'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' Review

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Review:

Slightly Underwhelming, But A Must-Take Trip to the Cinema Nonetheless

BY IAN TAN

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies marks Peter Jackson’s final foray into the realm of Middle-Earth. The previous two Hobbit films have been a mixed bag for audiences and long-time fans of Lord of The Rings, with the first being too draggy and unnecessarily overlong and the second taking creative liberties to the story and its characters in a way that made it feel more like fan fiction than a proper book to film adaptation.

 Poster: More epic than the actual film

Personally, I did enjoy An Unexpected Journey for the sheer reason of being in Middle Earth again. Plus, there were quite a few standout scenes such as the opening narration and the riddles in the dark scene with Gollum. However, I did feel as if it overstayed its welcome. On the other hand, I thought The Desolation of Smaug was a terrific comeback for Peter Jackson and the franchise, being faster paced with more story threads for audiences to be invested in, an exhilarating barrel sequence and not to mention an impressive CGI Smaug The Terrible. With that being said, does Battle of the Five Armies continue from the success of its predecessor?

It… sort of does. Five Armies picks up right after that last shot in the previous film where Smaug makes his entrance to Lake Town. Adding to the chaos are Elves, led by Thranduil; Orcs, led by Azog The Defiler; Men, led by Bard the Bowman and of course, Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield who all participate in an all out war for the treasure of the Lonely Mountain of Erebor, the Dwarves’ homeland.

Once this film begins, there’s no stopping it. Unlike the previous two films, this one has not a single moment in it that felt like things were purposely drawn out longer for the sake of having a single book be turned into three films. Every moment in The Battle of the Five Armies feels important. A sense of weight, urgency and intensity fill each scene much like in Return of the King. The battle sequences in this film are impressive and filled with the kind of visual splendor only Jackson could put on screen, even if they don’t quite reach the epic scale and scope of the climactic battle in Return of the King.

The Defining Chapter: War Is Coming

The performances here are solid all around, save for an at times rather unnecessary Ryan Gage as the cowardly detestable and sometimes annoying Alfrid. Martin Freeman once again nails it as Bilbo Baggins, bringing a sense of underdog bravery that just makes him all the more likable of a character in this film. Richard Armitage, too, has truly grown into his character of Thorin Oakenshield, presenting a vulnerable but loyal leader to his kin of Dwarves. Speaking of Dwarves, each of the 13 members do get their time to shine in some way, shape or form in this one more so than in the previous films, leveling up the drama at times. And although not entirely important to the plot, there are a couple of scenes (involving Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman) that tie in to The Fellowship of the Ring quite nicely, which are neat little nods for LOTR fans. All character arcs and story threads left off from the previous films are all properly concluded in this one, paving the way for the events in Lord of the Rings to occur.

Foreshadowing

Unfortunately, The Battle of the Five Armies does have a few issues that prevent it from being the ideal grand finale of the Middle-Earth saga as some would hope it to be. The most disappointing aspect of the film would have to be the presence of Smaug. The guy made a huge impact in the closing shots of the last film (“I am fire. I am… death.” That line gave me the chills.) but the proceeding attack on Lake Town felt very underwhelming to me, as if the film wanted to be done with it as quickly as possible. This is another prime example of how Waner Bros’ choice to split the films into three instead of two really undermines the fans' (and audiences') satisfaction of these films.  I can picture the last 20 minutes of Desolation of Smaug and the first 5 minutes of Battle of the Five Armies together and just imagine how much better of a sequence the Attack On Lake Town could have been had there not been a split between the films. Also, although all character arcs meet their conclusion here, not all are as satisfying as some would hope. The weakest of these would have to be the entire love-triangle between Tauriel, Kili and Legolas, which feels somewhat misplaced and slightly shoehorned.

Smaug: In the film for 5 minutes, tops.

