City Under Siege (2010) @ 全城戒备

Superslut and superhero.

At a glance:

American X-Men are crossed with Chinese Future X-Cops in uneasy yet fairly entertainin Hong Kong actioner that certainly contains more drama than what poster or title might suggest. In a modification of the usual themes we find in movies about post-war Nazi experiments, this Benny Chan picture uses the prologue of fictional Japanese experiments in Malaysia durin WWII occupation and spins a mutant story with heroes and villains, mostly in fat suits, clown suits or any other futuristic-lookin PVC apparel, as long as they look more advanced than Streetfighter characters. In City Under Siege (2010), we follow a bumblin simpleton named Sunny (Aaron Kwok) who goes from circus clown to national hero in a bizarre turn of events that we’ll omit as spoilers. Colin Chou (Forbidden Kingdom) plays the arch nemesis, while Shu Qi (Gorgeous) gets a decent role as a beautiful TV news anchor. Meanwhile there are also Mr and Mrs Smith super agent roles for Zhang Jing Chu (Aftershock) and Wu Jing (SPL).

"Wow, I can see his ego from here."

Bad news on the doorstep:

The balance between CGI and traditional FX isn’t very comfortable, especially comin from such an established filmmaker who gave us the Police Story movies with Jackie Chan. As mentioned earlier, it’s rather unusual that the movie does have a useful healthy dose of emotional downtime and humorous interjections (Aaron Kwok’s obsession with bein “slim”) - this helps lift the mood for the otherwise very overdone plot. More importantly, it’s possible that many of the understated action scenes in this movie are actually quite explosive but can’t find a comfortable place to engage the audience who are bein visually bamboozled with various CGI oddities.

Aaron Kwok shouldn't have had that last murtabak.

Perennial wonderment:

We must however single out Aaron Kwok as being a much improved, very competent and professional actor despite the flak he gets all these years. In related observations, Shu Qi’s Cantonese has improved fivefold since the Sex And Zen years while Mainlanders Zhang Jing Chu and Wu Jing need better projects if they’re gonna break out of the B-movie mould.
I can't remember if I cried:
This movie had Malaysian indie distributor NEF havin a go at organisin a big event with the HK stars in town. It was a circus.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Feels more Ultraman than Rumble In The Bronx but you're likely not to feel shortchanged if you’re looking for an action movie with Chinese stars. ★★1/2

The Storm Warriors (2009) @ 风云II

At a glance:
Storm Warriors has a lot of fans. We have the type who read the 1989 source material and saw the first movie. Then we have the electronic type that are brought in by the producers in large numbers to blow at Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng's hair. More graphic novel movie than martial arts epic, this sequel to 1998's HK cinema milestone Storm Riders is the greatest incarnation of Ma Wing Shing's celebrated Fung Wan comic and nothin short of box office blitz is expected when entrusted in the able hands of directors Danny and Oxide Pang. However, when the brothers themselves tell you that no decent movie critic can avoid comparin this wuxia reupdate to that Spartan SFX feast 300 because it uses the same software (!) that's when you know you have a novelty movie in your hands. Indeed it's special effects before story as we're swirled and twirled into the windy world of Nip Fung (Ekin Cheng) and Bou Keng Wan (Aaron Kwok) as the two heroes (and their emo hair) return to the silver screen after so long to battle evil once more. The story starts off coherently with some reference to the first movie and we are soon made to understand that this will be a two-hour battle with Wind, Cloud and Nameless (Kenny Ho, pic) against evil Lord Godless (Simon Yam) and his equally evil son Heart (Nicholas Tse). Layabout Piggy King (Lam Suet) joins the story later on, together with Lord Wicked (Kenny Wong Tak Bun), Second Dream (Charlene Choi) and Chu Chu (Tang Yan).
Bad news on the doorstep:
However, this synopsis is too simple - or frankly, unnecessary. In a CGI-heavy project such as this, too much have gone into dazzle and the story predictably suffers. Borin, really. Aside from Aaron Kwok who sustained some over-reported injuries, the supportin cast have little to do. That's why you won't mind soft porn actor Kenny Wong as an armless sifu or cute newcomer Tang Yan, who replaces Shu Qi as Cloud's romantic interest Chu Chu to no useful effect.
Perennial wonderment:
Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok never age.
Watch out for:
Incredibly bad actin by Ekin Cheng near the end. Very poor.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
I slept through this movie TWICE. Let the next one be better, since we know Ekin and Aaron will still look young enough to do it. ★★

Astro Boy (2009)

