About Time (2013) movie review

Overall verdict: 9/10

The Good: realistic and relatable characters, terrific cast chemistry,  conceptually deeper than the typical romance story, rich in life lessons

The Bad: wonky time travel concept that breaks its own rules,

3D Readiness: Not available in 3D
IMax-ability: none

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Have you ever looked back on your life and thought "what could I have done differently"? Have you ever wished you could re-live a wonderful moment over and over again? Well young Tim Lake has the ability to travel back in time, same as his father, and his grandfather. Tim is not exactly the handsomest of men; he is an awkward, shy and slightly introverted character. Yet with these new found abilities he tries to make life better for himself and those he care about by altering little events in his past. This brings him to Mary, the woman of his dreams. When a change in the past almost erases their relationship, Tim holds back on using time travel unless only for the most important things. As his relationship with Mary grows from friends to family, Tim slowly learns that sometimes one has to let go of the past in order to fully embrace the present and work toward the future.

ABOUT TIME is possibly one of the few romance movies that subvert the "typical" romance tropes. It is not overly sappy or awkward like the asian ones, but neither is it over sexualised or shallow as hollywood ones. It is an earnest little fairy tale that, refreshingly, frames a love relationship into the eventual outcome of a happy marriage and a family (unlike many which just ends with the couple in bed together). This earnestness is helped by well written characters, particularly Tim who goes through a complete coming of age tale that many can relate to.

Starting from a socially inept teen with aspirations of dating the hottest girl in town, Tim soon realises that looks is not everything and settles for Mary, a woman who truly complements his character. We follow him as he grows into a confident adult and a loving father. Actor Domhall Gleason shares perfect chemistry with Rachael McAdam's Mary, making their relationship all the more "real". But the true breakout character is Tim's elderly yet charismatic father played by Bill Nighly who we find out has used his time travel abilities to relive precious moments in life, knowing that his life is soon coming to an end.

Yes the movie does skimp pass the less desirable aspects of relationship to present a very idealistic image of romance: the squabbles, the arguments, they are never present. Family life too skims over the baby crying at midnight, the smelly diaper changes, adapting one's lifestyle around the child etc. But hey, fairy tale is fairy tale, and the movie would be three times the length if one were to go into the specifics of relationship trials and family tribulations. 

ABOUT TIME's only flaw is how it trips over its very own concept.
At the very onset, two simple rules are set down about time travel.
1)  He can't travel forward in time
2) Travelling to a time before the birth of a child will alter who that child is.
Yet Tim travels back and forth in time multiple occasions, and travelling past the birth of his child only altered his child the first time. Subsequent time travels, including one back to Tim's childhood, did not cause such changes. Any newbie to science fiction can see how WRONG the whole time travel gimmick works. Does he physically travel back in time? If so, why does he not meet his past self. Does his mind travel back in time and inhabit his past body? This is true for the first half of the film where he decides to travel back to help out a friend instead of going on a date. But later on, he seems to be in many places at once when he travels to the past, being able to do what he did and do what he wanted to do. 

The easiest way to deal with this is to not take the time travel aspect literally. Instead, it is merely a metaphor for a strong human tendency to revisit our past and relive precious moments.ABOUT TIME brings up many life lessons. If we change who we were, we would never be who we are. If we change what happened to us, no matter how embarrassing or how negative, we would never be where we are today. All things, good and bad, happen for a reason and that reason may not seem clear at first. Sometimes something bad has to happen for someone to learn a lesson and change for the better.

So there is no point trying to change the past. One should only cherish the present, for it is a gift. Take joy in the little things, settle the negatives and live it in such a way that in the future, one would never have the desire to change his past.

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Go For it: for a absolutely refreshing, pro-family take on a typical romance fairy tale with deep life lessons

Avoid it: if you just want those stories where the guy has sex with the gal

Entertainment: A

Story: A
Acting: A

Characters: A-

Music: C

Replay value: A

"Brains": A-

Cloud Atlas (2013) movie review

Overall verdict: 9/10

The Good: a veritable showcase of acting talent from an all star cast, exquisite set designs, powerful interconnected stories with deep thinking themes, emotionally charged narrative, beautiful soundtrack

The Bad: non linear narrative style and thematic juxtaposition of 6 seperate stories may confuse many

*******************Review********************

Cloud Atlas is possibly one fo the trickiest movies to review. Here is a case of either you "get it" or not. It is by no means a typical drama. Here is a movie that encompasses so much of the emotional spectrum, transcending the very genre of what a movie is meant to be like.

