Ad Astra

Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones

Donald Sutherland, Ruth Negga

"The Answers we Seek are Just outside our Reach"

Mysterious power surges wreak havoc on earth so the powers that be summon Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) to go on a top secret mission to Neptune. Apparently, 30 years ago an exploration (looking for other AI) mission called the Lima Project headed by Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), yes Roy's father - vanished and everyone in the main ship are believed to be dead.

Roy must maintain the secrecy of his mission. He must also find out if the Lima Project ship is causing the power surges, accept that the crew might still be alive. A stoic yet fearless Roy must prepare himself both physically and most especially mentally - just in case he comes face to face with his missing father. 30 years have passed since Clifford left for Neptune. Space.com, the space agency hailed him a hero, even as they covered up the real intention (to discover other forms of life) of the Lima Project.

Roy's innermost thoughts are expressed in a voice over which is consistent through out the entire movie. Among his suppressed feelings are muted scenes of his married life (suggesting a failed marriage)  as well as his profound longing for his dad. A man built up as a hero yet was mostly an absent and distant parent.

The sci fi scenes are clearly impressive. Hollywood's version and vision of Mars as being a dangerous place with pirates attacking and pilfering from astronauts is very surreal and dare I say, realistic. Commercialism also invading the red planet with booths selling t-shirts and soft drinks. Cinematography is brilliant with wide shots of outer space, the rotating on its axis earth as seen from Mars, and  the desert and menacing vibe of Mars. 

A scene which really touched me is when Clifford tells Roy that he never wanted to be a father and abandoning his family for the Lima Project mission was the best thing he ever did in his life. Heartbreaking and cruel yet it was exactly what the young McBride truly needed to hear. Roy could finally escape from his spiraling out of control, orbit less trajectory of a life. In the end, he was able to move on. Be the best version of himself. Now that is what I call, closure. 

For the simple reason that Quentin Tarantino's films don't interest me at all, I could not bring myself to watch Brad Pitt in his award winning role in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". Maybe, some other time when nothing else interests me. Highly doubtful. Heh!
But Brad Pitt does relatively well in this slow burn science fiction adventure. His reflective contemplation about meeting his father again, of idolizing him only to be washed with disappointment and contempt when he learns the painful truth bring out a soulful performance from the actor. 

"Ad Astra" unfolds like a therapeutic encounter which persuades humanity to be more expressive instead of keeping it all inside. Why do we spend too much time, effort and money searching for other forms of intelligence? When right here on planet Earth we are becoming more distant from each other. Point taken!

Avengers: Endgame

Robert Downey Jr,  Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo,

Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Chris Hemsworth,

Jeremy Renner, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle,
Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Paul Rudd,
Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana

"Avenge the Fallen"

Cinema 4, The Red Carpet @ Shang

My sister is in town so we normally watch movies at the theater. It has to be said that we are not die hard fans of superheroes films yet we are certainly aware of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's characters. I just got home, still all hyped up so I better compose a post when everything is still fresh in my giddy mind. This film being over 3 hours, we decided to have dinner first so our tummies won't grumble while watching this much anticipated finale.

Avenger: Endgame is the last installment in the Infinity saga. We knew which characters did not make it in the previous Avengers: Infinity War. With a single snap of Thanos' (Josh Brolin) fingers, most of them disintegrated into tiny dust particles.

This film takes place in 2023 where the surviving superheroes have gone on with their lives. Taking them into different directions, all of them trying their best to forget (although it is very difficult) the devastation which occurred. An event which affected the whole planet, their loved ones and themselves.

Not wiling to quit, they devised a complex plan to yet again defeat Thanos and for the 'lost' ones to return. It is comprehensive, very tricky and involves time travel but certainly can work, if it is successful. This plan take our remaining superheroes back in time. For them to gather all the stones, right before Thanos got all of them and snapped his fingers.

All of these thrilling time travel adventures comprise about 85% of the entire movie. The rest is focused on the final battle - between Thanos' army and all of the MCU superheroes. A fight scene of all fight scenes - a visual smorgasbord of protagonists versus villains. Each of them using their superpowers to defeat the enemies. Unfortunately, some don't survive while others are bruised and battered.

The final minutes of the movie calms down as goodbyes are expressed and we bid farewell to certain characters. But with the promise of seeing some of these characters yet again in their own stand alone movies for us to better understand how they evolved into the superhero realm.

