Kating-kati sa Magic

Reviews by Vives Anunciacion
Inquirer Libre Nov 30, 2007

(The first paragraph was edited out from the print version due to lack of space)

I’m not sure if these films are still out in local cinemas, masyadong maraming pwedeng panoorin – mag-monkey, monkey na lang kung ano ang uunahin. I have yet to see the John Lloyd-Bea starrer One More Chance, but I figure it will stay in theaters for two or more weeks. Palabas na rin ang Pasukob nina Rufa Mae at AiAi at ang The Kingdom. Para dun sa mga napanood ko, first there’s Superbad which should be in its third week or so of successful run, if it’s still out. Now I’m wondering why it took me too long to see it.

Superbad, Directed by Greg Mottola
Similar to American Pie pero mas mahusay ang pagkakasulat at kung minsa’y nakakabaliw sa kalokohan, mas marumi ang bibig nito patungkol sa kalibugan pero hindi kabastusan ang punto ng dialogue. Tatlong magbe-bestfriend na nerdy-nerdy students have arranged their way into attending one of the last parties of their high school lives. Gagawin ni Seth (Jonah Hill) ang lahat makaiskor lang sa party ng crush niya na si Jules (Emma Stone) kung saan nandun rin ang crush ni Evan (Michael Cera) na si Becca (Martha MacIssac).

Ang tiket nila sa party ay ang fake I.D. ni Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), which says he is 25 years old kahit na mukha siyang 12. Sa Amerika, 21 ang legal age para makabili ng liquor and alcoholic drinks, at yung ID ni Fogell ang gagamitin nila para makabili ng drinks para sa party ni Jules. Great script is maximized by the movie’s incredible casting, particularly of Mintz-Plasse as ultra-nerdy Fogell/ McLovin’ who enjoys the time of his life with his friends too. Superbad is actually a super-good comedy.

Enchanted, Directed by Kevin Lima
This is like a spoof-of-a-spoof idea kung saan pinaglalaruan ng musical-comedy ang mga Disney characters na Cinderella at Snow White kahit na Disney mismo ang gumawa nito. Panalo si Amy Adams bilang Giselle, a cartoon damsel who is magically transported to real-life New York by the wicked witch (Susan Sarandon), who is the stepmother of Giselle’s Prince Edward played by James Marsden. Complications arise when Giselle meets and falls in love for single dad Robert (Patrick Dempsey), pero dahil Disney movie ito, they live happily ever after.

Potential LSS (last song syndrome) ang production number in Central Park na How Do You Know, pero pwede ring ma-addict sa main love theme nitong True Love’s Kiss. Be ready to tap your glass shoes dahil in our cartoonish world, even reality deserves some fantasy.

The Namesake, Directed by Mira Nair
(exclusively in Ayala Cinemas)
Very Pinoy in America itong The Namesake, o kaya’y Joy Luck Club pero Indian family. Based on Jumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake is the story of two generations of the Ganguli family (hindi ba kanta yun noong 80s? Ging gang gooli?) that begins in the 70s with the marriage of Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) and Ashima (Tabu) to the point when they migrate to America in the 80s and then finally to the time their Americanized son Gogol (Kal Penn) marries. The title refers to Gogol’s rejection of his Indian name and background, even if his name comes from his father’s favorite author, Nikolai Gogol who is Russian.

The story is laid back and has funny moments to counter the overall seriousness, both Khan and Tabu performing solidly to keep the movie interesting. But replace the actors with Filipinos and you get American Adobo, or change to Chinese or Taiwanese and you get Joy Luck Club. It’s the same story about the children of immigrants who are slowly forgetting the original life and culture of their parents. It doesn’t matter that Kal Penn is in it (as the son), the role could have been played by somebody else.

Hitman, Directed by Xavier Gens
Going the action hero career path is Timothy Olyphant, who is a relative unknown, but appears in his first starring role as agent number 47, an ultra assassin-for-hire hitman trained by a secret organization. Why and what for, who knows, walang point talaga ang kwento pero as a movie this is decently-produced, even if the low budget shows and the storyline is overused and cartoony. Parang yung unang The Transporter, manipis ang kwento, kaunti ang action for an action movie pero hindi masagwa. Well, hindi sobrang masagwa. At may nagpapanggap pang character play sa katauhan Nika (Olga Kurylenko) na obviously love-interest ni Hitman kahit na resist-to-death si lalake sa advances ni sexy girl. Trabaho lang daw, walang personalan.

Not good, but not bad, pero yung ganitong pelikulang walang dating yung tipong madaling malimutan, kahit hindi man umabot sa punto na ikaw mismo ay gusto na ring barilin si Hitman.