World War Z

USA 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 29 June 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.1/10

Rotten tomatoes 6.2/10

United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself

My Ratings .6.5/10

My impressions

Zombie attack is quite a common theme in many movies but this particular version has a different modus operandi. The epidemic seems unstoppable unless our hero manages to outwit the zombies.

The proceedings might be uneven but the film is saved by the main character and supporting cast.

Will there ever be a hero as in the movies when and if humanity needs saving? Hopefully, we will not come to that stage.

After Earth

USA 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 8 June 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 5.0/10

Rotten tomatoes 3.8/10

A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, a millennium after events forced humanity's escape

My Ratings .5.0/10

My impressions

As far as science fiction goes, this film does have the usual pyrotechnics. A good premise, the earth in the future with all its beauty and dangers intact. A father and son team finding themselves stranded on this unfamiliar terrain. Their fate uncertain unless help comes as soon as possible.

The adventure begins.

Despite the potential in this lurking danger situation and help from the technical department enhancing the special effects, the film fails in engaging the audience. The script is run of the mill and does not have the high points when we can empathise with the main characters. As a result, the actors are unable to rise above a mediocre performance.

Watch it to while an hour or two of your time.

KIL

Malaysia 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 1 June 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.9/10

Akil (KIL), a quiet and depressed young man sees suicide as an solution though he never succeeds in pulling it off

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

The title KIL even though a short form of the main character's name, can be taken as a play on the word kill. A theme that recurs throughout the film.

Does being dead really solve anyone's problem. It might seem the easiest way out of a difficult situation. Think for a moment the effect it has on others. The person has the fixated idea that once he is gone, all will be hunky dory.

That is the start of his encounter with a company that specialises in ending one's life. Watch until the end whether this will be the fate of our hero.

Overall, a pleasant surprise of a film.

Fast and furious 6

USA 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 24 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.2/10

Rotten tomatoes 6.2/10

Hobbs has Dom and Brian reassemble their crew in order to take down a mastermind who commands an organization of mercenary drivers across 12 countries. Payment? Full pardons for them all

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

More thrills and spills from the gang. Watched this movie to get an adrenaline rush. It is always amazing what skills and dedication can do to contribute to such an enjoyable outing at the cinema.

Epic

USA 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 23 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 6.7/10

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group of characters in order to save their world -- and ours

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

A good versus evil story and in this case a girl is the leader of the good guys.

This genre will always have a place as many root for good to overcome the evil. I guess a good two hour escape from reality.

3096 Days

Germany 2011

Details IMDB

Seen 20 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 6.2/10

A young Austrian girl is kidnapped and held in captivity for eight years. Based on the factual case of Natascha Kampusch

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

Based on a true kidnapping incident. I could never imagine a similar situation could ever happen but reality is always so much more inexplicable.

How many children are kidnapped everyday and put through such a horrendous experience. There are always someone with a sinister agenda lurking somewhere. However safe we think we are, there is always a danger.

Hopefully, no other child would ever have to go through the same ordeal. Every child has to be thought and reminded on how to protect themselves when caught in a similar situation.

The mental and emotional strength of the child has to be nurtured from young in preparation if the unfortunate happens. 

 

The Entreprenuer (L'industriale)

Italy 2011

Details IMDB

Seen 20 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 6.0/10

Strangled by debt and the banks, the owner of a factory that is on the brink of closing will go to any lengths to solve his financial and marital problems

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

Was it desperation that made him do what he did? His love for the wife plus the fate of his business combined to make him take a step that on hindsight could have been avoided. Like or not, he has to pay for the consequences.

Tomboy

France 2011

Details IMDB

Seen 18 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.4/10

Rotten tomatoes 7.8/10

A 10-year-old girl, settling into her new neighborhood outside Paris, is mistaken for a boy and has to live up to this new identity since it's too late for the mistake to be clarified

My Ratings .8.0/10

My impressions

That awkward age

When you feel you don't belong

Feeling uncomfortable in your own skin

How do you resolve this nagging question

Who am I

This body of mine

Do I change or remain

True to myself

Others seem to accept

That side of you

But is it really you

Or just a phase

Protektor

Czech Republic 2009

Details IMDB

Seen 18 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.2/10

A Czech journalist joins a Prague radio station that broadcasts Nazi propaganda in order to protect his Jewish wife

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

The plot centers on how a couple goes through the German occupation of.Czechoslovakia. The wife, a budding actress and a Jew is compared to the husband, a supposedly straight laced radio personality. Looks deceive.