The Wachowskis (creators of the Matrix Trilogy) deliver yet another thinking man's mind bomb via this narratively faithful but structurally different adaptation of David Mitchell's award winning novel. In the novel, each of the 6 interconnected stories are presented as a tale within a tale; the first story taking place in 18th century is presented as a lost diary that the protagonist of the second story finds. Likewise the second story is presented as a series of letters read by a supporting character in the 3rd story. What the Wachowski siblings do instead is present the stories as running parallel to each other, joined by thematic similarities within their narrative. Themes of love, loss, hope, despair, revelation, rebellion, defeat and triumph connect the scenes from each story which in themselves influence on another.

Yes, those initiated to non-sequential storytelling would be left lost. Each story follows a set genre style too. At one moment we follow a 19th century lawyer named Adam Ewing on his journey home to england from america, his fateful choice involving a stowaway slave.. The next we hop to 1936 as Robert Frobisher, a bisexual aspiring musician starts working on his masterpiece, the "Cloud Atlas Sextet" while his mentor seeks to claim credit for it. Then we get a great tribute to pulp spy thrillers in 70s and see the exploits of reporter Luisa Rey as she tries to uncover a conspiracy involving nuclear research and runs into some people seeking to silence her. Punctuating these more serious stories is the present day comedic ordeal of elderly Michael Cavendish as he is tricked into "incarceration" at a spartan nursing home and how he continually tries to find a way to escape.From the present to the far future, a clone slave named Somni bears witness to untold horrors in a so called Utopian world, thus fueling a rebel movement through the power of the media. And finally, during earth's last days, an era where cannibals rule the land, one unlikely couple seeks to escape their fate.

For fans of the Wachowskis' work, there are many similarities with this and the Matrix.  In all those stories, the central theme involves an imposed restriction and how an individual tries to break out from that restriction. Their act of defying the status quo would echo in the years to come and live on to inspire other such acts. Similar scenes are thus thematically juxtaposed and infused with bits of philosophy, not unlike The Matrix trilogy. Slavery, a desire for the truth, breaking free, futile rebellion, defeat but ultimately vindication. That similarity is most apparent in the Somni story, which could just as well be "The Matrix ver 2.0". With startling special effects, tremendous amount of thought which went into replicating the environments, tone, clothing and designs of each unique time period.

The all star cast brings their "A" game to screen delivering award winning performances. Even though we have so many characters to follow, the emotional connection is formed almost immediately.  Adding an element of fun to this movie is the ongoing game of "guess that face", as the actors play multiple roles across the various time periods. Sometimes they even play against type and against gender. Accompanying this time spanning epic is a emotionally powerful music score by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Kilmek and Reinold Heil. It is a simple melody which, like the movie, is performed in a variety of styles that matches the tone and time period of the scene.

Cloud Atlas will draw you in and thrill you as much as baffle you. One can only hope that the DVD or blu-ray release comes with both this ingeniously structured theatrical cut and "regular cut" which places the stories in chronological order (for those who can't follow flashback/flashforwards). With all the spectacle of a big budget blockbuster and the overall feel of a complex artsy film, Cloud Atlas is ambitious in challenging the norms of filmaking. Hopefully, its success will inspire generations to come.

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Go For it: if you like complex movies that challenges you to think

Avoid it: if non-linear storytelling gives you a headache or if you dont like to think that much into movies

Entertainment: A

Story: A-
Acting: A

Characters: A

Music: B

Replay value: A

"Brains": A-

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) movie review

Overall verdict: 6/10

The Good: More of a character drama than superhero blockbuster, natural performances by acting leads, James Horner's emotionally subtle soundtrack, not as bad as Spiderman 3

The Bad: unfocused plot, irregular pacing, lackluster action sequences, generic hero fanfare (music), never fully develops underlying themes,  not as good as Spiderman 1 and 2. 

