Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, 2.5 out of 4 stars

Melmen, Gloria, Alex, and Marty escape to Africa in "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa".

Happy 2009 again. So how do you want to spend your whole 2009? Go to Africa? Maybe you'll see Alex dancing and playing around there. Just cut the crap. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, the "2" means what? Is it "To" or it is a "sequel"? Yes it is a sequel. It is directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath who brought you the first "Madagascar". The film begins with a flashback on Alex when he was a kid, he used to dancing and playing around instead of training with his father. Because he is too naughty, he has been snatched by hunters and because of the small chases between his father and the hunters, Alex's crate falls down to the ocean and washes to New York city. From there, he become very famous and everyone in New York love him very much (or should I call him "It"?). Then the films jump to the scene where Alex (Voices of Ben Stiller), Zebras (Voices of Chris Rock), Melmen (Voices of David Schwimmer) and Gloria (Voices of Jada Pinkett Smith) singing with each other and they were prepare for a flight back to New York. But things are not going so well, their plane are running out of fuel and their plane crash landed in the Africa plains. Then, without any new plane, fourth of them take off to find any help. During their trip for help, they realise that, their friendship are more important than flying back to New York city. I don't want to write so detail because the story is more interesting than I wrote it above. In my opinion, I like the story of this movie. The story told us that friendship are more important than anything else, and there will be a lot of touching moment between Alex and Zebras which I really like. Despite a great story, this movie losses a lot of funny joke, and in my opinion some of the scene are trying to be funny but it failed. The scene which I talking about is the scene where the old lady "Nana" engaged Alex violently. It is trying to be funny but for me is quite lame, and too over the top. Ooh, I forgot to say something about the story, it is very similar with "Happy Feet". Did you notice that? For me, yes it is. Other than that, the film not too focus on the "Mort" (A very cute creature which has a big big eyes). If the character shows up as much as the "Scrat"(A fictional Saber-tooted Squirrel) in "Ice Age 2: Melt Down", it will be more funnier than the first "Madagascar". Actually I want to give this movie 3 out of 4 stars, but I can't, because I think "Madagascar" is a lot funnier than this one although it is a very short movie. And surprisingly this movie is still alive and I really hope they can do a lot better next time. Overall, "Although it is less funnier than it predecessor, but it's still fun to watch".

Saw V

Saw V, 2.5 out of 4 stars

Tobin Bell as John Kramer/Jigsaw and there will be a lot of flash back in "Saw V".

Although Halloween has passed long time ago, but I still need to review this movie. Happy new year to you all. Now is 2009, so I need to spend this night to review last year movies. Saw V, directed by David Hackl, who is a first time director. The films begins with a criminal who was released from a prison and chained to a table and above him is a pendulum which can slice off his body. If he want to survive the game, he must crushed his hand so that he wont hit by the pendulum. Even though he crushed his hand but the pendulum still cut him into half. That's mean the trap is inescapable, and someone except jigsaw has purposely done this trap. Then the films jump to Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) enter the room where jigsaw died. Suddenly he has been attacked by a person who wear a pig mask. After surviving the jigsaw game, Peter Strahm started to gather some of the jigsaw's victim and revisits some of the crime scene and pieces altogether the puzzle. So, he on his way to find out who was the apprentice of jigsaw. So there will be a lot of flash back. The flash back is about how does the jigsaw has a apprentice and how he influence someone to join him. So there will be a lot of psychology thinking here. The best part of this film is how he influence that person (I don't want to be a spoiler) to follow his step. After that, the film jump to the scene where five people are waking up in a sewer and have to play a few stages of jigsaw game. In the end, although the ending is predictable but still contain a bit of plot twist. Actually the whole movie has a lot of jump scene, so I don't know how to explain the whole story. In my opinion, this movie is the weakest in the Saw franchise. There will be a bit disappointment throughout the story. The story is quite disappointing is because this movie is too focus on the flashback instead of five people in the sewer. Because of this, there will be less blood and gore than it predecessor. So, I minus 0.5 mark here. Besides that, the tag line of this movie is "You won't believe how it ends", the "How" means a lot of things, actually. Other than that, there will be a big plot hole in this movie. The first 5 minutes of the movie is a plot hole (I won't tell you what it is unless you already watch the movie. If you don't know, just message me. Haha). Because of that, I minus another 1 mark. Is "Saw V" a bad movie? I don't think so, because there are many things that I like from this movie. The jigsaw game is quite creative, although is less blood and gore, but the game requires some teamwork, and it really shows the characteristic and mindset of the five people in the sewer. The director done a great job in it. I do really hope that Saw VI will do much more better than this. Here comes an overall of this movie, "Although it is less blood and gore but still a watchable intelligence horror movie."

Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading, 3.5 out of 4 stars

Brad Pitt as Chad and he has a big big big trouble in "Burn After Reading"

This few days I just reviewed horror and action movie. So, today I'll choose a comedy film, of course a comedy film which some people might not like it. But for me, I like it. "Burn After Reading" is a comedy film directed by Coen Brothers (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) who brought you their masterpiece "No Country for Old Men" in 2007. The story of this film is quite complicated for me while watching it. But after awhile, it's like a puzzle all piecing together and became a hilarious comedy. The film begins with a CIA analyst, Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) who has been fired because of drinking problem. Drinking Problem? After that, he went back home and tell his wife, Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton) that he want to write a memoir. His wife were shock and wanted to divorce. So she went to meet her divorce lawyer to listen some advise. After that day, Katie copy all of her husband personel and financial files into a disc. After give it to the lawyer. Don't know how, the lawyer accidentally drop the disc at the gym club. Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), an employee of the gym thought the content of the disc is highly classified. His fellow employee, Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) who need money to have plastic surgery. So Chad took this chance to blackmail Osbourne by showing the information at the Russia Embassy. Then both of them has a big big big trouble. So they have to find a way to solve the problem. You want to know? Just watch this movie. It's hard to write down the story because there is too many character inside this movie and it makes the story a bit hard to catch up from the beginning, that's why it loses 0.5 mark here. But, I really envy the director, they know how to manage the character very well and fit into the story. The story is quite unique, because nowadays there is no such movie that make fun of CIA (Maybe there is but I don't know) and the style of the comedy is different. That's why I said not everyone like it (I watch with my friend, and he said "This movie is stupid, I hate it!!). But I hope you all to give it a try (If not nice just blame me, haha just kidding). Although it feels abit draggy from the beginning, but after watching it, the whole movie is very hilarious. Besides that, I like their acting very much especially Brad Pitt and John Malkovich. It really surprise me that John Malkovich act as a good guy here (maybe not). But sometimes their act is quite disturbing and it is a perfect fit for this story. This movie really has a great cast. Other than that, when I watch this movie, I also focus on cinematography which is really good. I had not much to write about this movie, so here comes a conclusion. This is a movie with a lot of character but it is hilarious, and fun to watch.