Sunday, January 27, 2008

Ball of Fury

Rating (1-10, 10 being highest): 7

Quick Rating: (skip, watch, watch when no other choice): Watch it

Story Line: A failed pingpong champ seeks redemption and helps FBI to track down a triad boss (Christopher Walken) by getting into his pingpong tournament of the champions.

What's good: Very funny movie. It is a comedy rather than an action or pingpong movie. I seldom laugh on most comedy movies, but this movie gets quite some laughs from the beginning to the end.

What's bad: It's more a comedy than anything else.

Bottom line: It's a very funny comedy and the actors are doing a good job. Normally I don't like comedies, as a typical action movie kind of guy, but this movie I enjoyed it.

Exiled

Rating (1-10, 10 being highest): 4

Quick Rating: (skip, watch, watch when no other choice): Skip it

Story Line: A band of brothers go against a powerful triad boss.

What's good: Nothing stands out. Some gun fighting sequence but not impressive.

What's bad: Storyline is flat. Action is flat.

Bottom line: Don't why people praise this movie, even if it is a Jonnie To movie. There are better hongkong or action movie to watch than this one.

Monday, January 21, 2008

War

Rating (1-10, 10 being highest): 7

Quick Rating: (skip, watch, watch when no other choice): Watch it

Story Line: Jet Li is the mythical assassin working for the asian gangs against Jason Strahan as the rogue FBI agent in pursuit.

What's good: Overall a good action and gang movie.

What's bad: Action sequence is weak compared to a good action or gang movie. Jet Li is not as stylish enough to be the cool assassin.

Bottom line: Overall good action movie.

Severance

Rating (1-10, 10 being highest): 3

Quick Rating: (skip, watch, watch when no other choice): Skip it

Story Line: A group of corporate staffers going to a retreat in Eastern Europe and fall prey to local militia men gone wild. (It's a UK movie).

What's good: As bad the film is, it does have quite a few funny moments, funnier than some films labeled as comedy.

What's bad: Low budget, not intense, no horror, no gore, no nudity.

Bottom line: Pretty bad movie. Not the worst movie though.

3:10 to Yuma

Rating (1-10, 10 being highest): 8

Quick Rating: (skip, watch, watch when no other choice): Watch it

Story Line: Russell Crowe is Ben Wade the notorious outlaw. He was captured and struggling rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) joined the party to escort him to the 3:10 prisoner train to Yuma jail. Story develops on the resolve and reasoning why Evans wants to do this job and Wade is not your typical ruthless outlaw.

What's good: Film gets more intense as it goes along.

What's bad: Action and western shooting is a little soft, but the storyline and acting made up for it.

Bottom line: Both Russell Crowe and Christian Bale did a good job, especially Bale. Very good story telling. A very good movie.