Movie Review: The Jungle Book (PG)
Jon Favreau never fails to amaze.
The actor-director has gone from strength to strength ever since he brought Iron Man to life on the big screen in 2008.
And now he goes to new frontiers with a photorealistic CGI capturing of Rudyard Kipling's book.
The story of orphan boy Mowgli (Neel Sethi) raised in the jungle by mama wolf Raksha (Lupita Nyong'o), black panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and bear Baloo (Bill Murray) is magnificently fleshed out.
The CGI is the main attraction, but Favreau never once lets the emotions or story take a backseat, thanks to the great casting.
Sethi gives us childlike wonder, while Kingsley and Nyong'o add gravitas and Murray brings laidback charm. But the best voice work comes from Idris Elba, who imbues his tiger Shere Khan with much menace and majesty.
Rating: 4/5
Movie Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane (PG13)
Is it a horror movie? A slasher flick?
The best way to enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane is to go in not knowing anything, and then let the rug get pulled out from under you.
Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) regains consciousness following a car accident and finds herself in a bunker with two strangers, Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.). The men claim the world outside has become uninhabitable.
How the rest of the story unfolds is a nail-biter. The cast is terrific, making the best out of the confined space. Goodman is a standout, and equally impressive is Winstead who carries the emotional weight of the film.
This is director Dan Trachtenberg's film debut, and he deftly delivers a taut thriller.
Rating: 4/5
Movie Review: Heaven In The Dark (M18)
Adapted from playwright Candace Chong's theatre production The French Kiss, this Hong Kong morality drama is both compelling and gripping.
After sharing a passionate kiss on a drunken night with respected pastor Marco (Jacky Cheung), secretary Michelle (Karena Lam) lodges a report of sexual harassment against him.
Their seemingly consensual act snowballs into an ugly court case that eventually ruins Marco's career and costs him his faith.
Heaven In The Dark is thought-provoking as it poses questions such as: Which character is telling the truth? Who is at greater fault?
With better direction and more natural dialogue, this could have been a masterpiece.
Rating: 3/5
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