Film Works

Twilight Saga: Eclipse Film Review – Eclipse Continues to Suck Blood Out of Pop Culture

Eclipse Continues to Suck Blood Out of Pop CultureBy Rianne Hill Soriano

Twilight Saga: Eclipse is a compelling sequel certain to enthrall die-hard fans.

Twilight is now a legendary brand famous for its teenage angst, pale make-up, and otherworldly love triangle. Now a historical movie franchise breaking box office records worldwide, this third installment clearly marathons every opportunity to please fans. While they ultimately deserve more, this movie successfully utilizes the right blood type to fuel all its bankable possibilities. And whatever critics and non-fans say, its hard-core followers ultimately back up this romantic fantasy flick as an ultimate cash cow.

Eclipse is dull, boring, and overly dramatic; unless the viewer finds it therapeutic, entertaining, or orgasmic to see perfectly pale and powerful vampires and perfectly chiseled, shirtless werewolves making a regular girl happy on the big screen. If just for those, this movie is a sure winner. The movie marathons to as much close-ups and beauty shots while the actors and actresses try to put life to their clichéd lines. Add up some action to boost things up in between the many drags, and that’s about it.

Its vampire boy-meets-ordinary girl-meets werewolf boy story can already be effectively told in a short movie, but of course, the studio needs to prolong it as much as it can. To keep up with the feature-length movie requirement, Eclipse incorporates many visceral set pieces, stylistic flashbacks, and impassioned sentiments to keep the viewers hanging on to its swoony tale of forbidden love.

There’s no middle ground with the Twilight Saga: Either the viewer surrenders to the value of this movie version of the Stephenie Meyer bestseller or the viewer walks out feeling lifeless in disappointment. One thing is for sure, this film confidently provides the commercial requirements to make fans satisfied.

In its own mediocre level, Eclipse’s good points are its pretty good make-up, atmospheric feel, and art direction setting the mood for a sort of emotional pornography for teenagers. The “melodramatic crush factor” works well for those craving for such inner adolescent fantasies. The marketing strategy establishing the vampire-wolf division “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob,” along with the “in-Bella’s shoes” girl fantasies, is developed pretty well throughout the movie. It validates its teen-friendly demeanor where words overcome sexual urges and where fight scenes are meant for viewers who are only concerned about the protagonists winning and looking so cool with it.

Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, and Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black embrace their own sense of camp in this movie about teenage uncertainty, emotional highs and lows, and impassioned teenage love. It is not the stunning locations, special effects, or the plot that “Twilighters” will keep in mind, it’s the characters and their relationships that they shall remember.

Director David Slade taps into what Twilight fans want. He keeps it cold and lifeless in a way that the ultimate teenage fantasies about the characters become the full movie. The adolescents and the adolescents at heart don’t mind how characters shamelessly have their buttons pushed as long as they can relate to these characters’ own personal hurdles.

Eclipse manages to create a teen drama effectively utilizing its cheesy special effects to stage chaste, romantic tensions against the many scenic backdrops. It demonstrates adolescent longing and primal physical confrontations where the ultimate damsel in distress gets saved by not one but two “prince charmings,” not to mention their whole clans helping out.

For those seeking for a quality film offer, this 124-minute movie about convoluted passions and hormonal outrage cries out for life. It seeks for a life-saving blood transfusion. It is like watching two lovers looking at each other’s eyes and feeling the ultimate magic of being in love; while anyone not relating to it would most likely feel bored or apathetic.

With fans undoubtedly willing to get bitten, this third chapter in the Twilight Saga remains foremost a flick for devotees. Given the strength of this franchise, the least non-fans can wish for is for the next chapter/s to take the challenge of better quality over the shallowness of its comfort zone. If it continues to be this programmed and predictable, the only thing to remember it by is that it sucks the blood out of pop culture; while it leaves everybody else outside dead cold.

List of Filmmakers Who Can Replace Guillermo Del Toro as Director for The Hobbit

List of Filmmakers Who Can Replace Guillermo Del Toro as Director for The Hobbit
This list is not simply categorized according to how their filmographies made them who they are. in the industry now. These choices explore a number of complicated aspects, perspectives, and considerations about each director’s works.
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Hellboy 2: The Golden Army Movie Review: High Fantasy Vs. Pop Culture Kitsch

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army Movie Review: High Fantasy Vs. Pop Culture Kitsch
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is filled with visionary sense. It has a wide imagination and a heartfelt plea for environmental concern and cultural diversity. However, its spectacular sense of artistry could have worked much better…
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Guillermo Del Toro Out of The Hobbit

Guillermo Del Toro Out of The Hobbit
After two years of buzz and confirmed news of filming the prequel to the legendary Lord of the Rings (LOTR) Trilogy, Guillermo del Toro is now officially out of the franchise.
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Shrek Forever After Film Review: Ogre Forever After

Ogre Forever After
By Rianne Hill Soriano

Shrek Forever After is technically fine, but it’s only mildly entertaining. While the pleasant nostalgia is a given that it renders something familiarly successful, the monstrously good fun has already faded for this fourth and last installment of the Shrek franchise. In comparison, it goes “far, far away” from the first two of the now four Shrek movies. It is not exactly “cat-astrophic nor ri-donke-lous,” at the least. Its saving graces are the solid performances for the movie’s bankable characters that breathe life into this commercially mandated and creatively bankrupt effort.

