Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno by Migo Fernandez

First things first, it’s a Japanese movie based on an anime, so don’t expect to understand what is going on if you haven’t seen the series. With that out of the way, let us continue with the review.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. The main character, who was previously a killer, decides to be a hero this time around because he has seen what he has done wrong. However, he still fights those who pose a threat to his friends, using a back-bladed katana to paralyze enemies instead of killing them.

I also enjoyed the movie despite its being in Japanese; the action scenes were pretty well done because of the great effects. The humor in some scenes was actually funny (like when Kenshin’s friend decided to help him fight, but with a huge blunt sword, while swearing in Japanese).  Another thing is that I think the make-up was really well done because from what I’d seen, the actors really transform into their characters. 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

A MOVIE REVIEW

BY Lorenzo Vallente and Anton Sobreviñas

Directed by: James Gunn

Starring: Chris Pratt    Zoe Saldana       Dave Bautista

       Vin Diesel    Bradley Cooper

PLOT SUMMARY:

The story centers on a ragtag bunch of “heroes” from very different backgrounds: Peter Quill, a smuggler who steals things from others for cash, Gamora, an assassin for Thanos who seeks redemption for her past sins, Drax the Destroyer, a warrior who is seeking revenge against Ronan the Accuser for killing his family, Rocket, a genetically engineered raccoon who is a weapons expert, and Groot, a tree-like humanoid who is the accomplice of Rocket. The story is quite simple, not uncommon for a Marvel film. Peter Quill steals an orb containing an Infinity Stone, which Ronan wants as well as it will grant him infinite power over the galaxy. Through different circumstances, these five people meet and form the Guardians of the Galaxy, intent to stop Ronan from going through with his master plan. It’s all pretty standard stuff.

REVIEW PROPER:

VALLENTE’S OPINION

As usual, much has been said about this movie. Most, if not all of the human population seem to love this movie, and the amazing reviews and box-office results seem to prove this statement correct. In my humble opinion, the movie was not all that amazing. Let’s start with the positives. The direction was very confident and the special effects were spectacular. James Gunn was the right choice for director as he captures the world he is bringing to life well. He handles the action scenes very adeptly. The one that sticks to my mind the most is the action scene between spaceships at the midway mark of the movie. It was genuinely exciting and fantastically shot. The special effects are also amazing, as we have come to expect from Marvel movies with gigantic budgets. Most of the acting was great as well, save for a few underwhelming performances.

Now to the negatives: as stated before, not all of the acting was superb. I found some actors to be too dry, and the glaring example is Zoe Saldana. While she has genuine acting chops, for the most part, it seemed like she was either acting too emotionlessly or was just genuinely bored. The dialogue also felt too expository. I did not think that people could actually tell these lines to other people without sounding a bit loony or dull. While the characters were developed enough, I thought the villain was very lackluster. There was nothing wrong with the actor’s performance. It’s just that the script does nothing but make him sound scary without him actually doing anything that scary. He was too one note to me.

SOBREVINAS’ OPINION:

I disagree with my partner and think that this is an exceptionally made film. The story, while basic, was effective. The acting by most of the actors was great, the special effects were amazing and the humor was genuinely funny. James Gunn really took this world and made it his own.

VALLENTE’S RATING: 6.9/10

SOBREVINAS’ RATING: 8/10

25           Jaan Gabriel C. Lacson       10-A                       Movie of the Week (The Giver)

Summary:

In a seemingly perfect world without pain, lies or feelings, Jonas, an 18 year old is chosen to be the next Receiver of Memory, the one who has the memories of the old world. This Receiver gets the memories from the previous Receiver, who is now known as the Giver. After receiving memories, Jonas realizes that there is more to his world than meets the eye, and that there is still a lot left for him to learn.

Review:

          About the script, it can be said that it can leave a lot to be desired from the audience. Compared to the book that it is based from, it did not have the same impact because it didn’t make you stop and think like the book did. The themes of freedom and such are there but it did not flesh them out that well. It felt like you were watching the scenes unfolding compared to actually experiencing them because of the lack of emotional and mental impact.

However, the visuals used were great, for example the community really seemed like it was a world that was perfect, especially the airborne shots. Also, the scenes in the wilderness were also well done; the landscape shots were brilliant in their execution. The acting was fine; there were some highlights from the Chief Elder and the Giver. However, after the movie, the performances tend to start to mix. Also a small point, sometimes the reality of the movie doesn’t make sense; I don’t think it’s possible for someone to not fall off when sliding tens of stories down a metal slope using a tray, among other things. All in all, it is still an okay experience in the cinema, which can still be enjoyed; however, it’s not one to win an award.

Joaquin Quizon

Chef: Movie Review

Story:

The story is pretty simple; a chef comes into conflict with his boss over creativity and quits. He then starts his own venture with the help of his son and some friends. I personally enjoyed the story as firstly, it’s about food and secondly, it is also about standing up for one’s principles and learning to get back on your feet. However, I feel like the ending was rushed and it gives you a feeling that something should be there but itsn’t.

Acting:

Jon Favreau does an excellent job in portraying Casper as he made it seem that he was a real chef and not an actor portraying one. The others were not really that astounding in terms of performance but were still good nonetheless, especially Robert Downey, Jr. who only appeared for like 5 minutes but still gave an above average portrayal.

Technicality:

The movie was well-made, the lighting was spot-on and the camera work felt natural. The sound was clear and I liked the twitter feature used for some scenes, which really brought the movie to life. The soundtrack was not really that great as there were no memorable songs or tunes. Everything else was great and the movie was a joy to look at.

Overall:

Chef is a great movie and one that I find rather inspiring. It has a great cast, wonderful camera work, and a great story. Although I think the ending fell flat, it was still a joy to watch and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good foodie movie once in a while.

Final Score: 8/10