About Me
Have you read the exclusive fan's first review of Cicakman 3? Click here while it's still fresh!
Social commentary in Malaysian films have been very annoying lately. It seems like it's the only way they can make the film more critical or witty. But when I really think about it though, it's not the extensive use of social commentary that bugs me but, rather, the absence of substance. Terbaik dari Langit does have tons of subtle criticism towards the local film industry but it didn't forget the core essence of storytelling.
Character driven
I can finally say that I remember the character's name from a local movie. The industry still seems oblivious that it's characters that sell. Audiences find it more easy to identify themselves with the characters. Relatable characters are ones that make mistakes for reasons that the audiences can relate to. Berg, Ijam, Toyu and Ali had their own wants and goals; each affecting one another. The plot moves according to their respective individuality and not the writer's 'common sense'. Often times, the local industry writes stories based on cliches; pop culture, trends and common sense. They don't explore the complexity of what the story's substance can be. Redza Minhat, the writer, utilized the story's core; friendship. And with friendship, you have many individuals with respective desire and weaknesses. Sounds very basic but you'd be surprised how often this cannot be done.
Visually daring
Most local films are either undeveloped or shallow (Half ass or terrible is a more harsh way to put it). Terbaik dari Langit is one of few films that's innovative and manage to execute them well. Despite having friendship as it's theme, Nik Amir Mustapha (Director) managed to remind Malaysians that film is a visual medium. Often times, drama is--somewhat--of Malaysia's 'forte' and they are executed with heavy dialogues with uncalled for emotional blunder. Berg's hallucination scenes are tools to describe his point of view. This tool also had a pay-off at the ending; making it full circle and giving it a purpose instead of just simply using it. I also noticed the Hong Kong-esque settings in a few scenes; adding more depths visually.
State of the Malaysian film Industry
The story wittingly uses the plot as a tool to comment on the industry but not too much until it's the theme. Ironic though, the theme also complimented the commentary. Instead of leaving the criticism to mere cynicism, the friendship was the answer. Despite the hardships of the Berg and his friends filming, it's their friendship that matters most. People in the film industry can work as hard as they can but in the end, it's the substance that counts.
Verdict
Did I mentioned that the score and music were awesome? It just brought some familiar emotional ride when one watches a film. But this time, I was watching a local film. I just hope Astro Shaw will continue investing on films like this and give more opportunities to new talents. There's only so much that the current Industry people can do. While they figure out what the youngsters and even people their generation want, give the young people a shot too. Terbaik dari langit earns a 4/5!
Alhamdulillah, local films have been booming lately with promising possibilities for the future. Of course, audience will always compare local content with international ones (Especially with Hollywood) but, if you really look at these films within our country's film history...it's an achievement by itself.
So, this is, sort of, a two part review regarding recent local films. Each exploring local films in terms of Critically and Commercially. As you can see the poster above, I'll be reviewing Cicakman 3!
A franchise that has aged well
....so far
The first thing I noticed when watching through the 2nd act, the storytelling aspect is more mature; really focusing on the character and a theme that they were going for. Through my observation (and limited education in film making), there is a formula for telling a commercial story and it varies according to country, culture, economy, politics and many more. The formula, in a sense, is more or less the same in every country but Cicakman 3 follows Hollywood's narrative structure quite closely. But the story was a very, very, very safe.
Even the directing seems better as the scenes are controlled well; making sure that the mood and emotions of every scenes are apparent, relatable and powerful. The action scenes, however, needed some more work. Most actions were small scaled; no buildings or cities were destroyed. Though, to me, this is fine as long as the story is there but it could have been better if it was implemented in the climax scenes; nothing big...just give it some more stakes.
Yes, even the CGI has been improved. It still has some flaw in making the models and textures more photo realistic. But they finally understand that, like many other aspects of film making, CGI should support the theme and not become the center of attention. There were no gimmicky CGI scenes; scenes that don't rely on elaborate punchlines or an epic spectacle of fighting, explosions and so on.
Westernization
I mentioned that the film followed Hollywood's narrative structure. The decision could have brought better impact as the structure is universal; it's a matter of the story's pace (A very subjective opinion by the way). But Cicakman 3's basic tool for exploring its theme was an ideology that's more familiar in Western countries; having an underdog trope that utilizes symbolism of the human spirit. This is the fundamental ideology of most western movies nowadays. Of course, Malaysia has a firm ideology for itself; that's both unique and familiar with most Asian countries. This is a step backwards as we have our own strong beliefs and film--among many other mediums--is a powerful tool that can showcase it. How to do it? Well, I'm still learning and I think the industry is still learning as well. The Japanese creative industry is a great example for exploring how to express our culture in films. South Korea is also another great example as it's creative industry has been booming in recent years. Their films still have some American box office trope going on but they manage to balance it out with their own culture and ideology.