The quick wit and pop-culture referencing that made Shrek a fun movie doesn’t feel the same anymore after a decade down the line.  It falls flat when it comes to the supposed one-liners and adorable critters. It still maintains some appeal, but the fun and energy feels kind of forced already.

Director Mike Mitchell and scriptwriters Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke are all new to the franchise, yet the movie looks so derivative. There are only simple and minimal changes on a distinctly surface level (primarily a darker mise-en-scéne), but deep down, it’s just a tired offer.

Shrek Forever After is very much a recycled treat that bases everything about it for the fad on 3D technology. As a last dance for the profitable green ogre, this one last hit for the marketable business franchise is clearly a cash cow product. Yet, it has undoubtedly captured a steady audience after establishing an impressive past and setting a new trend in mainstream animated films during its heyday. Now, after almost a decade, it keeps its general charm and viability amidst being narratively overcooked and comically undernourished. While this final attempt to profit on the Shrek motion picture fame is a rather modest affair that barely exerts an independent quality and charm for itself, the characters viewers have learned to love through the years keep this movie hanging. Add up the expensive tickets from 3D theaters and everything really goes into the Dreamworks cash register.

Interestingly, after three movies aimed at children and adolescents, this final Shrek movie is aimed more or less at middle-aged men than attracting new younger recruits. Perhaps, Shrek Forever After is really aimed just for its “grown-up followers” (both the grown up kid and adult fans from the past films, but with more focus on the middle-aged adults). Its theme even centers on adult issues and concerns more than trivial children stuff. With this part of the film, it works in the sense that it allows adult viewers to relate to Shrek’s own midlife crisis, Puss’ obesity, among other things.

Mike Myers and company pull the interest to it when scenes fall flat in the other departments.

With a business kind of thinking, Shrek Forever After is a pretty good deal. After the box office profit, it has a very good market in home video sales together with the rest of the Shrek movies. Indeed, for a Shrek collection with four films to boost, it can live a long and prosperous life for the general collection of most households, and it is expected to be one of those movies meant for babysitting the kids inside the homes.

The Time Traveler’s Wife Movie Review: “Time Warping” Love and Destiny

The Time Traveler’s Wife Movie Review: “Time Warping” Love and Destiny
The Time Traveler’s Wife takes the story of a couple who is led into the grandeur and sadness of life and the mystery of time. With its own mix of drama, romance, and science-fiction, is it really worth your time?
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New Moon Movie Review: A Swoon Movie for the Fans

New Moon Movie Review: A Swoon Movie for the Fans
This second bite to the hugely popular Twilight saga can’t exactly do the same for the outsiders. It may not be good enough to seduce new fans, but it’s not bad enough to break off relentless infatuations from its very much anticipating target market.
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie Review: Masterful, Moody, and Magnificent

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie Review: Masterful, Moody, and Magnificent
This sixth installment in the Harry Potter film franchise is of the right mix for the specific needs of the story. It is never dumb and yet it is not pretentiously profound. It is smart as it is honest. It is dark as it is funny.
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Twilight Movie Review: The Teen Bite of Twilight

Twilight Movie Review: The Teen Bite of Twilight
The swoony supernatural romance and the neo-horror motif both amuses and bemuses – depending on the type of viewer.
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Star Trek Movie Review: A Warpspeed Wow!

Star Trek Movie Review: A Warpspeed Wow!
Something old reboots as a glorious new.
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Alice in Wonderland Movie Review: Overwhelming Visuals, Underwhelming Storytelling

Alice in Wonderland Movie Review: Overwhelming Visuals, Underwhelming Storytelling
Tim Burton’s individual stamp of masterful storytelling doesn’t seem to register here. And with its wavering tone, Burton and company should really dig a lot deeper if they soon decide to make a sequel.
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Movie Review: A Dark, Adolescent Potter Film

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Movie Review: A Dark, Adolescent Potter Film
Darker, a little more mature, and a little less magical, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire deals primarily with rejection and hormones as Harry and his friends struggle through the transition from childhood to young adulthood.
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Watchmen: Deconstructing the Film in Reference to the Graphic Novel

