'Transformers:Age of Extinction' Review

Transformers: Age of Extinction Review:

Fourth Time’s the Charm?

BY IAN TAN

The fourth installment in the Transformers franchise takes place 4 years after the Battle of Chicago that occurred in the franchise’s last entry, Dark of the Moon, and deals largely with the aftermath of the battle and how humans have now developed a sense of robo-phobia (queue Pat Novak rant) towards our shape-shifting characters, whether Autobot or Decepticon. Operated by cunning and ruthless Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer) and led by James Savoy (Titus Welliver), project "Cemetery Wind" aims to rid Earth of all Transformers for good, in order to claim Earth back to humans. Enter Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), a struggling inventor who, in the midst of trying to keep his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz) from the dangers of high school boys, stumbles upon a truck very similar to G1 (Generation 1, the very first) Optimus Prime. "Cemetery Wind" quickly gets eyes on this and the hunt is on. This time however, Optimus and the Autobots aren’t as willing to help our fellow human protagonists, given humanity’s attempt at the genocide of his Autobot brethren despite them having saved the world three times over. Adding to the conflict is Lockdown, an alien bounty hunter on the hunt for a very specific target on Earth.

As far as Transformers film’s go, this is probably one of the better entries in the series. I am going to openly say that I enjoyed this film for the most part, given the amount of hate critics and certain audiences have been hitting this film with. After the awesome eye-opener that was the first Transformers in 2007, I was deeply excited for its sequel, Revenge of The Fallen (2009), only to be disappointed with it due to its sheer lack of character development for its robot characters and a villain that is constantly said to be ancient and all-powerful but comes off as more of an undernourished and underdeveloped villain that brought the film down. Two years later (2011), Dark of the Moon was released and restored some of my hope for the franchise, delivering a much improved villain in the form of (SPOILER, if you haven’t seen Dark of the Moon) Sentinel Prime and showering audiences with some of the best action ever put to screen. Besides Sentinel Prime however, neither of the other ‘bots had much in terms of personality and character development. So, given a string of bad to mediocre sequels, how does Michael Bay fare this time round with Age of Extinction?

Thankfully, Age of Extinction provides audiences the best parts of the franchise. Mark Wahlberg’s Cade Yeager proves to be a more believable and likable lead over Shia LaBeouf’s stuttering Sam Witwicky, and helps give this fourth installment some gravitas and a breath of fresh air. The whole father-daughter element that serves as the core of the human story is well set up in the first act of the movie, allowing us some time to get to know our human protagonists. Unfortunately, this aspect of the human story starts losing its steam, and our interest, as the film progresses, shifting the focus more towards inventor Joshua Joyce (Stanley Tucci) and his involvement in the overall plot. Tucci in my opinion, has the best and arguably most interesting human character of the bunch, and gives a lot to the film. It is unfortunate, however, that the movie struggles to find ways to engage us in the whole Tessa, Shane (Jack Reynor) and Cade sub-plot. There are scenes that suggest some neat dynamics between the characters, but they are overlooked by an unfortunate lack of screen time for Shane’s character and a blunt performance by Irish actor Jack Reynor.

Enough talk about humans. We’re all here for the titular robots aren’t we? And boy, this movie surpassed by expectations on just how deep into the Transformers mythology it would actually go, especially with the character Lockdown, who’s arguably the franchise’s most interesting and callous villain. His character, and mission, take the Transformers universe into more of a sci-fi territory, which ultimately benefits the franchise, as we’re all tired of the continuous repetition and involvement of the Great War on Cybertron in the previous films’ plots. Besides that, Transformers fans will be pleased that this time round, the Autobots actually have distinguishable personalities and looks (finally!). Also, Optimus here has more of a story and purpose here compared to the previous two movies, which is a welcome improvement as well. Autobots Hound (John Goodman) and Crosshairs (John DiMaggio) are likely to be new fan-favourites, next to Ken Watanabe’s Drift. On the other hand, the Dinobots are not given as much screen time as one might expect judging by how much they appear in the film’s marketing, but whenever they are on screen, they are a joy to look at and add something new to the action.