At a glance:
Let's not have a review meant for those who do follow Tezuka Osamu's 1952 manga or its derivatives. Let's have a review meant for anyone who buys a ticket to a cartoon movie in which a boy shoots bullets from his butt. On that level, Astro Boy (also available in Cantonese in some territories, with Nic Cage's part voiced by Aaron Kwok) is a moderately successful project that is by most counts, highly enjoyable. Although it borrows from various animated movies of late (notably the robot junk dystopia in Wall-E and the artwork in The Iron Giant), this Hollywood-style Astro Boy manages to keep it simple and short, going for time-tested emotional hooks and easy-flowing pacin.
Bad news on the doorstep:
While the Imagi Animation artwork won't dazzle like Disney's, the movie amply makes up for it by bankin on a solid, if ordinary, story about how bringin somethin to life against the order of nature may have its drawbacks. We're not lookin at Pet Sematary or Igor here. We're lookin at the seasonal, more-human-than-human arc that leans more towards the romanticism in Electric Dreams (computer), Pinocchio (doll) and Mannequin (doll).
Perennial wonderment:
How much thought goes into voice castin, I wonder? Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't. In terms of castin, Nicolas Cage's outrageously soulful persona emanates well when voicin the regretful father Dr. Tenma, a brilliant scientist who loses his son Toby and decides to bring him back to life as a cyborg. As Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore, Charlie in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory), the kid struggles to find his place in the world due to his uncomfortably identity. Bill Nighy (Love Actually) voices a wise professor and Nathan Lane (Timon in The Lion King is a fatherly inventor. They even got Samuel L Jackson to lend his voice for a giant robot named Zog.
Watch out for:
A trio of English robots with London accents. Hilarious.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Director David Bowers and screenwriter Timothy Harris gave this Japanese product a very marketable treatment. Although Astro Boy follows the same pattern as Dragonball Evolution and Speed Racer (other American-produced films based on Japanese sources which failed in their land of origin but sold well in China), it isn't a bad watch at all considerin the number of animated features out there who are tryin (and failin) so hard to rival Disney. Pin this one down as a memorable effort towards that cause.

Murderer (2009) @ 殺人犯

Aaron Kwok 郭富城 must've hurt his head pretty bad to think Murderer was a good idea.

Chang Chun-Ning 张钧宁

At a glance:
In Murderer (2009) a.k.a. 殺人犯, preserved prettyboy Aaron Kwok (pic) had a go at some method actin and didn't sleep for days just to get into the role of Inspector Ling, the starrin role in this police action-thriller with a trailer to kill for. A cop wakes up from head trauma and finds himself suspect to the very crime he's investigatin. People are dyin because of a bloodlettin bastard with a power drill who loves to puncture human bodies in the design of a bunny rabbit. Feels a bit Seven, eh? How o how did it all go pear-shaped?
Bad news on the doorstep:
Fuck me four times and call me Susan. You're not serious about that endin, are you? First timer director Roy Chow Hin Yeung 周显扬 - can we blame him? Aaron Kwok has acted his heart out in a movie that's uncontrolled and preposterous, frayin at the seams by the third act. When you leave the cinema, consider how a less rigid execution might have saved the story but how you've just spent two hours on a thoroughly unrewardin experience. Supportin cast Eddie Cheung Siu Fai, Chin Kar Lok and the lifeless Chang Chun-Ning 张钧宁 as Ling's missus Hazel, all fail to add meaningful depth to the movie, except for maybe Josie Ho 何超仪 playing Ling's sister Minnie, who's always a little interestin to watch.
Perennial wonderment:
My friend Anrie says Aaron's ace in Divergence. The man did win two Golden Horses. Some critics say that you gotta respect his choice in projects, if anythin. It's supposed to build his credentials as a serious actor. I met the man once at HK studio - he had a clear undercurrent of a possibly genuine desires for human connection about him. I ain't no fan but that face skin does warrant some NASA studies when you consider he's 43.
Reminds me of:

What a disaster!

Guy Pearce in Memento and that Jap dude Koji Yakusho in Retribution.
Watch out for:
The mind-bendin twist, of course.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Okay, look away now if you don't wanna read a spoiler that I just have to write. I feel that it's my civic duty to let you lot know that I think the writers for Orphan and this Murderer ate a bad pizza after watchin Benjamin Button last year and came up with the script overnight. At least Orphan executed the twist convincingly. I think I'll go try the other Aaron Kwok cop thriller, C+ Detective. I read that it didn't take itself so seriously, unlike this craptacular effort.★★

Bonus material:
I have loads of hi-res movie stills for you.

Director Roy Chow Hing-Yeung 周显扬

Director Roy Chow Hing-Yeung 周显扬