Brick Mansions Move Review

First off, lets have a minute of silence for everyone's well loved actor - Paul Walker.
*One Minute of Silence*

I have to say that seeing him in front of the big screen was really sad and he's greatly missed and absolutely an amazing actor which can never be replaced so for all Paul Walker fans, even if you may not like Parkour, you have gotto watch his amazing performance in Brick Mansions because its one of his last films (Beside FF7, which was filmed halfway).
Brick Mansions (PG13 - Some Violence & Brief Coarse Language)
In a dystopian Detroit, abandoned brick mansions left from better times now house only the most dangerous criminals. Unable to control the crime, the police constructed a colossal containment wall around this area to protect the rest of the city. For undercover cop Damien Collier (Paul Walker) everyday is a battle against corruption. For Lino (David Belle), everyday is a fight to live an honest life.

Their paths never should have crossed, but when drug kingpin, Tremaine (RZA) kidnaps Lino's girlfriend, Damien reluctantly accepts the help of the fearless ex-convict, and together they must stop a sinister plot to devastate the entire city. With stylised action featuring thrilling Parkour stunts (David Belle is the co-founder of this physical training discipline), Brick Mansions puts an entertaining twist on the action genre.
Genre: Action/ Crime
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Release Date: 24th April 2014

Lets shift off the focus of the fact that this is Paul Walker's last film and focusing on the movie itself - I truly loved it and yes, Brick Mansions is the English remake of District 13 but I have never watched that cause its in French (and PSSSST...David Belle was also playing Lino in District 13!) Some of you may or may not know this but David Belle truly knows how to Parkour because he is one of the co-founders of Parkour itself so how cool is that!? The stunts were amazing and so smooth and I have a new found respect for Parkour.

I don't understand how can anyone play a good cop with an inner thug self as well as Paul Walker. As usual his character is funny, witty and oh so charming and when you pair both he and David Belle together, the action chemistry is AH-MAZING.

Brick Mansions feature a hell lot of Parkour and fight scenes and its almost 80% action based. Its not entirely very thrilling nor nerve wrecking but there's just something about it that makes you really excited about the whole thing and you can't wait to see how it turns out.

I truly don't think that Brick Mansions was overhyped. Its as good as it sounds and its even better when you get to watch David Belle and Paul Walker's witty remarks and power packed action scenes together. I totally enjoy how Lino is so Parkour based and how Damien is just about the fighting and they almost never fight the same way because Damien doesn't know how to Parkour and Lino is all about that. So when it comes to escaping from the thugs, Lino easily just glides through everything and Damien's just stunned. Haha.

I really really enjoyed Brick Mansions and I think as a movie, its definitely worth watching. I almost cried at the end because I know that I'll never get to see Paul Walker in any new movies anymore and when the credits rolled to the condolences for Paul Walker - everyone in the theatre started clapping. RIP Paul Walker, its been months but you'll always be in our heart.

*Special thanks to Cathay Keris Films for the invitation to the premiere screening and the movie stills as well! (:

You Can't Miss This: Brick Mansions Parkour Jam (19th April 2014)

Have you watched the trailer from Brick Mansions?
If you have yet to, go watch it. If you have, then I'm pretty sure you have been impressed with how those dudes could jump and parkour all over the walls and buildings like they are Spiderman. 

I have a few friends who are hardcore Parkour fans and I always can't help but wonder how do they even get the guts to learn parkour by themselves. I mean you can DIE from it. Literally. As impressive and as thrilling as it is, its freaking dangerous!

I've always thought that Parkour is pretty cool. I mean just imagine, someone is trying to rob you or kill you and you just parkour your way through and tadaahhh - you're safe! Its like a super cool self defence skill. Now here comes the interesting part: If you have ever wanted to learn Parkour, now's your chance!

Cathay will be organising the 'Brick Mansions Parkour Jam' to celebrate the movie release of Brick Mansions! *WOOHOO~
Date: 19th April 2014 (Saturday)
Time: 4PM
Venue: The Cathay (Handy Road, in front of the building)

For those who have never seen Parkour in action, here's your chance!
You can even get to experience Parkour for yourself! (Perfect chance to learn self defence) Superfly Monkey Dragons will be conducting a workshop on the day itself to teach you the basics of Parkour so lets be real. YOU CAN'T MISS THIS OUT!