As mentioned earlier, the battles are indeed very CGI-heavy, sometimes to the point of being overindulgent. For example, several shots of Legolas jumping around doing his cool Elvish acrobatics look like visuals on a PS2 (okay, PS3), especially when watching the film in High Frame Rate (HFR), so I do suggest that you don’t catch it in HFR 3D or you’ll begin to differentiate between what’s CGI and what’s real, which would pull you out of the entire movie-going experience and ultimately defeat Jackson’s purpose of implementing HFR in these films in the first place. Furthermore, the 3D this time isn’t as well utilized as it was in An Unexpected Journey, which I think had the best use of 3D out of the three films. Depth of field is definitely there, but the overall compositions of the shots don’t make the additional dimension any more immersive than a standard 2D viewing would. But for total immersion, please experience this film in IMAX. Yes, the 3D isn’t spectacular nor all that noticeable but the additional height and width of the IMAX screen definitely makes it the only way to be truly immersed in Middle-Earth #OneLastTime.

Screw HFR. IMAX is the way to experience this film.

Overall, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is an experience to be had in a theater, preferably an IMAX one. There are a couple of things that bog the film down from being the truly epic conclusion to the Middle-Earth saga fans would’ve liked, but for its merits, a ticket to The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is worth that last trip to Middle-Earth.

Final Verdict

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies gets 7.2 out of 10 stars - Savor every moment of it guys, we ain’t going back to Middle-Earth again after this ‘un.

'Big Hero 6' Review

Big Hero 6 Review:

"I Am Satisfied With This Film"

BY IAN TAN

Okay, more than satisfied. Like Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen, Disney has once again nailed it with another great animated film full of beautiful animation, heart and story that audiences, regardless of age, will find something in it they like.

Yakult Colors

Big Hero 6 tells the story of Hiro Hamada, a 14 year-old robotics inventor struggling to cope over the loss of a loved one. Along the way, a mysterious masked man has taken control over one of Hiro’s robotics inventions and things don’t look pretty. With the aid of Baymax, an inflatable healthcare companion; GoGo, a girl who knows how to work her wheels; Wasabi, an OCD laser’s expert; Honey Lemon, a hyperactive chem whiz; and Fred, a school mascot, Hiro plans to find out the meaning of all this, and who’s behind the mask.

Animation-wise, Disney has churned out yet another gorgeous looking film. The ambience, cityscapes and overall design of San Fransokyo is a unique blend of Japanese and American architecture. The characters are all distinctively recognizable and although they do look a little ridiculous in some of their costumes, they’re all likable enough that we see past the goofy outfits and view them as characters; something Disney does better than most DreamWorks animated films. Baymax in particular makes for the most likeable (and adorable) animated character since Wall-E.

Baymax is bae.

The voice-acting here is spot-on, with each voice-actor knowing just when to be hilarious, serious and emotional throughout the course of the film. However, despite some great voice-work, the supporting team members of the Big Hero 6, namely GoGo, Wasabi and Honey Lemon, aren’t given as much screen-time and dialogue outside their superhero suits, which is a bit of a shame as I would have liked to learn more about these colorful characters. On the other hand, Hiro’s relationship with his brother and with Baymax is very well written and paced, giving audiences just enough character development for us to genuinely care for these characters, especially when the stakes get high and when the drama button is pushed. One scene in particular towards the climax may just make you tear. 

              If you’re a fan of the How To Train Your Dragon films, you may find some similarities in the growth between Hiro and Baymax’s relationship and Hiccup and Toothless’. A flying sequence in the middle of the film feels especially reminiscent of the first time we saw Hiccup and Toothless take to the skies, but for the most part, the two films are different enough for there not to be a fan war on which dynamic duo pair is the better one. They’re both special and heartfelt in their own right.

"It is alright to cry."

Another great thing about Big Hero 6 is the action, which is some of the most fun and intense I’ve seen in an animated film. The action also adds a big dose of fun to the film and gives it enough reason to be seen in 3D. I unfortunately did not get the chance to see it in the third dimension but the film sure looked like it would be great with the added depth.

