elkieng

IMDb member since August 2015
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    IMDb Member
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Reviews

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
(2015)

I wish it could achieve more
I do believe a good movie has a formula - it starts with the background, then building up the tension, then make you hold your breath until the climax - with a bit of humour, emotion stirring in between. And even better, it gives you a philosophical message that make you think about the meaning of life, and perhaps gives you hope on humanity in between. You leave the cinema feeling hyper, and when you back home you want to look for more information about this movie, check out what other think, to see if there are people in resonance with you.

I have to say Mockingjay Pt2 failed this for me. It was a surprise as usually when you cut a movie/book into two parts, the first part usually is slow and dull (as still building up the background), and Pt2 you have this big finale and take you to the climax at the end (like Harry Potter 7). But MJ Pt1 did fulfill the "good movie" factors, and it even had a few very moved moments that made me almost in tears.

But Pt 2 … I didn't feel "wow it is good and they know what they are doing" until perhaps after 45mins. Then you have 45 mins of really intense and good action scenes, as well as scary part that made me feel I regret to watch it by myself while I had no arm to grab on (despite I know what would be coming as I read the book). Although to be fair - in the other hand - it did follow the book, that the climax arrived on the 2/3 of the book/movie, then it quiet down afterward. There was a twist at the end, but since I was aware of the twist, it didn't work for me.

I do think if they can put pt1 and pt2 in one movie, it will be much better. As some reviews said, Pt2 is a good finale as the whole series, but failed as a movie by itself. In the book there are so much opportunity to make a big impact scene, but it didn't manage to do that, and even it did reach the impact at a certain scene, but it jumped to something else straight afterward, losing the momentum.

And Katiness is not the most likable character ever. Although in the other hand I think it makes her very real - she does not born as a typical hero and think "great power comes with great responsibility", be a leader, save people and always do the morally right thing. She is hurt, angry, broken, has PTSD, helpless, self-centered. But - if you imagine yourself grow up and live in her situation, it makes her very real.

I didn't like the series until movie 2. Movie 1 has the potential but was poorly directed, and the shaky cam/direction of how the camera pan made it even worse. But movie 2 was excellent, definitely the best of the series and one of my fav movies ever. That scene when she appeared as a Mockingjay on the stage still make me hold my breath, and watching Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance just made me feel it is sad that we lost a talented actor.

But I do strongly recommend the book/movie to teenager. It is a good story with a message that hopefully can leads to a lots of deep thinking, and political awareness.

Still a watchable movie, but I wish it could achieve more.

Side note: Finally managed to watch a movie in the Vmax cinema, and so glad with my choice - the sound effect of the movie itself was excellent and Vmax cinema really brought out the best of it.

Inside Out
(2015)

Best Pixar move, and best movie/personal experience in a new category
Went to watch this movie by myself at the 2nd last day of screening ... so glad I ended up going by myself (and I was the only one on my row) as I pretty much tearing from the beginning to the end - which is a movie experience that totally new to me.

I was quite surprise to read quite many negative reviews here afterward - OK I have to agree it probably is not a movie for kids in a way that kids will fully understand the meaning of it - and it is not the type of entertaining movie that have a "save the world and everyone happy and bad guys died" storyline - it is - much much more than it.

To me, watching this movie is like riding a roller coaster with the name "emotion/feeling", and with mirrors all around me. It is so therapeutic in a way that it kind of like opened my heart up and showing the vulnerable part of it, then give me a big cuddle and tell me you have been doing well, despite there had been sadness and fear, just like most people have in a reality life.

I think people at different stage of life will have different feeling and interpretation on this movie. And probably a better understanding on people around them too.

A very joyful movie to watch, which touched my heart so much that tears kept coming out from my eyes ... and yes, Joy and Sadness are not enemy, but allies :-) You have to go through the sadness and fear, in order to understand, and appreciate happiness :)

San Andreas Quake
(2015)

The best thing I got from this movie? Reading IMDb users review ...
Like many users here, I (finally) created an IMDb account after watching this movie (by mistake), so I can make a comment.

And like many users here, I was expecting The Rock appears in this movie ... then I waited and waited ... then realised something not right at all ...

OK it was my mistake of mistaken this movie with "San Andreas" ... and I am still feeling traumatic about it. But the best things I got from this movie? Reading all the users review here ... it really therapeutic, I laughed so hard many times and it is a great feeling that many of us shared the common view. Thank you for all of you who wrote a review here that are so funny and creative. #TryingToLookAtTheBrightSide

And the movie itself ... do I really have to talk about it?

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