Cars 2

Lightning McQueen and the residents of Radiator Springs are back. This time, Lightning McQueen is racing around the world in a World Gran Prix with the world's best race cars. Owen Wilson reprises his role as the voice of Lightning as well as the original cast with exception of Paul Newman(Doc Hudson) and Michael Keaton(Chick Hicks).

Review: Doing Cars 2 in 3D is a good idea. Pixar made it look realistic and very fluidly detailed. The story didn't concentrate only on Lightning McQueen but it was a good thing that Mater was more the character in focus throughout the movie. Cars 2 won't be that interesting if there are no character developments and it won't be interesting without Mater now that he's in the spotlight.

Michael Caine made a debut in Cars 2 as the voice of Finn McMissile. It was not surprising since he's the ideal British to play Finn because among the Brit actors, he's voice was unique and it's similar to his character, Nigel Powers in the third Austin Powers movie, Goldmember. 

Though the story is similar to the movie, If Looks Could Kill / Teen Agent, it is still a fun movie and an addition of wholesome movies the whole family can watch. It's a good idea to watch it in cinema because it has a Toy Story short film before the actual movie. Screening was held at IMAX SM Cinema Mall of Asia. Cars 2 opens August 24 in Philippine cinemas and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios.

Final Destination 5

The fifth addition of the Final Destination movie series goes 3D this time. I am sure that you already know what kid of suspense thriller this movie is and you have a pretty good idea how it will turn out in the previous movies. The question here is how will they end up? Will someone survive this time? Among all the movie villains, this is one movie villain that is not played by a character but is something inanimate: Death. Here, Death is something of a force that the main characters are trying to overcome. That is what makes the Final Destination movies interesting. The 3D was not wasted. It was maximized for the whole film that you can really react to it. The best part of this series of movies is that somehow the whole cycle is complete. Why is that? Pay close attention to the details like dates. It also helps if you are familiar with the previous movies. Final Destination 5 opens in Philippine cinemas on August 24 and is distributed by Warner Bros.

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT” Casting

20^th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios Announce

“ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT” Casting

20^th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios recently announced the voice cast for ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT, the fourth entry in Blue Sky’s blockbuster franchise, which has grossed over $4 billion in all media.

Ray Romano is back as Manny, the woolly mammoth and the herd’s “Big Daddy”; Queen Latifah returns as Ellie -- Manny’s significant other; Denis Leary rejoins the herd as the saber-toothed tiger Diego; John Leguizamo is at it again as the terminally goofy sloth, Sid; and Seann William Scott and Josh Peck reprise possums Crash & Eddie.

Joining the ever-growing Ice Age family for Continental Drift is a stellar lineup, including Jeremy Renner, an Academy Award nominee for “The Hurt Locker” and “ The Town” (and whose upcoming films include “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and “The Bourne Legacy”), who portrays Gutt, a self-styled master of the high seas who’s determined to make Manny, Sid and Diego part of his crew; Wanda Sykes as Sid’s stowaway Granny, who causes all sorts of problems for our heroes; Aziz Ansari as Squint, a prehistoric rabbit who fancies himself a tough guy; actress-pop music star Keke Palmer as Peaches, Manny and Ellie’s headstrong teenage daughter; hip hop sensation Drake as Ethan, a handsome young woolly mammoth who has his eye on Peaches – and Jennifer Lopez as Shira, a sabre-toothed tigress who melts Diego’s heart.

Also taking on starring roles are Heather Morris (“Glee”), Joy Behar, Nicki Minaj, Josh Gad, Alan Tudyk, Nick Frost, Kunal Nayyar, Alain Chabat and JB Smoove.

Also returning is Scrat (again voiced by Chris Wedge), who in the first Ice Age emerged as a movie icon. In “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” Scrat’s nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn, which he’s been after since the dawn of time, has world-changing consequences -- a continental cataclysm that triggers the greatest adventure of all for Manny, Diego and Sid. In the wake of these earth-shattering upheavals, Sid reunites with his long lost family, and the gang encounters a ragtag menagerie of colorful new characters determined to stop them from returning home.

“Ice Age: Continental Drift” is directed by Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier, and produced by Lori Forte and John Donkin.