Even if it is a three hour movie, there is enough drama, comedy, anxiety and excitement to keep us tuned in till the very last minute. A very lovely and enjoyable epic end to a much beloved saga which has entertained us for many years. We also look forward to more superhero movies to amuse us in the coming years.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Daniella Pineda, 

Justice Smith, James Cromwell, Rafe Spall

"Life finds a Way"

This film continues three years after the closure of the theme park on Isla Nublar, located somewhere in Costa Rica. Naturally since the lab-developed dinosaurs ran amok and ate a lot of visitors which was elaborately explored in the remake of Jurassic Park trilogy named Jurassic World 2015.

Present day, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) are 'reunited' and back on the abandoned island which is now threatened by the fury of an exploding volcano. They want to save and rescue as many dinosaurs as humanly and humanely possible. A deed made possible through the generosity of the Lockwood Estate which created a sanctuary where these animals can roam around freely without cages, with no tourists and no distractions. Even though the government itself decided it is best to leave them on the island - for the very reason that they should never have been 'created' in the first place.

But evil and green surfaces in the form of Ellis Mills (Rafe Spall) an underling working for the now aging and frail Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell). Mills thinks it is a great idea to auction off these dinosaurs to the highest bidders, who can use them for industrial, agricultural purposes but mainly turn them as 'weapons' of mass destruction. These species are transported to the Lockwood estate where representatives of several nations congregate for the auction. Both Owen and Claire were tricked into believing the dinosaurs will be airlifted to a safe haven. 

The main attraction at the auction is this humongous dinosaur that was bred using the DNA of  several really fierce dinosaurs so you can be utterly sure, the Indoraptor is as deadly as it comes. But surely, anywhere and anytime these massive creatures are present you can be sure, the situation will turn really ugly as they escape from their supposedly iron clad enclosures and eat any one that moves. Heh!

This really flimsy premise basically runs wild in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Another dangerous mission for Owen and Claire - they being the good guys trying their best to contain the situation which has gone awry in the very worst possible way. Plus some entirely crazy and silly subplot involving Lockwood's 'granddaughter, thrown in to just add confusion to an already murky plot.

The cinematography though is quite vibrant - the scene with numerous dinosaurs running, rushing down the jungle and trumping their way towards the sea as hot molten lava pour down from the imposing volcano is excellently shot. The pressure to escape quite palpable as you can almost feel the ground shaking from the massive exodus. One, if not the only memorable scene in this film.

The second half grinds down to a slower pace during the auction part, then picks up a bit with chaotic scenes of people trying to flee from the escaping dinosaurs, which were being sold off to bidders. And rightly so, the conclusion does leave us with a sense that the third installment will entail dinosaurs in the city streets. Something we have to wait for it until 2021!

So while the film could use some depth to the story line, there is a valid message it wants to impart - there was a rational reason dinosaurs were extinct and wiped out eons ago - these are very dangerous creatures and tend to eat people.

Guardians Of The Galaxy

Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper,

Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace

"All Heroes Start Somewhere"

After a slew of foreign language movies which fried my brain cells as well as strained my eyes from reading subtitles, I wanted to relax and watch 'popcorn' films. This Marvel Comics film adaptation was a perfect fix for my entertainment. 

The story of how a bunch of misfits turned 'action heroes' are called upon to defend some planet from an egomaniacal villain was so much fun. The soundtrack composed mostly of songs I grew up listening to was absolutely fantastic and further enhanced the 'feel good' vibe of this sci-fi themed spectacle.

Well developed and multi-dimensional characters were skillfully portrayed by a good ensemble cast. We are introduced to eccentric yet endearing characters like Rocket who is a talking, foul mouthed raccoon and a giant tree of a few words named Groot.

The very charming Chris Pratt holds the fort as the lead honcho. A comedian who has come into his own by turning into a leading man with much potential. He has lost a lot of weight and developed his physique thus attaining full blown leading man status in Hollywood. A very fickle industry where brawn is the main draw in the success or failure of a film. Chris Pratt deserves his new found success and his comedic timing is right on the dot.

I won't get into the plot/story line as it is quite complex with a myriad of characters in different forms and shapes. As complicated as it, it is still well executed and unfolds through vibrant computer generated scenes which are basically the essential features of this genre.  

I am looking forward to the second installment of this franchise which kicks off in 2017!

TRANSCENDENCE

Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall,

Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman

"What if a New Intelligence was Born?"

Nowadays, Johnny Depp has evolved into either essaying roles of freaky yet unique characters or some normal guy stuck in a uniquely strange scenario. I guess the key word here is 'unique' and I understand for any actor it is imperative to delve into a role that will stand out from the numerous predictable ones.