The Hero
Acting, as always, aren't my forte and I would usually accept whoever is presented (Unless he/she is really terrible). Zizan proves that he's not just a name for KRU Studios to use for gaining publicity. Fizz Fairuz did a swell job portraying the simple villain and Lisa Surihani delivered fairly well.
Kudos to the child actor who delivered a heavy role for a kid. What grabs the audience into the film is definitely the grounded story of family.
Watchable
Ouch, haha. Yes, Malaysians will be harsh with local films and I'm glad to say it's watchable. In fact, it's fairly comprehensive and not painfully shallow as most local films usually produce. The comedy hit its mark very well and the story really sticks inside of you. Funny how I mentioned the franchised has matured when in fact, the new Cicakman is a father. Oops, spoilers.
Westernization
I mentioned that the film followed Hollywood's narrative structure. The decision could have brought better impact as the structure is universal; it's a matter of the story's pace (A very subjective opinion by the way). But Cicakman 3's basic tool for exploring its theme was an ideology that's more familiar in Western countries; having an underdog trope that utilizes symbolism of the human spirit. This is the fundamental ideology of most western movies nowadays. Of course, Malaysia has a firm ideology for itself; that's both unique and familiar with most Asian countries. This is a step backwards as we have our own strong beliefs and film--among many other mediums--is a powerful tool that can showcase it. How to do it? Well, I'm still learning and I think the industry is still learning as well. The Japanese creative industry is a great example for exploring how to express our culture in films. South Korea is also another great example as it's creative industry has been booming in recent years. Their films still have some American box office trope going on but they manage to balance it out with their own culture and ideology.
The Hero
Acting, as always, aren't my forte and I would usually accept whoever is presented (Unless he/she is really terrible). Zizan proves that he's not just a name for KRU Studios to use for gaining publicity. Fizz Fairuz did a swell job portraying the simple villain and Lisa Surihani delivered fairly well.
Kudos to the child actor who delivered a heavy role for a kid. What grabs the audience into the film is definitely the grounded story of family.
Watchable
Ouch, haha. Yes, Malaysians will be harsh with local films and I'm glad to say it's watchable. In fact, it's fairly comprehensive and not painfully shallow as most local films usually produce. The comedy hit its mark very well and the story really sticks inside of you. Funny how I mentioned the franchised has matured when in fact, the new Cicakman is a father. Oops, spoilers.
Verdict
With all honesty, I predict that this will be a box office hit locally. I've seen Malaysians invests themselves on other pathetic and sad content before (Viral videos, dramas, films). Fortunately, Cicakman 3 does not belong in that list. While the story can definitely be more daring, Cicakman 3 showcases promises in the commercial aspect of the film industry; with it's maturity in storytelling, script and direction. I give it a 3.5/5 ! Keep an eye out for the next local film review, Terbaik Dari Langit! This is long over due! Bila kucing enkau sayang tersesat dia Jalanan!!!
It's important to practice on artworks; regardless of painting, photography, writing and so on. But what's just as important is to acknowledge the small ones such as doodles or spontaneous Instagram shots. What I'm pointing out is the inspirations around you; observing and questioning issues or phenomenons that interests you. I admit that the last semester break, I filled this blog with movie reviews. So, to even the odds, I'll be updating the Inspiration labels. Also, it's important to share your thoughts so that you can develop it; discovering new things about yourself and others.
The nature of consumerism has been fascinating me as of late; observing the market of products that has my interests. What adds more depths to the concept of Consumerist's rights are the videos on Youtube. Of course, big companies took advantage of this and promote their products on the site. But it's the video posted by their customers that I rely on most. I love video reviews. I really do. You can get information of a product--or any product you can think of--without biased commercialization. It's really handy if you're really trying to save money when shopping. Video reviews has become a genre in Youtube and it defines today's way of media where the audience/consumers can produce content. Sometimes, I feel like it's more productive to watch video reviews on Youtube rather than watching TV; the constant update of useful information. Besides, those shopping channels were always annoying.