Oh, and, this isn’t a complaint, but I noticed that with Frozen last year, Disney made a sister-sibling relationship film, and with Big Hero 6 this year, Disney’s made a brother-sibling relationship film, sort of, just in case the males felt a little left out last year. Haha. Plus, it seems that since Wreck-It Ralph, Disney has been trying to sneak in a twist-reveal for their films’ villains, and it’s present here in Big Hero 6. I won’t spoil who the villain is, but, I’m just saying that it’s a noticeable trend Disney’s had for their past few films, and it’s working; I like it. It adds to the story, so kudos to Disney and their writers for that.

The Big Hero 6

              Overall, Big Hero 6 is a wonderful animated film filled with enjoyable action, heartfelt emotion and downright loveable (Baymax) albeit slightly underdeveloped (GoGo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi) characters. It deals with themes of death and how people choose to react to it with the kind of heart and soul that only an animated film could. This is the best animated feature I’ve seen all year.

Final Verdict

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this film?"

On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate Big Hero 6 an 8 – I am quite satisfied with this film.

O----O

'Penguins of Madagascar' Review

Penguins of Madagascar review:

Meh

BY IAN TAN

Because a TV series wasn’t enough, the Penguins of Madagascar finally get their very own movie, courtesy of the people at DreamWorks Animation. Gone are Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria and in are Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. The four penguins were a nice surprise in the original Madagascar films, stealing and chewing scenery every time they appeared on-screen. However, as much as they worked in the few scenes they had in the Madagascar films, they just don’t seem big enough to earn a movie of their own, much like how I still don’t think having a solo Minions (of Despicable Me) movie is a good idea. I mean, these films are just Hollywood cash-grabs anyway.

In this film, the titular Penguins are on a mission to stop a revenge-driven octopus from kidnapping and mutating all penguins around the globe. Yes, the plot does sound pretty ridiculous, and a little like that of Despicable Me 2.

I actually quite liked the first Madagascar film, and I honestly thought that the penguins were the best part of it, much like how I, and many others, felt that the Minions were the highlight of the Despicable Me movies. However, as the Madagascar film series continued to its second and third instalments, I began to lose interest in the films. In fact, I was even less interested to see this one. With that being said, how does Penguins of Madagascar fare?

"Hey guys, anyone else find it funny that we all sound and speak like adults?"

Well, it felt pretty mediocre to me, even with my low expectations. There are a number of good things to point out in the film, of course. For one, the voice casting is pretty solid, with the voice actors of the Penguins really getting a chance to shine as characters in this film more so than in previous ones. Private, the youngest member of the team, is especially more developed as a character here, and provides the film with some of its most heartfelt moments, which is a plus. The dialogue is also witty and face-paced, and I can see why children would love it. There are a couple of celebrity references thrown in to Dave’s (voiced by John Malkovich) dialogue, which was a nice little touch. There’s also one sequence where the Penguins jump from one flying aeroplane to another that I can imagine would be a joy to watch in 3D. In addition to that, the inclusion of North Wind, an undercover inter-species task force led by Classified (yeah, that’s his name, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) is a nice addition to the roster of Madagascar characters, even though they don’t get as much screen time or character development as hoped for. Benedict Cumberbatch seems to be having fun with his role as the wolf Classified, and it’s always fun to know when actors enjoy the roles they play, or in this case, voice.

Benedict Cumberbatch and his posse of animal pals

Of course, Penguins of Madagascar doesn't come without a few disappointing parts. One of which is that the end of the film can be easily predicted within the first ten minutes of dialogue, with obvious and generic character arcs and backstories given to the titular characters. Also, the plot and action sequences that tie the story together, although nicely animated, are a bit too over-the-top and (I hate to say this, but) childish. Combine that with a plot so ridiculous that it could’ve just been downgraded to an episode for the TV series, and you have a movie that kids would probably love, but one that teens and adults would just roll their eyes over.

