Titanic

This time we tried something different. Rather than writing what we think, we interviewed a few people sot find out what they think about the movie, 'Titanic'.

Rate: 7.5/10

Avaja (the team)

Castle in the Sky (1986)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Produced and released by Studio Ghibli, this smash hit was only known to anime fanatics when released. Until a decade later, only when Disney realised the potential of the Japanese film did it produced an English dubbed version in the United States. The film is setback to the early 20th century where varies group of men and woman are attempting to find a rumoured floating city flourishing with riches, robots and ancient advance technology. Sheeta the only remaining heir to Laputa becomes friends with Paza, an ordinary farm boy – sets out on an adventure. From battling on airships and invading army bases to gazing in awe of the beauty of ancient floating structures, Sheeta and Paza form unexpected allies and fight for what they believe is right.

Although it is an animation, Hayao Miyazaki’s extravagant graphical design is simply stunning. The way he portrays the floating castle accompanied with the musical symphony brings a sense of tranquillity and harmony to viewers. The storyline is exciting and fast paced with many twists and unexpected turn of events. The only deficiencies of the film are the lack of character depth but being created all the way back in the 1980s it is just a small flaw compared to all the good points of this movie. This film is suitable for all ages and I would especially recommend it to all families as it is considered one of the best early animated films of all time.

Rate: 8.3/10

Jacky

The Concubine (2012)

Cast: Jo Yeo-jeong, Kim Dong-wook, Kim Min-joon

Director: Kim Dae-seung

Set during the Joseon Dynasty, this film illustrates the control for power between two Royal families employing political activities as the forefront after the death of the emperor. Kim Dong-wook replaces his brother as the next Emperor. Sworn to find the truth behind the death of his brother, he gradually loses his sense of judgement in spite of his obsession with the empress. The protagonist (Jo Yeo-jeong) plays as the devastated empress whom is forced into using her body as a weapon despite her deepest wills. Ironically, the justified and resolute empress perceives the new emperor as the antagonist but in actuality the emperor’s greedy and immoral mother is the individual pulling the strings.

Along with depicting the theme of betrayal, revenge and obsession clearly, Kim Dae-seung portrays the characters with utmost brilliance – not taking anything from the actors and actresses. The scene between the emperor and his mum in the Queen’s quarters displayed the sheer power the mother has over her son due to political ties in the senate, majorly contributing to the outcome on the ending of the film.

Although “The Concubine” comprises of many subplots, it offers substance and ample entertainment to mature audiences. The manner and build-up of the characters is simply so amazing – that during the film there is a real sense of emotional attachment to them, especially the emperor. Described as an “intense, multi-textured journey that is certainly worth the effort", with "psychological depths that demand multiple viewings,” by the Korean Times, this film brings no disappointment and lives up to its hype.

Rate: 7.5/10

Jacky

Rush Hour 3 (2007)

                               

Sequels often aren't able to live up to the expectations that are placed on it by the film loving population, however this particular film doesn't disappoint. Expectations were great, especially upon Chris Tucker (playing James Carter) who became the highest paid actor in Hollywood at the time of filming.

Rush Hour is an action packed comedy which follows Hong Kong's Inspector Lee (played by Jackie Chan) as he attempts to infiltrate the triad headed by Kenji (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) , whom which he grew up with in an orphanage. Once again, Lee's partner James Carter is not shy to flaunt his flamboyant personality throughout the movie, which often gets the dynamic duo into sticky situations.

Their antics are great for those that enjoy slapstick and also appeals as an action movie with the inclusion of Jackie Chan in the cast. Although the plot is somewhat unrealistic, this film was not created for the purpose of being a sophisticated plot, but rather as 90 minutes of jam-packed entertainment. If you have not seen this film yet, it is a must (obviously after watching the other 2 films) as you will be treated to comedy in the form of both slapstick and more sophisticated one-liners whilst Jackie Chan busts some sweet moves.