Twentieth Century Fox releases the animated comedy event, in 3D on 2012, July 13 in international markets and July 5 in the Phils.

Puss In Boots "No Pants" Pants

Video of Puss In Boots

Crazy Stupid Love

Steve Carell and Julianne Moore in Crazy Stupid Love

Plot: At forty-something, Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living a dream-good job, nice house, great kids, and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Carl learns his wife (Julianne Moore) has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his perfect life quickly unravels.

For Cal, who hasn’t dated in decades, stands out as un-smooth in today’s single world. He spends his evening sulking at a local bar, Cal was taken in as apprentice Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a handsome player, in an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start fresh. 

Review: Steve Carell diverted from his usual comedy for a more mature comedy and probably following suit after Jim Carrey. Carell’s character, Cal, is something people can relate to, especially about divorce. I like the twists of the story. It was so unpredictable. All the key characters has share of comical experience throughout the movie. Kevin Bacon and Marisa Tomei are supporting actors but they were able to give their performance much attention in the movie. Analeigh Tipton, who plays Jessica the babysitter of Cal’s children, is also a revelation in acting. I never thought she will be bitten by an acting bug since we know her better as a model in America’s Next Top Model cycle 11. This movie is my pick for this coming week. I left the cinema feeling good. Also starring Emma Stone. Crazy Stupid Love opens August 17 in cinemas nationwide.

Cowboys & Aliens

Plot: 1875 in a New Mexico Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past and stumbles into a desert town with only a mysterious shackle encircles his wrist. The town is about to experience an attack unlike any in the Wild West has ever seen: Alien invasion and abduction.

Review: The movie was based on a comic book by Platinum Studios. The title may not be that catchy but what may caught the attention of moviegoers is the main stars plus that it was directed by Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau. Like any comic adaptation, it still differs from the original story but the story was just alright for the movie. What makes it interesting is that it doesn't divert from U.F.O conspiracies like what happened in Roswell which is also in New Mexico. Though the first contact of alien encounter in the Wild West is unlikely, there are documented cases even before 1875 as early as the ancient times. 

Honestly, the only reason for me to watch this movie is Olivia Wilde and Harrison Ford. Ford is no stranger to Sci-Fi and it's been a while since Star Wars. Despite his age, he has good roles. I think he even stole the scene from co-star Daniel Craig. He was also considered one of the sexiest old men in Hollywood and he can still look tough as Woodrow Dolarhyde and does his own stunts. Although Ford has the familiar  swashbuckling cowboy image of Indiana Jones, the movie didn't project Ford of his familiar image when he once again wore a hat. Daniel Craig, though British, appeared quite American here but this was also the time of immigration in the new frontier and it was never emphasized. Cowboys & Aliens opens August 10 in cinemas. Here's a video of Harrison Ford promoting Cowboys & Aliens in a funny way.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a prequel to a cult classic, Planet Of The Apes. But it is yet to identify which Planet of the Apes version: the original with Charlton Heston or Tim Burton's re-imagined version with Mark Wahlberg. As the title suggest and if you seen either previous versions of the movie, it shows how the primates evolve.

The movie is not the type that will make you relax. It is more stressful watching because it is so intense as you witness the experiences of the character, Caesar, the chimpanzee who is gifted with intelligence unlike any primate. The movie is also a good example of ethical issues involving genetic engineering and altering the limitation of a living thing like the chimpanzee.

The chimpanzee is an ideal specie for the movie because of all the primates, their intelligence is closer to humans and also the most aggressive. They are even more violent than the gorillas. To make Caesar more human-like and able to show emotion, the production hired WETA - the award winning special effects team behind James Cameron's Avatar and applied the same effect of Gollum of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and Peter Jackson's version of King Kong and cast the same actor who played those characters for the role of Caesar: Andy Serkis.

Another tip, part of the credits credits shows the background that is actually a graphical illustration how the story progresses which is also relevant to the movie and you can follow suit from Charlton Heston and quote his famous line, "You maniacs!...damn you all to hell!" . So, I advise not to leave yet. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes opens August 4 in cinemas and is distributed by 20^th Century Fox.
 Advance screening was held at SM Megamall Cinema 6(2D) last August 2.