In totality, Penguins of Madagascar is great fun for kids, but not so much for teens and adults. It’s witty and filled with some neat action sequences that would look great if seen in 3D, but I’d much rather recommend you go see Big Hero 6 a second time instead of watching this film.

"We gotta catch that plane"

Final Verdict

Penguins of Madagascar gets 6.3 out of 10 stars – Here’s to hoping the Minions solo film will be better.

'Annabelle' Review

Annabelle Review:

Plastic, Dull & Forgettable Horror

BY IAN TAN

Promotional Poster: Scarier than the actual
movie

This much-anticipated prequel to 2013’s horror          hit The Conjuring leaves little for audiences to remember it by. With the absence of James Wan behind the camera, Annabelle feels more like a wannabe of his films, but rarely succeeds at being as good as any of them. James Wan’s collaborative cinematographer John R. Leonetti sits in the director’s chair for this horror flick.

Annabelle is set a few years prior to the events in        The Conjuring, showcasing the origins of how the titular doll became the infamous creepy critter we all know her to be. The story begins with expecting couple John and Mia. To celebrate, John (men, take note) gifts her a doll that she has long been searching for to complete her collection. This, as the audience knows, is a terrible idea. Nobody in the right mind would ever purchase such a doll, even in its non-possessed, spotless, clean form. Anyways…

Unlike The Conjuring or other James Wan films, Annabelle struggles to find logicality to drive its characters’ sometimes downright stupid decisions. The acting and script is rather bland, with a few standout characters in the form of Father Perez and bookstore owner Evelyn, both of whom are given fine performances by Tony Amendola and Alfre Woodward respectively. The main couple of this movie however, is serviceable to say the most. Annabelle Wallis, who plays Mia, tries to inject some emotion and depth to her character, but simply isn’t as engaging to watch compared to female leads in other horror films. This is especially an issue when the horror sequences start building up.

"Oh don't mind me. Just needed to rest my head a little."

In terms of scare value, Annabelle pales in comparison to The Conjuring by a long shot. Although very obviously inspired by the filmmaking style of James Wan, with wide shots of dark, shadowy rooms and violin-heavy music, much of Annabelle feels all too familiar to Wan’s previous works, to the point that audiences are able to tell when a scare is going to happen and where. It is respectable to see Leonetti pay homage to Wan, but the film would have benefited more from a few bolder steps in the horror department. The titular Annabelle doll, for instance, does not seem as frightening or as threatening as it did in its first big-screen appearance, nor does it provide the film with the same eerie presence it did before with The Conjuring. Here, Annabelle feels more like a prop piece, with the real enemy being the demonic presence that has latched itself onto the doll, but this demonic presence isn’t present enough to generate many scares from the audience. There was one hallway sequence, however, that was quite chilling. Apart from that one truly intense sequence, most of the film relies on jump scares and close-up shots of the doll doing, well, nothing. The ending of this movie too, is … “meh”, with its connection to the beginning of The Conjuring feeling rather lackluster. This is one of those prequels that doesn’t do a good job at tying into its predecessor in a way that allows audiences to recognize the references, foreshadowing or relation to it. The foreshadowing part is there, but it’s so poorly done that I feel even James Wan would be disappointed by it.

"Stare down, you and me."

To begin with, I really wished that this film had focused purely on the three siblings that encountered this doll (you know, the ones in the beginning of The Conjuring), rather than the married couple that had the doll before them. The sibling encounter story would have been something interesting to see on screen, but alas, we’re given this movie instead.

On the whole, Annabelle comes off as quite a disappointment for fans of The Conjuring, and fans of horror in general. With rarely any memorable scares, dull characters, and a lack of originality or genuine creepiness, Annabelle fails on almost all cylinders as a horror film. Annabelle’s ten-minute intro sequence in The Conjuring is without a doubt more fulfilling, terrifying and scare-worthy than this unfortunately dull horror affair.  

 

Master on the right, apprentice on the left.

Final Thoughts

Annabelle gets 5.5 out of 10 stars – Wan wouldn’t be proud.