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"Is it necessary?" seems to be the question on everyone's mind when Sony announced a reboot of the live action Spiderman movie franchise following the closure of Sam Raimi's previous movie trilogy. It was not even 10 years since the first spiderman movie, starring Tobey Mcguire, was released to critical acclaim and financial success. Despite deviating somewhat from the comic books, the movie stay true to the spirit of the source material and was lauded by both comic fans and casual movie watchers alike.  Enter THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, the first in a new trilogy of movies based on Marvel's favorite web-slinger. With a promise to adhere closer to the comic books, the film goes back to explore Spiderman's origin once again. A genetically altered Spider's bite, a death in the family, a promise made, a responsibility accepted. But once we get down to the specifics, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN becomes its own unique creature.

With an overall tone closer to a character centered teenage romance drama than a Superhero blockbuster, renaming the title "Peter Parker: Spider-man" would have been more appropriate. Teenager Peter Parker, played by Andrew Garfield, is less of Tobey Mcguire's lovable loser and more of a misunderstood social outcast; seething with angst, awkward with girls, prefers to be alone. Abandoned by his parents under mysterious circumstances, Peter was raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. In high school, he grapples with finding his sense of identity and finding his first high school crush in the form of snowy haired Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). One day, Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father which leads him to Oscorp and his father's science partner Dr Curt Connors. An accident grants Peter Parker with spider-like powers but also results in a new scaly menace intent on wiping out human life. 

From the get go, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN shows itself to be a very competent human drama film. Relationships are the focus here. We get an insight into how Peter's relationships with his Uncle Ben affects his choice to become a masked vigilante. Martin Sheen completely nails the protective "tough love" yet gentle personality of Uncle Ben from the comics. It feels very natural and this makes his eventual death weigh even more on Peter's life changing decisions. Similarly the chemistry between Peter and Gwen is more nuanced than the more fairy tale like romance between Peter and Mary Jane from the Sam Raimi trilogy. Overall, the characters are definitely more grounded in reality, fully developed and easy to relate to.

However it is this move to try and ground the movie in reality that is also one of its many downfalls. Although director Marc Webb perfectly captures the emotional aspect of the movie, he seems to have trouble grappling the drama with the action. Once Spiderman dons the mask, the film splits itself into two movies: "Peter Parker: High School Romance" and "Spiderman Begins". This shift in tone can be jarring and similarities to "Batman Begins" abound: a parental figure killed in front of our protagonist, setting most of the action at night, a darker tone, even the plot thread of the authorities hunting our masked vigilante. Unlike Batman Begins, however, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN hints on themes but never develops them; a likely result of giving too much weight to Peter Parker's emotional drama. The theme about the power of anonymity behind a mask, for example, is a poignant one befitting the Internet age yet is only touched upon but never focused on.

Not surprisingly, director Marc Webb is more known for romance drama "500 Days of Summer" than any blockbuster. Like a Basketball player handed a golf club, Webb fumbles about once the Superhero plot is introduced. His lingering long shots are eschewed for fast whip cuts and close ups in fight scenes making much of the action difficult to follow if it were not for Spidey's bright hued outfit. Our villain is basically Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus redux: a well intentioned scientist driven to madness by a lab accident, developing a "Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde" personality only to come to his senses in the end. 

His strong point, the human drama, also suffers at this point where we have Peter and Gwen being the adorable awkward couple at one moment and then madly in love the next moment after a family dinner. In making Peter Parker a socially awkward skateboarding kid instead of the complete nerd drifting through a crappy life, the story of gaining great power and learning great responsibility carries less impact. He already has a rebellious nature, he already stands up to bullies, he already talks back to authority figures. That metamorphosis from zero to hero hardly takes place. Ironic that a movie with two very clashing story styles never manages to convey the dichotomous personality of the shy doormat Peter Parker and the heroically resolute Spiderman. 

The dichotomy in the movie's tone and style can be seen even in the film score by James Horner. His softer piano based tunes set during the "Peter Parker" convey the constant inner turmoil Peter has to grapple with; there is an underlying sense of somberness to the emotions. On the other hand, Horner's action cues and main hero fanfare are sadly generic. Danny Elfman composed a dramatic, subtle yet memorable score with tunes that just ooze "arachnid". Horner here gives us plain old "heroic" with a hero theme that sounds like a combination of "Batman and Robin" and Ang Lee's "Hulk". A sad turn from the composer who brought us the epic sweeping scores of Aliens and Avatar.  

