CASINO ROYALE (2006)

BOND BEGINS AT CASINO ROYALE
By Reymundo Salao

By now, it should probably be already be fairly easy to create a James Bond movie, because we simply would have to copy the Bond templates established by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby (ok, maybe not him), Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan. But as time goes by and as Bond clichés have gone from one to the other with the Brosnan Bond films slowly losing charm, it is high time that they made a Bond film that tells us who or what Bond is, as based on the source material; the James Bond books of Ian Fleming himself. And the new James Bond universe recreated by Martin Campbell and the new actor to play the 007 agent, Daniel Craig, is definitely a world that intends to capture the James Bond the way Ian Fleming wrote him to be.

CASINO ROYALE is the 21st James Bond film produced by EON Productions and the first to star Daniel Craig as British Secret Service agent James Bond. Based on the 1953 novel Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, it was adapted by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis and directed by Martin Campbell, director of the 1995 Bond film, GoldenEye. CASINO ROYALE was first made into a TV movie in 1954, and in 1967, there was also a Casino Royale movie which starred Peter Sellers and Orson Welles, but that was a James Bond parody. First word of a new Casino Royale adaptation came in 2003 when Quentin Tarantino was said to have lobbied EON to let him do a "proper" film adaptation of Fleming's novel, based on a screenplay he had written that would have starred Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, set immediately after the death of Bond's wife Tracy in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. However, as Tarantino does not belong to the Directors Guild of America, he is unable to work with Sony or MGM/UA, so this is seen as a publicity stunt on Tarantino's part. Casino Royale was officially announced under Martin Campbell in February 2005.


SEARCH FOR THE NEW JAMES BOND
Highlighted by a flurry of unconfirmed reports from a variety of different sources, the quest for the actor to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond attracted a great deal of high-profile media attention after rumors began to surface in the Autumn of 2004 that Pierce Brosnan would not be re-signing with EON Productions to play agent 007 in Casino Royale. Brosnan confirmed this on October 14, 2004, stating "It's absolutely over," and that he considered himself "fired" from the role. A spokesperson for EON Productions issued a statement on April 17, 2005 that it would "definitely not be Pierce Brosnan."

Throughout 2004 and 2005, an endless stream of potential new Bonds — both unknowns and established Hollywood actors — were rumored and even announced by some media. Some of the popular names mentioned to be in actual consideration by EON Productions, the list included Christian Bale, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Gerard Butler, Henry Cavill, Daniel Craig, Jack Davenport, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Friend, Ioan Gruffudd, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, Ewan McGregor, Julian McMahon, Alex O'Loughlin, Clive Owen, Colin Salmon, Dougray Scott, and several others.

THE REVIEW
The setting of CASINO ROYALE is set in the early days of James Bond being a Double-O Agent, so we won’t be seeing a hundred percent the James Bond we already know. Instead, we are being treated into HOW he becomes the man that we know he is. We may notice that at the beginning, James Bond is needlessly reckless, even clumsy and his charm is not as elegant. But as the story progresses, he adapts and evolves, he goes through lessons and ordeals, he refines with a touch of class, picks up tricks, and creates his own lethal sense of style. And he eventually becomes suave and and charmingly dangerous secret agent 007. This progression is excellently done. A very smart way of portraying subtle changes in Bond's psyche, and such a storyline that does answer many James Bond questions that many have long asked.


Martin Campbell is a sure and safe bet to creating and re-introducing this new world of James Bond. After all, he was the one who pulled off giving the Pierce Brosnan Bond a grand welcome introduction with "GoldenEye". His sense of tight consistency and balance gives CASINO ROYALE no room for tackiness, sloppiness, and dullness. Employing old-fashioned stunts, he even succeeds in creating one very exhilarating and breath-taking chase scene that highlights in towering cranes. A sequence that literally takes you to dizzying heights.

LE CHIFFRE, as portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen, is one of those cool James Bond villains, which create an unsettling diabolical presence whenever they enter a room. But this movie provides many levels of twists and turns that may take the attention away from Le Chiffre. Don't expect Le Chiffre to be the kind of stereotyped Bond villain that has super-villain abilities, that has pet scorpions, or that is spoofed by Austin Power's Dr. Evil. He certainly has no sharks that shoot lasers.

Eva Green as Vesper Lynd is dazzlingly beautiful. She succeeds in playing a character that does indeed have the strength and the influence to bring in a touch of style and a sense of change in James Bond making him the man that he is. Her performance creates a fabulous chemistry with Craig’s Bond. A chemistry that certainly brings out both actor & actresses’ impressive acting talent. And may I add that Eva Green is far more beautiful in one scene where she has no make-up on. If I was a cartoon, my jaw would’ve fallen off.


