Money No Enough 2

What a generic looking poster!

Jack Neo’s latest effort is a thought provoking piece that comes laden with his usual pastiche of social commentaries and humour. Despite the declining quality of his films, one cannot deny that Jack has the formula for making commercial films spot on that is to just mash up a lot of interesting and funny humour. So, what can be said of his latest film?

First of all, one thing that is an eyesore to this film is the overabundance of unnecessary CGI. Jack Neo seems to be a sucker for CGI and he finds every opportunity to include them, even if the scene is totally ridiculous. Gone are the days where he actually writes set pieces that can be filmed without CGI. Instead, all we get are totally useless scenes that relied heavily on CGI which adds nothing to the humour and emotional depth of his films.

The plot direction took a twist for a better in the second half of the film, focusing on the drama surrounding a particular character instead. This causes the film to be uncohesive despite it improving in terms of narrative as the film goes on. In fact, the film’s midpoint is terribly sloppy as the first half’s plot points are quickly resolved to make way for the second half. One way Jack Neo should work this is by discarding the first half of the film and instead structure the film based on the second half’s subplot.

As for the humour, they are still what you get from a Jack Neo film. You will laugh at every sentence uttered by the characters, the social commentaries and the delightful use of dialects such as hokkien and mandarin. This film is billed as the usual Jack Neo comedy but one could be caught off guard as the drama comes unexpectedly in the second half. Despite all that, the film still relied heavily on cheap narrative tricks such as including sudden appearance of tragic plot points that could piss off seasoned film aficionados.

All in all, Jack Neo’s latest effort is funny, weirdly structured and a tear jerker. This film pales in comparison with his earlier films such as Money No Enough and That One No Enough due to its weird structure and overuse of CGI. The only saving grace for this film itself is the dramatic turn in the middle. Without that, this film can just pass off as a remake of his older films. Sadly, Money No Enough 2 would have been Jack Neo’s best if he were to cut down on the first half and remove the CGI.

PS: This film shouldn’t be named Money No Enough 2 just because they want to tie it in with the first film to earn cash. They should have named it differently to add more depth to the film instead of labelling it as ‘Just a Sequel to One of Jack Neo’s Older Film’.

21

The young actors are the main focus here instead of Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne

A film on card counting might seem interesting but can it really hold viewers for about two hours? Well, it depends on how interesting, original and coherent the plot is if the viewers are to be placed at an upmost priority. In addition, cinematography and atmosphere is also an important consideration no matter what the demographic of the intended film. In the case of 21, the answer given to the question posed would be a resounding no.

The film follows Ben Campbell who is quite literally put, a genius. He is unable to go to Harvard because he does not have the $300000 for it. Luckily enough, one of his lecturers spotted him and took Ben under his wing to teach him to count cards. With his tutelage, Ben, with other card counters, is able to rake in the cash playing blackjack at casinos in Las Vegas. The question is, at what lengths does Ben have to go in order to keep the chick, friends and Harvard?

The plot for 21 is a rather predictable one that might make viewers fall asleep if they have no control over their central nervous system. This film definitely needs more time in the editing room to make it more cohesive. Running at 123 minutes, probably about 80 minutes of this film is watchable while the rest of the time you will be cursing while fighting off drowsiness in hope that the film will end immediately. Some scenes are cringe inducing for seasoned film-goers where certain plot points used are walking clichés. An example of this is where Hollywood enforces the fact that any characters can throw away their own characterisation just to get the plot moving.

Loud blaring music and fast cuts are abundant in this film much like a music video found on MTV. This film might work for a young audience in this aspect and non-young people will feel alienated while watching this. In fact, the cinematography and overuse of loud music simply makes this film look like a cheap feature film version of Las Vegas except for the lack of women in skimpy clothing. The director shows no vision at all in this weak piece which easily passes off as a Las Vegas look-alike that it’s no surprise he is an unknown and might continue to be an unknown if he does not buck up his work.

The casts are particularly lazy in this film as there is a lack of energy in their performance. This can be seen in Kevin Spacey who looks like he just wanted some money and thus decided to play the smart-ass character he has been doing yet again. Kate Bosworth’s appearance is mostly eye candy to excite young men and as a result, an unmemorable love interest is presented to the main lead. On the less dull side, Laurence Fishburne and Jim Sturgess are probably the only ones who wanted to achieve something and they gave slightly more zest to their characters than the other casts. In the end, weak character development makes their characters only somewhat decent and not memorable.

All in all, the good points from this film are probably the reason one watches a TV show like Las Vegas and CSI. With that in mind, this film does not fail outright but becomes barely watchable. It is nothing great and not downright awful. If you are a teenager and is excited by loud music, this film should mildly entertain you. Other than that, it is a missable affair that nobody cares to dwell over.

WALL·E

The poster elicits a sense of loneliness

The ‘·’ in WALL·E is an ‘interpunct’, used to separate words in classical Latin long before a ’space’ is even thought of. With it being in the film’s title, a sense of nostalgia with a blend of mystery and sci-fi is invoked. The decision to combine a futuristic sounding title with an extinct punctuation definitely sets this film apart from any other animated films. Unlike most current films, much personality is already given out by only reading the title itself. Having said that, it is also unsurprising to know that the film’s achievements greatly mirrors the purpose of the title.

