Michelle Rodriguez in Animated Film "Turbo"

After Fast And Furious, Ms. Rodriguez goes animated in Turbo.

 

 

DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming action adventure movie “Turbo” starring Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michelle Rodriguez, Ken Jeong and Samuel L. Jackson is a mash-up of superhero and racing film genres.  It turns a garden snail into a mighty mollusk who travels at super-speed. 

                When we meet Turbo, he’s somewhat of an outcast in the snail community, which is less about big dreams and more about punching a time clock at their place of employment (and principal source of nourishment) – the [tomato] “plant.”   Leaving the plant behind, Turbo begins his journey to fulfill his dreams when he is swept from a freeway overpass onto the hood of a sports car, and is then propelled into the muscle car’s air intake valve.  Explosive nitrous oxide charges every atom of Turbo’s body, altering his molecular structure.  The freak accident infuses Turbo with incredible speed – he can reach 200 miles per hour – and he now blazes across the streets of Los Angeles like a neon bullet.

But even a turbo-charged Turbo can’t accomplish miracles on his own.  Luckily, Turbo meets the “Racing Snails,” a ragtag group with shells that look like mini-street racing cars.  Their pimped-out exteriors are complemented by their trash-talking personalities.  The Racing Snails make fast friends with Turbo, and together they begin a journey of adventure, bonding and family.

Another team – this one human –becomes an integral part of Turbo’s journey. Meet the colorful shop owners ofthe rundown Starlight Plaza in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, who become reluctant and then fervent backers of Turbo’s quest to race in the Indy 500.   The leader of this group is Tito (Michael Pena), who is co-owner, with his brother Angelo (Luis Guzman), of a struggling taco business they call Dos Bros Tacos.  Tito’s true passion rests not with ground meat and tortillas, but with the snail races he hosts along with his fellow shop owners at the Starlight Plaza, as a means to gain exposure for their businesses. 

                An equally tough, though considerably younger member of the Starlight ensemble is Paz voiced by Michelle Rodriguez, who owns and runs an auto repair shop.  Street-smart and scrappy, Paz’s passion is cars and she’s put every penny she has into the garage.  She’s sharp, has a dry sense of humor, and prefers to cut to the chase.

Michelle Rodriguez, who has starred in several of the Fast and Furious films, portrays Paz.  Her connection to that blockbuster franchise and casting in TURBO is no coincidence, according to Soren.  “It’s absolutely an homage to my love of those movies and a way for us to capture a little part of them, and show our respect for them.  Michelle has a great voice – distinct and raspy, and perfect for Paz.”

                “Turbo” opens July 19 in theaters nationwide from DreamWorks Animation and 20^th Century Fox.

BULLOCK-CLOONEY STARRER “GRAVITY” OPENS 70TH VENICE FESTIVAL

Movie release

 

“Gravity,” the new, much-awaited film directed by Alfonso Cuarón (“Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Children of Men”), starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, is the opening film (Out of Competition) of the 70th Venice International Film Festival (August 28 – September 7, 2013). The Festival is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

            The world premiere of “Gravity” will be screened in 3D on August 28th in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema at the Lido, following the opening ceremony.

            Cuarón's history with the festival dates back to 2001, when his film “Y tu mamá también” won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay (by Carlos and Alfonso Cuarón) and the Marcello Mastroiani Award (Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna). Alberto Barbera was also the director of the Festival that year.

            In 2006, Cuarón's “Children of Men” won the Golden Osella for Best Cinematography, honoring Emmanuel Lubezki, who is also the Director of Photography on “Gravity.” And in 2007, “Gravity's” co-writer Jonás Cuarón premiered his directorial debut “Año Uña” during Critics' Week in Venice.

            “Gravity,” from Warner Bros. Pictures, is a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. In the film, Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone – tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth…and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

            (“Gravity” will be released in the Philippines in Oct. 3, 2013 in 3D and 2D and distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.)

Sneak Peek: Man Of Tai Chi

In bustling Beijing, China, ambitious young “Tiger” Chen Lin-Hu (Tiger Chen) works as a lowly courier; but after work, he is a young martial arts star, rising through the ranks representing the Ling Kong Tai Chi tradition.  Though most associate Tai Chi with peaceful, yoga-like movements, Tiger has perfected the ancient art and started to make a name for himself in the prestigious Wulin Wang martial arts championship.