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The film Watchmen is no doubt a love letter to those who have been waiting for the graphic novel’s cinematic rendition for the last two decades.
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Corpse Bride Movie Review: A Charming Grave Fairy Tale

Corpse Bride Movie Review: A Charming Grave Fairy Tale
Behind its eerie theme, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride is fun, genial, expressive and charming. This semi-musical stop-motion animation celluloid baby is set at death’s door and salutes the liberating power of true love and sacrifice.
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Sky High Movie Review: Soaring High School Heroes and Sidekicks

Sky High Movie Review: Soaring High School Heroes and Sidekicks
If you think Hogwarts is the only secret school for extraordinary kids, well there’s also the heroic children’s world of Sky High.
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Brothers Grimm Movie Review: A Grim for Brothers Grimm

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Brothers Grimm is shallow, bland and disappointing. There have been a few sparks of promise, but the muddled plot messes up its very intensity.
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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Movie Review: A Trippy Imaginarium

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Movie Review: A Trippy Imaginarium
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is primarily a visual spectacle. While the film is not entirely successful, it certainly qualifies as a glorious mess of exploring an imaginative world.
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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Movie Review: A Slick and Solid Family Slapstick

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Movie Review: A Slick and Solid Family Slapstick
This eye-popping and mouth-watering film cooks up a veritable buffet of the bland and the bizarre, the sweet and the sour, and all other tastes generously offered on screen. It serves up a riot of glee, color, and absurdity.
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The Top 5 Best 3D Movies List

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In the era of IMAX and Real 3D, the worldwide resurgence of 3D films hit the theaters with what stereoscopic 3D technology can offer
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The Top 5 Worst 3D Movies List

The Top 5 Worst 3D Movies List
There are actually many movies (both animation and live action offers) that are made into 3D flicks for the heck. And not all stories or film style or cinematic treatment are best suited for the 3D medium.
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Film Review: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

A Trippy Imaginarium
By Rianne Hill Soriano

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” has a vaudevillian spirit. It flirts with acid-laced visuals and spins circles around the viewers’ heads. The dizzy spell of visual fantasy and the rickety plotting both impresses and bores.

This send-off film for the late Heath Ledger (technically speaking, though personally, I think it’s his Joker in “The Dark Knight” that is his real great send-off) is a highly imaginative mess shot with boldness and extravagance. It works more like a cobbled collection of ideas rather than being a precious stand-alone story.

Though the visual flare is there, things don’t really hold together well. And this issue already gives consideration to the fact that Ledger only finished half of his work on cam – not to say that the other three guys who finished the work for him are of no good value. It’s just that the film, as a whole, clutters with artsy stuff – than mainly putting enough value to characterization. “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is visually packed with grandeur, but the story mishmash makes it tiring to watch many scenes. There is that feeling of being overdone. And at some point, it’s like eating too much of a well-garnished meal that’s out of nutritional value. The film’s storytelling can’t keep up with the trippy elements just packed together to create a full-length movie. It’s fitting more like a series of eye-popping music videos spliced together.

When looking at the film separately into scenes of fantastical spins, it’s generally fine. The anachronistic artistry of director Terry Gilliam makes visually splendid slices of brilliant madness. Rife with hyperbolic displays, it is grounded in a fantasy world rendered through an enigmatic odyssey of graphic invention. Yet, a film should put its various elements as a whole body of work. And in this case, “Parnassus” meanders around confused rhythms that make it more like rambling chunks of effects-filled magic that are mostly self-indulgent and gambling. Though it promises something fanciful at times, this doesn’t really quite add up to one grand sight. It teases with magnificently tantalizing moments, but the resulting film looks more like an outlandish jugging act that both dazzles and bums.

As a big-budget pageantry of shifting CGI canvases and frenetic elements, the big deal effects overpowers the story instead of just serving to spice up and backup the storytelling. It looks overburdened with ideas, visions, and concepts while becoming disappointingly moody at times. They are insisted with too much force and urgency that they are more off-putting than entrancing; more exhausting than exhilarating.

“Parnassus” is like a crammed artist’s mind traversing a shaky framework. Sometimes, the magic works and it’s blissful in its own right. But most of the time, it piles on glitter, grunge, and some mumbo jumbo puffs. It really needs a more coherent storytelling to pack every idea about art and imagination as insinuated in its theme. It seems to have passionate intentions about the contradictions of good and evil as played out in the hearts and minds of its characters. It is an ardent morality tale about the consequences of making deals with the devil. It provides a thematically potent sympathy moving freely to the people’s subconscious. And it feels through the artist’s life journey of pleasure and pain.