If one were to compare, The Amazing Spider-man woud rate as the 3rd best among the 4 Spiderman films in existence just slightly behind Spiderman 1 but significantly better than the muddled mess of Spiderman 3. It is an emotionally touching coming-of-age movie, heavy on teenage drama and characters anyone can relate to. Sadly it is a mediocre superhero film, floundering in its schizophrenic switch of tone between drama and action instead of blending them together. 

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Go For it: if you want to see a more character focused origin of Spiderman on the big screen or prefer your superheros to be very easy to relate to.

Avoid it: if you have a die hard love of Sam Raimi's first 2 spiderman movies or Tobey Mcguire's awesome portrayal of the Peter Parker/Spiderman character.

Entertainment: A-

Story: B+

Acting: A

Characters: A-

Music: B-

Replay value: B

"Brains": C-

Monsters (2010) review

Overall verdict: 8/10

The Good: awesome cast chemistry, impressive visuals despite low budget, solid emotional core, very effecting directing,

The Bad:policital and social commentary ineffectively conveyed, slow moving plot,

Current Availability Status: Coming soon to DVD and blu-ray

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The one thing worse than a misleading movie trailer that gives one false expectations, is a misleading movie title.

For a movie entitled "Monsters", there is VERY LITTLE monster appearances. There does not even seem to be a hidden second meaning in the title (a smarter man would make a movie titled "Monsters" and have it refer to the monstrous nature of humans who mete out atrocities on one another.). Therefore, calling this a monster film with a hidden social commentary is stretching it at best. Here is a human interaction drama of two strangers thrown together by unforeseen circumstances, facing unknown dangers against the backdrop of a world at constant war with a race of giant alien squid creatures.

Six years have passed since a NASA space probe brought alien life to earth. The aliens have been quarantined to an "Infected Zone" between Mexico and USA. Into this world comes news photographer Andrew Kaudler who is tasked to safely bring his employer's daughter, Samantha Wynden across the Mexican border back to USA. A series of mishaps leaves them with only the option of traveling through the monster infested zone where danger lurks within the deep jungles. So in what can only be described as a homage to Jurassic Park and Apocalypse Now, the duo take a perilous journey upriver into the heart of the Infected Zone.

Apparently shot on a shoestring budget of barely half a million dollars, "Monsters" would feel like a Discovery Channel travelogue if it were not for the amazing chemistry between the two core characters. This very realistic interplay as the two characters get to learn about each other saves this film from becoming just another road trip flick.

Director Gareth Edwards has a keen talent for maintaining a palpable sense of tension and danger in slower scenes that would otherwise be considered boring in less expert hands. Allowing the camera to linger on a scene while the sound fades until only the haunting musical score is audible serves to add a great emotional impact to such scenes. Edwards uses a very "documentary" style of filming that revels in properly fleshing out the sorry state of a world in constant fear of the unknown and border towns who live in the shadow of death; again, much like a travelogue. There are some hints of jabbing at American immigration policies, USA's reliance on high tech warfare to solve international problems and the intolerance toward "alien" immigrants but these are only hinted at and barely given emphasis. Stuff like "District 9" handled those themes a lot better.

Do not expect a movie the likes of Cloverfield or Godzilla when going to watch "Monsters". It is less like a monster movie and more like a very satisfying, emotional human drama about an unlikely couple bonded together by the desire to return home to their loved ones. We get a look ingo their anguish, their sorrow, their hopes and dreams that they go through along the way. Here is a showcase of the very best of what can be achieved in an independent film, easily besting many of its bigger budgeted counterparts.

(Oh, and there are giant enemy squid creatures conveniently appearing only in murky night time darkness to conceal the low budget CGI rendering.)

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Go For it: if an independent film filled with human drama, tension and a character centered story are your cup of tea
Avoid it: if you are expecting some big action packed monster mash like Godzilla or alien invasions like Independence Day.

Entertainment: B
Story: A-
Acting: A
Characters: A
Replay value: B
"Brains": B-

Love Hina (2000) review

Overall verdict: 8/10

The Good: Emotionally deeper than other "harem" genre anime, bettern than usual TV animation, exceptional japanese voice cast, well timed humour, well developed characters, beautiful artwork and character designs

The Bad: Cliched premise, unoriginal plot, over reliance on budget saving animation short cuts, weak final act, some humour borders on the nonsensical.