Besides that, HOT FM 91.3 DJs Cheryl Miles and Shan Wee will also be joining in the fun from 4.30PM to 6.30PM and they come bearing gifts! So if you would like to see your fav DJs trying Parkour themselves (and of course to win some freebies), you know what to do ;)

HOWEVER, participations in the workshops are on a first-come-first served basis and registration opens 30mins prior to the start of the workshop so be sure to be there early if you do not want to miss out on this!

Click here for the full details on Brick Mansions Parkour Jam!

Noah Movie Review

Let's all be very open and frank here. I think Noah is an amazing and inspirational movie. I don't know is it because I'm Christian and I could relate to how Noah felt and all of his fears and agony but I feel so damn inspired when the movie was over. However, at the same time, many of my non-christian friends have told me they don't understand why Noah was behaving in such a manner, etc etc.
Noah (NC16 - Some Mature Content & Violence)
From the inspirational story of courage, sacrifice, hope and redemption, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “The Wrestler,” “The Fountain”) brings to the screen “Noah.”  Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe portrays the man chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission of rescue before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.
Never before has the full story been brought to life on screen in a vivid epic – inviting the audience to experience these spectacular events through the eyes and emotions of Noah and his family, as they journey through fear and faith, destruction and triumph, hardship and hope.
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 140 Minutes
Release Date: 3rd April 2014

I completely respect the faith that Noah has. He doesn't ask questions. He only does what God tells him to do - in this movie yes. Its much more complicated in the Bible. There's one thing to clarify: this movie is based on the Bible Adaptation. So don't start getting confused and compare the Bible with the movie because its stated very clearly in the beginning that its an adaptation. I don't get why people are soooo angsty about this but its just a movie really. Take a chill pill and enjoy it.

My heart wrenched with Noah through all the decisions that he had made and I could feel the fear and anxiety of his family and the disappointment that Noah has caused and how much misery Noah puts himself in just because he has to obey God. Its completely heart wrenching and at a certain point, it do get a tad pit annoying but every movie has to have a few annoying characters right? Hahaha.

I truly felt that the cast portrayal's of their respective roles were truly good. Russell Crowe was amazing as Noah (And of course the guys would love Emma Watson and they'll be cursing and swearing at the lucky dude) At certain points of the movie, you might think that Noah has gone cray cray but he hasn't. He's simply very faithful and he just wants to accomplish the tasks God has given him because he doesn't want to fail God. To me, God isn't heartless, he just wants to test Noah on what he would do by not providing answers to him. Again, that is what happens in the movie. Not the Bible.

I think Noah has generated abit of a mixed review. I personally enjoy it and I loved it. Its inspiring and it touched my heart truly. I felt that Noah's journey was epic and I think its a great movie and I felt that it sank into my heart on how important a Christian's faith is.

Noah may be a very Christian-ish movie but I think that its effect and drama makes up for that Biblical storyline. Basically, it has a somewhat biblical storyline but its still a drama. Its really just about how far a man would go for God and you should personally watch it to truly know if you would like it or not. Like I said, almost everyone has a different opinion on it.
**Special thanks to United International Pictures for the synopsis and movie stills.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Movie Review

Captain America is so SOOOOOOO good. On very rare occasions, the second sequel is actually better than the first and Captain America: The Winter Soldier belongs into this rare category. Personally, I think its way better than its first movie and here's why.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (PG - Violence)

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk.
Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever- widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.

Genre: Action/ Adventure
Running Time: 136 Minutes
Release Date: 27th March 2014

There was a sudden death of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s very own and thats when the kick comes in because you'll not be able to get over that person's death. I couldn't believe it at all. The story starts almost immediately. There's no dillydallying, no wishywashy. Its 136 minutes of non stop action and adventure and I promise you it will take your breath away.

Its a very fresh experience to have Captain America partnering with the Black Widow, (lets not forget the fact that these 2 main actors are major hotties. I was literally gushing at Chris Evans and my boyfriend was gushing madly at Scarlett Johansson). Black Widow always had a very questionable past. There was never a story about her, no one knows who she is and she's secretive that way. You'll never know if you can ever trust her and this whole plot is pretty much on Captain America needing allies that he can trust. So there's always this constant little voice wondering if Black Widow would ever betray him.