Speaking of action, this movie is relentless, mind-numbing almost. After the Battle of Chicago in Dark of the Moon, there really isn’t much Bay and co. can do to top it, and any attempt at doing so would feel a tad excessive, and that’s kind of what the action in Age of Extinction feels like. Don’t get me wrong, the action is spectacular. A standout is a very roller-coaster like spaceship chase sequence in Chicago with Tessa, Shane, Cade, Bumblebee and Crosshairs. There is also a pretty neat car chase in the first quarter of the film that levels best of Fast and Furious. However, one can only handle so much spectacle, and at times the action can be a wee bit overwhelming. A number of extended scenes toward the climax involving Hound could have easily been left on the cutting room floor in favour of some compelling scenes of human drama. The opportunity was there for the editors and Bay to take it, but they didn’t, leaving the more intimate scenes of Tessa and Shane, and their character development to be thrown out the window. This could have very well helped in the human drama department and make the action more intense, but alas, the poor editing choices made me want to take a breather from all the uncompromising action. The final showdown however, was perfect. Now that scene had good human and robot emotion to drive it, and ultimately made it work as one of the most satisfying Transformers battle climaxes. Oh, and IMAX 3D is a must for this one, considering that the film was shot specifically for the large screen format with IMAX 3D cameras. The full size of the IMAX screen definitely sells the scope and scale of the action and robot characters and is definitely the way to experience this movie. The earth-shattering sound was a great addition as well. 

Overall, Transformers: Age of Extinction, in my opinion at least, does more good than bad. Human drama aside, it smartly expands the mythology of the Transformers universe and introduces us to new fan-favourite characters while delivering some spectacular 3D action, even if the action can get a bit self-indulgent at times. If I were to rank this film among the others, this would probably be the series’ second best, with the first Transformers taking the top spot, Dark of the Moon at the third, and Revenge of the Fallen at the bottom of the list.

Final Rating
Transformers: Age of Extinction gets 7.3 stars out of 10 - Pretty Okay.

'HTTYD 2' Review

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Movie Review :

Soar-Soar (so-so)

BY IAN TAN

HTTYD 2 picks up 5 years after the events of the first movie. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is now heir to his father’s throne and Berk's most celebrated Dragon Rider. In fact, everyone’s a dragon rider now and the village even plays a Dragon Edition of Quidditch. Like all sequels, a threat emerges and Hiccup must once again struggle to save the people of Berk. New discoveries, good and bad, happen along the way that ultimately lead to a battle between good guys and good dragons, and bad guys and bad dragons. With the stakes higher and ­­­characters more vulnerable, this sounds like a pretty good sequel.

And thankfully, it is, even if it lacks the same sense of innocence and heart its predecessor had that made it work so well. HTTYD 2 definitely brings the action to an entirely new level, with dragons of all sorts and new characters battling it out in one of the most epic battle scenes in animated film history, best seen in 3D (those shots of Toothless and Hiccup taking to the skies are a real joy to experience in 3D). New worlds are discovered too, such as a green nature-filled underground world (ala Ice Age 3) of dragons, and sharp, rocky enemy fortresses, which help expand the movie’s universe and show audiences that there really is “a whole new world of dragons out there”.

Characterizations here are constructed well without revisiting the same character arcs as its first film- as most sequels do. Hiccup and Stoick (Gerard Butler) are now over their father-son dilemmas from the first film, but the two still have issues with each other regarding their different ideals on what it truly means to serve and protect the ones they love, providing some meaty character drama and emotional weight that is further heightened when the character Valka (Cate Blanchett) is brought in to the film. Supporting characters such as Astrid (America Ferrera), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig) and Snotlout (Jonah Hill) are a pleasing return and are given more to do in this sequel, with the latter three injecting the movie with some humourous moments. Kit Harington’s (Game of Thrones) character, Eret, is a nice addition to the HTTYD crew as well. Also, the film's musical score by John Powell is pretty amazing.

On the other hand, the villain, Drago Bloodvist (Djimon Hounsou) unfortunately, is a bit of a letdown, as his character isn’t given enough backstory to make audiences really understand or feel the threat of his intentions behind wanting to destroy Berk and its dragons. There’s a reason, sure, but it’s just a little too bland and ends up making Drago feel like another typical animated film sequel villain that’s underdeveloped, character wise. Ultimately, this causes the sense of danger towards the end of the film to feel less dangerous than it should. This is a prime example of how a film is only as good as its villain, who is so-so in this film. Fortunately though, the film’s emotional strength comes from its two main characters- Hiccup and Toothless- and their journey of friendship. At one point, this friendship is tested but is overcome a tad bit too quickly, leaving little room for dramatic tension, which was, in my opinion, the biggest flaw the movie had, as this could’ve made for a well deserved tear-jerking moment had it not been concluded as quickly as it was.

