Jumby Wants to be Born

The Unborn



Horror flicks have been rather cliché of late, with most utilising the same old tried and tested ideas. The Unborn however, focuses on a lesser-known entity called the dybbuk. A dybbuk, according to Jewish folklore, is a malicious possessing spirit, believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person who wanders around the borderline of heaven and earth. They are so tainted with evil, that they are not allowed to enter heaven. So, they are on a never-ending search for a body to possess. The more they possess, the mightier they become.

The story centers around Casey Beldon, played by Odette Yustman (yes, that Cloverfield girl), who is a seemingly normal teenager who suddenly experiences hallucinations and eerie occurrences, many of which are rather disturbing. She is also repeatedly visited by a child who keeps whispering “Jumby wants to be born”. The first mention was enough to give you chills to the bone, and the phrase keeps appearing to her in various ways, be it spoken or written form. While her boyfriend Mark (Cam Gigandet, recently seen in Twilight) and best friend Romy (Meagan Good) are trying to snap her out of it, it is clear that there is more to these occurrences than meets the eye.

Upon doing some research and also through meeting up with a holocaust survivor, Casey later finds out that she had a twin brother who died while in the womb. She then is led to believe that the dybbuk is the spirit of her unborn twin who seeks to possess her, and also finds out that their family fell victim to a sadist Nazi experiment while they were prisoners in the Auschwitz concentration camp during the holocaust. Casey discovers that a way to defeat the dybbuk is to perform a risky exorcism in accordance to some old manuscripts in Hebrew. So, she seeks the assistance of Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman), who is able to read the manuscript.

It should be noted that the sight of the Barto, the dybbuk-possessed child is rather disturbing, and is capable of scaring the bejeebers out of you. Credit should be given to Ethan Cutkosky for being able to instill fear at such a young age. Director David S. Goyer takes every opportunity to creep you out with distressing imagery, although the movie consists of mainly ‘shock frights’. There are many clichéd scenes too, and you’ll find yourself stressed out knowing that something is BOUND to happen during that particular scene. And despite all the shocking imagery and creepy CGi, actress Odette Yustman gets through every scene looking undeniably gorgeous and deserves half-a-star for doing so alone.

While seasoned horror fans might find The Unborn not up to their standards, it should still be a watchable flick for the casual fan of the genre, and the over-reliance on ‘shock-factor’ means the faint-hearted (which includes me) should steer clear of this.

3 out of 5 Stars

Kamehameha!

Dragonball Evolution



It’s always a dilemma for movie-makers when it comes to adapting much-loved franchises. While there is a need to please the fans and respect the source material, there is also the huge task of making it appeal to the masses. When it was announced that the popular manga and anime Dragonball by Akira Toriyama would be hitting the big screen, many had doubts. Hardly surprising, as most attempts at adapting anime to Hollywood have failed.

Dragonball Evolution revolves around young warrior Goku (Justin Chatwin), who accepts a quest by his dying adoptive grandfather Grandpa Gohan (Randall Duk Kim) to find the great Master Roshi (Chow Yun-Fat) and find the seven Dragon Balls. This is to prevent the recently-escaped evil Lord Piccolo (James Marsters), from using them to destroy all life on Earth. It appears that when all seven Dragon Balls are united, they grant the bearer a single wish. Along the way, Goku is joined by Bulma (Emmy Rossum), who is out to get Lord Piccolo for stealing her father’s Dragon Ball. Goku undergoes training with Master Roshi in order to prepare himself in facing Lord Piccolo. He is also later taught to use a powerful move called the Kamehameha. Other notable characters from the manga are thief Yamcha (Joon Park) and Goku’s love interest Chi Chi (Jamie Chung).

The movie is rather short, running at approximately one-and-a-half hours, so there wasn’t much character development or deep storyline to speak of, with everything running at a steady pace. The fans might be relieved to know that the basic storyline of Dragonball was there, but might get annoyed with the unnecessary changes made. Goku going to high school should top the most annoying and pointless change of all. Another odd change was Goku learning to master using the Kamehameha with Chi Chi as motivation, although I found it kind of cute. Despite appearing much younger, Master Roshi played surprisingly well, retaining his pervert personality, with poor Bulma being the victim. Yamcha and Bulma are possibly the closest characters to their manga counterparts, especially with Rossum doing a brilliant portrayal. And while they both do hint at their inevitable oncoming relationship, it was done rather cheesily. In fact quite a lot of the movie’s lines were cheesy.