When the Winter Soldier was revealed, I was like oh my god. No freaking way! The whole plot just got way more exciting. Then, you'll realise that not everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. are actually S.H.I.E.L.D. and thats going to dig into you because now even you don't know who the good guys are and who are the bad ones. Its fries your brain up a little and thats why Captain America: The Winter Soldier was so so exciting and definitely better than its first.

Also! There are 2 post credit scenes. I'm sure EVERYONE stays for the 1st post credit scene and they forget about the second one thats AFTER the entire credit. I wouldn't say that its very important to catch the second post credit scene but its good to know so be sure to stay and give the crew members of Captain America: The Winter Soldier some amazing credit for such an amazing movie.
**Special thanks to Walt Disney Studios for the synopsis and stills.

Divergent Movie Review

Okay when I first saw the trailer for Divergent I was like lameee but the boyfriend wanted to catch it so yah. It was a really really long movie and personally, I felt that the entire movie was a little draggy. Way too draggy.
Divergent (PG 13 - Some Violence)
Divergent is a thrilling action-adventure set in a future world where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities. Tris Prior (Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late.
Divergent is based on the best-selling book series by Veronica Roth.
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Running Time: 139 Minutes
Release Date: 20th March 2014

So basically there's a little bit of understanding required to completely understand what Divergent is about so that explains why I find it a little draggy. To give you a quick summary on what all 5 factions are about: 

1. Dauntless
They're the soldiers out of all the factions. They're the ones who go to war, who fights. They're the warriors. In our world, they're soldiers.

2. Abnegation
The helpful bunch. Its always about others and never about yourselves. In our world, they are like social workers, missionaries.

3. Amity
I like to think about them as farmers who lead a simple life.

4. Candor
The honest ones. They speak nothing but the truth no matter how much it hurts or no matter how dangerous it is.

5. The smarty pants. In our world, the nerds, the scientist, the genius.

Hope that helps! Now moving on to the review of the movie. Many have compared Divergent to The Hunger Games and sure enough to a certain extend it is similar to The Hunger Games. Survival of the fittest etc etc. But I thought that The Hunger Games was more thrilling as compared to Divergent. I honestly found the entire movie very long winded. There were so much explanations going on and the entire focus was really just about 'Would they find out Tris is Divergent?'. 139 Minutes of that focus was really uncalled for.

But of course what made the entire show really bearable is due to Theo James. Doesn't he look a little like Paul Walker btw? I really enjoy the mystery of Theo James's character - Four. I mean its honestly predictable but there's always this thing about hot mysterious and mean guys and yes, he's a complete jerk initially.

Another thing I really enjoyed about Divergent is how much of a kick ass girl Tris is. She fears nothing and she's willing to get her hands dirty and she depends on NO ONE. I honestly don't find her annoying at all. She doesn't whine about how sad her life is and how much danger she is in. She fights for her survival and she strives and she moves on from the pain and thats what I really like about Divergent. Tris isn't a typical action movie girl. She has character that even the guys admire. Go girl power!

Here's some more stills for you to get a rough idea on what you can expect from Divergent and yes, the second sequel Insurgent has been given the green light and is expected to be released on 20th March 2015 and yes I'm still going to catch it because Theo James have signed on to be in it (:

**Special thanks to Golden Village Pictures for the synopsis and stills.

Need for Speed Movie Review

I have an insane love for cars and don't even start comparing Need for Speed with Fast & Furious, please don't because its completely different.
Need for Speed (PG13 - Some Nudity)