And about the new Bond, DANIEL CRAIG..? Well, Initially, many ladies hate him. They say he looks short and ugly like a villain. But then again, many of us guys cheer a James Bond that has more of a tough-guy action movie image. The kind that does enter a room of bad guys and leaving it with remnants of chaos. Many of us cheer for him because he personifies an action hero image that we could relate to, rugged, tough, and rebellious. But the film really reveals how much Daniel Craig proves himself to be more than worthy of being the new James Bond. Apart from his rugged physique, he delivers more spiky charm with both arrogance and a sensitive side of Bond which makes him a complex character, and that is what makes him very interesting. This film even shows a far more sensitive, loving, and romantic Bond than in any other James Bond movie (he actually says the magic words "I Love You" in this one). Far beyond the romantic version that George Lazenby has portrayed in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (wherein Bond got married). Craig brings to life a more human Bond. One that actually knows how to care for something important to him and his soul, and has a nasty sense of humor even when he’s being tortured.

CASINO ROYALE pushes for a more believable Bond in a believable setting. There would be no volcanoes here that reveal to be mountain fortresses for villains, nor are there underwater palaces or outer space stations run by uniformed bad guys. But there are some pretty simple gadgets not worth mentioning. My guess is, that just like “From Russia with Love”, this movie sticks to the plain action-thriller formula from the Fleming books. Perhaps some of us can wait for the gadgets till the next Bond movie may come.

The film is said to take James Bond "back to his roots" in a film that would be similar to From Russia with Love where the focus was on character and plot rather than high-tech gadgets and visual effects. An issue which would surely revolutionize the James Bond genre. Incredible visuals would always be part of the James Bond genre. But after more than three decades of Bond movies marinated with overblown visuals, you would think that it's high time they got back to the roots of Bond; the thrill, the suspense, the espionage, the intrigue. We are in a movie age where many moviegoers have become desensitized by visuals. Perhaps the same reason why "Exorcist: The Beginning" for instance, has not worked, because it relied on visuals rather than innovating raw refreshing ideas that may hit a cerebral appeal rather than the visual aspect. After years of having witnessed movies such as "The Matrix" and the "Star Wars" prequels, some people would be less surprised by stunts and explosions that viewers could easily dissect. CASINO ROYALE does not go that direction. It brings you back to how Bond was written the way Ian Fleming would’ve wanted him to be.

And indeed, CASINO ROYALE does possess faithfulness with the original book by Ian Fleming from which it is based on, although there have been minimal revisions which sticks the storyline close to present-time standards.

By the time I was done watching the movie, I have concluded that CASINO ROYALE is THE best James Bond movie I have ever seen. And one that has made me consider Daniel Craig one of the best Bonds, only second to the gold standard James Bond himself, Sean Connery. It is highly amusing to think that the press releases and the trailers of this film initially got mixed reactions from the public, some even going so far as to hating it. Now, they are proven wrong, because CASINO ROYALE is the finest James Bond movie that will surely remain timeless in film history.

The BANQUET / YE YAN

THE BANQUET: More than just a Hamlet Adaptation
By Reymundo Salao

Set in China in the 900s AD, this loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is about a prince’s return to an empire now ruled by his uncle when his father died. His return from an assassination attempt stirs the kingdom, but he has no wishes to rule as Emperor. The Empress, his former love married by his own father and now is Empress to his uncle the new Emperor, wishes of him to replace as Emperor. But time will only tell if the fates will change, and perhaps, all their plans may be set in motion during the Imperial Banquet.

The combination of Shakespearean stories and an Ancient Asian setting makes for great chemistry as may be proved by Akira Kurosawa's RAN, which adapted William Shakespeare's "King Lear". "The Banquet" (originally entitled “Ye Yan”) is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" which, I believe, is Shakespeare's most powerful literary creation, and one which has been adapted (as I count) 5 times in the silver screen (my personal fave is the version with Mel Gibson; I have yet to watch the one with Ethan Hawke). This adaptation is so loose that oftentimes it feels like it has its own originality and only drew inspiration from "Hamlet".

One of the original aspects of the film is that of the character played by Ziyi Zhang, which is a product of a revision of the original script. A revision which added quite a depth to the storyline. Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha, Miami Vice, Farewell My Concubine) was originally supposed to play Zhang Ziyi's part. Maggie Cheung (2046, Hero) was also considered for the role. Due to scheduling conflicts. When Ziyi Zhang took over the part, the script was rewritten to make the character younger. Her character is a former love interest of the Prince Wu Luan (the main character) but was later wed to the Prince's own father and eventually, to become the Empress to his uncle. Such a character has given a large amount of dramatic tension to the storyline and further complicates it, making the story more unpredictable even though it is an adaptation.