In the end, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a serviceable sequel that expands the movie’s universe, provides interesting character arcs for its main characters, and is filled with beautiful animation & music. It’s negatives aside, this is one of the better animated film sequels out there; kids especially will love it and probably claim it to be one of the best animated films they’ve seen.

7.6 out of 10 stars

'Edge of Tomorrow' Review

Edge of Tomorrow Movie Review:

Probably the Best Original Sci-Fi Action Movie of the Year

BY IAN TAN

Edge of Tomorrow sees Major William Cage, head of the military’s public relations campaign being thrust into a battle for mankind that involves him suiting up in Elysium-like suits and beating the crap out of a vicious alien race intent on claiming the Earth as their own - your usual sci-fi fare. However, director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) manages to give his every-sci-fi-action-movie-meets-Groundhog Day summer flick a great sense of fun, originality, and a good dose of humour.

Tom Cruise, even at 51, still proves that he’s more than capable at carrying an action-heavy blockbuster like this on his shoulders with no trouble whatsoever (You can add him to the list of celebrities that don’t seem to age). Cruise does a fine job at portraying his character’s evolution from corporate smug to noble hero, with each repetition of the day progressing his character more and more into becoming a true, experienced soldier (or ‘weapon’, as Emily Blunt’s Rita Vrataski puts it). Blunt too is edgy, slick, and tough as the movie’s female protagonist, channeling the best of every science-fiction female lead. The two leads share good chemistry with one another, helping elevate some of the film’s more emotional aspects, even if there aren’t many to have. Cruise and Blunt definitely sell this film and are ultimately what makes it work so well.

The whole ‘Live. Die. Repeat.’ concept the film is going for never feels too repetitive, but instead thoroughly engaging and at times, pretty funny. Bill Paxton as Master Sergeant Farell has some of the most memorable and humourous lines in the movie, made funny because of the repetition of the day. Director Doug Liman really knows how to use the Groundhog Day element of the film to his advantage, making every new visit to the same day more intense and intriguing each time, as characters try and try again to foil the Mimics' (the alien invaders) plot.

The visuals in the film are pretty spectacular and feel very much like a video game come to life. Some first-person P.O.V. shots with William Cage (Tom Cruise) firing ammunition at the Mimics are nice odes to FPS video games. The Mimics themselves have quite unique designs, sporting multiple tentacles and very, very frenetic movements that make you really wonder how these humans are going to take these creatures out, unlike a number of other alien invasion movies where the alien threat felt, well, not very threatening (we’re looking at you, Battle: Los Angeles). A 3D viewing of the film is not a necessity, but it does help envelope audiences in the entire beach battle the movie so frequently visits.  The scene where Cage and the other soldiers fall from the air after their ship explodes (as seen in the trailers) definitely benefits from the third dimension, especially in IMAX 3D, but if you’re a cautious cinema spender, an IMAX 3D or standard 3D viewing of this film can be a miss. Save that money up for Transformers: Age of Extinction, which was made specifically for 3D.

Some downsides of the film include a slight lack of character development not only between Cage (Cruise) and Vrataski (Blunt), but between other supporting characters that lend their hands in the climactic battle towards the end. Again, like X-Men: Days of Future Past, this may be due to editing choices in order to fit studios’ running time preference of about 2 hours, which may cause certain character moments to be removed for the sake of a faster paced action flick. Also, because the set pieces on the beach battle look as spectacular as they do, one hopes that the film would have showcased more sweeping, cinematic shots of such epic set pieces the producers undoubtedly spent loads of money on, instead of the few shots we get of the overall sense of hugeness of said scenes.

All in all, Edge of Tomorrow provides 2014 with one of its most fun, non-franchise based summer movie experiences that many sci-fi action fans, as well as casual moviegoers, will love, despite a few minor flaws. This is what summer popcorn flicks are made of.

