Movie: Stand By Me Doraemon

Throngs of Japanese accompanied us as we caught the heart-warming Doraemon movie which sort of summarised the entire series Doraemon anime. I can't say that I am a huge fan of Doraemon but I was always intrigued by the many gadgets and how Doraemon always stood by Nobita. The only thing missing was the nostalgic opening song.

Movie: Interstellar

Right after the success of Gravity came Interstellar with a plot of sending humans into space to secure a liveable habitat for the dying Earth. Amidst the magnificent sceneries and Physics to the fifth dimension lie a cautionary tale that is full of hope.

Movie: Fury

Fury is set in WWII and tells the perspective of a rookie soldier who was thrust into the 5-crew tank platoon. Under the command of a battle-hardened sergeant, the platoon was tasked to block the final push of the Nazis.

This movie resonated with me greatly as I was also in the Armour regiment. Although we have not experienced any real war, the movie highlighted the technical competency and teamwork required to 'survive' our outfield training.

However, as a movie, I felt that the storyline and tension could be better developed. 

Movie: Dracula Untold

I was slightly disappointed by this movie. While the movie tried to provide a human side to the mythical blood sucking Dracula, the story fell flat to being predictable.

Movie: The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

The journey continued for Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves as they tried to reclaim back the lonely mountains. Lots of new (Bard) and old characters (Legolas) awaited them in their pursuit. Be careful of those hateful spiders. Although the dwarves were trying get back their rightful place, I felt that they gave up too easily and were too cowardly. Sure enough, the self-proclaimed king of the mountain Smaug was not likely to give up his throne and treasures. What have they done but to wake up an angry dragon.

Stayed for Ed Sheeran's soulful 'I see fire'. The theatre's sound system gave it an added oomph.

Movie: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Catching fire is my favourite book of the trilogy and I enjoyed how the movie followed closely to the book: the emotional buildup of the characters and the 75th hunger game. New characters were introduced for the third quarter quell and they were amazing. However, it's hard to beat Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss and Elizabeth Banks' Effie. Superb!

Movie: Thor The Dark World

A movie worth watching for its grand Asgard scenery, chemistry between Thor with Loki, and Thor with Jane Foster. While the dark world can be menacing, you can always count on the female leads to save the universe.

Movie: Gravity

Visually stunning, silently eerie and yet inspiring. This movie came at the right time when I was feeling down from work. Even if nothing seems to be working right, one should never lose hope. The human mind is really marvelous and capable of feats.

I''m a fan of Sandra Bullock (Miss Congeniality, The Proposal, The Blind Side etc.) and definitely would not miss her latest movie. This movie is indeed challenging with many close-ups and Sandra's performance brought humanity to space.

Movie: Turbo

It's hard to imagine snails moving fast, let alone racing in the Indianapolis 500. However, after a life-changing experience involving nitrous oxide, Turbo showed the world that you do not have to be big to dream big. However, I feel that you must be unique to make it big. Unfortunately, the movie concept was neither new nor special. That said, the animation was pretty and almost realistic at some parts. Besides, the kids loved it.

Movie: Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters

Their safe haven is dying and it is up to our heroes to travel to the sea of monsters, or should I say sea of monster, to retrieve a magical golden fleece from a cyclops. Meanwhile, an insider threat is using the same artefact to revive the evil Cronus.

A movie with a really simple plot and plenty of loopholes.

Movie: Red 2

Wow, it's been a really long time since I last caught a movie and the action comedy Red 2 really chased away the blues. The plot and action may not be superb but the comedy is a gem. It's a movie where the stars deserve their stars.

Movie: Star Trek Into Darkness

It's been ages since I catch a movie in a theatre and thankfully it was on Star Trek. I remembered the revamped Star Trek in 2009 which blew my mind. This sequel made a good standalone but fell short against its predecessor. The plot was too predictable. Nonetheless, the action was exciting and the movie's saving grace fell on its stellar casts as we saw Captain Kirk and Mr Spock pit against the manipulative Khan. The character development was engaging. I look forward to an even better sequel.

