Predator: Killer of Killers — Movie Review

Predator: Killer of Killers is an anthology film told in different chapters.

The first story follows Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy), a fierce Viking warrioress leading her son Anders (Damien Haas) and their clan to destroy the Krivichs. Ursa harbors a personal vendetta against the Krivich leader, Zoran, who was responsible for her father's death.

After a brutal battle between Ursa and Zoran, a Yautja suddenly appears and slaughters what remains of both clans.

The next chapter centers on two samurai brothers, Kenji and Kiyoshi (both voiced by Louis Ozawa), sons of a powerful warlord in feudal Japan. One day, their father demands a duel between the two to determine his successor. But Kenji, unwilling to fight his own brother, runs away. Kiyoshi, bound by honor, stays behind and accepts his father's title.

Years later, the brothers reunite, and a fateful duel begins.

Unbeknownst to them, a Yautja has been watching from the shadows, studying their combat. When one brother emerges as the clear victor, the Predator steps in to face the superior warrior in a deadly one-on-one battle.

The next part is set around 1941 to 1942, during the Battle of the Atlantic. This chapter follows fighter pilot John Torres (Rick Gonzalez).

While on a mission, John realizes the enemy aircraft they are fighting isn’t from Earth. It is actually a Yautja starship. Despite orders to stay grounded, John takes to the skies to warn his squadron.

But, it’s too late.

Outgunned and outmatched, John pushes his skills to the limit in a desperate dogfight to bring the alien vessel down.

In the final segment, all surviving “fighters” find themselves captured and taken to a distant planet ruled by the Yautja.

There, they are pitted against each other in a gladiator-style deathmatch. The goal? Prove themselves worthy to face the ultimate Predator warlord. Only the strongest will survive.

Return to Seoul: Movie Review

Freddie (Ji-Min Park) may look Korean, but she’s French. Well, technically, she is Korean; she was born there. But during the end of the Korean War, her parents had to put her up for adoption to survive. It was probably the most earnest thing they could do for her back then.

One look at Freddie shows that it doesn’t look like she had a hard time adjusting to life in France. She's well off. Her adoptive parents loved her. And she could be anyone's friend with her charisma and appeal. In fact, she quickly befriends Tena (Guka Han), a shy hotel worker who eventually becomes her translator and confidante. For sure, if Freddie wants something, she can easily get it.

Freddie’s detour to Seoul is both nonsensical and unexpected. She’s never really been interested in the culture, as evident by her neglecting their customs. She doesn’t speak Korean and has no intention to sightsee or learn about its history. Until someone suggests she look for her parents. Near the place she’s staying is a popular adoption center, she could start there. Even though she is reluctant, her headstrong personality and curiosity get the best of her, leading her to make the decision that will change her life forever.

CODA: Movie Review

Sian Heder’s award-winning film is about the power of music, acceptance, and family.

Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only member of her family who can hear. Her older brother, Leo (Daniel Durant), and both of her parents, Frank (Troy Kotsur) and Jackie (Marlee Matlin), are all deaf. 

Ruby spends most of her time helping out at the family fishing business. She has no plans to attend college because of her numerous and heavy responsibilities as the child of deaf adults. Her ambition is to work there full-time after graduating from high school.

But unbeknownst to anyone, Ruby has a passion for singing. Her enthusiasm for it grew even stronger after she joined the school choir. Her beautiful singing voice captured the attention of Bernardo "Mr. V" Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez), a passionate instructor. He wanted to prepare her for a college scholarship along with her schoolmate and crush, Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo).

But despite the encouragement she receives from Mr. V and Miles, she is unable to forego all of her responsibilities to her family. Now that they intend to start a new fishing business, they need her more than ever to be their translator. Furthermore, music is something they do not fully understand. They will never agree with her plans to let go of all of her obligations and move on.

A Hero

This award-winning Iranian film tells the story of a naïve man who finds himself in trouble after doing an act of kindness.

"A Hero" follows the calligrapher Rahim (Amir Jadidi), an inmate serving a prison sentence for failure to pay off an enormous debt. 

While on a 2-day leave, Rahim meets with his brother-in-law, Hossein (Alireza Jahandideh), to discuss with him his plan to pay off his dues. His secret girlfriend, Farkhondeh (Sahar Goldust), incidentally found a purse full of gold, and he intends to sell it to dealers for a large sum of money. But he later found out that even if it sells at a high price, it is not enough to settle his arrears. So, as a gesture of goodwill, he returned the bag to its rightful owner, attracting media attention.

For a while, Rahim experienced an utter lovefest from inmates, officials, and charities. People on the street are treating him as a hero for his selfless act. But the film then introduced us to his creditor and his daughter, Bahram (Mohsen Tanabandeh) and Nazanin (Sarina Farhadi), who didn’t believe even a sliver of Rahim’s good deed.