Lord Piccolo and his aide Mai (Eriko Tamura) have an almost nonexistent backstory, leaving the audience in the dark over who they really are. They do some rather awesome action sequences though. The CGi in Dragonball Evolution isn’t groundbreaking, but works well. Some, like Lord Piccolo’s ship look quite artificial, while others like the final battle between Goku and Lord Piccolo sees plenty of firebolts and explosions. At least Goku’s Kamehameha didn’t disappoint (although it did differ from the original source).

Did I mention the girls were awesome here? Rossum was super hawt in a different way from her appearances in The Day After Tomorrow and Phantom of the Opera. She showed confidence, and kick-ass attitude while Chung was great herself, oozing with a mind-boggling mix of cuteness and sexiness. She sizzled throughout the entire movie and reminded me a lot of KARA's Seung-Heon. Tamura was also cool, in an evil, bad-ass kinda way. The girls earned this movie an extra star for their presence alone.

All in all, Dragonball Evolution turned out quite okay. There was action, adventure, humor and forced romance. One could argue that it needed more all-out fights like the manga, but perhaps there was a risk of over-doing it. Fans should give it a try, think of it as an alternate-universe Dragonball saga. While there was a feeling of some missed opportunities, oddly, I actually felt entertained.

Oh, and please be smart and not leave the cinema hall until after the ending theme song (which is sung by Ayumi Hamasaki by the way), as you might miss a little something if you do.

4 out of 5 Stars

Finally, You Can ‘Watch’ Them

Watchmen



They said it couldn’t be done, but yet he did it. Zack Snyder took the challenge of adapting one of the most renowned graphic novels of all time into a movie. Famed for his work on the highly-artistic ‘300’, it is remarkable how close Snyder kept to the source material. Most of the movie matches frame-to-frame with the graphic novel. And transferring 12-issues to the silver screen is no easy feat, as the story was deemed by many to be far too in-depth and complex to squeeze into a single motion picture. Watchmen isn’t your average superhero movie.

Set in an alternate 1985 America, where Richard Nixon serves his umpteenth term (and hopes for more!), it is a world where costumed heroes are part and parcel of society. The US and Soviets are on the verge of a nuclear war. One of the highlights of the movie was the opening credits, which showcase the rise of the masked heroes (the Minutemen) in the 1940s. An array of scandals, disgrace and disaster led to their disbandment and we are soon introduced to the second generation that fills their shoes. This sequence was really well-done, although those unfamiliar with the graphic novel may find it a little hard to absorb in a single watch.

The story starts off with Edward Blake AKA the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) being brutally murdered. This leads to Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) to believe that the entire society of now-retired superheroes is now being targeted. Soon other members of the Watchmen are reunited, which comprise Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), Night Owl II (Patrick Wilson), Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode). The use of mostly lesser-known names works wonders, as the viewer is attached to the characters, and less to the personalities playing the roles.

Dr. Manhattan, the only member with real superpowers (the other members are more `mortal’), is portrayed accurately, which also means he’s blue and naked throughout the movie (distractingly censored throughout the movie with a little bit of blur). Humanity-hating Rorschach is arguably the best character represented in the movie, thanks to the excellent portrayal by Earle Haley.

It must be warned that the movie might get a little draggy for some, due to the filmmaker’s wish to give the characters sufficient background story. A lot of detail from the graphic novel is squeezed in, and this should make the fans happy. It is only after the halfway mark does the movie pick up with the action, and Snyder does this with terrific style. His love for slow-down and speed-up sequences is rather apparent in this film. It must be warned though, that some parts have been changed, although they do not differ greatly from the original source. An interesting touch is the matching of song-to-scene, which is at times, slightly peculiar.

Watchmen is a pretty decent flick, but might find it hard to rope in non-fans due to the high-level of accuracy to the source material, and also its nature of letting the viewer decide for themselves what is right and wrong. A worthwhile watch, but make sure you’re mentally prepared for the almost three-hour long screening time.

