THE MEG - the Biggest of them all !

THE MEG

THE MEG is a prehistoric giant shark measuring about 75 feet that is thought to be extinct. It's the biggest of all the predators. Jason Taylor (Jason Statham), an expert deep-sea rescue diver, was with a team of researchers five years ago in the Marianas Trench when they were attacked by a massive creature. Taylor claimed it was a megalodon but scientists debunked it causing Taylor to lose everything. Now another submersible was attacked under the Trench where Taylor's ex-wife is part of the team. Taylor has to risk his own life and go back underwater to rescue the team.

I've always loved shark movies starting from the classic 1975 film JAWS by Steven Spielberg. The film made three more sequels and other producers followed suit. Not all of them were great though. Some are good, others really bad, even dumb.

The Meg gives several nods to JAWS - not as smart, but not as dumb as the Sharknado movies. It's a summer popcorn movie that's silly, but lots of fun !

Jason Statham who used to be a swimmer/diver, is the perfect action star for  this role. It's so exciting watching him chase and try to beat the giant shark. Li Bingbing is brilliant as scientist Suyin. One of the major points of the film is its diverse cast.

With an estimated production budget of  $150 million, The Meg has a lot to offer. Giant sea creatures (like sharks,  whales, & an octopus), several heart-stopping moments, and excellent action sequences. I really enjoyed watching it on IMAX ! And I'm looking forward to see its sequels soon !

Based on the book MEG : A Novel of Deep Terror, written by Steve Alten. Directed by Jon Turteltaub. The Meg is a Chinese & American co-production. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Rated PG-13.

Asians making waves in Hollywood !

PRESS RELEASE
SM Cinema brings Asian phenomenon to the big screen with “Crazy Rich Asians” and “The Meg”

Asia takes the centerstage in theatres as SM Cinema brings you not one but two novel-based movies highlighting Asian characters and locations with Crazy Rich Asians and The Meg that will surely pump up your August.

Dubbed as the first big-budget, non-period film in 25 years to feature an all-Asian ensemble cast, “Crazy Rich Asians” is based on the best-selling novel with the same title by Kevin Kwan.
The film features Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding) as they go to Singapore for a wedding. Rachel learns that Nick’s family is one of Singapore’s richest clan. Given this situation, Rachel must now contend with the socialites, relatives and most of all, Nick’s mother, who cannot accept their relationship.

Shot in different countries in Asia and another book-to-movie adaptation based on “Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror”, Director Jon Turteltaub reimagines the story of the prehistoric shark in his latest movie, “The Meg”.
The movie follows the life of an expert sea diver and Naval Captain Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham). Five years ago, he had a mission in the Philippine Trench but was forced to abort it because he and his crew was attacked by a 70-foot sea creature, but he was left with no evidences to prove it. After a series of unfortunate events, Jonas must save lives of the people he loves and face his greatest fear – the Carcharodon Megalodon, the largest predator ever existed. Joining Statham are Asian actors, Li Bingbing as Suyin Zhang and Winston Chao as Dr. Minway Zhang.

Catch Crazy Rich Asians starting August 22 in SM Cinema branches nationwide and don’t miss The Meg now playing at IMAX theatres and SM Cinema branch near you. Book your tickets through the website, www.smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app.  You may also follow /SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for updates!

Goodyear unleashes Assurance Triple Max 2 !

NEWS RELEASE

On its 120th Year, Goodyear Unleashes Assurance TripleMax 2
The latest addition to Goodyear’s Assurance TripleMax Series is designed to significantly increase drivers’ safety and confidence.

Manila, Philippines, August 2018 – Designed to gear up and prepare mid-passenger car drivers especially for the rainy season, Goodyear launched the Assurance TripleMax 2 in the Philippines today. It is equipped with the new HydroTred Technology, which is optimized for excellent grip performance with short braking distance under wet road conditions. This allows drivers to stop faster and drive safer especially on wet roads.