No one could even imagine that the unassuming husband has more gumption than what can be seen all along. The difficult period brings out the best and worst in oneself. That is the time when one knows who are the true friends and those plotting your downfall.

Frozen Silence (Silencio en la nieve)

Spain 2011

Details cineuropa

Seen 18 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 5.7/10

How do you find a murderer amidst the chaos, death and destruction of the Second World War?

My Ratings .6.0/10

My impressions

A murder mystery amidst the war. A body discovered in the snow with markings on his chest sets in motion an investigation into the incident. Played against the backdrop of Spaniards in sympathy with Germany against the Russians during the Second World War. Will we see a closure to the question of who and why the murder occurred? That is still debatable as the snow continues to fall and an answer seems non existent.

The Place Beyond The Pines

USA 2012

Details IMDB

Seen 17 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.4/10

Rotten tomatoes Average Rating 7.3/10

A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective

My Ratings .7.5/10

My impressions

Events in the past haunt the present. Who would have thought that the split second decision between life and death still have repercussions as time goes by.

The story might take some time to get to its conclusion but it is worth the wait as the actors managed to flesh out the characters. The line between the good and bad is never clear cut as both sides have their nemesis.

3

Germany 2010

Details IMDB

Seen 16 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 6.8/10

Rotten tomatoes Average Rating 5.8/10

A Berlin-set drama centered on a 40-something couple who, separately, fall in love with the same man.

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

A German manage a trois.. Despite all the angst and familiarity in a relationship, the presence of a third party disrupts the equilibrium. We are privy to that journey. A happy ending?

The Great Gatsby

USA 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 16 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.3/10

Rotten tomatoes Average Rating 5.8/10

A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbour

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

I was skeptical seeing the 3D version but went into the cinema without any further thought. I was curious to see how different it might be from the Robert Redford, Mia Farrow version. I must acknowledge that the director Baz Luhrmann, who also helmed Romeo and.Juliet as well as Moulin Rouge has succeeded in bringing forth the heady days of the 1920s to life. A more current interpretation of the music of that era gelled well with the 3D effect. The quiet moments when the focus was on the actors gave a good balance to the whole story.

Promised Land

USA 2012

Details IMDB

Seen 16 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 6.6/10

Rotten tomatoes Average Rating 5.9/10

A salesman for a natural gas company experiences life-changing events after arriving in a small town, where his corporation wants to tap into the available resources

My Ratings .6.0/10

My impressions

The big guys against the small guys

Someone is caught in between

There is always a line when

A word, an action pricks your conscience

Pushing, encouraging us to do the right thing

Money has always been such a powerful aphrodisiac

Many have succumbed to its allure

Yes, of course money helps in so many areas

But there comes a time when the price is too high

The benefits promised

May not be what we were hoping for

99 Kali Rindu

Malaysia 2013

Details GSC

Seen 12 May 2013

My Ratings .5.0/10

My impressions

The loved one lost

The journey continues

In the hopes another will be

In your life

As the replacement

As the one who will be with you

Forever

Will that quest succeed

As there are many obstacles

Along the way

Predicaments, decisions

Which path should be taken

That will lead to ever lasting happiness

Star Trek Into Darkness

USA 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 11 May 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.9/10

Rotten tomatoes Average Rating 7.6/10

After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction

My Ratings .7.5/10

My impressions

The journey continues

Exploring the outer limits of the universe

The crew dedicated as ever

Would this adventure be any different

More thrills and spills

More pyrotechnics

Dazzling, exhilarating

A roller coaster journey

To be enjoyed as it is

A fable extraordinaire

Iron Man 3

USA 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 27 April 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.4/10

Rotten tomatoes Average Rating 6.9/10

When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution

My Ratings .7.0/10

My impressions

The good guys versus the evil ones

An eternal struggle between the two

A struggle that never ends

A permanent cycle

Ups and downs

Super powers you may have

The other side has it too and

The race continues to ensure

Who will triumph

Be they good or evil

Definitely and ultimately

A fight to the end

With twists and turns

Our hero will triumph

Oblivion

USA 2013

Details IMDB

Seen 12 April 2013

Ratings from other sources

IMDB 7.0/10

Rotten tomatoes Average Rating 5.9/10

A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.

My Ratings .6.0/10

My impressions

What is seen may not be

What is known may not be

Doubts begin

Questions asked

But no definite answers

Curiosity, seeking the reasons

Behind the facade

A quest to find something that can satisfy

Begins

That longing for truth

Might lead to unpleasant truths

It is truth nevertheless

Hidden