying Good Luck Chuck.


Rating: 1.5/5


Tags: Good Luck Chuck

The Farrelly Brothers and Ben Stiller team up again in the comedy The Heartbreak Kid. The comedy is there but is the movie good?

Before I answer that question, let me recall one of my favorite movies of all time. It was in high school when the movie Dumb and Dumber came out and I was simply blown away by the (dumb) humor. That was when I started following the movies of the Farrelly Brothers.

Now back to the question: Is The Heartbreak Kid good enough? The short answer is yes, but barely. Think hanging by one single fiber of thread.

The story of a 40-year old bachelor who gets married and finds out that marriage is far from bliss should have its funny moments. However, the funny parts are too spread out and seems to lack the Farrelly touch overall. Leading lady Michelle Monaghan plays the role ably, but does not seem to generate enough chemistry with Stiller to keep the whole romantic angle interesting.

So here's a word of caution: The movie is OK but don't expect There's Something About Mary or Shallow Hal. Otherwise, you will get your heart broken.


Rating: 2.5/5


Tags: The Heartbreak Kid

The nice thing about January is that a lot of stores offer discounts to inventory items they want to move. Video stores are no exception-- I was able to get a Philippines-only release of the Mexican erotic roadie Y Tu Mamá También.

Released in 2001, Y Tu Mamá También (And Your Mother Too!) is essentially a buddy movie and teen movie rolled together in one soft taco. When two teenage boys lead the cast, expect a lot of sex and raunchy dialogue, as we see the story of Tenoch and Julio (portrayed by Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal respectively) take the sexy older woman Luisa (Maribel Verdú) on a road trip to Heaven's Mouth Beach.

Director-writer Alfonso Cuarón takes the viewer on a journey on the Mexican country-side, complete with stop-overs and all. The main story of the trio unfolds as they travel and know more about one another, both personally and sexually (yep, you read that right). The sharp exchanges between the characters help balance the movie and steer the movie away from the B-movie zone.

The bad thing about these local releases of DVD's is that they strip most of the special features and leave just the movie. (Darned local distributors!). I would have loved to see the extras of this finely made movie; it is definitely a must see.

Note: This movie contains explicit scenes of sexual acts, recommended for folks older than 18.


Rating: 4/5


Tags: Y Tu Mamá También

For almost two decades, the Tim Burton-Johnny Depp collaboration has produced some of the most off-beat movies; to name a few: Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride. Their latest movie, Sweeney Todd, continues what seems to be a thread of distinct films.

However, this movie about murderous barber from Fleet Street in London is not for everybody.

Sweeney Todd is based on the 1979 musical of the same name and features Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman. The cast sings and entertains, but they fail to fit in the black comedy. The humor is comes as futile attempts to liven up a rather drab atmosphere. The movie also is violent and bloody to a fault.

In the final analysis, the movie is well-produced and glossy, but falters in the enjoyment and watchability departments. The performances of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter are praise-worthy, but does not sustain the literally bloody movie.


Rating: 2/5


Tags: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Four gorgeous ladies in a movie about desperadas (desperate women)? Your initial thought would be a derivative of Desperate Housewives, but the movie is actually closer to Sex and the City.

Desperadas (All They Need is Love) follows the stories of four wealthy half-sisters: Ruffa Gutierrez as the socialite in a quasi-relationship, Rufa Mae Quinto as the sex doctor grappling with how her work affects her family, Iza Calzado as the lawyer who is in a childless marriage and current "it" girl Marian Rivera as the liberated underwear designer cum bride-to-be. All their lives intersect and all seem to have a common theme: each of their own love lives seem to be lingering in a dysfunctional state.

The movie juggles all four plotlines and tries to develop the characters what results is a challenge for editing and keeping the movie interesting. Also, Director Joel Lamangan must have been given instructions from the producers to showcase the feminine beauty of the lead stars, particularly Marian Rivera. With the way each acted, I'm guessing none of the actresses will take home an award for their respective portrayals.