It is such a wicked delight to see Ziyi Zhang play such a dark snake of a character in this movie, a character who claims a love which is actually of self rather than something pure. Since her breakthrough in "Crouching Tiger..." she has proven time and again that the potency of her talent doesnt easily wither, and in her youth she has already made great performances, more than enough to satisfy a cinema-acting retiree. Likewise, impressive performances from Daniel Wu as the Prince Wu Luan, (the alluring & yummy) Xun Zhou as the Opheliac Qing Nu, Jingwu Ma as the wise Minister, and You Ge who also deserves much praise for playing the Emperor Li, a character who defies being generalized as black & white; a character which is richly layered with many levels.


THE BANQUET is mainly drama, You do not watch this film for the Martial Arts, even though Yuen Woo Ping has a hand in the making of this film as both producer and action choreographer (I would consider Yuen Woo Ping as the living god of Martial Arts movies, having directed timeless classics like "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" & "Drunken Master" until now, & was given international spotlight when he worked as Fight choreographer of "The Matrix" movies), but you watch this movie for its beautiful storyline. Although there are moments that induce awe in some of the fight sequences, these are expected to be minimal compared to the dialogue-driving motion of the film. It may even be observed that the martial arts here is a mere icing on the cake.

Along with that icing is the amazing visuals that it presents. From flying stunts, to set designs to costumes. You can feast your eyes upon the visuals, which wakes up viewers from a possible boredom. It employs a semi-surreal style of setting.

It seems that ever since it broke into worldwide popularity, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has opened the floodgates for Chinese dramatic epics which are done in "closed form" of movies, movies which such a forced unnatural ambiance that generally use wireworks to do fantastic martial arts feats and exaggerated vibrancy and style on sets which depict surreal environments (although this style was long used in Hong Kong, but mostly only for action epics). But this type of fantasy-like genre was getting old and it needed to be complemented with really good storylines. Such was achieved by Yimou Zhang's "Hero" (which starred Jet Li & Donnie Yen). This same surreal "closed form" style is employed by THE BANQUET.

I am glad that this film is on extended run, which gives a chance for those who missed it last week to watch it. THE BANQUET is powerful, dramatically rich, and such a masterpiece of a work, as dark and beautiful as the Shakespearean tragedy from which it is based on.

The Departed

THE DEPARTED
By Reymundo Salao

A complex crime drama of lies, betrayal and secrets, THE DEPARTED is set in Boston where the state police force is waging a war against an organized criminal syndicate led by Frank Costello. Billy Costigan is a young undercover cop who is assigned to infiltrate the gang of Costello. On the other hand, there is Collin Sullivan who is a police officer rising to the upper ranks, but actually secretly works for the criminal Costello. Things heat up as Costello realizes that he has an infiltrator among his men and similarly, the police force is also in high tension as they realize that a mole is among their midst. Costigan and Sullivan each go through a deadly face-off of trying to survive by pointing out each other, to the death.

Despite of this movie being one of Martin Scorsese's most powerful films, THE DEPARTED is actually a remake, based upon the Hong Kong action thriller "Infernal Affairs". But Martin Scorsese is one of Hollywood's most impressive directors that are up there in Lordship when it comes to cinema. Scorsese's works have become greatly influential, especially in many of Hong-kong's gangland action films, that is why some might consider that with "The Departed" Scorsese returns the favor.

A thrilling crime & gangland suspense, Scorsese knows how to set the mood for a crime-infested world without needlessly utilizing light, color, props and other visuals. He paints the atmosphere through his actors which all give out powerful performances. The minimal use of cliché crime-atmosphere visuals present a very realistic portrayal, that in any normal society, such dark and ugly things might still exist.


The film has a feel that reminds us of how Scorsese makes his earlier films. Like that in "Taxi Driver", "GoodFellas" and "Mean Streets". "classic Scorsese", so to speak. Simple, direct to the point, no big elaborate cinematographic style, just direct to film gritty drama. Its no-nonsense pace works well, with a cold-blooded, shocking style that evokes realism. Story shifts from point A to point B without so much as bull@#it to filter the impact of the storyline.

The movie boasts a Trinity of lead performers, starting off with Jack Nicholson, whose long been away from playing villains, so much so, that when I saw the trailer for this movie, I initially thought it was going to be one of his comedies that I rarely watch. Good thing, he's back to hard-edged acting. His portrayal of a crime lord is ruthless and devilishly cool.

Usually, I hate DiCaprio. Maybe it's the whining of fangirls even at the very mention of his name, or the ultra-popularity of him and that overs-zed lovestory Titanic (one of my most hated movies). Ive always thought he was too babyfaced in many of his roles, like that in (also of) Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" But if there is one thing that makes me change my opinion about DiCaprio is that whenever he starts to act onscreen, he becomes a totally different person. He knows how to BECOME the character. Such as in the case of "The Departed" where he takes on a role that makes you forget that you are watching the (sickeningly) popular Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio gets on this role with an edge, magnificently evoking the tense hardboiled police drama that it is.