Soon enough, more and more people turned against Rahim. They started to question his story. The doubts cast upon him eventually ruined his reputation. Almost instantaneously, it got bigger and bigger, inadvertently embroiling his son, Siavash (Saleh Karimai), and sister, Mali (Maryam Shahdaei), in his fight to reclaim his dignity.

Taipei Suicide Story

KEFF’s moving drama is about a lonely receptionist and a hotel guest’s unusual friendship.

The story of “Taipei Suicide Story” is fairly straightforward.

In a suicide hotel, a receptionist named Zhi-Hao (Tender Huang) works all by himself, day and night. And every day, he encounters hopeless people checking in the place, as well as workers in protective suits transporting corpses out of the rooms.

One of the workers informed him one day that a girl staying in room 602 violated their company policy for staying more than a day. When the receptionist confronts Jun-Ting (Vivian Sung), the girl in the room, she tells him that she, too, intends to die like others. But staying at the hotel makes her feel less lonely. Now she is conflicted if she even wants to die. Zhi-Hao responds, "If you can't kill yourself tonight, then please leave tomorrow morning. Or I'll call the police."

Later that day, the two ran into each other again. Zhi-Hao apologized for his harshness, but Jun-Ting said it was fine. At that point, it is clear that the two are starting to form a fleeting bond. However, as they spend the rest of the day together, the gravity of Jun-Ting’s decision becomes heavier and heavier.

Little Forest

Yim Soon-rye’s masterpiece is a story of emancipation from the hustle and bustle of city life and an earnest study on relationships.

“Little Forest” follows the journey of Song Hye-won, a 20-something-year-old woman who moves to Seoul to become a teacher. But after failing her certification, she returns to her childhood home in the countryside leaving behind her boyfriend and her part-time job.

In her rural hometown, she reconnects with her long-time friends, Lee Jae-ha (Ryu Jun-yeol) and Joo Eun-sook (Jin Ki-joo).

Jae-ha is a fruit and vegetable farmer. He used to work in the big city, as well. But eventually, he decided to leave after finding no purpose in his job.

On the other hand, Eun-sook never got a chance to work outside of their small town. Unlike Hye-won and Jae-ha, she longs to live in the big city. She is currently working as a bank teller, even if she’s already dissatisfied and bored with it.

Hye-won is the only one without a job, so she passes the time by tending to her mother’s plantation and preparing the foods she usually makes for her.

Hye-won’s enigmatic mother uncannily left her after graduating from High School, straining their relationship together. But through flashbacks, her mother is truly a kind and loving woman. That is why Hye-won can’t really bring herself to resent her.

As the seasons change, Hye-won quietly contemplates the pain she harbors from her mother, the disappointments she suffered in Seoul, and the peace and comfort she seeks for herself. For the meantime, she retreats to her little forest until the time she is ready for renewal.

Fan Girl

Charlie Dizon stars as an unlucky fangirl who gets to spend the night with her celebrity idol in Antoinette Jadaone's new film.

When high-schooler Jane (Charlie Dizon) traveled to her idol's mall show, her only intention is to see the actor. Only to find herself spending the whole night with him after she stows away at the back of his car.

The idol is Paulo Avelino, a movie star whose wink can make any girl swoon in kilig. Jane has been obsessing over him since the start, and she knows every little detail about him. Like his birthday, his pets, and his first teleserye. 

Enthralled by this once-in-a-lifetime close encounter with him, she daydreams of one day to be his real-life leading lady.

But things aren't what it seems. Paulo drives his pick-up to a remote barrio where a lot of surprising things happened. It turns out that the actor is far different from who he was on-screen. And Jane is the only unlucky girl to witness it.

"Fan Girl" is Antoinette Jadaone's latest project. The film first premiered in Japan at the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival. It was also the only Filipino film of the 24th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival held in Estonia. The film is part of this year's Metro Manila Film Festival and is already in contention for many awards.

Behind its already impressive resume, "Fan Girl" captures the attention of many for its daring story. The movie thrives with its straightforward narrative about a fangirl who meets his idol. Only that, this is not a cheesy and corny love story. This movie is a critique of the many forms of abuse towards women and misogyny.

The term "never meet your heroes" make sense now as Jadaone breaks down all the reason why. Trivial information is not equal to personality and what's on-screen is different in real life. 

The film throws shades on die-hard fans that justify their heroes' wrongdoings. It's a slap on blind fanatics that chooses to stare at their idol's faux light and credo. Rather than question and be critical about it.

"Fan Girl" is a standout film this year, kudos to Charlie Dizon and Paulo Avelino. Both did not hold back in showcasing their talents. 

Dizon's performance solidifies her as the young artist to look out for in the coming years. Her bold portrayal of Jane is on-point and convincing. Honestly, there is no other more suited for the role than her. The same goes for Avelino. He defies all expectations with his impeccable acting.

In summary, "Fan Girl" is the must-watch film of 2020. It's a film that everyone should see not only for the performance but for the story's relevance and message.