I've learnt this concept from my hobbies such as collecting action figures and playing video games. And I plan on learning more about purchasing tips; especially on important stuffs like Cars and houses. As I write this, I discover that this article is going to be very long; longer than I expected. So, instead, this article is going to be a hub for past and future articles regarding my hobbies and stuffs that inspire me. So, keep an eye out for links of future articles:
Video Games as Art
Spoil's list of 2013
The lists and a new Assassin
Those memes that highlight art student's money problems aren't funny as I find it unfair; stereotyping that art students are ignorant towards business or dissing the media industry in general. But I must admit that my distastes for it is caused by my fear of my finances. Of course, I wish to live happily and while I go through that journey of finding out what that means specifically, it would be nice to have a stable income. Based on my limited experience, you'll never have enough money because human's wants and needs are boundless. However, it's nice to have the power of decision; to decide for yourself and the ones you love without the baggage of insufficient money. Which is why I chose the picture above; as an example of many items that I can spend my money on. Collecting figures is one of my hobbies and I love being able to choose which ever brands I want without worrying about money too much. So, in this article, I'll update you with my current attempts of overcoming this fear; sharing you with a few designs I did.
Now, this is a familiar concept I tried; involving hype and all. Here's an article that tackles on that topic.
I've been designing a few vectors for t-shirts so that, In Shaa Allah, I can start a part time business. I believe that, without hype, nobody will notice your product and it's incredibly important in the film business. Technically, I'm not done with the designs and they may change. I plan on sharing the process of changing as a part of the hype; in hopes of getting feedbacks while gaining interested customers. It's too early for that now but I see no harm in sharing them in my blog; for the sake of writing my heart's desire, of course. Haha.
In a recent class of mine, I learned a more in depth perspective of today's way of promoting Intellectual Properties. What makes it more interesting is that it's something that I've definitely noticed thus motivating me to try out the concept of Transmedia. To be more precised, it's not just a way to promote films, video games or any other expressive mediums you can think of, it's a way of sharing stories; turning us into a more active audience rather than just consuming. The best example of this phenomenon is fan fiction or , as I've constantly referred to, fan art.
Here's the concept:
Due to my fascination of discovering various mediums of expression (General stuff like films or specific stuffs like being a Star Wars fan), I implied that in the designs. Each design will feature the phrase "Discover me through" followed by any pop culture or media I can think of. For marketing purposes, I'll start with the obvious; topics that would attract wider customers or, at least, customers that I can reach to.
The style would revolve around the flat vector style (The previous picture was just a random picture I took while I was in South Korea). The above design is just an early concept and has definitely change prior to this post. I'll update the latest ones when it's ready.
I started with two media that I'm really invested on. Although I'm more of a console fan (No PC master race debate please), I decided to design a mouse and keyboard vector because it could attract a more specific audience. Plus, the whole controller vector thing is done quite often. But I'll design it in the future nonetheless; for variety purposes.
Other topics that I plan on working next is Kaiju (To add some uniqueness), Anime (I have tones of friends whom are Otakus) and Islam (For holiday or seasoned specials such as Eid or Ramadhan).
In Shaa Allah, I hope, to the very least, that this project would start. Sometimes, I forget that business involves tones of risks. What's keeping me from doing this is the fear that all this effort will go to waste if it fails. But after thinking about it, a wasted effort is much cheaper than doing nothing at all; relying only on parents or student loan's allowance. This is phase 1 of 3 of the business plan. Now, I won't go into the details of the phases but to summarize it, it's basically differs in the designs.
Feedback are much welcome. Alhamdulillah, Salam and thanks for reading!
What's worst than my lack of consistency of updating this blog is the lack of my own works presented in it. It's been a while since I've written something in this label; 'Serious Steps' usually contains visual works of mine. But as of late, I've been focusing more and more on screen writing thus leaving little amount of sketches. I do miss drawing very much and I intend to update one in the near future; In Shaa Allah. However, I have been practicing in various fields of film making besides my University's assignments. Most of it involving writing and photography. So, in this short article, I'd like to share some of my pictures and a script I wrote for class.
Most of these pictures are taken during this year's Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah, it's one my most memorable ramadhan; spending much time with friends and, of course, family. As mentioned in previous posts, I've been fond of geometric shapes. Even though I'm not as excited as I was before when tackling the subject, it has left a mark in me; influencing some of my photography. I don't design geometric vectors anymore but I do, unintentionally, apply them in my pictures.
It's funny how you can't really fully grasp an art form once you learn it. You still need time to learn, understand and, especially, use it to your advantage. But yet the lecturers in my University expects great results. Even with raw talent--and I've seen people with it--they probably spent hours of practice prior to the course. There is no shortcut and I must admit that I couldn't accept that fact in the first place. Perhaps, it was my childish perspective of only focusing on the work load. You should and can have fun with practice...I think it's called a hobby. This factor fascinates me so much because it's so different than learning Math or Science during high school. You study a specific topic for an exam that asks only of those topics. But when you paint or film for an assignment, not only you haven't mastered the topics taught in class but, sometimes, the topics outside the class will also affect your outcome. This sounds like frustration but, in time, it will turn into a motivation for you to strive; to express you thoughts and feelings better through countless mediums of expressions.
