Movie Review: Pacific Rim: Uprising

It's been five years since the world got its first big taste of a Hollywood "Giant Robot vs Giant Monster" showdown with Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim" - and that science fiction adventure flick dared to present concepts seen in Japanese mecha anime and monster films meshed into one single universe - where humanity stood in the brink of defeat against the invading Kaiju coming from deep under the Breach. To combat against these monsters, mankind created monsters of their own in the Jaegers - giant robots that could only be manned properly by two pilots who shared their thoughts and memories together via a "neural handshake". As seen in the events of the 2013 original - humanity won and defeated the Kaiju invaders, although without great sacrifice involved in the process.

Fast forward to 2018, and the adventure continues with "Pacific Rim: Uprising" - which now falls under the direction of Stephen S. DeKnight and starring "Star Wars" movies star John Boyega as Jake Pentecost - the son of Idris Elba's Stacker Pentecost from the first film. Much like the first film - this has giant monsters attacking mankind once again with humanity once again ready to fight them, yet there is a twist involved that adds new conflict and struggle that the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps must deal with in order to survive. Thanks to Columbia Pictures Philippines and United International Pictures Philippines, I got to see this sequel and thoroughly enjoyed it. How good was it? Check out my thoughts after the jump below.

Movie Review: Ready Player One

There are certain films that have the ability to suck you in with a good premise - let alone something that has just about every conceivable popculture reference and easter egg you can find from your favorite movie, video game, or cartoon from the past three decades that have literally made an impression in geek culture and hobbydom as we know it today. That honor certainly goes to "Ready Player One" - directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg and based on the 2011 novel of the same name by writer Ernest Cline. More than just your typical dystopian video game movie, this is a visual spectacle of the rarest kind - that transports viewers to a virtual reality world filled with all kinds of treats, but also gives us an adventure in the form of one young kid's desire to find the ultimate easter egg that leads to hidden treasure, but ultimately becomes a journey of self-discovery, friendship, love, and a better future.

Thanks to Warner Bros. Philippines, I was able to catch "Ready Player One" earlier before the Holy Week - and true enough to my nostalgic popculture heart I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF THIS FILM. As a gamer and kid from the 80's, this has all kinds of references, treats, and nods that shows just how far we've come along in the history of popular culture - and this has arguably become one of my FAVORITE Steven Spielberg films ever! Below is my review for this sensational eye candy of a science fiction film - which is best viewed in IMAX to get the full and immersive visual experience!

Movie Review: Tomb Raider

Reboots can be tricky business depending on how it's executed, and the same applies to films based on popular video game properties. They're a hit or miss thing depending on audiences who have either followed the source material or not - but fortunately for this particular game franchise it's a legend that is well known in both cinematic and gaming history. Lara Croft, better known as the main protagonist of the eponymous "Tomb Raider" series, has returned to the big screen - yet it is no longer the series starring Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie. Instead the new film is a "Reboot" incorporating elements of the brand new video game series which itself is a reboot, and playing the brand new Lara is another Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander - bringing to life brand new legend and origin story that shows us how this particular Croft made her bones in adventuring.

Thanks to Warner Bros. Philippines, I was able to catch the much anticipated reboot adventure last week in IMAX. It's definitely a treat for those who like to watch something simple, practical, semi-realistic, and full of adventure! As a gamer myself (and wearing a Playstation shirt in the local premiere) Here's my review for "Tomb Raider" - now playing in theaters.