Heath Ledger’s Tony boosts the film’s value in his fine performance. It’s a chance to see him acting one last time before resting for good. On a lighter note, he will always be remembered with the great characters in his filmography. And the film is appropriately labeled as coming from Heath Ledger and friends.

Talented as he is (evidently with a number of good films under his belt), Christopher Plummer as Doctor Parnassus unfortunately lacks the intensity to make his character work here. His Imaginarium overpowers the film’s crucial element of characterization – although this issue is more a concern with the direction than what the actor can really deliver for what he is told to do. In fact, Lily Cole as Valentina, Andrew Garfield as Anton, and Verne Troyer as Percy have better characterizations than him. Despite the very tricky material, these three, along with Tom Waits who delivers a fine enough performance as Mr. Nick put some value to let the audience willingly ride along further the Imaginarium path.

The retrofitting of Ledger’s role works well on its own. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law as the “Imaginarium Tony guys” even make more sense than what the clunks of the story make for the film’s entirety.

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is primarily a visual spectacle. While the film is not entirely successful, it certainly qualifies as a glorious mess of exploring the imagination. Abandoning oneself to the occasionally uneven but visually stimulating images is the best way to enjoy it. And for those who are willing, it is a hollow, shambling, lovable mess of a movie to watch with a popcorn and soda.

Film Review: New Moon

A Swoon Movie for the Fans
By Rianne Hill Soriano

“New Moon” knows what it should be. It’s clearly meant to be a teen flick that makes fans swoon and quench. This second bite to the hugely popular “Twilight” saga can’t exactly do the same for the outsiders though. It may not be good enough to seduce new fans, but it’s not bad enough to break off relentless infatuations from its very much anticipating target market.

This installment is more of a teen-focused soap opera rendered for the big screen. It manages to shine for those willing to buy in its central romance about the love between a human and a vampire with an adolescent level of audience consummation. Its moments of hotness flirt with various lingering glances, teenybopper kisses, and de-shirting. And it works well in providing reasons for uncontrollable giggles from the willing fans. It manages to shine for those romantic hearts yearning for an enjoyable teen escapism with pretty girl faces and shirtless hunky boys. Add up the fancy look and coolness of pale make-up with red lips, cool cars, magical powers, teen angst, shapeshifting abilities, and raging hormones, then mix them according to the demands of the willing to be bitten fans, then you got that big bowl of adolescent romantic mush garnished with horror-lite action scenes, forest cat-and-mouse chases, and crazy road trip resulting to a showcase of supernatural gifts.

This Stephenie Meyer adaptation lurches from the sublime to the ridiculous – and what makes it work for its expected audience is the well-kept mood that signals moments of candor and romanticism. It has a generally unappealing formula, but it is oddly effective. It offers some juicy, go-for-broke romantic pleasures the way its predecessor did. The eye candy formula is definitely present to cater to the fans craving for two glossy hours of hotties strutting their stuff. The fans will definitely care, but the casual viewers won’t give as much enthusiasm.

As it settles into a somewhat predictable groove, the occasional longeurs tend to suck life out of the story. There are tedious, long-winded parts. There is that turn off for its slow pace, relentlessly downcast tone, and even its excessive length. Gimmicky and worn out aspects appear here and there. Yet, this sequel is clearly effective with its focus on the gratuitous sex appeal of its two lead male stars – which can be readily proven by the shrieking fans surrounding every theater in the city every time they appear or do something romantic or cool in teenage language terms. From the moody teenager girl who can’t stop whining about how her boyfriend dumped her to the shirtless wolf-men flexing their muscles to the suicidal impulses and fantasies for skin paleness and lip redness, this second chapter on this successful popcorn flick is commendably a good example of contemporary low budget cinema in the middle of the recession hitting the blockbuster mark as if there is no economic crisis, just rising teenage hormones.

The technical parts are quite interesting to dig into. Overall, production values are still on the range of just a decently budgeted Hollywood project, but it considerably works for its bearing – and yes, it’s absolutely reaping much more money than the initial capital for it.

This slickly packaged entertainment has that kind of old-fashioned look. It has dark and moody cinematography that indulges well with its own creepy vision of teenage sexuality. The production design keeps up with its tragic-romantic motif. The nominal special effects provide harmless fun. Director Chris Weitz makes it stronger on dream logic than plot; yet the mediocre performances and dumbed down screenplay still make the film shallow, vapid, and cheesy – an observation out of the bias from the already given fan base whom the producers know will never let them down whatever kind of story they offer to the franchise, as long as the established characters are there for their romantic escapades.