And so, as I continue to practice writing and--hopefully--drawing, here's a short script I wrote for class.
Constructive criticisms are always welcomed. Salam and thanks for reading!
My semester break has ended and, as of now, I'm in my second week of studies. Before the hectic life of assignments start, I'd like to finally end my movie frenzy with one more review. Frankly, the frenzy sort of ended when I started playing Watch Dogs! Hahahah! Okay--I'm getting over excited again. The films I've watched were awesome and I didn't planned to review all of them. The priorities were the movies on 2014's must watch list and with a few titles that taught me so much. I've covered The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Godzilla 2014 (Both of which I watched during the sem break), now it's time to review the main event film of the list.
Relationships
Perhaps, you may have noticed that the poster above isn't in English. Well, I couldn't find an English Poster that really justifies what Days of future Past is all about. It wasn't just about young Charles Xavier and his older self meeting each other. Heck, it wasn't even about Wolverine. It was about the relationships of all characters. Regrettably, I started watching the film from a different point of view; expecting the same exhilarating action analogies that Godzilla gave me. It wasn't until an emotional scene of young Charles with Logan that made me realize my folly. So, from there, I finally enjoyed it with it's offerings. In this installment, Wolverine is finally enjoyable and engaging as I was never fond of his bad ass style from previous films. Anti heroes aren't welcomed as much as justice seeking heroes to me. Days of future past presented Wolverine as an observer; merely watching and guiding as much as he can with the young mutants. He's no longer has that final pun or hit. Young Erik Lehnsherr, whom was my favorite in First Class, was again presented as the violent side of the mutant debate. This time, he was more firm in his beliefs; a lone hunter. It's interesting to see Magneto act alone as he is often portrayed as a boss villain who orders his minions around. Mystique's character centered around the word choice. Although she is seen more violent in this one (As compered to First Class), Raven Darkholme was always put in a situation where she can choose and it played an important part in the final scene. She was in the middle of the debate between Charles and Erik. Finally, my favorite in this installment was Charles Xavier whom was portrayed as a fallen preacher. Again, I've always have a soft spot of this kind of character as I can relate to them more (Haha, perasan!). The professor was emotionally broken after what Erik, Raven and society had done to him. Yes, some say that he chose the right path but yet when you compare him to Erik, you can't help but to understand why people tend to go to the dark side. It seems easier. That's for you to decide.
Mutant and Proud!
Of course, the very substance that kept the story everlasting was the debate of social norms. Again, the scenes of Professor Xavier and Magneto were always critical and emotional. Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trasks was ingenious. The creator of the mutant hunting Sentinals could easily be portrayed as a one dimensional villain. But giving Peter Dinklage's presence, you can't help but to notice his physical struggle as well. It wasn't as preachy as I've stated it but it was just enough to make you aware. Truly, the actor is breaking the boundaries of acting with his success as a dwarf. Also, I can't help but feel like there's no definitive villain. Finally! This curiosity has been in my mind for awhile. Can you have a good superhero movie if the villains are human as possible? I guess, you can. Yes, Magneto was the villain but I felt for Erik. When he decided to trash the whole city, I face-palmed and said:
"What the hell are you doing, Erik!?"
"Oh my god, you're an asshole!"
Hahaha...I had fun.
Time Travelling
Yes, another genre that's bloody difficult to play around with. Of course, when this film was announced, I can't help but to expect that Days of Future Past would just be a giant reset button. And it was! But in a good way. I didn't realize as I was watching but after reading a few reviews, tons of audience pointed out the continuity issues. What do I think? I'm not bothered by it. However, constructively speaking, such things should have been considered and I'm sure director Bryan Singer put a good thought in it. Also, the scenes of the future seems almost--and I mean ALMOST--boring due to it's role as an exposition of the story. It led to pretty loud and repetitive action with the sentinals. However, the reflection of Michael Fassbender and Ian Mckellen during the action scene was so poetic. All of that violence Erik had done. It took an apocalypse to make him realize his folly.
Verdict
I still regret watching it in a different perspective earlier. If not, I'd probably cry in the theater. Days of future past did not disappoint! If only there's toys for the characters. Why isn't Hasbro or Mattel buying rights from Fox, damn it! I need a Magneto toy! haha! This emotional superhero flick earns a solid 4/5 for justifying that the X-Men are a family of great individuals!