Likewise, Matt Damon gets on his role masterfully as well. Ive always considered Damon to be such a cool actor, usually taking on a likable character, from his rise in "Good Will Hunting", to his action evolution in "The Bourne Identity" & "Bourne Supremacy", and even in his more comedic roles in "Stuck on You" and "Oceans 11" (& 12). It was a very contrasting, very impressive twist for Matt Damon to play a villainous character on "The Departed". His likable image takes a turn as in this movie, you would hate him totally, making him a more-than-effective villain. The starstrikes don't stop there; the cast also includes Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen playing major roles.

THE DEPARTED is dark, gritty, even funny at times. But at the very core of it, it’s still just a mere copycat of the original “Infernal Affairs” So sad, to think that this was supposed to be one of Scorsese’s best work, only to find that it really was just an act of lazily copying somebody else’s masterpiece.

FLYBOYS

FLYBOYS: High-Flying Action
By Reymundo Salao

In 1917, prior to the official entry into the war by the United States, the Allied powers of France, England and Italy were on the ropes against the German juggernaut. Some altruistic young Americans volunteered to fight alongside their counterparts in France. Some joined the infantry, others chose the Ambulance Corps. But 38 young men had a different idea: they decided to learn how to fly.

Their motivations for enlisting may have been different: Blaine Rawlings (James Franco) is searching for his purpose following the bank's foreclosure of his family ranch, Briggs Lowry (Tyler Labine) is shamed into joining by his disciplinarian father, while African-American expatriate boxer Eugene Skinner (Abdul Salis) vows to repay his debt to his adopted, racially-tolerant country. But under the command of French Captain Thenault (Jean Reno) and the leadership of American veteran Reed Cassidy (Martin Henderson), these young American men took to the air with honor everyday as they risked their lives, not just in facing the formidable German aggressors, but also in boarding their newly-invented, mechanically-imperfect aircraft, which were being used in combat for the first time.


Inspired by the true story of the legendary Lafayette Escadrille, "Flyboys" is directed by Academy Award ®-winner Tony Bill ("The Sting") and produced by Dean Devlin ("The Patriot," "Independence Day," "Stargate") and Marc Frydman (ABC's "Commander in Chief"). James Franco ("Spiderman," "Spiderman 2") stars with Marin Henderson ("The Ring") and Jean Reno ("The Da Vinci Code").

Some critics harshly criticize this as a poorly-scripted, CGI-infested film, but in my opinion, it was quite the opposite. Not once did I raise an eyebrow detecting CGI flaws. As far as I'm concerned, the shots were convincing and even outstandingly impressive. And as for the storyline, it was quite good. Not all war movies should have a complex drama storyline. This one was done with a simple story of courage, love and honor. It doesnt have to fatten itself up with script twirls and turns. FLYBOYS is a simple World War I action flick which is not pretentious enough to treat itself as a history film, and just goes on to focus on the war and the brave fighters that risk their lives for it.

It is actually a movie worth watching because "Flyboys" is the first World War I aviation film in over 40 years. There is a classic look, a vintage-type of action that we don't see often in a war movie. WWI fighter planes are very different, in the sense that they look so fragile as if they were made out of very light materials. But likewise, they look so cool and ferocious when you see them zooming in the skies and shooting machine gun ammo at each other. The aerial battles very much reminded me of the earlier STAR WARS movies which utilize the most breathtaking aerial dogfights. Especially in the zeppelin battle scene, as shown in the poster for this film, which does blow your mind. This movie is like STAR WARS in World War I. The film does have the obligatory love story, but this love story is actually quite charming and cute, and does not hinder the main storyline in any way, nor does it stand as a mere wallflower for an action film.


James Franco's look has made him sort of the posterboy for early 20th century americana, with films like The Great Raid, he fits well as the lead of this World War I film. But he does prove to be a very powerful actor and in this film, he does not fail to be one. Jean Reno who plays Capt. Thenault, the commander of the team, does a fine job but his role here is simply just the authoritative figure in the sidelines. There is more focus on the pilot characters themselves such as Eugene Skinner, played by Abdul Salis who does a fine job playing a black boxer trying to achieve his own greatness as a fighter pilot despite the fact that his kind are treated as servants during that time. Other cast such as David Ellison, Todd Boyce, and Martin Henderson all did a fine job, together melding a tale of courage, honor, and dogfight action.

There is also a ferocious seriousness in this film because whenever the action starts, the dialogues end, and all you see is the battle. During that time, there were still no transceiver radios in fighter planes, so dialogue is quite minimal and there are frequent tight shots of the actors in varied facial acting, which, in my opinion, heightens the overall cinematic tension of the movie.