This romance relying on the appeal of fangs and paws primarily survives because of the already esteemed lead characters from the movie’s first installment. The romance between the danger-attractive mortal Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and the drop-dead gorgeous vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) delves deeper into the darkness and mysteries of the supernatural. And driving the story into their deeper emotions becomes a priority in the storytelling. At the same time, another character gets inside their circle through the buffed Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a wolf-teen who establishes a budding relationship with Bella. However, the film suffers on the usual sequel syndrome with symptoms including a laborious establishing of forced conflicts, a general air of drift and pointlessness, and a lack of clear direction. Meanwhile, the cliffhanger ending effectively teases and is clearly intended to make fans hungry for more.

“New Moon” gives fans what they’re looking for – which isn’t to say it’s actually great, only that it’s basically successful in achieving the low end goals it sets for itself through enough fantasy and romance to satisfy its devotees; while everyone else outside the “Twilight” circle will just shrug and move on.

Film Article: Avatar and Looking Into the Current Digital Cinemas in the Philippines

The Future of Film through IMAX and Digital Cinemas

A Sneak Peek at James Cameron’s Avatar and Looking Into the Current Digital Cinemas in the Philippines

By Rianne Hill Soriano

James Cameron’s “Avatar”

Experiencing “Avatar” is seeing the future of film technology right before my very eyes.

The realms of CGI and 3D technology on this age of filmmaking are definitely starting to write their own history already. From the initial experimentations to the developing of the medium to the hype of the format, both the filming process and the theatrical playing field prove that the evolution of cinema technology is really revolutionizing our film experiences in various levels.

Gone were the days when imagination becomes a limited audio-visual fare to filmmakers. Creative exploration is now equated by technological innovation. Leveling up to a new chapter of filmmaking history has truly started… and it continues to polish itself in every new cinematic venture exploring its prowess. From educational documentaries to children’s animated entertainment to narrative film offers, CGI and 3D technology create a larger scale of sensory high at this fast-paced and competitive era of infinite information and entertainment available to more and more people.

The rare sensation delivered by the 3D look for both animation and live action projects takes on the viewers to extraordinary cinematic journeys that have already yielded results of astonishing variety. We had the likes of “Deep Sea 3D” establishing a captivatingly fresh and interesting look to documentary productions. We had Polar Express pioneering the 3D family movie funhouse. We had “Beowulf” achieving that larger-than-life treatment and absolutely high-tech makeover to a literary classic. We had “U2 3D” breaking new ground for a new form of concert experience. And we had a number of live action offers as “Harry Potter” experimenting on the crisp and sparkling 3D look in selected parts of the films. And now, we have “Avatar” with its ambitious visual texture combined with humanly emotional depth creating a 3D spectacle amazingly exploring both live action shots and computer-generated images.

“Avatar” is truly creating the hype. This James Cameron first directorial debut since “Titanic” provides such a sense of wonder with its jaw-dropping images. Being part of the select audience to get a first look on the filmmaker’s hand-picked scenes of the film in 3D at IMAX Theater SM North Edsa last Aug 24, 2009, I should say, it is definitely something to look forward to starting on Dec. 18, 2009, the schedule for its regular showing. This motion picture epic pioneers two unrelated technologies – e-motion capture which uses images from tiny cameras rigged to actors heads to replicate their expressions and digital 3D. From the said exclusive peek at the ultimate 3D technology that is yet to revolutionize our movie experience, this motion picture epic has definitely provided me much anticipation for what the future of cinema has begun to realize.

“Avatar” was conceived by Cameron 14 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not exist yet. Now, after four years of actual production work, the film delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind – with the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappear into the emotion of the characters and sweep the story with unprecedented craftsmanship.

The movie takes the audience towards the spectacular new future where pulse-pounding action sets forth from a mythical planet named Pandora.  Embroiled in the new world is a reluctant hero (Sam Worthington) that embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. It shall be distributed worldwide in the following formats: IMAX® 2D, digital 3D, digital 2D and 35mm to be available in local theaters nationwide this December through 20^th Century Fox as distributed by Warner Brothers Philippines.

It is too early to give the best distinction for this ambitious film venture as I have only seen bits and pieces of some scenes. And it will just be fair to give my true thumbs up or thumbs down once I get to watch the whole film and find out for myself if more than just the film’s mind-dropping technical prowess and fascinating audio-visual spectacle, the storytelling delivers an ultimate triumph for this project. But so far, with what I have witnessed firsthand at the IMAX Theater, this film is not just a mere technical exercise of the new technology. During the sneak preview, I have watched the 20-minute excerpt of the film three times. I’m calling the first opportunity to see the footages as level 1 watching – where I merely enjoy and immerse myself in seeing the film for the first time. Level 2 is where my filmmaker side provides a more conscious study on the kind of film language utilized in the selected scenes I have watched. I become more keen in the kind of shots chosen, the movements of the camera, the production design, the utilization of the various elements present on the screen, among other things. Level 3 provides me an opportunity to evaluate the more technical aspect of the making of the film – considering the fact that it’s a newly explored advancement on this kind of film technology.