The movie frenzy continues and I think it's time to finish reviewing films in this year's Spoils list since my holidays is at its end. I've already started with Godzilla 2014 which was spectacular. Of course, I did forgot to review Robocop and perhaps I'll get to it soon. For now, I wanna review the film that sort of catalyzed my frenzy towards films; abandoning video games which I always turn to during semester breaks.
Eyes are windows to the soul
Upon watching the trailer, I was concerned that the CGI of Spidey really looked cartoon-ish. Perhaps, it was a good thing because many fans has claimed that this is a design that stays closer to it's source material. I, personally, love it (I even plan on buying the figure!). Spidey actually looks like a teen. What's more impressive is that the suit actor looks more lively; being more expressive with body language unlike Sam Raimi's Spidey. As I watch the film, I turned out to be wrong and Spidey looks just as alive in live action. I love the fact that he's suit wrinkles as he jumps. Some might say that the eyes could make or brake a character's design; considering the fact that most people relies on it for emotional engagement. It sounds like an unfair burden--I know--but they pulled it off with this incarnation of Spidey. For example, Iron Man's eye holes are shaped in a small and narrow holes; mimicking an angry eye. So, when the audience sees this as he is fighting; it syncs as one always associates anger with violence. Spidey's eyes has a balance between angry and emotional as it's narrow on top but continues to be cursive at the bottom. It gives him a more peculiar and engaging attraction. The design from the first Amazing Spidey didn't bothered me as much however when this was released, it made the old one seemed like a Spider-man wannabe.
The Chemistry
I re-watched the first installment of Marc Webb's take a few weeks before the sequel and I'm glad I did. Sometimes, the notion of what an adaptation should be really ruins your experience. You should focus on what a story can be and from there, you can appreciate and learn wonders. Before Spidey, Marc Webb directed 500 days of Summer and upon knowing that, it's obvious that he brought his arsenals from there to this new one. It bothered me that Spidey didn't had much say in the first one; in a way that the character couldn't carry or express himself emotionally without a partner. Spider-Man always narrates his stories in comics and even in Sam Raimi's take. He always have something to say. So, to see him relying so much with Gwen Stacy took us away from his charisma. Then again, Spider-Man is also most famous with his love interests and to see a love story that's realistic brings new perspective of the beloved character. Let's face it, Mary Jane in the old one is a bit of a guy's fantasy. I love how Gwen brings out Peter Parker in a new way. Fortunately, the balance between Spidery's charisma and love interests was satisfying in The Amazing Spidey 2; being able to express himself as the costumed hero we love and as a person. If not for this knowledge, I couldn't have enjoyed it as much because this is the aspect that really pulled me in.
Milking it too much
Unfortunately, it wasn't the best of Spidey and the flaws are big enough to weigh it down. These aren't flaws that's personal but more constructive as you can see clearly a huge franchising attempt here. Sigh, it's Iron Man 2 all over again. It was surprising as they went with a one dimensional villain again; same as the ones on Sam Raimi's. Presenting a quick 360 turn of a normal person turning pure evil without much character developments. I thought they were unwelcome anymore ever since Batman Begins. Electro--although was the best villain for visuals--wasn't the best of villains in terms of story. He felt like a pond in this story which was the only depths I can see fit because the franchise seems to have Oscorp as it's primary villain. The whole Max Dillon being a victim to Oscorp is good enough. Hey, it's better then Sandman 'accidentally' fall into a experiment site and gain powers; 'conveniently' evening the odds with Spidey. Max's motivations were also undeveloped. Harry Osborne was the true villain here and his character was well develop. Although, he seems to much of a wimp to me, Dan Deehan's acting proves why he was cast. He's design, however, seems a bit rushed; combining an exo-suit with a half mutated face. It seemed like they were unsure of how the new Green Goblin would fit in this new franchise. Rhino was just a thug which didn't bothered me as much. The franchising attempt clearly puts in too much information that prohibits the story to be fully develop. I'm not even convinced that a Venom movie would work.
Verdict
All in all, this is a Spider-Man film that I enjoyed very much; having fun with it's humor and action while staying true to it's source material. It's really awesome that they finally use the whole hunting for Spidey's blood plot. Who knows, maybe Scarlet Spider would finally make his cinematic appearance! However, with such a solid premise, I would have big expectations for the next one; to really represent Spider-Man's legacy. Perhaps, like Iron Man 3. This wasn't the main event film of 2014 but I'm having second thoughts. I'm glad it proved me wrong. Thus, I give The Amazing Spider-Man a 4/5.
Salam readers!