5/5

Midsommar: Movie Review

A supposedly friendly retreat ends in heartbreak... And death.

Dani Ardor (Florence Pugh) goes to Sweden with her long-distance boyfriend Christian Hughes (Jack Reynor) and his friends to see a midsummer celebration that only happens once every 90 years. 

However, as they spend more time with the commune, they realize that everything is not as it seems.

The Witch: Movie Review

There's a witch in the family.

When William (Ralph Ineson) and his family got banished from the Puritan Plymouth Colony because of disputes over beliefs, they were forced to settle on a farm near the woods. Little do they know that they'll encounter forces of evil in that place that will tear their family apart.

It all started when baby Samuel abruptly disappeared while playing peekaboo with his sister, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy). They all think that it was a witch that abducted him, but they don't really know for sure. The problems didn't stop there. Winter is coming, and they don't have enough food to survive the harsh weather. William and Katherine's (Kate Dickie) other son, Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), also got lost in the wood, and their prized Silver Cup disappeared.

Are these God's punishments for them? Or is there something malevolent in the woods that's haunting them?

Joker: Movie Review

Madness has a face.

Struggling comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) just wants to experience joy and give joy, but Gotham just doesn't give a damn about what he wants. 

So Arthur finds himself slowly going crazy in a society run by powerful moguls, opportunistic rich people, and a system always siding with the wealthy.

Coach Carter: Movie Review

Basketball isn't all about winning. It's about discipline and togetherness.

Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) is a man on a mission to turn a wild, rude, and terrible Richmond High Basketball Team into a champion team, inside and outside the court.

But it will not be easy. Carter's team is failing their class. On top of that, members of the team are embroiled in different issues, such as Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez), who deals drugs for his cousin, and Kenyon Stone (Rob Brown), who struggles to come to terms with his girlfriend being pregnant.

Not to mention that Carter's son, Damian (Robert Ri'chard), wants to join his team.

Carter must now make a hard decision to improve the lives of his team and his son without losing all of the respect he established.

Enchanted — Movie Review

Disney spiced up their fairy tale game through this wonderful rom-com drama about a princess lost in New York City.

The film follows Giselle (Amy Adams), a young woman living in the fictional world of Andalasia, who is bound to marry Prince Edward (James Marsden) after sharing a romantic duet about true love's kiss.

Afraid that she would lose her right to the throne, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), an evil witch, pushed Giselle into a well to a place where, as they explained, "no happily ever after."  

Lost and confused, Giselle accidentally met the cynical divorce attorney, Robert Philips (Patrick Dempsey), who agreed to help her until Prince Edward came to her rescue. 

As the two spend some time together, Queen Narissa is becoming more determined to kill Giselle, Prince Edward gets lost in New York, and Robert and Giselle's feelings are becoming deeper.

Boy — Movie Review

This entertaining and touching story is about an odd family plague with insecurities and dilemmas.

"Boy" follows the lively and imaginative Boy (James Rolleston). Alamein is his real name, named after his dad. He has a very shy brother named Rocky (Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu), who believe his power has caused the death of their mother. 

The story basically starts upon meeting their estranged father, Alamein (Taika Waititi), after being in-prison for a long time. Optimistic that their father return will make their life better, Boy soon realize the true sentiment of his father towards them.

Lilo & Stitch — Movie Review

This 2002 animated movie saw the resurgence of Disney as one of the top animation studios in the world.

"Lilo & Stitch" is about a troubled girl named Lilo (Daveigh Chase). She lives in Hawaii with her sister, Nani (Tia Carrere), and finds it difficult to make friends at school. Until she met Stitch (Chris Sanders), a blue alien space dog.

Stitch is an experiment, an abomination with a propensity for chaos. He is also a fugitive who happens to fall to Earth accidentally. Despite all of these, the young girl still adopted him, as she believes that there is something good inside him.

Meanwhile, the Grand Councilwoman (Zoe Caldwell) employs the mad scientist Dr. Jumba Jookiba (David Ogden Stiers) and Earth specialist Agt. Wendell Pleakley (Kevin McDonald) to re-capture Stitch. And hence, a cat and mouse chase begins.

What We Do in the Shadows – Movie Review

In Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's terrific masterpiece film, three old-school vampires try to adjust to the modern world.

The film follows a group of vampires headed by the uneasy Viago Von Dorna Schmarten Scheden Heimburg (né von Blitzenberg), played by Taika Waititi. A movie crew follows him as he narrates his everyday life with the rebellious Deacon Brucke, played by Jonathan Brugh, the insecure Vladislav the Poker, played by Jemaine Clement, and the 8,000-year-old vampire Petyr, played by Ben Fransham.

Soon, the supposed-to-be dinner guest turned vampire, Nick, played by Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, joins them. His addition adds substance to the overarching narrative. He's a representation of modernity and youth, a direct contrast to Viago and his roomies.