It must be quite challenging for Johnny Depp specifically to always find roles which won't be, for lack of a better word, boring. I respect him for that and admire his guts since most of these roles although unique, per se, these movies don't really rake in the big bucks like blockbusters do.

In "Transcendence", he is cast as Dr. Will Caster, a technology expert at the forefront of artificial intelligence research. An advocacy which he and his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) have passionately worked for ages. Their dream is to create an all knowing computer that has the personality of a human. Their work is abruptly cut short by an organization that opposes AI in any shape or form.

An incident occurs which puts Dr Caster's life in danger so before he dies, he decides to 'upload' his brain and his 'personality' into the computer. Upon his passing, Evelyn waits for the machine to wake up with Will's persona deeply embedded within its wired components. Behold! It works and it is presented through a computer monitor with a disembodied voice and Will's flickering face on screen.  It is quite freaky, creepy and everything that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up straight.

As the film progresses at a slow and very long pace, we soon find out just how dangerous it is to play God and the perils of technology overload. Much of the movie focuses on the interaction between Evelyn and Will through the screen.

You keep asking yourself is it really Will or just some hologram presence of an uploaded version of him. Can machines really feel or are they just programmed to 'feel'? Are we being slowly trained to be more machine-like as we become more and more dependent on technology? Or do we project our personality unto our gadgets?

Either way, it is a dangerous world to live in as social interaction is minimized or practically non existent. But the scarier thought is we don't need a film like "Transcendence" to show us the dangers as we are all currently hooked on being connected at all times. Other people don't re-wire our brains, it just happens as we live more of our lives online. We're slaves to convenience.

Personally, there is nothing wrong with this premise. We just need to know when to 'disconnect' and be truly present in the 'here' and the 'now'. Heh! Well look who's talking?! I get hives when there is no wifi connection at any establishment I visit even for 10 minutes. 

LIMITLESS

Bradley Cooper, Robert de Niro, Abbie Cornish

"What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?"

Star Movies

Finally, I was able to see this film in its entirety on Star Movies. When it was shown in the cinemas, I had second thoughts about spending so much on a movie ticket. Sci-fi thriller isn't a genre, I appreciate. But. 2 words. Bradley Cooper. Enough said.

"Limitless" focuses on Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) a writer who is taking forever to finish his novel. His girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) is walking out on him, he looks awful, physically and mentally. In short, his life is one big mess. Until, he runs into the brother of an ex girlfriend who tells him about this experimental pill called NZT. A powerful drug that can tap your mind into its full potential.

With NZT in his system, Eddie is on a roll. He completes his book instantly, he can read and absorb data within seconds, he can speak foreign languages, he can manipulate the stock market for his investments. His life changes completely for the better. Or so it seems. But soon enough as with most 'scams' that are too good to be true, the pill turns into one huge liability instead of an asset.

Despite some good camera angles with blurry montage scenes, the film is quite limited in scope. It is a standard rise and fall tale, the extended version for it seemed like it would never finish and then concludes with a vaguely intriguing ending. So was it a cautionary tale about drug addiction? Or a story on how greed and power can corrupt one's soul? Either way, the your choices are quite limited, despite what the title suggests.

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS

George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey

"No goats. No glory."

The weird title of this film should give you enough insight to expect a really absurd and bizarre plot line. And true enough it won't disappoint you one single bit.

Based on Jon Ronson's book of the same name, The Men Who Stare At Goats is about a top secret US government program which explored the possibility of using paranormal powers against military enemies. These so called "psychic spies" of The New Earth Army tried, for example, to make goats drop dead by staring at them. They also experimented with "attack bees", trying to walk through walls, making subliminal sounds and invisibility.

The film takes off as insecure reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) follows a lead into a story told by a supposedly psychic American spy named Lyn Cassady (George Clooney). This takes him right smack in Baghdad during the Iraq War.

McGregor narrates every minute of this film by often helpfully over-explaining information that is already visible onscreen. It reminded me so much of Matt Damon’s character and his annoying voice over in the "The Informant".

George Clooney, however, is sublime. Isn't he always? He plays the possibly psychic—or maybe just psychotic— "jedi warrior" with the nuanced stillness of a Zen master. It's a sly, comic version of his character in the much misunderstood "Syriana".

This satire had some funny dialogue along with effervescent bits of weirdness mostly courtesy of Clooney who desperately tries to convince the naive reporter of his psychic powers. This is probably his least important film yet certainly not the oddest movie (remember "Burn after Reading"?) in his illustrious career.