My only sole letdown for the film is that it doesn’t give enough background as to why World War I occurred. Many of us have been all too familiar of World War II, but not many of us were aware of why the First one broke out. But anyway, it gives some of the audiences the curiosity to research for themselves why it did. At least, it does not treat the audience like an ignorant pupil who has to be lectured on how WWI began. Overall, FLYBOYS is a good World War I movie filled with breathtaking aerial battles, a high flying treat you will not regret. Explosive and Spectacular, you may have never seen classic battles like this before. And may I just remind you, Aerial War films like this have GOT to be watched in the wide silver screen of the movie theater so that you can really experience the full weight of its intensity first hand.

ROBINSONS MOVIEWORLD
John Tucker Must Die
1:15 PM, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15 PM
First Day High
12:45 PM, 2:55, 5:05, 7:15 PM
Twilight Dancers
1:15 PM, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15 PM
Scoop (2006)
1:15 PM, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15 PM


SM CITY CINEMA
Ang Pagdadalaga Ni Maximo Oliveros
11:50 AM, 1:40 PM. 3:30, 5:20, 7:10, 9 PM
John Tucker Must Die
12:15 PM, 2 PM, 3:45, 5:30, 7:15, 9 PM
First Day High
11 AM, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 PM
The Devil Wears Prada
11 AM, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 PM
Scoop (2006)
11:50 AM, 1:40 PM. 3:30, 5:20, 7:10, 9 PM
The Wicker Man
11:50 AM, 1:40 PM. 3:30, 5:20, 7:10, 9 PM

ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS
- Synopsis: Maxi is expressly gay at his young age. This is not a secret from his father and two older brothers who are pushed to peddle stolen mobile phones due to poverty. It is up to Maxi to care for his family, but the small-time criminals get in hot water and start vexing Victor, the handsome young policeman Maxi is fond of. Will Maxi choose first love over family?
- Critical Consensus: Unbeknownst to the many of the movie-going public, “Ang Pagdadalaga Ni Maximo Oliveros” is one of the most critically-acclaimed Filipino movies that have broken through a great deal of fame internationally. It really has struck a cord among critics worldwide, winning TEN(10!) Awards, 5 of them Int’l. awards (3 Best Feature Film Awards off the Berlin Int’l. Film Festival, 3 Awards from Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, Best Picture for Gawad Urian, 2 from Las Palmas Film Festival, and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the renowned Sundance Film Festival). The Greatness of the film is widely known that it is showered by respected reviews in www.rottentomatoes.com (exact URL of the movie: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pagdadalaga_ni_maximo_oliveros/)
- Personal Take: Due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn’t able to watch this movie the first time it was shown a couple of months ago. Well, now, I am glad that this movie has been re-mastered and re-released in our theaters, because we need Filipino movies like this to boost our morale that there is still a future for Pinoy cinema. I am so gonna watch this movie. And please, may I remind you that watching movies like this is actually supporting Philippine Cinema.

TWILIGHT DANCERS
- Synopsis: Dwight is still in his prime, dancing nightly at a gay club and finding the line between romance and commerce blurred in his personal life. Alfred, his sometime lover, is well past it at twenty-eight. He finds himself slipping into bitterness, which only makes his behavior more grasping. Bert, a former dancer, now serves as chauffeur and bodyguard to Madame Loca, the happily corrupt businesswoman who professes to become aroused at the sound of a gunshot. Once she lays eyes on Dwight, she ratchets up her scheming.
- This movie has been submitted to the Toronto Film Festival, but as far as I know, there has been no word if it has received some citations. The film has only generated buzz locally so far, as it is getting attention from showbiz news that seem to only give a damn about its gay sexy scenes. Mel Chionglo has long been a Filipino Film director who has made sexy films like Xerex, Two-Timer, and Sibak, and it seems that this is just another pseudo-porn (because they don’t seem to claim it as porn) flick to add to his roster.
- Personal Take: Sure, this movie has been written by “the great” Ricky Lee, sure this movie supposedly is a social commentary… Well, that excuse has long been used. If there is one thing that I have learned from many Filipino sexy movies and its producers, is that it loves to make these erotic movies and hide under the excuse that “Oh, it’s a social commentary” or “Oh, it’s an art film” (especially gay sexy movies) Well, that just makes me yawn. Okay, I give it the benefit of the doubt, maybe it’s a good film, but no thanks, I’m not gonna watch this. I prefer my half naked dancers, females.

SCOOP
- Synopsis: Scoop is the new contemporary comedy from writer/director Woody Allen, and is his second consecutive film to be set and shot in London (following Match Point). Scoop stars Mr. Allen, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and Ian McShane.
The late U.K. journalist Joe Strombel (played by Mr. McShane) is being mourned by his colleagues - even as, stuck in limbo, Joe remains committed to pursuing a hot tip on the identity of "the Tarot Card Killer" at large in London. But how can his legwork get done now? Via the very much alive Sondra Pransky (Ms. Johansson). Sondra is an American journalism student visiting friends in London. During a stage performance by another American, magician Sid Waterman (Mr. Allen), Sondra is shocked to find herself able to see and hear Joe. From beyond, he gives her the scoop of a lifetime and urges her to pursue it. Sondra immediately starts chasing the big story, enlisting the aid of a reluctant Sid (a.k.a. Splendini). That chase leads right to handsome British aristocrat Peter Lyman (Mr. Jackman). Soon, Sondra finds that the romance of her life may well be the dangerous scoop she's looking for.
- Critical Consensus: Rehashing old plot lines and characters, critics found Scoop as a tiresome dipper and another disappointing addition to Woody Allen's repertoire.
- Personal Take: Sure, I may watch this movie, especially since I haven’t had watched many of Woody Allen’s movies. And Allen is known for making dialogue-wealthy movies about relationships.

JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE
- Synopsis: When three popular girls from different cliques discover they've all been dating the school stud, they band together to seek revenge. Despite the jerk's charm and ever-growing popularity, the girls cleverly scheme with the help of the inconspicuous new girl in town, to soil his reputation and break his heart.
- Critical Consensus: Not getting good reviews worldwide, this teen flick is more of just a teen flick than, say, a comedy.
- Personal Take: No, thanks. But I guess girls would want to watch this movie.

CRANK

CRANK IS CRAZY ADRENALINE ACTION
By Reymundo Salao

Chev Chelios (played by Jason Statham) is a hitman who freelances for a major West-Coast syndicate, but lately, has plans to quit his job. One day, he wakes up to find that he has been injected by a Chinese poison that will kill him within an hour. Chelios has discovered that when he panics and runs amuck, he actually lengthens his life and keeps his heart from slowing down to death. With the help of a friend of his, who is a doctor, he discovers that in order to survive, he must put himself in a constant state of adrenaline. On his way to find a cure or to find the ones who did this to him, he freaks out, wreaks havoc and nasty damage to anyone who dares to stand in his way.

First of all, I'd like to clarify that CRANK is NOT a sequel of “The Transporter” series. The morons who released this (possibly not just here in the Philippines) just tweaked the posters that they distributed so as to use "The Transporter" movie as a vehicle to market this film. But right here from the top, I'd say that CRANK is very far high up better than "The Transporter"

CRANK has a very unique plot that requires its protagonist (anti-hero) to just go nuts in a way that makes Lethal Weapon's Martin Riggs look like well-behaved nun. Statham's character is very amusing in a dark-violent and comical kind of way, as he crosses the lines of action heroism to produce this very irreverent diehard hero. The film is the feature-film debut of screenwriters and directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who obviously has made one heck of an adrenaline-rush movie for a first big project. These guys definitely have a greater future ahead of them.


The film is relentless, reckless, and fast-paced. Oftentimes, you miss the details of the subplots, but then again, the highlight of this movie is its innovative theme, that of a race against death. You miss out understanding why his enemies want him dead, you miss out who's betraying who and why; because you’re just there to find out if Chev will survive the poison that's killing him.

Of course, you can’t compare CRANK to serious action flicks such as "Man on Fire" or "Ronin". CRANK has more of a "violent video game" feel, in a very Guy Ritchie format (Guy Ritchie is known for his 2 big slick gangster flicks "Snatch" & "Lock Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels"). There are action sequences in this movie that may defy reason, but nonetheless, fun and fits the mood of the film. Aside from the action scenes, the overall visuals of the movie are outstanding. It has very innovative stylized cinematographic shots that seem more close to artsy than commercial action flick. This movie utilizes all the visual tweaks and effects enough to highlight that acidly toxic, sometimes cartoonish atmosphere of the film's storyline.

Having played slick roles in movies such as "Snatch", "Mean Machine", and of course, who could miss him as the hero of "Transporter? ...Jason Statham is fast becoming an actor that is marked for mean action movies. He has found himself in a position where he's now identified with being a cool underworld character. And indeed, Statham's skills isn’t bullcrap that high-brow critics can just underestimate. Statham's got skills that make him fit naturally in his roles. The film also stars Efren Ramirez, who is best known to play Pedro in the phenomenal (although not released locally) "Napoleon Dynamite" and former country singer Dwight Yoakam (who was last seen as a creepy villain in "Bandidas". And of course, also in the movie is the very lovely Amy Smart, with special participation of her melons.


PARENTAL ADVISORY...mild-mannered folks might think of CRANK to be a horrifying movie of anarchic chaos, having a really strong sense of violence and hard-edged action. But the violence here is done in a semi-slapstick-action kind of way that, generally, only hot-blooded guys could appreciate. There are no tender moments of love and mush; but there is a doggy-style scene that is as morally offensive as it is cheer-worthy. With that said, I don’t have to remind you irresponsible parents to NOT bring your underage children in such an adult-oriented film such as this. I mean, there are nipples, buttcheeks, and even BJ sequences in this flick. You'd be moral morons to bring a child to such a deliciously vicious and vivacious movie. So if you Nays and Tays are out with your kids for a movie, go watch "Zoom" instead.