As Goodyear celebrates its 120th year globally, they aim to empower drivers with the ability to confidently move free with the assurance of being in control, in any road and weather condition. Thus, the cutting-edge tire was crafted with the consumer needs in mind and the company’s pursuit for safety innovation. As the Philippines has its fair share of wet and slippery roads due to the rainy season, the Assurance TripleMax 2 promises to provide performance without sacrificing safety and control.

 “To celebrate our 120th global anniversary, it is only fitting that we release a tire that perfectly captures what Goodyear has been passionate about throughout the years: innovation. With the Assurance TripleMax 2, Filipino drivers can rest assured that their travels would be safe, regardless of the weather conditions.”, Mr. Kenneth Sambajon, Market Director of Goodyear Philippines, said at the launch event in the Mess Hall, located at Chino Roces Ave., Makati City.

As pioneers in the tire technology, the successor of the highly successful Assurance TripleMax in 2013 was enhanced to deliver better performance, specifically in its wet braking, handling, comfort, and resistance.

Braking on wet roads has never been easier with the Assurance TripleMax 2’s Excellent Wet Braking Performance, giving drivers the maximum grip for shorter wet braking distance due to its state-of-the-art compound formulation and optimized footprint.

The new HydroTred technology, with its squarer and steadier footprint and more effective contact pressure capabilities, promised Enhanced Handling Performance. This delivers a more controlled driving experience because of better tire cornering stiffness and steering precision.

Both comfort and resistance are enhanced in the Assurance TripleMax 2. Its innovative tread pattern provides riders with their quietest, smoothest, and most comfortable ride yet, while being equipped with additional technical components that increase its resistance for all sidewall impacts.

The Goodyear Assurance TripleMax 2 is each driver’s partner in stopping faster and driving safer under any road conditions, even wet roads. It is available in 14” to 17” rim diameters and in various sizes.

UNFRIENDED : DARK WEB - Be careful on the internet !

PRESS RELEASE
SM Cinema Unlocks the Abysmal Horrors of the Internet through Unfriended:
Dark Web

This August, be ready to get terrified with the
latest SM Cinema Exclusive offering
Unfriended: Dark Web, a stand-alone sequel
to the 2015 film Unfriended.
In a computer-mediated world, and as
technology connects us to the World Wide
Web, our curiosity is being wired further in
discovering the deeper and anonymous side
of the internet—the dark web.
A young man possesses a stranger’s laptop
and goes online for a video chat with his
group of friends to tell them about what he
has discovered: the eerie files containing
hard-to-believe captured video footages on
the stolen computer. The teenagers then
proceed to play a game together until
uninvited mysterious entities with a
murderous agenda pops out of nowhere and
begins to make sinister threats against the
group of friends. Everything else then goes
out of control and the planned night of fun
and games ends up in horror! 
See before your eyes the terrors of
Unfriended: Dark Web starting August 8 exclusively at SM Cinema. Book your tickets through the
website www.smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app.  You may also follow
/SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for updates!

Catch MISSION IMPOSSIBLE : FALLOUT @ IMAX SM Cinemas !

PRESS RELEASE
IMAX at SM Cinema Intensifies the Thrilling Action
in Mission: Impossible – Fallout!

Experience heart-pounding and exploding action in SM Cinema and IMAX theatres together with the IMF’s best spy, Ethan Hunt, as he comes back with his team for Mission: Impossible - Fallout.

After capturing Solomon Lane, the IMF team led by Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) joined forces with CIA assassin August Walker (Henry Cavill) for another impossible mission to take, prevent massive nuclear attacks on Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca, Saudi Arabia from a group of terrorists known as the Apostles.

After series of unfortunate events, IMF now needs to deal with the CIA. Haunted by their past mistakes, Hunt and his crew, must stop a global catastrophe while facing the CIA, assassins, former allies and the fallout of their good intentions. 

Tom Cruise reprises his iconic role, Ethan Hunt, together with his IMF team, Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames. Also coming back for more action are the leading ladies, Michelle Monaghan and Rebecca Ferguson. Angela Bassett joins the cast as the CIA superior and Henry Cavill as the deadly CIA assassin, August Walker.

