Movie Review: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Making movies based on Japanese Anime or Game properties is a hit or miss subject, which tends to miss the mark or deviate from its source material in some way or entirely. In the case of Masamune Shirow's beloved manga and anime work "Ghost in the Shell", Hollywood has taken a different approach and have done their best to remain true to the spirit (literally) of the franchise while taking its own spin on the story involving a female cyborg and a team of counter-cyberterrorist operatives who keep the future world safe from hackers and those who seek and to harm humanity. The end result is a Rupert Sanders directed film which acts as a homage to the source material, in a Blade Runner-esque style action film that has Scarlett Johansson in the lead as "The Major".

Here is my review for the film, which I got to see last week courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines and is now playing in theaters.

Movie Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017)

When Walt Disney Pictures released the original animated "Beauty and the Beast" in 1991, the House of Mouse presented a true "Tale as old as time, Song as old as rhyme" adaptation of the classic fairytale that's been loved by generations of viewers across the globe. When news arrived from Hollywood that Disney was planning to remake the story in live-action following the successes of "Maleficent" and "Cinderella", many were both excited and skeptical at the prospect of bringing this magnificent masterpiece to the "real world" and casting people who would play the same characters featured in the animated version and living up to its musical and romantic fantasy roots.

All those concerns can be put to rest, as the 2017 live-action "Beauty and the Beast" film has finally hit theaters worldwide to resounding success for fans new and old. Starring Harry Potter films star Emma Watson as that book reading beauty Belle and Dan Stevens as the cursed prince turned into a Beast, the film follows the same beats as its 1991 animated movie predecessor, but adds a bit of backstory and musical numbers to give it a fresh presentation for anyone looking to compare and relive the experience.

Thanks to Walt Disney Studios Philippines I was able to see the movie last week in IMAX 3D, and with some friends dressed as the stars of the tale and a number of nostalgic fans and newcomers, we were treated to one of the most beloved stories retold using some of the best talents and special effects Hollywood has to offer. Here's my review for "Beauty and the Beast".

Movie Review: Kong: Skull Island (2017)

I grew up watching movie greats and cinematic icons, and probably one of the most recognizable monsters and terrors I've encountered in my childhood is "King Kong" - the huge ape that is known as the "8th Wonder of the World" to man yet is truly just a creature from a lost age who is implied to be the last of his kind hailing from the fictional lost world of "Skull Island". I first got exposed to Kong and his world with a home video copy of the 1933 original directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and it was an eye opener in the history of Hollywood cinema that received critical acclaim for its portrayal of a giant monster ape and pioneering use of stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien. As compared to the 1976 remake (which was alright and actually had Jeff Bridges in it) and the somewhat lukewarm 2005 one directed by LOTR helmer Peter Jackson, it can be argued that you "can't beat a classic" and the original still set the standard for other Kong films and copycats that followed.

Fast forward to 2017 and we have the THIRD REBOOT attempt to bring Kong to the modern world with "Kong: Skull Island" - a reimagining of the Kong franchise directed by Jordan Charles Vogt-Roberts (who is attached to direct a film version of Metal Gear Solid, but that's still in development). Other than reintroducing the giant ape to audiences with renewed vigor and style thanks to the advances of technology today, this movie is actually the second installment in Legendary Pictures' "MonsterVerse" - which started with the company's previous collaboration with Warner Bros. in the 2014 film "Godzilla" - which rebooted Toho's "King of the Monsters" for the second time and to much better reception as compared to the 1998 film by Independence Day director Roland Emmerich. The aim is to EVENTUALLY get these two titans together, in a "Let Them Fight" style versus flick that will finally see them clash in a Hollywood blockbuster unlike the 1962 Toho film that saw things taken less seriously as they should have been.

Now on to the review proper, and for the short gist Kong: Skull Island is nothing short of AWESOME and an absolute MUST SEE for fans new and old alike. Big thanks again to Warner Bros. PH for inviting me to the screening earlier this week!