CRANK is the ultimate GUY Flick. A macho, sick bonanza of gunshots, mean fights and horny chicks, a world of crazy crazy action, I love it. CRANK is not for serious viewing, neither is it much of a date movie, not unless you want your GF to complain about the movie as much as you would complain about letting her drag you to watch that awful Sam Milby movie. CRANK is the kind of movie that you would definitely enjoy with your buddies, maybe if you could slip in beers and peanuts inside the theater, it would make a perfect cinematic combination.

NEW FLICKS FOR THIS WEEK

I will be out of town this weekend, so I wont be having any reviews, despite the fact that there are cool flicks showing this week. I wont be leaving you this week for nothing; I’ll be giving you a preview of what’s new this week…


CRANK
- Synopsis: Chev Chelios is about to begin his morning with an unexpected wake-up call. Groggy, practically unable to move and with a heart that's barely beating, he hears the voice of thug Ricky Verona, who reveals Chev has been poisoned in his sleep and only has an hour to live. As it turns out, Chev is a hit man who freelances for a major West Coast syndicate. A run of the mill job the night before instead went awry: he let his target slip away in an effort to quit professional killing and start a new life with his girlfriend Eve. Now, Chev must keep moving to stay alive: the only way to prolong the poison from stopping his heart is to keep his adrenaline flowing. As the clock ticks, Chelios cuts a swath through the streets of Los Angeles, wreaking havoc on those who dare stand in his way. He must rescue Eve from danger, stay two steps ahead of his nemeses and search for an antidote to save his own life.
- Critical Consensus: CRANK received a fairly balanced critical consensus among critics worldwide, citing it as one very intense action-thriller, on the other hand, it seems to have disappointed some other critics, who may just have been non-action movie fans.
- Personal Take: Ever since Jason Statham has taken on a slick underworld character in Guy Ritchie's SNATCH and has later established himself as an action hero in the Transporter, and after other cool roles in movies such as in MEAN MACHINE, it is hard to just underestimate Statham's movies (well, except for the awful kung-fu sci-fi "The One").

CRANK has a somewhat unique storyline for an action film, that could possibly go down in action movie history. I have faith in such a film, ESPECIALLY if you’re an action film director
- Overall: For hard-edged Action Junkies


THE WICKER MAN
- Synopsis: Out patrolling a California highway, police officer Edward Malus stops a station wagon to return a little girl's lost doll. Moments later, a runaway truck slams into the station wagon, igniting it into a fiery wreck with the mother and child trapped inside. Edwards fails to save them before the car explodes--and then spends months of his life choking down pills to get the image of their faces out of his head. But Edward is about to get a second chance. A desperate letter from his former fiancee, Willow, arrives at his home with no postmark. Willow came into his life and left just as unexpectedly years before. But now, her daughter Rowan has gone missing, and Edward is the only person she trusts to help relocate her. She asks him to come to her home on a private island--Summersisle--a place with its own traditions where people observe a forgotten way of life. Edward seizes the opportunity to make his life right again, and soon finds himself on a seaplane bound for the islands of the Pacific Northwest. But nothing is what it seems on isolated Summersisle, where a culture, dominated by its matriarch Sister Summersisle, is bound together by arcane traditions and a pagan festival known as "the Day of Death and Rebirth." The secretive people of Summersisle only ridicule his investigation, insisting that a child named Rowan never existed there--or if she ever did was no longer alive. But what Edward doesn't know is that Willow's plea for help has invited more into his life than a chance for redemption. In unraveling Summersisle's closely held secrets, Edward is drawn into a web of ancient traditions and murderous deceit, and each step he takes closer to the lost child brings him one step closer to the unspeakable. And one step closer to The Wicker Man.
-Critical Consensus: Critics lambaste this remake of a horror classic, with a solid thumbs down
-Personal Take: Sure, I’d want to watch this movie, the trailer has captured my interest, but i wouldnt expect too much. THE (original) WICKER MAN (1975) was a horror classic which is up there with other horror classics such as The Exorcist, and of course, it is hard to top that or even to make a satisfactory remake of it.
- Overall: It’s a horror flick but don’t expect it to be phenomenal


ZOOM
- Synopsis: A former superhero is called back to work to transform an unlikely group of ragtag kids into new heroes at a private academy.
-Critical Consensus
With a firm judgment and a solid thumbs down, critics all over the world have deemed this super-hero-comedy flick to be a bore.
-Personal Take
It's a superhero comedy that is not based from any existing comic book, like "Sky High" but then again, this comedy does promise to have the innovative humor of "Sky High". It wasn’t also marketed well, which is a reason why there isn’t much interest that this thing gives on me. I saw the trailer once and there was no glint of originality, add to that is the bad reviews its getting... you may want to just skip this one and watch either Wicker Man &/or Crank instead. But if you have children with you, well, they may want to watch this kiddie flick.
- Overall: Treat it as a family movie; the kind you bring your kids to

MAXIMUM MOVIE INFO OVERLOAD (Junkie News)

A Scene from Frank Miller's "300"

It already has been a while since the list of movies for this December's Metro Manila Film Festival has been announced, and THANK GOD it seems to line up projects that do not seem to be garbage-oriented as last year's MMFF. Anyway, let me do away with the bad projects and highlight the projects that I trust.