As a director myself who is also venturing into some animation projects at the moment, I have been in total awe with what I have seen. Watching it for the third time allows me to examine how superior the filmmaking process is for the film – I have been trying to see if there are technical and aesthetic compromises, if there is something not rendered well, if there are compositing issues, if the movements of the background does not match well with the movements of the actors and actresses and if the backgrounds separate too much from the main subject/s, if the shadows are missing or not on the right parts, if the motion captured expressions of the live performances have something questionable for the needed genuine expressions, among other things. Kudos to Cameron and his team. The fast cuts and action shots don’t look like they are cheating the audience’s eyes. Of course, it could be a more in-depth evaluation if I can do like a frame-by-frame examination of it (which is something that I really am interested to do because after trying to really see if there’s something not seamless on the shots and even the sound, the only thing I am considering to check again so far is if the dinosaur scene with the main character really perfectly matches the supposed movements of the vines that the huge, monstrous animal is stepping in, plus other little things that make me curious on the process that they further went through, regardless of missing something small along the way or things were just made to be at their most effective really), but basing it from what I saw three times, the technical and emotional parts of the film definitely look so promising. The idea of losing some needed emotional punch for the sake of technological show-offs is not an issue with the scenes I have seen. And the sound quality is no less than impeccable.

Digital Cinemas in the Local Playing Field

For the Philippines, it is but a dream to explore filmmaking on this foray of big budget, ambitious 3D projects, but it is a positive thing that we are part of the audience already benefiting on the improvement of the playing field of cinema’s freshest technological breakthroughs. We have around a dozen of digital cinemas and two IMAX theaters in the country this year compared to less than five last year. We have IMAX at SM Mall of Asia and SM City North Edsa (we used to have only one at Mall of Asia for the past few good years). We have digital cinemas at Gateway Cineplex 10, SM City North EDSA, Trinoma, Greenbelt 3, SM Megamall, Robinsons Galleria, and SM Mall of Asia (we used to have only one at SM City and two at Gateway Cineplex 10 for the past few good years) – and I have heard from a reliable source that a mall in Cebu is already on the works for their own digital cinema as well.

This is a great news for the country. It reflects how Filipinos can now go a notch higher not just in watching Hollywood blockbusters but also showcasing our own films with top quality 2K resolution –which is actually within the reach of our own productions. In fact, the Filipino independent filmmaking community has been on the forefront of this. Interestingly, more independent Filipino films are pushing the boundaries of HD projection than local commercial film projects. This provides a significant sign that limited budget independent film ventures have great opportunities to level up the technical quality of their films already. And another good news is that there are commercial theaters catering to HD and 2K film projections helping out even the local independent film projects. And I’m a living testimony to this as even my short films were given the chance to be premiered in HD format courtesy of Outpost Digital Frontier who is currently at the forefront of DCP (Digital Cinema Package) release of our local films, and courtesy of Gateway Cineplex 10 and Araneta Group who have gladly provided their Dolby Super Digital Cinema (Cinema 5) for the films’ theatrical projection a few months ago. And we are yet to see Cannes Palm d’Or Winner Raymond Red’s film “Himpapawid” (Skies) which is also working on its DCP – which explores great possibilities to being catered by the growing number of digital cinemas in the country.

In a realistic sense, the utilizing of digital cinemas is very much favorable to the Philippine film industry – both commercial and art-house films. Why and how? Shooting in HD, which cuts the production cost with such a significant amount as compared to shooting on film, can go two preferable routes for cinema projection: 1) blowing up to the standard 35mm prints for nationwide release of bigger film projects; and/or 2) projecting in HD which is file-based and needs no film prints anymore which can further cut the production cost especially to those films only catering to a specific audience like film buffs and people who are into watching art films. It may be a smaller market, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t make its own decent way into the box office especially if it is shown in digital cinemas where the saturation of its audience can be found in proximity with it. And in its case right now, tapping areas like Quezon City, Ortigas, Makati, and Manila (where the recent digital cinemas in the country are situated) are truly formidable grounds to the audience of art and independent films. And in the future, it will also be wise to start investing on digital cinemas in other key cities around the country as Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, Baguio, Ilocos, Laguna, etc. to further cater to the decent market of such films all around the country. And it is really “high time” that more Filipino producers, whether for commercial or art-house projects, be more inspired by all these.