 

            Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, police investigator, Suen Jing-Si (Karen Mok), who works for the organized crime unit OCTB, has run into a wall in her pursuit of Donaka Mark (Keanu Reeves).  Donaka is a powerful Hong Kong businessman who runs a secret underground fighting ring, where cold hard cash is made by defeating one’s opponent in a no-holds barred fight privately broadcast to wealthy patrons.  Looking for a new “star,” Donaka tries to lure Tiger with the promise of easy money.

 

            At first, Tiger declines, committed to the purity and integrity of his pursuit.  But when his temple is threatened with redevelopment, Tiger relents so that he may protect the legacy of Ling Kong Tai Chi.  Soon, Tiger is an underground sensation, defeating international opponents with reputations of deadly force.  But the darker side of Tiger’s skill begins to emerge.  His public fights in the Wulin Wang tournament become more aggressive, bringing Tiger unwanted attention and shame to his elderly master (Yu Hai)

 

            Seemingly unable to harness the darkness inside of himself, Tiger eventually agrees to work with Jing-Si to bring down Donaka’s deadly private game.  But when every fight is the fight of his life, will Tiger be able to sustain his best intentions and manage the darkest and worst possibilities of his craft?

 

“Man Of Tai Chi” is released and distributed by Universal Pictures/ United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp.

SUSPENSE THRILLER “GETAWAY” TEASES TRAILER

Starring Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez, Warner Bros.' "Getaway' is the gritty, heart-pounding action thriller in which former race car driver Brent Magna (Hawke) is pitted against the clock.

            Brent Magna is a burned out race car driver who is thrust into a do-or-die mission behind the wheel when his wife is kidnapped. With Brent’s only ally being a young hacker (Selena Gomez), his one hope of saving his wife is to follow the orders of the mysterious voice (Jon Voight) who’s watching his every move through cameras mounted on the car Brent’s driving.

            “Getaway” is directed by Courtney Solomon (“An American Haunting”) with screenplay by Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker.

Opening across the Philippines on Sept. 04, 2013, “Getaway” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

BUDDIES OF “GROWN UPS 2” UP FOR MORE SHENANIGANS

Here's a movie release about Grown Ups 2. Too bad Rob Schneider is not part due to other projects.

 

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

 

            Columbia Pictures' new comedy “Grown Ups 2” reunites Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock and David Spade from the original “Grown Ups” which grossed $271 million worldwide, making it Sandler's most successful film to date.

            Let's check on in the guys and how their characters have evolved since the 2010 film.

            ADAM SANDLER returns as Lenny Feder. Once a Hollywood big-shot, his most recent trip back to his hometown – allowing him to reconnect with his old friends – opened his eyes to what’s really important in life. It’s a lesson he didn’t forget. “Lenny has quit his job as a Hollywood agent and moved the family back to his hometown,” Dugan explains. “He wants the kids to grow up in a normal place, rather than the craziness of Hollywood.”

            KEVIN JAMES plays Eric Lamonsoff, who has to face his ultimate fear in the movie. “One of the things the movie is about is these guys re-living their youth a bit, and now that they’re grown up, they’re facing up to the things they never dealt with when they were young,” says James. “My guy is the one guy who never jumped off the huge cliff at the quarry back in the day. Lenny and the guys don’t let me live it down… so when the challenge is put in front of me, I am forced to conquer the fears of my youth… or go to a diner, either one.”

            CHRIS ROCK returns as Kurt McKenzie. A househusband in the first film, he’s gone back to work in “Grown Ups 2” – not that you’d know it. “He’s supposed to be a cable repairman, but – like all cable repairmen – he’s figured out how to do as little real work as possible,” Rock explains. “He gives you the window – ‘I’ll be there between noon and four’ – and then he waits for that one moment when you can’t answer the door. Knock, no answer, and boom – he leaves the note, reschedule.”

            DAVID SPADE’s character, Marcus Higgins, gets a bit of a comeuppance in “Grown Ups 2.” “In the first movie, he discovered that the life he thought he wanted, single and free, wasn’t as fulfilling as his friends’, even though they were tied down with wives and kids,” says Spade. “Well, in the sequel, he finds out that the free-and-easy life wasn’t as free or easy as he thought – he has a son that he never knew about, and he’s coming up to the town to spend some time with the father he never knew. Oh, and the kid is about 18 and enormous and knows how to hold a grudge.”