Movie: Wreck it Ralph

Plot:
Tired of being the unappreciated bad guy, Ralph of Fix it, Felix arcade game decided to earn a medal and a place for himself. In his reckless pursuit, he unleashed a cy-bug into Sugar Rush where Vanellope was trying to seek acknowledgement from her fellow racers. Together, they will uncover the truth of their existence.

Review:
An amazing combination of old-school charms and sugary plot created an immense pleasure of watching familiar icons used in innovative manners.

Rating:
4/5

Movie: Skyfall

Plot:
Skyfall returns to the basics of Bond and his emotional journey.

Review:
It was particularly exciting for me to catch Skyfall as I could relate much of the London sights. A pity that there is a cut down in the action scenes and the number of gadgets.

Rating:
4/5

Movie: The Looper

Plot:
In the future, time travelling has been invented and criminals are sent back to the past to be sentenced. The loopers take on the job of executing their death to 'close the loop'. Unbeknownst to them, the rainmaker is ordering all the loops to be closed in an attempt to avenge for his mother.

Review:
Too much adult content in my opinion, not that I am complaining. Nonetheless, I dig these sci-fi shows and this plot was more or less solid. Definitely the casts played the most important role with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. For a while, I thought I was watching a futuristic Die Hard. Also, the little kid was really amazing. I'm a little scared by his abilities.

Rating:
4/5

Movie: Brave

Plot:
Set in mystical Ireland, Brave tells the story of a girl who wanted to change her fate but fate has other things installed for her.

Review:
It's hard to find faults with Pixar's offerings and that is true for Brave. Emotional tale in an amazing setting with extremely cute characters. I was sold. The only misgiving I had was the quick ending. Nothing damaging but could be better.

Rating:
4/5

Movie: The Bourne Legacy

Plot:
Jason Bourne was only a part of the whole picture. In Bourne Legacy, we are introduced to Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) as he survives the extermination of the program.

Review:
While I have no qualms of another character kicking off a new storyline, it is difficult to establish a solid character development. This might be the reason for the initial drag. Sure enough, the story picked up with all the chases. I wished there were more excitement though but nope. Even at the ending, there were too many threads hanging.

Rating:
3/5

Movie: The dark knight rises

Plot:
It's eight years since the death of Harvey Dent and the disappearance of batman. Gotham city is enjoying a period of peace until Bane. After losing his spirit and his inheritance, batman struggles to save the city once again.

Review:
I love batman. I seriously do. Of course, the casts did an amazing job. Go catwoman! While the plot has little flaws, they are nicely covered up. It's been a while since a movie impressed me and got me at the edge of the seat.

Rating:
4.5/5

Movie: Ice Age 4: Continental Drift

Plot:
Global warming hits the prehistoric time and the melting ice caps separated the gang from their families. With sea pirates after their tails, will our favourite gang return safely.

Review:
Family friendly and nothing complex. Lots of laughter and adventure but I felt that the sea sirens were a little creepy. Nevertheless, the film was enjoyable.

Rating:
3.5/5

Cars 2

Synopsis:

The race for a better fuel sees Lightning McQueen entering a World Grand Prix in Japan, Porta Corsa and London. Amid the tournament lies a plot to undermine cleaner fuels.

Review:

After the wonderful Toy Story 3, Hawaii vacation was not to be missed as it brought together all our favourite toys with Barbie and Ken to their holiday. Lots of laughs! Although it may play a redeeming role for Cars 2, the latter should not be brushed aside. Plethora of spectacular scenery of Japan, Italy, France and London. Definitely memorable for those who've been there before. However, the plot was too ambitious to incorporate a James Bond-like action into the already heavy racing. In the end, it's hard for the audience to grasp a clear theme.

Rating:

3/5