SQ Movie Marathon (Inbound)

I Not Stupid Too

It's a good thing I didn't buy this movie the last time I was in Singapore. I watched I Not Stupid in a filmfest back in Manila, and we have a VCD copy at home. It's the first Jack Neo film I've watched, so everything's insightful and funny to me.

Cut to the sequel. The parents are busier than ever. The kids have all grown up. The proverbial generation gap is getting wider. On one hand, the parents feel they're losing touch with their kids, but they're not really listening to what they're saying. On the other hand, the kids are not getting the support and attention they need, so they turn to other avenues to vent their pent-up angst. Like blogging. Like skipping class and playing arcade games. Like bullying other kids. Like joining the local bad boys club. Like stealing from the elderly. The movie also touches on a number issues like public caning as punishment, sex education in school, cold war between parents and its effect on the kids, etc. If you think that's a bit too much, it is. The movie tries to tackle too many issues at the same time, we end up with half-baked conclusions by the end of 2 hours.

There are a few overly-melodramatic moments like the one where Tom and Jerry's Dad (Jack Neo) knelt down and begged the elderly lady not to report his snatcher-of-a-son to the police, and the part where Jack beats up his son for stealing money, and the son tells him he didn't steal the money - he's just saving up so he can buy time from his Dad. Awww. How's this for the most incredible moment of the movie? Jack is making a 3G client to some potential clients when his son accidentally called his number. Jack accepts the video call and sees his son being beaten up by an angry mob. Continue on with the multimillion presentation or save the son? Ah, tricky decision. Trying to make up for the years of neglect, he runs off to rescue his son. He, too, gets beaten up by the mob. Somehow, all of this is streamed live to the handset (Nokia, of course) he left at the office. The clients thought it's a wonderful demo of 3G's capabilities, and awarded the S$3M deal to the company. That's a win-win scenario, if there ever was one.

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

Another sequel better left unmade. The first Ice Age worked because the animation is top-notch, the characters are endearing, and most importantly there is a plot driving the whole movie. Not so with Ice Age 2. Here's the basic premise: the ice age is coming to an end, an impending flood threatens to wipe out a community of animals, so they make a road trip. The flood catches up with the guys and they're trapped in a flooded valley with the water fast rising. A miracle happens (involving Scrat and his beloved acorn), and the ground opens up to drain the water. The end.

To make the movie longer, we meet some new characters like possums Crash and Eddie and their unlikely sister the mammoth Ellie. Manny had been worrying that he might be last remaining mammoth on the face of the earth, and Ellie showed up just at the right time. Throughout their journey, Manny tried to convince Ellie that she's not a possum and that it's a good idea for her to do the act with him for the good of the species. Quite funny.

The Brothers Grimm

In terms of entertainment value, this is the best of the bunch. Lots of funny banter, comedic action scenes, and colorful costumes. Still I was so drowsy I started dozing off in the middle of the movie. Not even the wonderful Monica Bellucci is enough to keep me away during the long flight.

Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm takes place in French-occupied Germany in 1811. Brothers Jake and Will Grimm are folklore collectors and exorcism impostors on the side. They were eventually exposed by a General Delatombe, who is the head of the French forces. Now, the brothers are supposed to be put to death, but was given a chance at amnesty if they can solve a case of missing girls in the village of Marbaden. General Delatombe believes the haunted forest of Marbaden is the work of another group of trickster, but the locals aren't too sure. Nine girls have already gone missing, and story goes that in the haunted forest lives the evil Mirror Queen who sacrifices girls during the blood moon to give herself eternal life and beauty. With the aid of Angelika, who has already lost her father and her two sisters, they bring down the Mirror Queen, and rescues all the girls and Angelika's Dad.

My synopsis doesn't really do the movie justice as the special effects are really cool, and some of the dialogue can be quite funny. Watch it if you can.