WALL·E stands for ‘Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class’ and WALL·E is a robot. The directive for WALL·E is to do what his name says, cleaning up trash on a post-apocalyptic (not in the usual sense) Earth habituated by absolutely nothing at all except for WALL·E’s only friend, a cockroach. WALL·E showcases sapient behaviour unprecedented for a machine in our time. Despite being a machine, WALL·E clearly exhibits emotions which endears him to viewers and gave him much more of a personality than most cartoon characters can dream of. Out of nowhere, EVE, an Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, appears on Earth and drives the brilliant plot of this film forward in a delightful pace.

The plot (which I am not spoiling here) of WALL·E is an amazing, imaginative and original ride that will make absolutely anyone laugh, cry and think. If one has a very short attention span and is unable to work their thought process, this film is definitely a pass for them. Fortunately, this film works on almost all levels (except for the select few that I mentioned) and is definitely a joy to watch for anybody of any ages. Like every other Pixar film, imagination is abundant in this film and it is surprising to think that those at Pixar possess such vast amount of it.

Pixar outdid themselves in every aspect of film-making again. In particular, visuals are a main composition of an animated film and WALL·E trumps in this aspect. From the rubbish towered landscapes of an isolated Earth to the vast sea of space, WALL·E is a visual feast for the eyes. Live-action shots in this film are also a first for Pixar and they are utilised to great visual and dramatic narrative effect. Unorthodox for an animated CGI film, depth of field shots (and other cinematography techniques) are littered throughout the film inciting tension and drama in scenes that demands it. Dull, colourful, bright and vibrant are words to describe the colour palette used for this film and they are used to great effect in terms of creating emotions and depth. Various feelings of delight and melancholy are displayed wonderfully in WALL·E just by the visuals itself making this film another of Pixar’s finest efforts.

Atmosphere is abundant throughout the film with perfect use of music. The score is evidently the main component for a film like WALL·E which exhibits silent films’ characteristics. Tension, joy, calmness and humanity are ejected with ease into viewers through the use of music. This film’s achievements in the audio department greatly rival musical efforts by Disney such as Fantasia 2000. Classic and lovable songs are also inserted at poignant points of the film invoking a sense of nostalgia much like the title itself. All in all, the score is such a wonderfully refreshing experience that anyone can go through over and over again.

To call WALL·E a cartoon greatly diminishes the quality of the film. Social commentaries are a main part of this film that most people will overlook. With obvious themes like mass-consumerism, globalisation and degradation of humanity, this film is no longer a cartoon. It is a film that rivals any live-action films in terms of intelligence and heart albeit in the form of an animation. Viewers will be given a choice of either thinking or not thinking when undergoing the process of experiencing this film. Needless to say, the viewers’ minds will not be taxed that much for the themes present are all laid out easily for anyone to follow. With intelligence infused linearly for the viewers, the joy of watching a film can be undertaken without much confusion.

In a nutshell, WALL·E is the film of the year that everyone should absolutely catch. WALL·E is a film that appeals to anybody and will definitely give everyone a great time. For those complaining about the film being too slow, it is because the visuals and the themes are overlooked. There is also not one ounce of popular culture that is present in this film (unlike Kungfu Panda which strives on that and sacrifices quality) and that makes WALL·E a refreshing watch. Therefore, WALL·E is highly recommended by me and it should be the film everyone watches while it is still playing.

PS: A great short by Pixar is also present before WALL·E begins ala Pixar’s other films. This allows us to watch a feature length film and a short film for the admission price of only one feature length film!

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Only the poster looks good

Due to the successes of the previous movies (which had a different director), this movie (which has Rob Cohen who directed lots of crap like Stealth) actually has the potential to excel in the ‘pure dumb fun’ genre yet the only thing it succeeded in doing is to excel in the ‘I am better off observing paint drying’ department. This movie suck and there are many reasons as to why such an unsurprising claim was made. Since this movie is supposed to be in the ‘pure dumb fun’ genre, I will try not to comment on the extremely ridiculous plot of this overinflated pile of crap so bear with the lack of spoilers for those who want to waste their money. At least I still have the decency not to spoil even a crappy movie for you.

The CGI in this movie is equivalent to the pile of crap you produce in the toilet. It’s so bad that the first two movies actually had better effects than this movie. Yes, movies a decade ago actually had better effects than this movie. This movie probably overran its budget which prompted the special effects team to vomit out garbage equivalent to those seen in Korean movies.

Heck, this movie is so crappy I don’t want to waste my time on this review so I will make this quick. The time where you realised this movie will suck terribly came quite early in the movie where Maria Bello actually sword-fight with herself. Yes, that actually occurred for nearly half a minute which shows the laziness of the scriptwriters. In addition, how could anyone think that a movie which contains characters summoning Yetis entertaining? It’s obvious this movie is targeted towards the 13 years old demographic and they are not exactly shy about that fact.

Due to me wanting to get this over with, here is a quick list of reasons why this movie should be avoided at all costs; actors look uninterested in roles (they are in for the money anyway), bad bad bad CGI, Maria Bello is a bad replacement for Rachel Weisz (she looks like crap and adds nothing to the role), unimaginative action set pieces, stupid stupid dialogues, stupid subplots (summary: we are attracted to each other, we say stupid things to each other, we kick CGI asses together and we get each other in the end) and some other nonsense that should interest 13 year olds.

All in all, this movie is horrible in all aspects and you are better off burning your money. The entertainment value of doing so far outweighs the one offered by this movie (burning money gives out smoke and smell!). So, don’t waste your time on this crap and instead do something else, anything else except watching this movie! Heck, I’ve had it! I will not watch any movies like this released to scam idiots anymore! That’s the only thing I learned from this monstrosity.