Epic: Movie Review

"Epic" may fail to be one film that stands out in an extremely popular and overcrowded family fantasy genre, but what it lacks in emotional oomph it clearly compensates with its dazzling and semi-realistic visuals - one that clearly rivals any big 3D animation entry in recent times. The visuals are so effective in fact that it might have just isolated some of its core audience by seemingly too scary for the younger ones. Although this is the case, "Epic" still turns out to be a respectable, enjoyable and funny 2 hour romp.

Mary Katherine or M.K. (Amanda Seyfried) is a smart, spirited and headstrong 17-year-old who finds herself on the journey of a lifetime. After returning to her childhood home to connect with her estranged father, Professor Bomba (Jason Sudeikis), M.K. loses patience with his endless stories of unseen people who live in the woods. But when she is magically transported into the Leafmen’s world, she gains a new perspective. To find her way home, M.K. must do more than believe in this world - she’ll have to help save it.

Visually, "Epic" is rather epic. This is the single thing that makes the film good and make it enjoyable. The visual style is a mix of cartoonish characters backdrop in hyper-realistic vistas. Honestly, we loved the unlikely pairing as it accentuates the fantasy theme and still makes this feel like it can happen in real-life. And if you are a 3D nut, the film extensively uses the technology and rather quite well in fact. Unfortunately, one quirk we did find is that the film had a tendency to scare younger kids due to its darker tone and moire realistic look than similar films. As for the voice-overs, it was okay; the voice-dubs were not bad but nothing spectacular. While the script was well-balanced with a funny quips and one-liners especially from Chris O'Dowd and Aziz Ansari. Sadly, even with all its visual glory, "Epic" fails to make a mark being hampered with a generic story that does not differentiate itself from an overcrowded genre. Worse, the film fails to bring out strong emotions. We think this is in fact due to the rushed nature of "Epic". It fails to introduce and develop characters in a compelling way. Overall though, "Epic" is a recommended watch. Even with all its faults, it is still an enjoyable watch.

Rating: 3 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- impressive and dazzling visuals
- the film is funny at times

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- generic story
- lacks emotional oomph



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"Walking With Dinosaurs" Trailer Revealed

"Walking With Dinosaurs" (3D) is a CGI action adventure set in real epic environments that breathes to an era like never before seen on the silver screen. Set 70 million years ago, “Walking With Dinosaurs” (3D) sees the birth of a baby triceratops. It is the smallest of its herd who is brought forth into a wild, unpredictable world filled with the most ferocious of predators. In this world, the young dinosaur learns to discover his innner courage as he butts head with the other dinosaurs and predators. Along with his friends and family, his adventures are filled with humor and often face hair-raising challenges that each of them must face to prove their worth within the herd. Check out the first-ever trailer trailer after the break.





Experience another moviemaking breakthrough when "Walking With Dinosaurs (3D)" opens in Philippines theaters January 2014 from 20th Century Fox.

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"The Conjuring" Has the Creepiest Trailer We Have Seen In Awhile - Maybe Ever!

It's certainly been awhile since we saw a truly effective trailer as much as the hide-and-seek trailer of "The Conjuring" is. It is the scariest thing we have seen for as long as we can remember. If we could only award trailers then this definitely tops our list. It starts off innocently as a family enters their new home. Mom plays hide-and-seek with the kids and all hell breaks loose. "The Conjuring" is from director James Wan known for his work with "Insidious" and "Saw" and probably soon with "The Conjuring". Catch the trailer after the break and make sure to turn off the lights, select HD mode and put it on full screen. Oh and by the way, good luck!






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The Great Gatsby: Movie Review

"The Great Gatsby" no doubt will allure you with a visual montage like no other. Its grandiose set pieces and mirage like transitions woo you back into the roaring excess of the booming Twenties. But in the process of making "The Great Gatsby" into a film that tickles the eyes, the process also leaves behind the life and heart of its tragic story. The long and elaborate conversations and scenes may seem to push the story further but in the end they don't. What is hidden is a beautiful and sad story about love and mostly hope but muddled by a noted excess for flair.

Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is a depressed alcoholic who is visiting his psychiatrist. He talks about a man named Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) - the most hopeful man he had ever met. As Nick reminisces his time with Gatsby, we go back in the summer of 1922 as Nick moves from the U.S. Midwest to New York where he takes a job as a bond salesman. He rents a small house on Long Island next door to the lavish mansion of Jay Gatsby a mysterious millionaire who holds extravagant parties every weekend and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). One night, Nick receives an invitation from Gatsby to one of his parties. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy.

"The Great Gatsby" has all the elements to make a stupendous film. Visually, it is unparalleled. The set pieces alone are astonishing but Baz Luhrmann brings more to the table than even we expected. The film fairly uses 3D well enough to justify the premium price and the transitions from scene to scene are something to behold visually and creatively. And the visual flair transports you back into the life of the roaring Twenties. The acting was as impressive as the visuals. Most notably, Leonardo DiCaprio brings the mysterious Jay Gatsby into life. Leonardo is extremely magnificent as he switches effortlessly from the rich and eccentric mask that Gatsby shows to other people and his love-struck and hopeful nature within. Sadly, all the visual flair muddles the plot, the message and ultimately the effectiveness of "The Great Gatsby". Long and elaborate conversations and scenes seem to take too much time to develop. The film felt like it was concentrating in a lot of less essential stuff that made it feel tedious at times. Maybe in a few years, this version of "The Great Gatsby" will be much revered (we could definitely see that happening) but for now, it's great but not one that will leave a mark in our books.

Rating: 4 reels





Why you should watch it:
- superb acting by the cast most notable Leonardo DiCaprio
- visual style and flair like no other

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- feels long and tedious at times
- lacks life and vibrancy



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Star Trek Into Darkness: Movie Review

"Star Trek Into Darkness" is an exhilarating thrill ride no doubt. There's nary a moment of slowdown once the action starts (and the action starts extremely early). Included is a mix of intrigue, surprise, morality and human emotion that would surely make anyone gasp. Unfortunately, "Star Trek Into Darkness" isn't perfect even with a well-rounded package. No doubt that this is not a bad film but it is not great either and definitely one that isn't remarkable or memorable. "Star Trek Into Darkness" is disappointing considering how much more its predecessor was and how we wished it could have done more to make a resounding statement.

In London, Starfleet agent John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) bombs a secret "Section 31" installation. Captain Jim Kirk (Chris Pine) attend an emergency meeting of high ranking officers at the Starfleet headquarters to discuss the bombing. During the meeting, the group is attacked by a gunship piloted by Harrison. Proving that John Harrison is extremely dangerous, Kirk decides to hunt down Harrison, who has used transwarp beaming and fled to the Klingon homeworld of Kronos. Since Kronos lies deep in Klingon territory and the Federation is on the brink of war with the Klingon Empire, Kirk must avoid being detected or at least associated with the Starfleet. Additionally, the Enterprise is also supplied with 72 long-range prototype torpedoes and ordered to fire them at Harrison's location once he is found. But when the true nature of the mysterious weapons are found, the Enterprise mission takes a drastic turn.

"Star Trek Into Darkness" makes most of its steps correctly. In fact, we are hard-pinned to find any crucial mistakes that could bog down the film. In fact, "Star Trek Into Darkness" presents a frolicking good time from start to finish. There's just something magical with how J.J. Abrams is able to entangle heavy special effects with reality. The film's action feels raw, heavy, fast and heart-pounding. But we did hate the lens flare effect that Abrams is well-known for. It's ridiculously excessive and at times even distracting. But beyond the action, "Star Trek Into Darkness" excels in its penchant to play with different emotions. Even the character of Spock begs the audience for some and considering that his character "suppresses all emotions" is some feat. Unfortunately, the action-heavy plot device takes it toll in the logical end of the story. Plot holes abound will frustrate scifi fans and less details are explained as characters find themselves more enthralled in fighting than speaking. In the end, "Star Trek Into Darkness" is an enjoyable watch. It could have been more though if it found a compelling way to balance action with logic.