Sadly the movie doesn't truly explore nor reveal anything concrete. The ending offers some closure by letting the reporter find his true worth. A really bizarre movie that falls in between the cracks of dramedy and military satire. While it has a fine cast and some wry humor, this story of an experimental U.S. military unit with allegedly psychic powers never really gets off the ground. Like most psychic research, this film is inconclusive and unsatisfying to all but the truest of true believers.

SOURCE CODE

Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan
Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright

"Make every second count"

Cinema 8, SM Megamall

8 minutes. That is the very limited time that Air Force Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is given to find out the identity of the bomber of a Chicago bound train. In order to achieve that purpose, he is 'inserted' into the mind of a teacher named Sean Fentress who was a passenger who died on the train. He can only stay for eight minutes at a time, but he can keep returning as often as he needs to find the bomber. This is achieved through a project known as the Source Code, a device developed by the military to analyze terrorist attacks.

While his mind travels to the past, his body is locked in a mysterious pod. He communicates with the other members of the Source Code project through video. During every mission, he is briefed by Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) a woman in military uniform. But most of the communication is practically one-way, as the leader of the project, a certain Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright), rarely answers his questions and insists on updates. To make things even more complicated, Capt. Stevens begins to fall for Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan) a fellow passenger on that ill fated train.

"The Source Code" is a sci-fi thriller that was constantly moving, constantly generating questions which kept the movie quite interesting. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this movie is the variety of traits the main character shows in the movie who has a strong sense of justice, duty, honor, and love. Another positive quality of this movie, is how each visit in the source code continues to build up to the climax of the movie. The relentless search for new pieces of evidence is also intertwined with constant character development of the protagonist allowing you to get a better attachment to the character.

The editing was seamless even though they had to keeping showing the last 8 minutes before the bomb explodes over and over again. The fast pacing of the movie didn't jar your senses as there were scenes of reflective moments intertwined within for adjustments. The different characters were well developed and you kept discovering new things about them as the story progressed.

The ending though was a bit puzzling and I still can't seem to wrap my head around it until now. But that's only because I refuse to embrace the concept that an alternate parallel universe can exist concurrently with reality. The sci-fi elements notwithstanding, the film did good by being an edge of your seat form of suspenseful entertainment that will capture your attention for 93 minutes.

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

Matt Damon, Emily Blunt
Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Terence Stamp

"Your fate has been adjusted"

Cinema 6, SM Megamall

This sci-fi romance is the directorial debut of George Nolfi. A screenwriter of such films as "Ocean's 12" and "The Bourne Ultimatum", he adapted this film from a short story by Philip K. Dick entitled "The Adjustment Team". Nolfi deviated from the original story by casting Matt Damon as a politician instead of an insurance salesman.

The film starts with David Norris (Matt Damon) as a young politician running to represent New York in Congress. Nolfi conveys all this in a brisk opening montage that enlists the services of Jon Stewart and various pundits to lend credence with the feel of a real campaign trail. David's first attempt is not successful but it leads him to a brief, but life-altering encounter with a mysterious stranger named Elise (Emily Blunt) in the men's room just before he delivers his concession speech.

Yet unfortunately David's fate doesn't include the presence of Elise in his life. A plan has been pre-designed for David's destiny and it is strictly being enforced by fedora wearing men in suits carrying some interactive notebook. These group of men who can weave through the streets of New York by entering different doors try everything with their strange powers to manipulate David's life. They must make sure that David gets to fulfill his chosen role.

Nothing much is revealed about these people. Or why and how they go about their procedure. One of them just says "we are the people who make sure things go according to plan." Who is directing these plans are likewise not divulged. They could be angels or members of the CIA but they are the godlike manipulators who dictate the way of the world.

Be that as may, we must also take into consideration the fact that at the core of this film is a budding romance between David and Elise. I know it is a bit difficult to ignore these men with hats. But somewhere deep within the recesses of my mind I simply chose to focus on the romantic aspect instead of the existential sci-fi elements present in the film. David and Elise look good together, they bring out the best in each other so you can't help but root for them to find each other again and stay together never mind that fate seems to think otherwise.

Matt Damon has always had solid performances in most of his films. While Emily has blossomed and come into her own persona. A long way from her short secretary role in "The Devil wears Prada". They work well together, their rapport is palpable. They are joined by good actors in supporting roles like Anthony Mackie, John Slattery and Terence Stamp. Their portrayal of the members of the bureau were authentic even though you can't really figure out who they are or what they stand for.

The Adjustment Bureau was an odd, fascinating story which I thoroughly enjoyed. I could identify with the way the romance unfolded. It was unique in that it completely strips the film of its sci-fi trappings by making it into a love story, and a rather moving one at that.