The movie is definitely eye candy, but the story doesn't really create that much tension, so the wrap-up is a bit unsatisfying and comes off as a bit run-off-the-mill.

Rating: 2.5/5


Tags: Desperadas

Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo (Neck-wringing, Uncertainty, Help) is the sequel to last year's sleeper hit of the 2006 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (Marriage, Member, Companion). This second movie of the series continues the story of a mismatched couple and how they cope with raising a child, as well as surviving new antics from the in-laws.

Members of the Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo cast are back to reprise their roles: most notably Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo as the young couple, with Gina Pareńo, Gloria Diaz and Ariel Ureta as the doting in-laws. Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo gives adequate exposure to the leads and this may be vehicle for them to replicate last year's MMFF awards haul.

However, I found the movie lacking the wit and humor of its predecessor. Perhaps Director Jose Javier Reyes could be suffering from rom-com fatigue? This movie is the second film he helmed for the film festival, with the other being Katas ng Saudi. His writing is sharp on the first act, but slips into a more run-off-the-mill melodrama in the last act.

Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo may be a victim of its predecessor's success-- the story looks a bit uninspired and dull when stacked against the gem that is Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo. People who watched last year may be disappointed this year.


Rating: 3/5

Tags: Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo

An entry to the 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), Katas ng Saudi (Juices of Saudi) is a commentary on the current state of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) told in a comic and heartwarming tale. (Trivia time: Approximately one in every ten Filipinos are working outside of the Philippines and three in every one hundred Filipinos are based in the Middle East.)

"Katas ng Saudi" is a phrase used to describe the fruits of labor of a Filipino professional in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The movie shows what are the "fruits" of laboring in the Middle East for ten years for an engineer (played by a hefty Jinggoy Estrada) who goes back home to the Philippines to a family he barely knows. Add to that a host of sycophants (his mother, his brother-in-law, distant relatives and friends) to make things worse, the hapless balikbayan* is left wondering if going home was a good idea.

The movie shows a microcosm of life for OFW families: a parent who missed a good portion of his children's lives and wanting to be a part of it, relatives making the balikbayan guilty for not helping the family, and the question of practicality in working abroad versus staying home to be with your loved ones. Director and writer Jose Javier Reyes makes very good observations on contemporary Filipino society and distills them in to an easy to appreciate film.

While the acting from the main cast (Estrada, Lorna Tolentino as the wife, Shaina Magdayao as the rebellious daughter) is decent, storytelling is where Katas ng Saudi earns its chops. The "A" grade** from the Cinema Evaluation Board is a very well-deserved fruit of the film creators' efforts.

*balikbayan - A Filipino term to describe a person who went home from overseas.
**"A" grade - The highest grade the Cinema Evaluation Board gives to a film based on direction, screenplay, acting and technical merits.


Rating: 4/5


Tags: Katas ng Saudi

Enchanted is a throwback movie made in the old Disney mold, but with contemporary sensibilities and humor. The premise of putting an eternally optimistic and kind princess-to-be in a harsh New York environment works very fine and, well, enchants.

Amy Adams plays Giselle, who is an amalgam of Ariel of The Little Mermaid, Cinderella and Snow White. As she is to wed Prince Edward (played by James Marsden) of the animated kingdom of Andalasia, she is transported to the real world and is left with her fairy tale idealism and magic to survive and find her one true love. She encounters jaded lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and is acquainted with "real life." Robert, on the other hand, finds Giselle's naivete irresistible and learns more than a song and dance number.

Enchanted is a spoof in a way-- it tries to see if the good old fairy tale candor is still relevant in today's cruel world. Amy Adams pulls off the role "straight out of a Hallmark card," and Patrick Dempsey is just as effective, drawing a lot from hi McDreamy role in Grey's Anatomy.

If you are like me who grew up in the late 80's-early 90's, you will see how Enchanted draws a lot from the early and modern Disney classics and puts it in a very witty and self-deprecating fairy tale. Thankfully, the result is satisfying and hearkens you back to the "happily ever after" days.


Rating: 4.5/5

Tags: Enchanted