The high resolution and mostly file-based filming in HD cameras make it easier for the footages to be utilized for post-production work. The file-based showing of films becomes a real advantage to film theaters as there are no more scratches and noises due to wear and tear of a 35mm print and there are no more possibilities for human error in rewinding and queuing up prints. All these, in the long-term, entails lower cost than using film-based projections; thus, making it more feasible for the Philippines to catch up with the technology in the global perspective. And as more and more digital cinemas come into the picture, the opportunities are getting bigger and bigger for Filipino filmmakers, producers, distributors, theater owners, and cinema-goers.

We may not be on the level of using the technology that “Avatar” has already maximized for itself, and it may take some decades before we reach that status; but if filmmakers, producers, distributors, theater owners, media people, and the film audience all work together, reaching out to the future of cinema with a global mindset on the technological breakthroughs of the likes of IMAX and digital theaters will be ultimately beneficial for us… And realistically speaking, it’s not too far away for us… We can both dream and achieve more and more in our own developing country with a slowly, but surely thriving film industry – now producing a great number of films garnering awards and receiving critical acclaim all over the world…

Indeed, we are all part of this new, astounding cinematic revolution with the most brilliant efforts for “filmmaking” and “film watching” within our midst – whether in such top Hollywood film projects or in our own steps forward in very our local films. Together, let’s develop our film industry further and appreciate the technology we are also starting to see, learn, and experience through Hollywood films that are already investing on cinema’s greater options for the future.

Film Review: Up

Pixar’s “Up” further strengthens its impressive track record of making noteworthy animated films. This must-have DVD provides a symphonic balance of touching silence and witty dialogue where the flight of fancy is carefully crafted through a wildly creative fantasy, inner childhood, and rediscovery.

As an emotional and heartfelt story with various levels of relationships and sense of belongingness, this high-altitude exploration about love and loss and letting go makes a beautifully balanced effort – propelling the viewers up, up and away with its colorful balloons of cinematic adventure.

“Up” is a family film that doesn’t pander. The audience’s suspension of disbelief especially for some of its preposterous elements never insists itself as a negative issue. In fact, the cleverness and originality the film exudes through it becomes considerably boundless. Highly supported by visual wonder and worthwhile story investment, the theme of this exquisitely cinematic work tweaks the common elements of a grownup tale and rejuvenates the storytelling with much spark and pop.

From belly-laugh humor to tear-in-the-eye despair, it never becomes anything less than incredibly touching and entertaining. Alternately funny and touching, and exciting often all at once, this tale about unfulfilled dreams and fulfilling promises is punctuated by gentle whimsy and tender human values. Through its intimate character study about rediscovering the soul, or surviving the worst and making the most of it, the film’s creative synergy of sharp, funny, and tear-jerking elements delivers both a thrillingly fantastic adventure and a devastatingly poignant piece of realism.

What makes “Up” more special is how its animation efforts are utilized for maximum value. It combines the basic filmmaking requirement of imaginative and sincere storytelling with dazzling and dreamlike visuals on a level that can work best on animated films – creating an experience that is a special characteristic of animation – at once utterly convincing and completely impossible, but all in all, lovingly acceptable for its kind of medium.

This swashbuckling romp starts slowly, but classy. Then it picks up helium and soars into a continent-hopping adventure and an understated, nuanced psychodrama with an end as inspiring as its title. For children, it’s an adventure movie; for adults, it’s an adventure on a whole different level. “Up” is a breezy kid’s fun yarn embedded in a sentimental grownup tale with serious consideration on love, death, and lives left behind. The “visual wow factor” can resonate more powerfully to the kids while the amusing brilliance as a sweet, gentle, and imaginative tale about grief and regret, purposes lost and rediscovered can resound more to the adults.

The opening sequence sits in silence, telling the story of young Carl and Ellie filled with emotions and alleviated by Michael Giacchino’s magnificent music transporting the viewers to a make-believe place. Tears fall at the end of this beginning to cast a spell over the willing audience. It hits the right notes as the musical score becomes practically a character in the film itself. The contemplative montage taking Carl from childhood to widowhood truly makes imaginations take flight. Director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson, along with all the talented people from Pixar, create such a palpable story while maintaining itself as a piece of expertly-rendered and artful type of entertainment.

Colors match the emotions seen on screen. Shapes and sizes in every frame promote such valuable storytelling subtexts like: the character design of Carl being very edgy while the designs of Ellie and Russel being full of curves.

The various characters balance the thrills and tenderness to make a truly beautiful and compelling work. The gruffy old widower Carl Fredrickson (voiced by Ed Asner) ties thousands of balloons to his home and sets out to fulfill the lifelong dream initiated by his already departed wife Ellie (with the young Ellie heard in the film voiced by Elie Docter) to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai), a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, becomes a stow away on the trip. And as he finds himself reluctantly sharing his ride with the short-attention-spanned kid, he embraces the jungle adventure with more and more characters coming their way including the colorful, sweet-toothed bird Kevin, the talking dog Dug (voiced by Bob Peterson), and his childhood idol, the adventurer Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer) with his pack of dogs led by Alpha (voiced by Bob Peterson).