The action-packed Mission: Impossible – Fallout becomes even bigger and better in IMAX theatres. Featuring up to 26% more picture on climactic scenes, the IMAX moviegoers will surely enjoy and see even more of the harrowing escapes and death-defying action sequences.  Mission: Impossible – Fallout is also the first movie in the franchise that was specially formatted for IMAX screens.

Catch Mission: Impossible - Fallout in IMAX, Director’s Club and SM Cinema branches nationwide starting July 25. For more convenient experience, book your tickets through the website, www.smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app. You may also follow /SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for updates!

MAMMA MIA ! HERE WE GO AGAIN - Double the fun !

MAMMA MIA ! HERE WE GO AGAIN

It's the sequel to the 2008 musical hit based on the 1999 musical play which is made up of songs of ABBA. The sequel/prequel tells us more about the younger Donna and her affairs with the  3 possible dads of Sophie. Also, this film shows us how Donna (Lily James), fresh from graduating from college, came about to this Greek island called Kalokairi.

The first half of the film is kinda dragging, with the main star (Meryl Streep) missing (?). But when Donna and the Dynamos started singing the titular song - Mamma Mia, things started to turn around and breathe life to the film. The energy never stops up to the very last scene, the curtain call, where everybody in the cast were singing and dancing. What a sight to behold !

Amanda Seyfried as Donna's daughter Sophie tries to renovate the place which her mom called home into The Bella Donna Hotel. She keeps the film grounded. While Lily James as the young Donna is pretty and infectious ! She's a star that keeps on shining !

We get to see the younger versions of the three dads, how they met Donna, and how they really loved her. But we still have no clue on who the real dad is. Also the younger versions of the Dynamos - Rosie and Tanya, who really looked like the older ones.
Towards the end of the film, we are introduced to Ruby (Cher), mother of Donna, and grandma to Sophie. And finally we get to see the one, the only Meryl Streep in an emotional scene in the chapel.

This film will make you laugh and cry, and it will also make you sing and dance to the tunes of that phenomenal group called ABBA ! It's a mix of the young and the old, the past and the present. It's double the fun ! Directed by Ol Parker. From Universal Pictures. Released through United International Pictures. Rated PG-13. 

Feel like Ant-Man or the Wasp at SM Cinema !

PRESS RELEASE

Get into the world of Ant-Man and The Wasp with SM Cinema.
Ant-Man may seem invisible to the naked eye, but the Earth’s tiniest hero is making a giant comeback and now with his partner, The Wasp! Experience the lives of our heroes as SM Cinema unveils the Ant-Man and The Wasp’s Not the Actual Size interactive exhibit at the Main Atrium of SM Mall of Asia.

In line with SM Cinema’s Reel-to-Real Experience, the largest cinema exhibitor in the country together with The Walt Disney Company Philippines, brings another fun and exciting exhibit inspired from the latest movie offering of Marvel Studios, Ant-Man and The Wasp.

As you enter the exhibit area, witness the world of Ant-Man and The Wasp by crossing a binocular-inspired tunnel making you feel you are the same size as our tiny heroes. Get ready to be like Ant-Man and The Wasp as you plan your day and talk to your colony in the gigantic table and chairs. You can also explore the bigger world in the blown-up ball pit and the massive puzzle area.

Feel the Ant-Man and The Wasp experience with the Not the Actual Size exhibit at SM Mall of Asia Main Atrium on June 28 – July 4 and at SM North Edsa – The Block Atrium on July 6 – July 12. You may also share your tiny experiences online with the hashtags #SmallIsBigger and #AntManAndTheWasp.

In the aftermath of ‘Captain America: Civil War’, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) faces the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. But as Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) asked for his help, he will once again be the Ant-Man and fight together with the Wasp.

An action-packed adventure, Ant-Man and The Wasp movie experience becomes even better at IMAX theatres because the movie was digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. This means that only in IMAX will the movie fill more of the screen, and fans will see 26% more picture!

Catch Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and The Wasp in IMAX, Director’s Club and SM Cinema branches nationwide starting July 4. For more convenient experience, book you tickets through the website, www.smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app. You may also follow /SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for updates!