Current Availability Status: some VCDs available in singapore. DVD not available

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Poor Keitaro Urashima, the dude just cannot catch a break. Having Failed the Tokyo university exam twice, Keitaro was kicked out of his home and forced to take up residence at an inn run by his grandmother. Little does he know that the inn has been converted into an all-girls dormitory and that his grandmother has left him as the dorm manager. As expected, the girls are not too happy with the arrangement, but they get a teeny bit more sympathetic once they discover the poor bugger's plight. Madcap wacky boy-meets-girls adventure with a sweet romantic twist follows in one of the better romance comedy anime series out there.

More an ensemble piece than other shows of this genre, its main selling point is definitely the characters. Each of them is given a unique and multi-layered personality making them both easy to relate to and incredibly lovable. Keitaro is THE guy that the intended target audience (single male who wastes his life either studying or watching anime like this) would die to be. He is a bumbling idiot, a complete loser, yet his tenacity and optimistic outlook would either inspire or disgust you; one would not be blamed for wanting to slap some sense into Keitaro. But give the guy a break, he has got a promise to fulfill a promise to a forgotten childhood sweetheart and get into Tokyo university.

Naru Narusegawa is the "main" female protagonist here. Her fierce demeanor toward Keitaro and hot headed attitude (not to mention, hot body) belies a secretly insecure neurotic looking for her place in the world. You see, the girl is studying to get into Tokyo university too. And the fact that she bears a startling resemblance to Keitaro's childhood sweetheart causes some inevitable sparks to fly. It is the "unlikely couple" scenario seen in so many romance shows: he likes her, she hates his guts, she cracks and shows her vulnerable side, he so happens to be there for her. etc. We all know where this goes. But no romance would be right without a proper love triangle and we get that in the form of Mutsumi Otohime, a simple but adorable ditz introduced later, who claims to be Keitaro's childhood friend.

Though the central tale is a little cliched sort of a coming of age thing for Keitaro and the surreal love story, each of the other girls are given ample development of their very own character arcs. Timid little Shinobu learns the value of trust and how to assert herself, carefree Kitsune gets a lesson in responsibility, the icy Motoko learns to open up her heart and even the wild and sprightly Kaolla Su learns to grow up. As said before, all very lovable, all easy to relate to.

Created at the turn of the 21st century, Love Hina was among the first shows to be colored by computer. The result is some beautiful artwork and cute, albeit slightly simplified, designs with a color scheme that uses the unlimited palette offered by software without looking overly bright and saturated. The animation itself is pretty standard anime stuff; it has its decent share of animation short cuts, lazy scene panning, some stiff character motions, but they only crop up occasionally per episode. On a whole, the quality is slightly better than the typical TV series with more attention given to maintaining a consistent high level of detail in the artwork.

In contrast, the voice acting is superb throughout. Veterans like Megumi Hayashibara, Yui Horie, Yuji Ueda, among others, totally sell their characters, playing them with the same diversity that fits their personality. A bit over the top at times, but it fits in with the very nature of the show. A Chinese dub and a USA English dub were released as well but neither can hold a candle to the original language. Though, in comparison, one might favor the English version over the Chinese version purely for the superior acting standard; at least the English version is not downright terrible or miscast like the Chinese one.

The more conservative types would be glad to know that fan-service is only teased and not blatantly tasteless like many recent anime. Comedy is well written, jokes are timely and in good taste with only a twinge if innuendo. Its shortcomings in its animation is forgivable but a hastily written and seemingly lower quality final few episodes earns it a couple of demerits. Definitely "cleaner" and emotionally deeper than other shows of similar genre, Love Hina is a fun filled gem of a series filled with truly emotional drama, romance and crazy comedy complete with giant robot turtles, mysterious island kingdoms and a little bit of magic.

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Go For it: for a cleaner, better written romance comedy anime that puts the focus on the characters' personalities and not just on the characters' bodies
Avoid it: if you are a staunch "the manga is always better" kind of person

Entertainment: A
Story: B
Characters: A-
Animation: B-
Art: A-
Voice work (japanese): A
Voice work (english): B-
Voice work (chinese): C
Replay Value: A-
"Brains": B-


Did i mention slapstick (or more like slap Keitaro) humour?


Did I mention the giant robot turtle?

Did i mention..........YIKES, wat the hell is this??

Childhood sweetheart, an undying promise

Love In Disguise 戀愛通告(2010) review

Overall verdict: 3.5/10

The Good: Convincing acting, well cast roles

The Bad: cliche ridden, evidence of author self-glorification, bland jokes, one dimensional characters, generally uninteresting main character.