4 out of 5 Stars

No Write of Way

The Reader



Kate Winslet is without doubt, a very talented woman. The British actress never fails to stir up great movies and yet with 5 Oscar nominations under her belt, seemed to never be able to score that coveted golden man, until now.

In the much-acclaimed The Reader, Winslet takes on the role of tram conductor Hanna Schmitz, a seemingly stern lady who stumbles across a young boy named Michael Berg (David Kross), on his way back from school. Michael was suffering from scarlet fever and Hanna helps send him home. Once recovered, he pays a visit to Hanna in order to thank her and the two soon end up having a secret affair, despite Hanna being twice Michael’s age. He realises that she loves being read to, so their regular schedule involves him reading to her books like ‘Huckleberry Finn’ and ‘The Lady with the Little Dog’ before indulging in passionate lovemaking. The latter is excessively cut due to our snip-happy censorship board and roughly a quarter of the movie is in a mess thanks to cuts in the conversation.

Thankfully there are fewer cuts later on in the movie. Despite the seemingly strong bond between the two, Hanna eventually disappears one day and Michael is left heartbroken and devastated. The movie shifts many years later and Michael is seen to be a law student. While attending a Nazi war crime trial, he is shocked after learning that one of the defendants is none other than Hanna herself. While Michael possesses information that could ultimately save Hanna from her sentence, things are made complicated by the fact that she herself is ashamed and unwilling to reveal this to the court.

Later on we are introduced to a grown-up Michael (Lord Voldemort aka Ralph Fiennes), who has a daughter out of a failed marriage. His role is not utilised as much as it should, and doesn’t seem to have impact that relative newcomer Kross has. Appearing early in the movie dismissing a one-night-stand, he is seen later on in the movie reading books into a tape recorder. How does this connect together with the rest of the story? Watch it and find out!

I guess 6 is the lucky number, and Winslet certainly shone in her role as Hanna Schmitz, finally earning her a well-deserved Oscar for this movie. This might not be a movie for everyone (usually the case with Oscar-nominated films), but it is certainly a moving tale of consequences and reconciliation.

Lovable Dog from Hell

Marley & Me



Owen Wilson has always been comic relief staple. He and comedy go along so well we hardly get to see him outside of his comfort zone. Then all of a sudden you see him signed up for the film adaptation of Marley & Me. Based on John Grogan’s best-selling autobiographical book of the same name, here we see Wilson playing the author who writes about his life and living with Marley, the world’s worst dog.

Essentially still a comedy, the story revolves around John and his wife Jenny (Jennifer Aniston), a pair of newlywed journalists. Not too long after their marriage, John realises that he is not ready to handle the responsibility of fatherhood. With advice from his journalist friend Sebastian (Eric Dane), he decides to get Jenny a dog to delay having children. And what a dog he is. Right from the moment he is picked up (check out how ridiculously cute he is), Marley owns the screen.

A very bad dog in every sense of the word, there is no end to Marley’s antics. From tearing the house down to eating holes in the drive wall (yes, eating!), he is uncontrollable. He even makes a strict dog trainer (Kathleen Turner) who claims there are no bad dogs, take back her words. He does however, freak out when there is thunder, creating hell for a certain young caretaker when it stormed seven times during John and Jenny’s absence.

In spite of Marley’s actions, the movie is in essence a tale of the ups and downs of having a job and family. We follow John’s transition from being a simple writer to a permanent columnist and later on, working for a bigger paper.

We experience his working atmosphere with colleague Sebastian and editor Arnie (Alan Arkin), coping with the strains of marriage, bills, children, moving house and handling a hellish dog. And through it all, Marley was right by his side, never complaining, proving the age-old theory of dogs being a man’s best friend. The film is as honest as it gets, and could possibly be Wilson’s most sincere role to date.

Despite the almost inevitable risk of making this a cliché and corny movie, the film-makers have surprisingly added emotion, depth and realism to this flick. Comparisons to last year’s 10 Promises to My Dog are most probably coincidental. One was based on a poem and the other, a memoir, although both share the same breed of dog and similar ending, A sincere and heartwarming film, Marley & Me should appeal to all ages. Guys, show-off your sensitive side and bring your girl to this movie.

