A Nutshell Review by daface

last SG · 2005-05-29T10:42:43+00:00

A Nutshell Review: I Hate Valentine’s DayI haven’t seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding from start to end, but from what I gathered from scenes, Nia Vardalos is qui...

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Dukes of Hazzard

Remakes are getting popular in Hollywood, be they adapted from existing Asian films like Infernal Affairs, or digging into their own nostalgic TV series. This remake doesn't take itself too seriously, as we revisit the Dukes of Hazzard County - Cousins Luke, Bo, Daisy and Uncle Jessie.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/dukes-of-hazzard.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp? Sign me up for it, anytime! I've pretty much enjoyed their collaborations, from Edward Scissorhands to Sleepy Hollow. Hot off the heals from their box-office success Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, their latest collaboration sees Depp lending his voice to Burton's macabre vision in a stop motion animated movie, along the veins of Nightmare Before Christmas (NBC).

The story's a little bizarre, a little morbid, but hey, it's Burton on familiar grounds. The Von Dorts and the Everglots have agreed to an arrange marriage between their children Victor (Depp) and Victoria (Emily Watson), but Victor, fumbling the marriage rehearsals, runs away to seek solace, and accidentally unleashes the Corpse Bride Emily (Helena Bonham Carter, giving the character an impeccable Brit accent). So begins a crazy love triangle of sorts, involving characters from both the realm of the living and the dead.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/tim-burtons-corpse-bride.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Dark Water

I've haven't been much of a fan of the recent wave of popular Asian horror films, and haven't really paid much attention to the Hollywood remakes either. That is until Jennifer Connelly compelled me to take a dip into Dark Water.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/dark-water.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The 40 Year Old Virgin

With a title like that, it takes little imagination to know that this film belongs to the sex comedy genre which has gained popularity ever since American Pie started it all from 1999.

Virgin adopts a similar formula, even from the start, we are introduced to Andy (the Virgin) in his suburban home, and his stiff unused woody (Yes, it's that blatant. Expectations, remember?) Andy's the guy who somehow couldn't grow up, with his extremely cool collection of collectible toys and comic books, custom made video game chair and home decor adorned with pop culture posters. His predicament would probably be appreciated by many guys - with a life like that, interest from the opposite sex is hard to come by, and not to mention a disastrous experience which left him scarred.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/40-year-old-virgin.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Goal!

G-G-GOAL!!! I'm so pleased that there's finally a decent movie about soccer, a sport which for the longest time, doesn't seem to get movie producers excited to put out on screen. Having FIFA sanction this film means getting some realism injected, and lending to the authenticity of is the English Premier League club Newcastle United, together with a host of real life soccer superstars like Beckham, Zidane and Raul.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/goal.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Skeleton Key

Hell-oh Nurse! Kate Hudson was the draw for me actually, and it would be interesting to see if she could pull off carrying The Skeleton Key on her shoulders. I would say if you're Kate's fan, then this movie's for you, since she's in almost every scene as the protagonist, in various states of (un)dress.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/skeleton-key.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Wig

Oh ok, it's all about the chicks again. Dark Water had Jennifer Connelly, Skeleton Key yesterday had Kate Hudson. In The Wig, we have two beautiful (actually in my opinion, one only) sisters Ji-hyeon (Yu Seon) and Su-hyeon (Chae Min-seo). Su-hyeon is suffering from leukemia, and isn't given too long to live. Her sister Ji-hyeon takes it upon herself to care for her until the end, which isn't expected to be too long. We see sisterly love abound after a cheesy start to the movie, and Ji-hyeon presents a wig for her sister to cover her bald head, the side effects of chemotherapy.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/wig.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: April Snow

To think that I watched 2 horror movies back to back, and 2 Korean movies back to back too. Uncanny, as I ended my previous review on handphones, as I begin this one on the same device.

The role of the mobile phone, in the making of and destruction of romantic relationships. Hands up, those of you who have used it to flirt, and keep your hands there if you have an archive of secret messages stashed away in one of the electronic folders of your phone's memory. Password protection, afraid of someone dear chancing upon them, aren't you?

