Movie Review: The Wolverine

 He's the best at what he does... And what he does isn't very nice.

Once again reprising the role that helped make him a bonafide superstar in Hollywood, Hugh Jackman returns as the X-Man Logan, and proves without a shadow of a doubt why he's the man that deserves to be called "Wolverine". Since his last full appearance as the feral mutant in the 2009 X-film spinoff "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and making a cameo in 2011's "X-Men: First Class", there's been more questions than answers as to where the X-Men's most dangerous member would go next, and now we get the answer in an adaptation that explores a part of his life that's based from one of the most memorable arcs in the Marvel Comics character's long and documented comic history.

Definitely departing from the typical superhero film route and taking itself more seriously like that of a Japanese noir action movie, The Wolverine is the latest spinoff film that explores the character's time in Japan, as well as battling personal demons and new foes in the form of yakuza, ninjas, samurai, and more hidden enemies with a bone to pick with the X-Man. It's your formula for the kind of action and setup seen in the genre... Only with Wolverine in it, and adds subtle ties to his part in the X-Men film franchise, particularly with one thread that carries over from X-Men: The Last Stand. Does this movie scream berserker rage or something else? Find out in this review, and special thanks goes to 20th Century Fox PH and Ayala Cinemas for the Special advanced 3D screening!

Let's Go, Bub.

Movie review: Pacific Rim

Growing up, I enjoyed a lot of fantastic things like Super Robots and Comic Book characters clashing against evil and monstrous forces out to threaten the human race. There's been plenty of times I've been fortunate to see these fandoms converge, but usually to an animated and small screen audience that saw lots of potential and concepts explored that gave rise to dreams that someday we'd see things like these in a real life setting.

And literally in awe-inspiring fashion, Guillermo del Toro initiated that dream in the silver screen with "Pacific Rim" - a monstrous film that sees Giant man-made Robots known as "Jaegers" fighting against titanic scary creatures called "Kaiju". Basically a love letter to the fans out there who love Japanese Monster movies and Giant Robot and Tokusatsu/ Hero shows, this is an American production by Warner Bros. and Legendary that's both huge and ambitious in scale. However, the end result is an epic that's stellar and breathtaking in nature, and anyone who wanted to see titanic forces unleashing their fury on a earthly setting certainly won't come home disappointed upon seeing this.

After seeing the RP advanced screening courtesy of and thanks to Warner Bros. Philippines, I'm here to review what is certainly already one of 2013's BEST blockbuster films, and it was definitely worth the wait! 

Movie Review: World War Z

Since the dawn of the zombie movie genre, fans and horror enthusiasts have seen various stories and interpretations of our favorite undead freaks, with the slow and shambling "walkers" populary portrayed in the George A. Romero movies to the freaky running ghouls that add more tension and pressure in films like 28 Days Later/ 28 Weeks Later and Zack Snyder's 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake. In fact, AMC's popular television series adaptation of "The Walking Dead" has helped spread awareness and love for all things survival horror, adding social commentary to a world where humanity is forced to stare themselves in the mirror and decide how to live in situations where society has crumbled and the dead outnumber the living.

One author who has gained popularity for his portrayal of such a post apocalyptic world is Max Brooks, who's written the popular "Zombie Survival Guide" and a collection of zombie apocalyptic warfare history with "World War Z". The latter novel, published in 2006, depicts Brooks' fictionalized self as a United Nations officer who travels the globe and interviews various people who have survived and experienced fighting the undead in a war that has spanned for over a decade. Suffice to say, the book was impressive and I loved every bit of it... Which is why it's no surprise that Hollywood decided to make a film based on the book, with Hollywood heartthrob and star Brad Pitt attached as its lead.

Premiering last June 2 and now showing in international theaters such as the Philippines, the film version of World War Z depicts Pitt's character in the same role as Brooks, but is vastly different plot and action wise as the circumstances play out more to explain the beginning of the outbreak and how humanity struggles to contain it. SPOILER WARNING of course goes out to those who want to see it with a fresh mind intact, so read at your own risk before engaging with the undead first hand. Special Thanks goes to Solar UIP Philippines for the special screening, and now here's the review to one of 2013's most anticipated summer blockbuster films!