TRANSFORMERS : AGE OF EXTINCTION - Wide-scale Entertainment !

TRANSFORMERS : AGE OF EXTINCTION

After the devastation caused by the events of Transformers:Dark Of The Moon, humanity picks up the pieces. Autobots and Decepticons have all vanished from the face of the Earth. Or so it seems. . . . . 

 

However, a group of powerful, ingenious businessmen and scientists attempt to learn from the past and build their own army of  Transformers.

 

 Michael Bay has given the franchise a good shot in the arm; with its new set of human cast (Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci), a good story,  and breathtaking action. I went into the theater expecting to see lots of explosions, fast cars, and huge robots. And I wasn't disappointed.  This is wide-scale entertainment at its best !

 

BLENDED - Funny, touching, and highly entertaining !

BLENDED

After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren and Jim agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week.

 

I don't know about the critics, but I really enjoyed watching Drew and Adam on their third collaboration. (They appeared previously on "The Wedding Singer" and "50 First Dates").  They have undeniable chemistry. And this time, they're older and wiser. It's nice to see them work with the kids, as both are now parents in real life.

Drew Barrymore remains a very likeable leading lady, and yeah, she's still Hot ! While Adam Sandler is still funny ! Despite negative reviews from the critics. The kids are cute ! And very natural ! 

Don't believe the critics ! If you want a family movie that's funny, touching, and highly entertaining, this is the one to see ! There are some adult jokes though, hence the PG-13 rating. I didn't fall asleep on this. I was laughing through-out the film !

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 The best work of Dreamworks Animation !

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

 

It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united Dragons and Vikings on the island of Berk. When one of their adventures lead to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. 

 

This time Hiccup finally meets his mother,  the long-lost and presumed dead Valka (voiced by Cate Blanchett). And she happens to be the Dragon Lady, with several dragons under her care.  What a sight to see the dragons - in all size, shape, and color.

There are more dragons, more characters, and more battles in this second installment. And the story arcs are bigger and darker.

 

Written and directed by Dean DeBlois.. Featuring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Kit Harington, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou, etc. With a smart script, fantastic animation, and correct dosage of humor & heart, this is clearly one of the best sequels in animation.. And the best reviewed  CG film to date.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS - the"Love Story" of the new generation !

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

 
Based on the best-selling young adult novel by John Green, about two extraordinary teenagers who fall in love at a cancer support group. 16 year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), who's got thyroid cancer meets 18 year-old Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), who lost the lower half of his leg due to osteosarcoma.  Together they struggle with the cards life has dealt them, exploring joy and anger, excitement and frustration. 

Shailene and Ansel appeared just recently as sister and brother in the sci-fi film "Divergent".
But in "The Fault  . . . , their bond is even stronger.  The pair succeeds in making the film not too depressing, as the two leads are both charming, witty, and fascinating to watch. I can see both their careers soar even higher. 

Inside the cinema where I watched this movie, there were plenty of giggling and laughing at the start. Then complete silence, followed by sniffing towards the end.  Ladies, be warned ! You will never leave the theater with your eyes dry.  

This is the"Love Story" of the new generation !

EDGE OF TOMORROW - It's what summer blockbusters used to be !

EDGE OF TOMORROW

 

Set in the near future wherein an alien race known as Mimics, attacked the Earth in an unrelenting force,  Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), an officer who's never been in combat  is suddenly thrown into battle against these alien invaders, but upon his almost immediate death on the battlefield, he discovers that he somehow acquired the ability to relive the last 24 hours of his life over and over. With the help of a legendary soldier Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) who experienced the same thing, he's able to hone his skills in battle and come up with a plan that just might be the key to saving humanity from being wiped out.
 

How would you like to live, and die, over and over again ?  This is the premise of Cruise's  new movie, based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s popular illustrated novel All You Need Is Kill. It does feel like a video game where the player  holds multiple lives  and  able to play again and again.  But the concept is unconventional  on film. Add to that some sense of humor, impressive visual effects, and lots of massive action scenes. 

And it helps that the lead actor is a major star who's been around for more than three decades. Cruise is charming as ever. He is  funny & witty, and moves around like a 20 year-old action star. It's great to see him start out as a cowardly officer,  gets killed in so many ways,  and transforms himself into a super soldier, but  not in a fast way.  While Emily Blunt holds her own as the  female soldier extraordinaire.  She's like the new version  of Sigourney Weaver's Ripley.

Director Doug Liman who previously helmed "The Bourne Identity" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith",  delivers a fast-paced, exciting and engaging action-packed sci-fi movie. It's what summer blockbusters used to be ! 

MALEFICENT - Magical, Mystical, & truly Magnificent !

MALEFICENT

Maleficent is the updated story of one of Disney's most beloved fairy-tale, Sleeping Beauty. This time the central character is the so-called "Mistress of all evil" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turned her pure heart stone-cold. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent mercilessly places an irreversible curse on the human king's newborn baby Aurora.

Angelina Jolie fits the role to a T ! I mean who else would come to mind when it comes to portraying a strong, powerful female ? From her huge horns, those piercing green eyes,  to the way she moves - she's perfect as the villainness/heroine ! And don't forget those famous lips ! 
The movie is filled with spectacular scenes of fairies, and other unearthly creatures, but they all pale in comparison to Jolie. This is clearly one of her best roles to date. 

 

Princess Aurora is played by Dakota Fanning's younger and prettier sister Elle Fanning. She exudes both the innocence and endearment required of a young, lovely princess. While  Maleficent's assistant Diaval is played effectively by Sam Riley whether as a human or as another being.

I just wish that the filmmakers added more scenes of Jolie as a bad-ass fairy or witch. She's really good when she's bad.  Overall, this is one adaptation that I would recommend for everyone to see. It's Magical, Mystical, & truly Magnificent !

THE FLASH - The fastest man alive is coming this fall !

THE FLASH

The fastest man alive is coming this fall to The CW !   
The Flash -- It won't be long before the world learns what happened to Barry Allen,  who suffers a freak accident that turns him into a superhero with the power of incredible speed.