            Opening across the Philippines on July 24, “Grown Ups 2” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

 

For more updates about Grown Ups 2, visit and like the L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

EXPERIENCE “A FRENCH SOIRE” ON CINEMAWORLD

CinemaWorld Release

 

This July, be dazzled as CinemaWorld brings the luxury and undoubted beauty of France to your evenings, all from the comforts of your own home.

CinemaWorld is the first and only pan-Asia movie channel which offers mainstream programming that is fresh, unique, and different.  It provides best of movie entertainment from the world’s best storytellers – compelling, award-winning movies, box-office successes, critics’ favorites that cross boundaries and cultures.

In celebration of their National Day, CinemaWorld will fill your Wednesday nights, every 9:00 PM, with all things French – from the language, to the culture and to the love – with “A French Soire”.

LA MAISON DU BONHEUR (A HAPPY HOME)

Charles (Danny Boon, also the director of the movie), a skinflint husband, at last, decides to be generous to his wife, Anne (Michele Laroque), by offering her the gift of a country house.  But he cannot refrain from doing it cheaply and therefore chooses to work with a dubious real estate agent and bungling workmen, who turns his surprise into a nightmare.  Starring Danny Boon, catch A Happy Home this July 3, at 9:00 PM.

 

NE LE DIS À PERSONNE (TELL NO ONE)

When his wife is brutally murdered by a serial killer, Alex’s (François Cluzet) world falls apart.  Eight years later, he receives an e-mail with footage of a woman resembling his beloved wife Margot (Marie-Josée Croze) filmed in real time.  Could she really be his wife?  Find out the truth behind what really happened, in this French Box Office Hit, and critically acclaimed movie that won four Cesar Awards on July 10, at 9:00 PM.

LE DERNIER GANG (MASKED MOBSTERS)

As small-time thieves turned big-time bank robbers, for Simon (Vincent Elbaz) and his gang, the only way to go was up.  Capable of emptying a series of vaults under the noses of the police, how long will this bunch of inseparable friends be able to avoid a bloody shootout, stand the boredom of exile in the sun, and keep romance in their lives while constantly on the run?  Don’t miss the action of Masked Mobsters this July 17, at 9:00 PM.

UN BALCON SUR LA MER (A VIEW OF LOVE)

Happily married with a daughter, Marc is a successful real estate agent in Aix-en-Provence.  One day, he has an appointment with a mysterious and attractive buyer that he later realizes is Cathy, the girl he fell in love with growing up in Oran, Algeria, before he and his family fled for their lives during the French Colonial Regime.  Marc and Cathy spend the night together, then she is gone again.  But Marc's mother tells him Cathy never made it out of Algeria alive.  Starring Oscar winning actor and one of France’s biggest names Jean Dujardin, watch out for A View of Love on July 24, at 9:00 PM.

 ENVOYES TRES SPECIAUX (SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS)

With the war in Iraq intensifying, a prominent radio journalist (Gerard Lanvin) and his technician (Gerard Jugnot) pretend to report live from Baghdad, after losing their plane tickets and money.  As the duo hide out in the Barbes area of Paris, in an attempt to pull off the ultimate scam, the listeners tune in awaiting the latest word from the front lines of the war.  Directed by Frederic Auburtin of French Romantic Comedy Paris, Je T’aime, witness the amusing adventure of Special Correspondents this July 31, at 9:00 PM.

Want to catch more French movies?  Thriller Fridays will feature Black Butterfly on July 5, Hostages on July 12, and Obssessions on July 19, all at 11:00 PM.  Saturday Festival Picks will be headlined by Eden Is West on July 6, at 9:00 PM. While Sunday See The World will show Welcome Aboard on July 7, and Safari on July 14, all at 9:00 PM.

CinemaWorld is available in Metro Manila on Cable Link on channel 301, and on SkyCable HD on channel 184.

After Earth movie review

Story: Set in a distant future, humankind is now taking refuge among nearby planets. Crash-landed on an uninhabitable planet, real-life father and son Will and Jaden Smith must hold fort while waiting for rescue.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Review: If you know Will Smith, you expect that the movie is a blockbuster. Although it did gained box office here in the country, I was expecting more on the story. It was too simple. Although Jared did well in the new Karate Kid movie, it didn't capture his potential in this movie.

 

It was the first time to see Will Smith in a more supporting role that we got used to. I figured that he needs to be in the cast just to give the movie a boost in promoting. But it is good to see the young Jared in action just like his father did. Coincidently, it was fathers' day when it was shown here.