Now playing in Pattaya
Twilight 4: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1: US,
Adventure/ Drama/ Fantasy/ Romance – Not bad at all! Not at all! Once you accept
the setup (and you might as well, or you’ll get nowhere and shouldn’t be
watching) you’ll find it fairly strong, and with perhaps the most disturbing and
horrendous pregnancy and childbirth since Rosemary’s Baby. Yes, Edward and Bella
are expecting a child, and the Quileute and the Volturi are uneasy. Who do these
last two names refer to? Why as any kid can tell you, they are a wolf pack and a
vampire coven – currently the world’s most favorite vampires and werewolves.
There is certainly some real juice to the film, and I really did enjoy it. By
the way, the wedding night scene between Edward and Bella originally caused the
film to receive an R rating, and the scene had to be re-edited to receive a
PG-13 rating; so, it’s safe now, whew!. Part 2 is due next November, and I’m
looking forward to it. Mixed or average reviews. In Digital 3D and English at
Pattaya Beach, 3D and Thai-dubbed at Big C; not at Major. See it! I think you’ll
be pleasantly surprised.
Puss in Boots 3D: US, Adventure/ Animation/ Comedy/ Fantasy –
An absolute delight! Great animation, a lot of varied fun and songs and dance,
and some of the best use of 3D I’ve seen. Long before he met Shrek, the
notorious fighter, lover, and outlaw Puss in Boots became a hero when he set off
on an adventure with the tough and street-smart Kitty Softpaws and the
mastermind Humpty Dumpty to save his town. With brilliant vocal work by Antonio
Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, and many other unsung artists.
Generally favorable reviews, saying it has an abundance of wit, visual sparkle,
and effervescent charm, and I completely agree. In Digital 3D and English at
Pattaya Beach, 3D and Thai-dubbed at Big C; not at Major.
Happy Feet Two (3D): (Scheduled) Australia, Animation/
Comedy/ Family/ Music – The story once again revolves around the colony of
Emperor Penguins in Antarctica, and especially around Mumble, the dancing
penguin who’s now married and has a son. While Mumble and son Eric are away, the
colony gets trapped by shifting ice and faces starvation if they can’t find a
way out. Enlisting the help of Ramon’s penguin colony, which now includes a
little puffin named Sven, and a herd of elephant seals, Mumble sets out to save
them. Mixed or average reviews, saying it’s too cluttered to have the charm of
the original, but praise is generally given to the 3D use.
Trespass (2011): US, Crime/ Drama/ Thriller – In a private,
wealthy community, priority is placed on security. Behind the walls and
manicured gardens, a fast-talking businessman (Nicolas Cage), has entrusted his
mansion’s renovation to his stunning wife (Nicole Kidman). Then their home is
invaded by thugs. Rated R in the US for violence and terror, pervasive language,
and some brief drug use; 15+ here. Generally unfavorable reviews: “nasty and
aggressive, more unpleasant than entertaining.” “Cage gives one of his more
demented performances.” Don’t underestimate the drawing power of Nicolas Cage
when he’s genuinely unhinged! Not at Big C. (In Digital.)
Headshot / Fon Tok Kuen Fa: Thai, Action/ Thriller – A film
By Pen-ek Ratanaruang, director of Last Life in the Universe, this is a
modern film noir about a man trying to forget his past – but his past and his
karma won’t forget him. Adapted from the novel “Fon Tok Kuen Fa.” Premiered in
September at the Toronto International Film Festival, then was shown at the
Tokyo and Vancouver festivals; has created a bit of interest and anticipation.
Rated 18+ in Thailand. Pattaya Beach only, as of Wednesday, and with English
subtitles.
The Thing (2011): US/ Canada, Horror/ Mystery/ Sci-Fi/
Thriller – A prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name: A
paleontologist has traveled to a desolate region of Antarctica for the
expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has
stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an
organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. When a simple experiment
frees the alien from its frozen prison, she must join the crew’s pilot to keep
it from killing them off one at a time. Rated R in the US for strong creature
violence and gore, disturbing images, and language; 15+ in Thailand. Mixed or
average reviews. Thai-dubbed at Big C, English elsewhere.
Vampire Strawberry: Thai, Comedy – Another one of those Thai
combinations of horror and low comedy; this time the story is about two kids who
unknowingly release a vampire from its box. Naturally the vampire is now hungry,
and starts hunting down young women, to drink their blood, of course. Shown in
Thai only, and only at Big C.
In Time: US, Crime/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – I quite enjoyed this
film. It has one of the most intriguing premises of recent movies: In a future
where time is literally money, and aging stops at 25, the only way to stay alive
is to earn, steal, or inherit more time. You need to stretch your beliefs a bit
to swallow all this, but once you do you’re in for a fun and stylish ride with a
bit of social commentary. It’s a quietly angry picture – an extended metaphor
for the way corporations suck the life from the poor and the
not-quite-middle-class. A young man (the ubiquitous and ever more excellent
Justin Timberlake) lives life a minute at a time, until a windfall of time gives
him access to the world of the wealthy, where he teams up with a beautiful young
heiress to destroy the whole corrupt system. Also stars Cillian Murphy, Alex
Pettyfer, Amanda Seyfried, and Olivia Wilde. An interesting style to it, and the
art direction and cinematography are top notch. Mixed or average reviews. In
English with Thai subtitles; not at Big C.
Killer Elite: US/ Australia, Action/ Crime/ Thriller – The
story pits two of the worlds’ most elite operatives – an ex-special ops agent
(Jason Statham) and his longtime mentor (Robert De Niro) – against the cunning
leader of a secret military society (Clive Owen). Covering the globe from
Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, they are plunged into a highly
dangerous game of cat and mouse – where the predators become the prey. Rated R
in the US for strong violence, language, and some sexuality/ nudity; 18+ at SF
cinemas. Mixed or average reviews. Pattaya Beach only.
Tower Heist: US, Action/ Comedy/ Crime – Ben Stiller, Eddie
Murphy, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda lead an all-star cast in a
comedy caper about ordinary working guys who seek revenge on the Wall Street
swindler who stiffed them in a Ponzi scheme. I found it a fair low-key comedy
with some amusing sequences and a touch of social commentary. Should have been
better, par for the course from director Brett Ratner, but it’s pleasant enough.
Mixed or average reviews. Playing as of Wednesday; not at Big C.
30 Kam Lung Jaew: Thai, Comedy/ Romance – After three weeks
as the top film in Thailand, it’s now in the second spot, displaced by Puss in
Boots. Still mighty popular. Ja, a beautiful woman, has everything a woman is
supposed to dream of having: a successful career, a partying lifestyle, and a
handsome sweetheart. On her 30th birthday, Ja finds her perfect life changed
when her boyfriend wants to halt the relationship. Now, at thirty-something, Ja
accepts a happy single life until a new guy gets in her life – and he’s seven
years younger than she is. I’m led to believe it’s a charming tale. Thai only
everywhere.