3.5 out of 5 Stars

Don’t Mess with the Kung-fu Chick

Street Fighter :
The Legend of Chun-Li



I remember playing Street Fighter during my younger days. It was one of the most popular video game franchises around and even spawned a live-action movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The 1994 movie tried squeezing every character and ended up being really cheesy (but hey, we all loved it anyway). Which brings us to Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Capcom’s second attempt at bringing the franchise to the big screen. Chun-Li is one of the most popular characters in the game after Ken and Ryu, and her back-story has never properly been told… until now.

Taking place before the famous tournament in the game, the story revolves around Hong Kong-based Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk), whose successful businessman father dreams of her being a concert pianist. He also taught her martial arts from a young age, resulting in the young fighter we all know and love. Unfortunately one day he gets abducted by a crime lord named Bison (Neal McDonough) and Chun-Li grows up presuming her father is dead. Later on she receives news that her father is alive, which brings her to Bangkok in search of the mysterious Gen (Robin Shou). It also turns out that Bison has by now become an underground crime overlord in Bangkok through an organisation called the Shadaloo.

Kristin Kreuk had received much criticism since the announcement that she was to play Chun-Li. Despite being half-Chinese, many found her not ‘Chinese-enough’, while others doubted her ability to assume the role of the popular thunder-thighed heroine (yours truly among them). Upon watching the movie, my doubts were gladly extinguished. She played the role beautifully, kicking enemy butt while looking gorgeous all the way. The director paid attention to the game character, so you can even play ‘spot the game moves’ throughout the movie.

The same sadly can’t be said about Chris Klien, who plays Interpol Officer Charlie Nash, who is after Bison for his gruesome crimes, and teams up with local officer Maya (Moon Bloodgood). Chris’ acting seems forced and was made worse by the fact that his and Maya’s roles existed merely to show there was Interpol involvement which I found rather redundant.

Had that bit been removed, perhaps it would have allowed more screen time for Chun-Li to have longer battles with Vega (Taboo of Black-Eyed Peas) and Balrog (Michael Clarke Duncan), who seemed to be the actor having the most fun with his role.

The fight scenes are the strong points of the film, with excellent choreography, backed by a great soundtrack, which is very action-oriented. For instance, Chun-Li’s hard-hitting flying kicks are accompanied by well-paced hard-thumping beats that get you into the kung-fu fighter mood.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is an interesting realistic approach to the franchise, marred only in part by some of the cast’s poor acting. I also wished the costumes of the characters were similar to the game; then again, it would have ended up like the previous flick.

Overall, Street Fighter provides for an entertaining outing, and fans may rest assured that hair-buns, outfits and moves will all meet with their approval. Chun-Li even gets to use the Kikouken - oops, did I let something out? Watch for yourself and find out!

2.5 out of 5 Stars

Unlikely Examples

Role Models



As we reach adulthood, while most of us grow up, some of us don’t. Enter the lives of Wheeler (Seann William Scott) and Danny (Paul Ruud), two mismatched guys who have more in common with boys than men. Working for an energy-drink company, they roll from school to school in a cool bull-themed SUV and with one of them dressed as a bull mascot promoting the aforementioned drinks. An unfortunate mishap involving too much caffeine and a break-up, results in their truck ramming a precious statue, landing them in trouble. They gain a narrow escape in the form of 150 hours of community service, thanks to Danny’s (now ex) girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks).

Under the supervision of former cocaine addict Gayle (Jane Lynch), the two are roped into an organisation called Sturdy Wings where they will learn responsibility through caring for a youngster. While it appears that they have gotten themselves into a rather undesirable situation, the threat of jail leaves them no choice, and things only get worse from here onwards.

Danny, a guy who dislikes almost everything in the world, is assigned to help guide 16-year-old Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) become a man. Augie is obsessed with medieval role playing and frequently takes part in a rather sad virtual world called LAIRE, much to the disappointment of his parents. Wheeler however, is assigned to Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson), a foul mouth 10-year-old with an attitude problem and an obsession with boobies.

Although seemingly utilising a typical ‘who learns from whom’ scenario, the movie provides a lot of genuine laughs, with awkward situations, best of which is the hilarious tribute to KISS. The film ultimately sends the message across that sometimes the most unlikely individuals prove to be the best role models.

3.5 out of 5 Stars