Rate: 8/10

Vivian

Moneyball

Baseball, along with gridiron, represents the quintessential national sports of America. Millions of dollars are spent on the sport annually, often with thousands attending a single game. Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, a failed baseball player who was drafted in the first round who traded in his career as a player to become a scout and eventually the 44-year old general manager of the Oakland Athletics (commonly referred to as the A's). The A's are an underfunded team that deal with the dilemma of constantly having their best players 'poached' by teams with deeper pockets and consequently struggle to compete. Whilst attempting to rebuild his team he meets the timid 24 year old Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill), an economist from Yale. Peter Brand alludes to Billy that baseball is not a sport of hoarding stars, but rather the performance of a team. The aim of baseball is essentially to get as many runs as possible without getting the three outs required for the opposition to complete an innings. In order to do this, the batters are required to 'get on base'. A plethora of other statistics come into play and shows the useful applications of mathematics in everyday life, including the sports that we love.

What makes Moneyball more intriguing is that it is based on true events and confirms that expected values (averages) hold in the long run (for those that are interested in Statistics). Not only does this film appeal to thinkers, but also the general population as baseball is an American pastime. This movie is a personal favourite as Billy Beane's journey also explores various moral issues.

Rate: 7.8/10

Vivian

Lan Kwai Fong (2011)

Cast: Jason Chan, Shiga, Chen Zhiming, Wang Zongyao, He Peiyu, Chen Jing
Director: Wilson Chin

Where shall I start? Well for starters… don’t watch the entire 90 minutes of this dismal and empty film just to perceive the nightlife in Lan Kwai Fong- Hong Kong. If Wilson Chin’s “Lan Kwai Fong” truly intended to demonstrate clubbing in Hong Kong, the first three minutes of the film pretty much sums it up – tourists, string of one night stands, gays, lesbians, cheating, drunkards, fighting, regret, ITS ALL THERE! After this short interval the directors has definitely overhyped the late night partying lifestyle in Hong Kong, often criticised as being lacklustre and posh.

“It definitely wasn't exactly what I had envisioned. This place has turned into an American attraction with overpriced drinks.”

“A short stretch of pubs and clubs that is over-rated and brimmed with throngs of tourists taking photos. Don't understand the hype about this place”

In this first instalment of Lan Kwai Fong, the focus is on Chen, starring as Steven; a wine salesman during the day and the typical playboy during the night. In the film Steven and his bunch of lavish friends’ (Sean and Jacky) encounters a rollercoaster of emotions and events ranging from one night stands to true love, hitting on anything in a pair of heels. Meanwhile, flight attendant Jennifer and playgirl Cat (Shiga Lin and Dada Chan) are newbies to clubbing and are quickly intertwined with the fate of Steven, who likewise spends their nights drinking themselves unconscious. The chemistry between the guys and the girls rapidly turns into something deeper as they seem to have a tracker attached on each other, meeting at the same club every week… and even years.

Ultimately like every other ending of a “fairy tale”, the heroines and heroes pit of in either love or despair. The poor acting in the film is often overlooked by the appearances of the actresses, showing their bareback and cleavages captivating the male audience. This brings up the point that the actors/actresses were probably appointed since they are already familiarised with exposing their skin in the Asian Entertainment Industry. However one thing positive about this film is the music! The high beat music really matches the experience of any club. Hear for yourself!

I’ll recommend this to teenagers who have a heap of spare time on their hands and those who enjoy looking at hot Hong Kong ladies.

Rate: 7.7/10

Jacky

Batman -- The Dark Knight Rises

Finally, this is the last movie of the sequel – The Dark Knight Rises

In this finale for the Batman series, Batman is challenged by Bane. This is the first time Batman had somebody overpowered him physically. Since, Bane was once a student of Ra’s al Ghul, they fought in the same way. Bane is constantly inhaling a substance that boosts his physique in terms of ferociousness, speed, power etc. Different from Joker, Bane tries to put the fight in a form that it is the Batman versus the whole Gotham City. Bane achieved this by freeing the criminals from the prison who were kept behind bars under the Dent Act. Bane revealed to the whole world that the Dent Act was a lie, and subsequently demolished what Dent stood for including his legacy and his beliefs. Meanwhile, there is also the catwoman who is a highly skilled thief who is trying to start a new life with her sister once she has stolen enough money. Luckily, Batman is not alone; a new officer – Blake is there to help. Together, Gordon, Blake and Batman work to save Gotham City in one last fight.

This sequel is really an appropriate ending for the Batman series. Christopher Nolan has placed these 3 movies in the perfect order. Audience start by seeing how Bruce struggles with his own belief and finally, how he was finally confronted with someone who is stronger than him.

Rank: 9/10

Andrew