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/april-snow.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Deuce Bigalow European Gigolo

It took 6 long years for our favourite he-bitch to return to the big screen, and this time, he singlehandedly takes on the entire male-whore population of Europe. Well, not quite. You see, the title's a misnomer, he's an American Gigolo, not European. Set in Europe you say? Only Amsterdam, where weed is legal. Doesn't even set foot in Pisa, where the poster suggests the Leaning Tower.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/deuce-bigalow-european-gigolo.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Flightplan

It's Panic Room in the skies! This is the second inflight entertainment (pardon the jab) movie from Hollywood this year, the other being Wes Craven's recent Red Eye. Jodie Foster again plays a vulnerable yet tough as nails mum, who is on a flight with her six year old daughter from Berlin to New York, taking with them the body of their recently deceased husband/father in a coffin (in the cargo hold of course).

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/flightplan.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Transporter 2

Jason Statham is back as Frank Martin, a man who lives by his own rules, a man with a military past who now works as a transporter, a man of few words, a man of action. Little has changed since the end of the first movie, he still drives a cool car, though the BMW has been traded for an Audi A8L W12, and ploughing the streets of Miami, girls still find him irresistable (who can forget Shu Qi appearing at his doorstep and throwing herself at him? Here, Amber Valletta does the same. Lucky dude), and the men can't wait to sock his face.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/transporter-2.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

I won't be surprised to see hordes of housewives watching Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, given the Korean drama penetration into Asian households, especially the wildly popular Jewel In The Palace starring the same lead actress Lee Young-ae. Then again, given the theme on revenge, filled with its fair share of blood and gore, this new movie by Park Chan-wook might appeal to just a select few.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/sympathy-for-lady-vengeance.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Dreamship Surprise (Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1)

This movie is so insanely gay! And I mean it in both sense of the word. No wonder this comedy broke the German box office with its madcap, low-brow, at times, crass humour. But it's all in good fun.

If you're looking for a plot, be reminded that a spoof-fest only has an outline of what resembles a story. The story's not award winning material to begin with, and it was never the intention of doing so.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/dreamship-surprise-raumschiff-surprise.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: High Tension (Haute Tension)

This film has finally made its way to our shores, uncut. For a slasher flick, it's bloody good, pun intended. If you've read me enough, you know that I'm a sucker for revenge films and zombie flicks. The occasional slasher flick appeals to me too, and this one doesn't disappoint, in the delivery of the material that is.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/high-tension-haute-tension.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Domino

Heads you live. Tails you die. Her name is Domino Harvey. She is a bounty hunter. This unconventional film is based very loosely on the true unconventional life of the daughter of actor Laurence Harvey. Losing her father at an early age, Domino grew up with her mother and lived the good life as a rich girl, becoming a Ford model at one point. But she has always been the aloof social outcast, and tend to loathe the high life (Beverly Hills brat-packers) she has been brought up in. She doesn't mince her words, and packs a wallop of a punch too.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/domino.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Legend of Zorro

Finally, after 7 years since the last Hollywood Zorro movie hit the big screen, director Martin Campbell is back with his original cast of Antonio Banderas in the title role, and Catherine Zeta Jones as his wife Elena de la Vega. Set 10 years after the last movie, The Legend of Zorro wastes no time in plunging the audience thick into trademarked action pieces that many associate with the Spanish Fox - the acrobatic lunges, flips, swordfights, whip action and horseback riding.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/legend-of-zorro.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Saving Face

It's a clash of western's open and asian's conservative cultural values in an earnest tale of traditional and modern relationships and love, packaged with an excellent soundtrack selection. This is going into my books as one of the contenders for my movie of this year. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that the female leads are attractive eye candy too? Highly recommended!

Read the rest at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/saving-face.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Doom

It's nothing fancy, but it works. The filmmakers try to up both the intelligence and babe factor by introducing Bond Girl Rosamund Pike (she's a distraction alright) to the plot, but her *ahem* assets fail to maximise the thin plot. With mercenary soldiers, we see the typical sterotyped characters like the rookie, the maverick, the questionable orders, and the hero with a buried past.

Read the rest at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/doom.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Tom-Yum-Goong

While Hollywood struggles to find worthy successors to its 80s and 90s action heroes like Stallone, Van Damme, and Schwarzeneggar, Asia has already found one to takeover the mantle from Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li (as the latter two seemed to have drifted and indicated a preference for dramas). He's Thai, and his name is Tony Jaa. You heard it here first, he's gonna be setting the bar for action movies to come. He can only get better, and I'm already a huge fan!

Read more at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/11/tom-yum-goong.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Sky High

Since this is a Disney movie, I guess you'll know what to expect: humour, safe action, some camp, lotsa colour, and a feel good factor. Sky High is all these and, surprisingly, a whole lotta fun too! Sometimes music makes the movie for me, and when I heard "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", I knew the filmmakers had this done right, for a superhero movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/11/sky-high.html

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