Based on the most successful racing video game franchise ever with over 140 million copies sold, "Need for Speed" captures the freedom and excitement of the game in a real-world setting, while bringing to life the passion for the road that has made our love of cars so timeless.
The film centers around Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), a blue-collar mechanic who races muscle cars on the side in an unsanctioned street-racing circuit. Struggling to keep his family-owned garage afloat, he reluctantly partners with the wealthy and arrogant ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). But just as a major sale to car broker Julia Maddon (Imogen Poots) looks like it will save Tobey's shop, a disastrous race allows Dino to frame Tobey for a crime he didn’t commit, and sending Tobey to prison while Dino expands his business out West.
Two years later, Tobey is released and set on revenge — but he knows his only chance to take down his rival Dino is to defeat him in the high-stakes race known as De Leon — the Super Bowl of underground racing. However to get there in time, Tobey will have to run a high-octane, action-packed gauntlet that includes dodging pursuing cops coast-to-coast as well as contending with a dangerous bounty Dino has put out on his car. With the help of his loyal crew and the surprisingly resourceful Julia, Tobey defies odds at every turn and proves that even in the flashy world of exotic supercars, the underdog can still finish first.
Genre: Action/Adventure
Running Time: 131 minutes
Release Date: 13th March 2014

HONESTLY, the first 10 minutes of the movie was really boring. Its like I don't even know why there was a need for so much talking because lets just watch the pretty cars race okay?
But when the first race started, I cannot tell you how disappointed I was by it because I was expecting the races to be a little better than Fast & Furious. The first race was completely boring with nothing interesting to get excited over except for sure, the engines of the cars but really, I need more than that to be entertained.

However, Need for Speed gets wayyy more interesting as the time passes and the whole boring first scenes and first race didn't matter much anymore because the whole storyline and action was god damn interesting. I really really love every single bit of action there was afterwards and how exciting the whole scenario is.

I love the entire cast ensemble of Need for Speed. It was funny, entertaining and I think its a great production all in all although initially, I have to admit I didn't felt that way. I thought Aaron Paul wasn't hot enough to be casted as Tobey but I take that back. He's amazing as Tobey Marshall and every single scene was amazing and breathtaking.

So if you have yet to catch Need for Speed and if you're tempted to go to the toilet because its boring INITIALLY, don't! Trust me, once the boring parts are over, you're up for some adrenaline packed action and you'll never want to move.

Need for Speed or Fast & Furious? I don't think it can ever be compared that way. You'll have to watch it to understand what I mean because although both movies are similar in a way, its very different. It has a whole different concept and backstory.

**Special thanks to Walt Disney Pictures for the synopsis and stills.

Labor Day Movie Review

Caught the preview screening of Labor Day yesterday and to my surprise, I actually did enjoy the movie. Honestly, if I wasn't invited to the preview screening I don't think Labor Day would be a movie that I would have paid to watch because it looks like a movie that I would fall asleep to but I was awake the entire time because there was this constant little voice in my head on 'omg, dont get caught dont get caught.'

Labor Day (NC16 - Sexual Scene)
'Labor Day' centers on 13-year-old Henry Wheeler, who struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele (Kate Winslet) while confronting all the pangs of adolescence. On a back-to-school shopping trip, Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers (Josh Brolin), a man both intimidating and clearly in need of help, who convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict.
The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them for the rest of their lives.
Genre: TBA
Running Time: TBA
Release Date: 13 March 2013

I have to say that the whole storyline of Labor Day was pretty slow. Its full dialogue with little action because you have to understand the backstories before you can even understand why the characters are portrayed in such a way. I usually fall asleep in very dialogue movies but I didn't for Labor Day cause I was really busy guessing on every single little detail which will only be explained simply at the end of the movie.

There are alot of flashbacks that will constantly keep you wondering who those young teenagers may be. Your heart will also constantly skip a beat from hoping that Frank Chambers would not get caught. Not only that, from the bottom of my heart, I think Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet portrayed their characters perfectly. I could feel every anxiety, every fear, every sadness and every regret.

I sobbed like cray cray for 10 whole minutes when the movie was about to end AND I WAS SO NOT THE ONLY ONE. I caught others crying too! I can't reveal much because I may spoil the ending but as draggy as the story is, its not a movie that I felt I wasted my time on because it was amazingly heartwarming and you wouldn't understand anything nor feel the characters if they were to cut out any of the scenes.
The last time I cried over a love story was over The Notebook and now, Labor Day. If you have enjoyed The Notebook, then you would definitely enjoy Labor Day. Its amazing and its breathtaking (:
**Special thanks to United International Pictures for the images and invitation!