Also know as: Lian ai tong gao, 戀愛通告

Current Availability Status: coming to DVD

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Either Chinese pop idol Wang Lee Hom had a breath of inspiration to try to break into the film making business, or music is not bringing in as much dough as he would like. Either way, it must take some gutsy person to make a movie, not a documentary or biopic, about......himself.

Wang Lee Hom writes, directs and stars in what is easily a glorified fan-fiction about himself. Lee plays Du Ming Han, pop idol extraordinaire with an over active imagination and adored by millions. Along with his loyal manager, Joan (played by actress....Joan Chen), each day is a routine of performances, evading the paparazzi through the use of disguises and partying at night with his band-mates. One night after giving the press the slip, Ming Han's posh Van literally runs into a female music student named Song Xiao Qing. Miraculously unhurt, Xiao Qing checks her "GuZheng" string instrument for damage. This is when Du Ming Han's overactive imagination kicks in as Xiao Qing's tune conjures up images of badly CGI-ed butterflies in his head. Immediately smitten by her, though he claims he is only her music that he is in love with, Du Ming Han and his lead guitarist Wei Zhi Bai track the talented girl to her school. Donning a couple of silly disguises, they enroll in the schools music department so that Ming Han can have the pleasure of hearing Xiao Qing play once again.

As much as Du Ming Han daydreams of flowers, butterflies and beautiful hilltops when he listens to Xian Qing's music, the entire movie seems like a wishful daydream of writer/director/main actor Wang Lee Hom. The characters that populate the story are either played too over-the-top for anyone to take seriously, are utterly unlikable or generally lack a certain presence. The first flaw falls on every single side character from the school principle (who happens to be Xiao Qing's father) to even Wei Zhi Bai. They are all played for laughs basically, and nothing more. "Utterly unlikable" goes to the character of Mu Fan, a perfectionist top music student who Xian Qing has a crush on. Played like a complete jerk rival to Du Ming Han, his eventual change of heart comes without any reason other than to move the already plodding plot along. And lastly there is Xiao Qing, played by actress Liu Yifei, who feels like a blank slate. Where the other actors ham it up to the max actress YiFei does not even seem to be trying, rendering the character of Xiao Qing an expressionless bore.

But perhaps the greatest flaw is the flawless main character himself. He is a "Mary Sue", perfect in every way. He's got the looks, the cash, the charisma, and is talented in both pop music and classical Chinese instruments. And we as the audience are supposed to like him and feel sorry for him even though it was by his own dishonest actions that put him in a spot in the first place?

Every single "twist" in the plot is easily predictable and the forced humor gets old really fast. It really is unclear whether the story is to be firmly rooted in reality or fantasy. While it gives a very satirical look into the life of a superstar, there are too many moments where suspension of disbelief has to be called into play.The story even defies logic at times, expecting the audience to believe that a person can slip out of one disguise and into another AND run from the toilet to the performing stage, all under ten seconds (unless super-speed is another talent of the main character).

There was one moment where this movie could have set itself apart. A subplot about the concept of "soul-mates" as something mutually exclusive of "lovers" could have been developed more fully. Perhaps exploring the different types of love that need not be just romantic love, or expounding on how a Soul Mate might indicate a more metaphysical connection than a merely emotional one. Instead, after a small tease, the narrative conveniently lumps "romantic partner" and "soul-mate" together again and we are back in cliché land.

As much as Clark Kent's glasses is an absurdly thin disguise for Superman, so is Du Ming Han's disguise in this film. That same thinness translates to the plot, the characters and even the dialog. "Love In Disguise" feels like a lazy vanity affair. A self promoting tale of a musical Mary Sue that offers nothing new to the genre, not even some new laughs.

*****************************Review End******************

Go For it: if you are a Wang Lee Hom fangirl or are in the mood for some extremely shallow laughs. Or if your girl pal insists on dragging you along.
Avoid it: if you are a general fan of good romantic comedies.

Entertainment: C+
Story: C
Acting: B
Characters: D-
Replay value: C-
"Brains": D+

The Ugly Truth (2009) review

Overall verdict: 6.5/10

The Good: Superb acting by the leads, witty humour, well paced narrative, emotionally engaging characters

The Bad: stale predictable story, other characters other than the leads are bland, unsatisfactory conclusion, failed to expound on the more complex and interesting themes of relationship.