Rating: 4 reels





Why you should watch it:
- end-to-end action makes the film extremely watchable to anyone
- plot has its surprises
- human emotions warp speeds this film into good territory

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- even with an action-heavy style, the story unfolds extremely slow
- less details are explained and plot holes abound will frustrate scifi fans
- J.J. Abrams' visual style is getting old very fast



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3 Idiots: Movie Review

Last December, the local film scene got a taste of Bollywood with "Talaash: The Answer Lies Within". It seems that the first outing was a successful one as we find ourselves with "3 Idiots" starring Aamir Khan in the lead role. The film in fact is a multi-awarded one when it was released back in 2009 and the most successful Bollywood film to date in terms of local and international gross sales - and we get why. It may have the all-too-familiar elements of a Bollywood film like sing and dance portions but at its core, "3 Idiots" has one of the most heart-felt and inspiring stories we have seen on the big-screen. It goes beyond its social commentary on student life and academic pressure and balancing this with the veil of comedy is one that keeps the mood up and light the whole time. "3 Idiots" is not only a feel-good movie but it will also help many to understand how precious this life is and how one may go about living it.

Farhan Qureshi (R. Madhavan), Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi) and Ranchhoddas "Rancho" Shamaldas Chhanchad (Aamir Khan) are three students who share a room in the residence of the fictional Imperial College of Engineering (ICE). Farhan is studying engineering to pursue his father's wishes over his own passion for wildlife photography. Raju on the other hand is studying to get his family out of poverty. While Rancho studies for his simple passion in machines and learning and not grades or success. Rancho's ideas clash with the school's long-lasting tradition of competitiveness and not soon after, Rancho finds himself clashing with the school president, Professor Virus (Boman Irani). It gets worse as Rancho has a penchant to do countless antics that get the three friends into trouble. Ten years later, Farhan and Raju are out on a quest to find their friend Rancho who has disappeared completely from their lives.

"3 Idiots" may seems like a movie about college students having fun but looks can be deceiving and it is very far from what the title is presenting. inside is one serious movie about life, pressure and pretty much ideals that one could definitely use day-to-day. Our favorite part of the movie is the plot device that was used to propel the story forward. The film had a lot of plot points that it wanted to present (each character alone has their own back stories that we need to learn about for example) and the flashback mechanism worked perfectly to keep things moving and mostly interesting the whole time. Although the film took a little to keep things going the first half or so, the emotional and tight second half is well worth the wait. As for the comedy, it's rather typical most of the time but the way the leads committed to the jokes and antics made them extremely and actually funny. Most notable of all the actors is Aamir Khan. We could definitely see the movie shine because of his presence and his acting made the ever-fabled Rancho pop out of the big screen. Overall, even for a 4 year old film, "3 Idiots" is highly-recommended. There's a reason for it being the most popular Bollywood film ever and watching it will show you why.

Rating: 4 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- inspiring and heart-warming story
- incredible chemistry and acting from the three leads

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the first half was a little too tedious and slow
- song and dance numbers are appreciated but could have helped slim down the 3 hour screening time



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3D Tech Movies Into Online Casinos

A decade ago 3D movies were rare, but these days it seems as though every second movie being produced is being made in 3D. Whilst there isn’t as much hype as there was in the beginning, it’s clear to see how 3D technology has influenced other industries. Up until recently it was the big budget movie studios who were the major players in 3D tech, but now there are many unrelated industries whom have jumped on the bandwagon as they’ve seen the possibilities this exciting technology holds for them.

The first thing that comes to mind for most people when you mention 3D is James Cameron’s award winning movie Avatar. This movie set the bar extremely high and is most often the standard that other 3D films are measured by, however it is important to remember that technology is developing and progressing all the time and what we view to be ground-breaking at this present moment might, years down the line, appear archaic and dull. An exciting thought to consider.

One of the sectors which has been strongly influenced by 3D tech is the online gaming industry. With many people already owning 3D televisions it is no wonder that they expect more from these gaming suppliers. It’s simply a case of keep up or get left behind. Soon most online casinos will offer 3D slots and when logging on to a site like Jack Gold Casino you will be presented with numerous 3D slots options. The downside at the moment is that one has to use those bulky 3D glasses, but soon that will be a thing of the past.

Researchers at Hewlett Packard (HP) Laboratories in Palo Alto, California, have announced that they have made an incredible breakthrough that very well may change the way we view digital images forever. This 3D technology doesn’t require the viewer to wear special glasses and the plus side is that it can be viewed from various angles without distortion.

We are on the precipice of change and soon 3D will be the norm and 2D a thing of the past. So fire up your imagination, as it’s possible that the things you dream of today will become reality in the not so distant future.

Image Source: 3DImages



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