-CM Films: Mga Batang Maynila (action/comedy), starring Cesar Montano, Sunshine Cruz; director, Cesar Montano. -- Ever since I saw his work in "Panaghoy Sa Suba" I have grown a whole new trust and respect in Cesar Montano's ability as a filmmaker. I will surely watch out for this movie.

-Earth Moving Pictures: Someone Who Cares (drama/romance), director, Elwood Perez.

-JMCN Productions: Bidasari (drama), Sid Lucero and Katherine Luna; director, Mario O’Hara.

-Unitel: Inang Yaya, Maricel Soriano; director, Pablo Biglang Awa. --if there's one film company that i trust, it's UNITEL. Having a track record of being responsible for the best Pinoy films that have come out since the start of the new millenium, you can trust that Unitel is the last hope for Pinoy Film Industry Redemption (Let me exempt "Pinoy Blonde" because that was ONE Unitel movie that proved to be just plain pretentious)

-Unitel: Blockout, Robin Padilla and Iza Calzado; director, Ato Bautista. --it was in a Unitel movie that Robin had a breakthrough role in "La Visa Loca" It gave us a more mature (in terms of acting) Robin. Robin is indeed a great actor, he just needs a good project.


- Now let's move on to movie news that many of you may not have known yet; The sequel to Chris Nolan's phenomenally successful "Batman Begins" now has a title: "THE DARK KNIGHT" will see the return of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and the rest of the Batman Begins cast (who didn’t die in the last movie, except Katie Holmes who wouldn’t appear in the sequel). The villain for the Batman sequel will feature The JOKER which will be portrayed by the talented Heath Ledger, sure, he may not look the part, but with his talent, and the serious style of Chris Nolan, THE DARK KNIGHT is surely something that I have high hopes for. The portrayal of the Joker will be this time, close to the comics with hints taken from the Graphic Novel "Batman: The Killing Joke" and other well-known Batman tales.

- The sequel to Fantastic Four will be entitled "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" and obviously will feature the introduction of the Silver Surfer and Galactus. It sure promises to be big. Why? For you non-comic-geeks, FYI: Galactus is a character who EATS PLANETS. Dig that. Dr. Doom will be back too.

- After Paramount Pictures has fired Tom Cruise, it seems that the new actor to lead on the next installment of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movies will be Brad Pitt. It seems that Paramount executives are planning to introduce a new character to lead a new team & replace the character of Ethan Hunt. But then again, I think the damage has been done, now, people think of Mission Impossible as a high octane action flick instead of a purely espionage movie that it really should be.


- Despite becoming the biggest movie failure of the year, "Superman Returns" would have a sequel, as it was announced by studio executives months ago. Executives obviously admit their fault with the failure of SR as they promise that the next movie will have "more action this time"

The Lambasting of the highly pathetic Superman Returns movie continues with such websites as http://singerssupermansucks.blogspot.com/ and http://www.dailyramblings.com/ramblings/877.php

- The director of Transporter & Unleashed (Danny the Dog) is set out to direct the next HULK movie entitled THE INCREDIBLE HULK. But it is not yet confirmed if it is going to be a sequel or a re-start of the Hulk franchise. But what is sure though is that it will feature the villain known as "Abomination" and the movie will be entitled "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" On the other hand, John Favreau will be directing the "IRON MAN" movie which is also set to be released on 2008 along with “Hulk” In addition, there are talks of future projects involving Marvel characters which include: The Sub-mariner, Nick Fury, Thor, Ant-man, & Captain America


- Another work by the master dark & gritty comicbook writer Frank Miller (Sin City) is coming to the big screen. Frank Miller’s “300” is directed by Zack Snyder, and it will be released on March 2007. Based on the epic graphic novel by Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, the Spartans’ valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller’s (Sin City) acclaimed Dark Horse graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale. Think of it as a “non-gay version of the movie Troy” This one promises to be more brutal and more sword, blood, and guts epic. Hey, if it’s Frank Miller, it’s gotta be Bloody.

- On weird movie news, Ridley Scott and Russel Crowe are in talks to make a "GLADIATOR" Sequel...HUH? Gladiator was a great movie...why would they even try to mess with a sequel which could only ruin the integrity of the first movie?! Scott & Crowe seems to have blown their own nuts off. What are they going to do? have a Maximus cyborg...Vader-style?