Current Availability Status: On DVDs in all major DVD stores
DVD features:
- deleted scenes
- director's commentary

******************************Review********************
Over the years, the romance comedy genre have always been within the "hit or miss" region among movies in general. Be it live action or in the form of anime, romantic comedies tend to be mostly mediocre with only a handful that turn out really funny and enjoyable with even less going on to become international hits. Sadly "The Ugly Truth" follows that long line of mediocre romance comedies, its only bright spot being that Gerald "This is Sparta" Butler is given a chance to show off his acting prowess in a fresh new role that he has never tackled before.

THe premise of this movie is as such. Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is a perfectionist, "control freak"-ish morning show TV producer whose show is on the verge of being canceled due to low ratings. One night, she comes home from a disastrous date and happens to watch a segment of a TV show, "The Ugly Truth", hosted by "shock jock" by Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler). Abby calls into his show and argues with Mike on-air, in response to cynical attitude about relationships prompts, which leads to her quite literally "hating his guts". The next day, she discovers that the station she works for has hired Mike to do a segment on her show in order to boost ratings. This kicks starts a very storm tossed relationship between the two which lends itself to numerous comedic turns. Sooner than expected, Abby just so happens to fall for her doctor neighbor and she grudgingly goes to Mike for advice at "netting" the man of her dreams(actually the only man who fulfilled her listed criteria). The unlikely pair cut a deal in that if she is She agrees to his advice and is successful, it would prove Mike's theories on relationships and she will work happily with him. However if Mike fails, he agrees to quit.

Anyone with experience in this genre of movies can more or less fill in the rest of the story. Unlikely pair work together, more jokes, fall for each other, more jokes, Love triangle develops, tragedy strikes, touching finale. Finish.

In this case, one would admit that the usual formula actually works to a certain extent. Familiarity allows the audience to know exactly what they are watching. They would know exactly how the story would turn out and hence lessen the chances that an audience would go away disappointed since whoever does not like this genre of movies would not even be watching this in the first place. "The Ugly Truth" is not a masterpiece by any means, nor would it win any awards, but it is entertainment. Also the formulaic story allows one to focus more on the scripting and acting, and this is where the movie truly shines.

Witty banter and a cornucopia of innuendo-ed jokes permeate most of the film. Sexual references abound but are written in such a tactful way that they do not come off as crass or crude. Most sexual innuendo jokes tend to be rude and sometimes offensive; thankfully that is not the case here.There is wit to the humor in this movie that utilities word puns and double meanings in their jokes to good effect. Thankfully, the humor is not over-played as the tone transits from its lighthearted first act into its more serious second act. The characters and situations are written in such a way that anyone could easily identify with them, which lends to a greater emotional involvement in the film.

Stellar acting by the cast also helps. Special mention goes to Gerald Butler who proves to be an exceedingly versatile actor. He nails the carefree, in-your-face, yet internally bitter character of Mike Chadway to the point that it is easy to forget the actor playing the role and just become so involved with character himself. Katherine Heigl does a satisfying job as Abby, lending both her acting chops and eye candy to the complex lead role.

It is a huge pity that the writers chose to fall back on "the usual thing" instead of expanding on the relationship themes a little more . Having a clearer conflict of ideals between Mike and Abby and maybe going deeper into the strengths and flaws of the ideas presented would have turned this film into a more thought provoking experience. "what men really want" , "what women really look for", "loving the 'me you want to see' or loving 'the real me'", all those little tidbits would have made benefited from a more central role in the film which would have given this movie a "fresher" feel instead of the stale standard story.


At the end of the day, unless you are already a fan of romantic comedies or unless you have an open mind when it comes to various movie genre, its best to stick with what you like. "The Ugly Truth" would not be converting staunch action movie junkies or epic fantasy aficionados anytime soon, that's for sure, but just sit back relax and enjoy a good laugh that is easy on the brain. A hearty chuckle and a few quick tugs at the heartstrings now and then is good for body, mind and soul.


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Go For it: if you enjoy a good laugh, if you want to see Gerald Butler in a role he has never done before, and if you already know what to expect from a typical romance comedy
Avoid it: if you seek something better than "typical"

Entertainment: B-
Story: D
Acting: A
Characters: B
Music: C-
Replay value: C
"Brains": C-