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Reviews
Suicide Squad (2016)
Fun though a little bit cartoonish
Likes: Margot Robbie – this film is Margot Robbie's movie. I'm saying this not because I love her but because her character portrayal stood out from the rest. She is the humor of the film and literally the craziest character and the loveliest at the same time.
Camera Works – David Ayer sure knows how to take beautiful shots. I'm a little bit partial to the movie's cinematography but the shots were great.
Plot – I'm not a big fan of the "questionable" plot with no real motivation from most of its characters but I took it as it is. It's plain and simple. No complications and not hard to understand.
Viola Davis – you will hate her but you will love her at the same time that you might find yourself rooting for her over the "bad guys" and then you'll hate her again. That's how good she is.
Dislikes: Execution – this could've been executed better. Yes, David Ayer took beautiful shots but his direction is not cohesive. Flashback scenes are needed but they tend to be anti-climactic. There are also scenes that for me are a little bit unfocused to what should be really going on. There are also several scenes that I find a little bit cartoon-ish.
Central Character – I believe that Deadshot should really be the lead but Will Smith's portrayal is a little bit out there. His characterization is kind of corny. I can say easily that Harley Quinn stole every scene she's in.
Cara Delevingne – I love her as a top model but she's still too "young" to be a full-pledge actress. Blank eyes and unbelievable emotions made me cringe a bit. But she's getting there, I hope.
Jared Leto – yes, he's not Heath Ledger but I can't help comparing them together. Both are Oscar winners but unfortunately, Jared can't pull off Joker (yet). I believe that he's a method actor but it didn't work in this movie. I can still see Jared Leto acting unlike Heath who lost into the character itself. For me, that's the difference – one is acting as Joker while the other IS Joker.
Over All Impression: Well, I have to say that apart from the poor execution and direction of the movie and contrary to some (or most) of the critics Suicide Squad is good. Good thing they did re-shoots to bring in more humor in the film after BvS was heavily criticized for being boringly serious and laughable in a bad way. DC made the right move to "copy" Marvel movies though they might have overdone the humor in some parts.
Suicide Squad is a psychedelic mixture of quirky (though some are forgettable) characters that surprisingly worked well for the total cinematic experience. It's a good introduction to a franchise with great potential. I would surely love to see a Suicide Squad vs Justice League movie in the future.
Imagine You & Me (2016)
Light, poignant and visually stunning
Likes: Cinematography – top of my list. The movie was shot almost entirely in Italy. Almost 98%, the setting is in Lake Como which is very picturesque. Of course, cinematography is not just about the beauty of the place but also how it was brought into the picture which compliments AND complements the story.
Plot – it's simple and relatable (for some, I guess). The conflicts and the twists are just enough to make the whole premise of the film interesting. Of course, it's far from what could really happen in real life but as far as cinematic experience is concerned, it's just right.
Acting – Maine's acting has improved since My Bebe Love, it seems that her forte is romantic comedy. There are few instances where it's obvious that she's just a neophyte but she is a natural. Her ad lib and comedic timing are on point and she can banter with Cacai bautista (which is really funny) and Cai Cortez (I love her dialogues). Alden is already a known good actor but what surprised me here was Jasmine Curtis, I know that she has an award in acting already but this is the first time I saw here acting and yep, she's great.
Humor – the movie is a romantic comedy thus its humor is just enough and right. Not slapstick, not corny. Probably, what I like most about the humor in this movie are the ad lib.
Camera Works – the long continuous shots of Mike Tuviera reminds me of Martin Scorsese's trademark. It's fluid and smooth and it brought me into the movie. It's as if I was there.
Candid Moments – I like how the director incorporated the scenes where Maine and Alden are not acting at all. It may have work well because of this next item
Chemistry – it's undeniable. Alden and Maine have it. The last time I saw this kind of chemistry was between Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes. Shouts of glee reverberated in the cinema halls when the screen showed them on the same scene the first time.
Cameo – please do watch out for the cameo appearances. They're funny and cute.
Very Subtle Product Placements – I always cringe whenever I see product placements which where injected in the film and as a result make the movie crass (e.g. Converse in i-Robot, Tide in My Bebe Love, etc) but the product placements in this film are almost unnoticeable except perhaps for the major sponsor(s) and these product placements were executed well.
Dislikes: Sudden Burst of Emotions – the actors deliver what was expected of them but I thought that some dramatic moments were not cohesive to the flow of the scene. It's kind of out of place, dramatic moments could've been better if they were not as unreasonable and unrealistic as I thought they were.
Supporting Characters – Irma Adlwan's character as well as Cacai and Cai and Jasmine were great but I was expecting more screen time from Jerald Napoles, Yayo Aguila and others. Their scenes may have been edited but it would've been nice to see Jerald and Cacai. Hopefully in the sequel.
Over All Impression: I loved it! Not because I'm an Aldub fan but because it was a great film. It was a perfect lead star vehicle for Alden and Maine's love team. I can say this, without bias, that it's one of my favorite local rom-com films apart from Starting Over Again and Just The 3 of Us.
I can't help myself smiling all through out the film except for the climax where I "almost" cried
okay fine, I cried. I got kilig the whole time! And another thing, the maturity that Alden and Maine showed here is superb. Very far from being pabebe. Will watch this again
and again. And the ending!!!!
Finding Dory (2016)
Finding Dory made me laugh, giggle, cry and laugh some more.
Likes: Everything about this film!! Hahah!! Characters - of course,Dory is given to be the funniest character in Finding Nemo but in this film, I get to know her even more. She's more than that. I also loved Hank the octopus (septipus), Becky, Destiny and a lot more. Plot - even though it's more on of finding Dory's parents, at the end of the film you'll understand why it's Finding Dory. :') Humor - of course, it's not gonna be such a huge hit if Dory's antics won't be funny but more than that, new characters brought more laughs in this film. I would love to have a Finding Hank or Finding Destiny sequel. LoL. Hank is just so funny.
Dislikes: Pacing/Editing - there were just some scenes where I got bored for a few seconds, maybe because I wanted Dory and her parents to meet already. :D
Over All Impression: Finding Dory made me laugh, giggle, cry and laugh some more. Its humor is in its characters but its heart is in the story itself (like most Pixar films) and what sets it apart is its reach not just to kids but to everyone.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
It's explosive and visually entertaining.
Likes: Characterization – the characters are more defined than the first film especially the individuality of the brothers. And I also liked how bad ass April is on this film.
Plot – it has more story than the first film. Just enough conflicts for subplots but the main story is there even though it's tailored to some of the successful films lately (Marvel movies).
Humor – it has its cricket moments but I had more laughs in this film than the first.
Dislikes: Execution – it feels like a bit "cartoony", of course they use CGI but the whole movie seems like an animated movie for me.
Effects – too much unnecessary stunts and explosions that I thought it's directed by Michael Bay, only to find out that he produced this so
Over All Impression: It's explosive and visually entertaining. I would say that this could've been the first installment, I mean there's no need to build an origin story if you can't execute it well, right? Contrary to some (or most) critics, I can say that I enjoyed this movie.