7.9 out of 10 stars

'X-men:DoFP' Review

X-Men: Days of Future Past Review:

Bright Future Ahead

BY IAN TAN

              After two X-Men film abominations, namely X-Men 3: The Last Stand, which butchered the entire Pheonix saga, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which butchered Wolverine, there was little hope for the mutant-superhero franchise… until Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn stepped in to direct X-Men: First Class, which was acclaimed by both fans and critics alike. After Vaughn was scrapped off as director for Days of Future Past, original X-Men 1 & 2 director Bryan Singer returned to the director’s chair to not only continue X-Men 1 & 2 (and First Class)’s success, but to fix any continuity errors present in the Last Stand and Origins: Wolverine. The result is one of the best X-Men films to date. It still doesn't top X2 though. Something about that movie just makes it unbeatable.

               The film opens with an apocalyptic future in which giant mutant-killing machines called Sentinels have taken over and destroyed all mutantkind save Professor X, Magneto, Storm, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, a couple of new mutant faces, and of course, Wolverine. Our little band of heroes are now tasked with a mission that could potentially save the lives of all mutants. In order to do this, they send Wolverine back in time in order to prevent the events leading to the creation of those bloodthirsty Sentinels from ever happening. Consequently, this means having to make young Professor X and Magneto to join forces to aid in this race against time, which, mind you, is no easy task considering the events the two characters shared in First Class.

                Story wise, this has to be smartest and most thrilling of the X-Men saga, continuously keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. If a movie’s able to immerse you that much, you know you’re in for a great theater experience. The cast, consisting of all the big names from the first X-Men trilogy and X-Men: First Class are second to none, with every team player giving it their all to their roles. It’s clear that these actors truly care for the characters they play on screen, and it’s great, almost nostalgic even, to see some old faces pop-up. Even Wolverine’s first appearance in the film makes you want to applaud, despite the numerous spin-off films and cameos he’s had throughout every X-Men film to date. Jennifer Lawrence plays an even bigger and more central role in this sequel as Mystique, helping carry the film’s themes of revenge and individualism perfectly. She also sells it when the emotional stakes rise. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, who play young Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr respectively, couldn’t be better, having truly grown into their respective roles since First Class. Here they put on stellar performances that dig deeper into the ideals of each character, as well as providing a backstory to them that’s arguably better than the ones given to them in the original trilogy (sorry Ian McKellen & Patrick Stewart). Hugh Jackman… well, he is and always will be the perfect Wolverine. This film, however, provides Wolvie with his most difficult tasks: patience and teaching, which allows for a different, refreshing take on the clawed mutant that we rarely get to see. Kudos must go to Simon Kinberg and his script work on this film. The scene-stealer here, however, must go to Evan Peter’s Quicksilver character- Marvel’s version of The Flash. One scene involving him busting Magneto from prison in slo-mo is a must see, and reason enough for you to catch this film in 3D [besides Blink's (Fan Bing Bing) portals].

                 One great thing about this film is how coherent it is despite it being a time-travel movie. Never are you confused over what’s going on and why, as the editing keeps the film at a steady pace while apportioning enough screen time for both time periods without distracting from the film’s plot. But alas, movies can only last for so long, and as a result, we do not get as much mutant character drama during the scenes set in the future as we’d like, which limit each player in the apocalyptic future to just a few cool action sequences that show-off their abilities. They’re cool scenes, for sure, but as most of the film’s importance is based on the events in the past, a number of scenes set in the future had to be left on the cutting room floor (eg. Rogue’s exclusion from the film). Hopefully we’ll get an extended edition on Blu-Ray that would properly allow time for the sequences and events in the ‘future’ to have more weight. Two and a half hours really isn’t enough time for such an epic piece of cinematic comic book beauty like this to be told.

                  Minor editing issues aside, the film’s strength lies in its characters and how they’ve progressed throughout the series; and humanity’s view on mutants is done and handled better here and in any previous entry in the X-Men saga, providing a more emotionally and character driven plot that works for the film - and franchise’s - best. All in all, X-Men: Days of Future Past is one the best comic book movies ever made, rivaling even The Avengers (woah!) and with all those continuity errors fixed, the X-Men series seems to heading for a bright, and better future. 

Final Verdict 

X-Men: Days of Future Past gets 8.7 out of 10 stars - Bring on Apocalypse!