“Up” has a genuine warmth of a true classic. It orchestrates itself into one truly unforgettable piece of animated film for all ages.

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

HP 6: Masterful, Moody, and Magnificent
By Rianne Hill Soriano

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is by far the best of the series in so many ways. This sixth installment in the “Harry Potter” film franchise is of the right mix for the specific needs of the story. It is never dumb and yet it is not pretentiously profound. It is smart as it is honest. It is dark as it is funny. It is angsty as it is fun. It is gloomy as it is magical. And above all, it is sincerely the most human.

The film is a masterful work helmed by director David Yates who proves that the Potter franchise and J. K. Rowling’s story are in very good hands indeed. The mounting of the film is at its most spellbinding with his genuine craftsmanship. He knows his shots and doesn’t waste any moment from them. He is aware of its moody demands. He acknowledges what is to be magnificent and what is to be harsh.

The “Half-Blood Prince” is the purest example of virtuoso storytelling. It provides a satisfying visualization of the Rowling cosmos. This emotional and involving installment plays around the fantastic elements and introduces contrasting and playful human experiences set in the realm of magic. Dazzlingly well made and perhaps deliberately less fanciful than the previous entries, the film is a bubbling cauldron of hormonal angst, romance and heartbreak, and a genuine tone of a settling adult gloominess.

Impressively, this book-to-film translation doesn’t feel rushed. And it can stand on its own as a cinematic masterpiece. The film opens and closes well. It invests enough time to tell the story. With a few exceptions, the major plot points from the book have been significantly considered. More than the magic being played, the characters whom the people have come to know and love for more than half-a-decade now is well understood in this sixth film. As the latest one, it is closer to palpable human experiences than any of the others and is quite effective as such. And as a more human affair than its predecessors, it effectively offers flashes of darkness and pleasure to become such an immersive film faithful in capturing the texture and richness of its origin book.

Playing out in a series of both rough and gentle interludes, the film’s darkness lingers around the teen romance and humor. It is funny, moving, honest, sad, and sweet. The acting has improved greatly. The direction is solid. The effects are wonderful, but not overdone, and above all, it is seamless to the story. Its motifs on loss of innocence, the lashings on teen tension, and all the raging young adult hormones stir the story’s fine potion on magic and adventure. The predominantly downbeat mood is carefully utilized in between fun moments and aggressive behavior.

Helming the final four films of the franchise, Yates makes this second HP stint under his belt as dark and brooding while the intricate details of its fantasy aspect become extraordinary in various ways. Visually, this is definitely a solid HP entry, having impressive sets and effects. It has a wondrous physicality led by production designer Stuart Craig. The cinematography courtesy of Bruno Delbonnel completely shifts to a darker, more frightful style that greatly matches the story. The script is witty and steadfast in the hands of screenwriter Steve Kloves who introduces this latest film entry to the saga with a splendid mix of storytelling strokes, primarily through the friendship of the central trio who remains to be the very key to the film’s magically genuine appeal. The editing by Mark Day lives up to increasingly gravitate the matters of the heart and the hormones for the coming-of-age moments of the three major characters and their schoolmates. The original music from Nicholas Hooper mesmerizes the audience accordingly. Indeed, for this film adaptation of “Harry Potter Book 6,” the production team has really worked wonders to make it how it is.

The concerns of Rowling’s characters provide a more mature route for the story. And impressively, it has a strong sense of purpose and ambition that provides hope to countless worthless franchise offers these days. The film bravely leaves its own childhood behind and welcomes a more fiery and aggressive right-of-passage moment for itself. Most film sequels could be wheezing their ways to become shameful cashcow offers; but this latest chapter for the legendary HP franchise is definitely on the rightfully more reliable track.

This more mature installment is quite strong. It has concrete plotting, pacing, visuals, acting, and direction to keep up with the story’s fun, adventure, romance, and thrills. The film’s experienced team gives way to vigorous storytelling while marking due moments in preparation for the final battle between the light and the dark. The individual scenes generally work through well-founded staging. The challenging weaving of sequences carry out clear messages and emotions at most times. The story is not dependent on effects nor dialogues – it’s the overall mounting of each shot, from the framing to the subject, that makes it work.

So many actors shine in so many ways. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter has truly grown up. More than merely getting taller, he delivers such a commendable acting as demanded by his character. Emma Watson continuously validates her strength and charm as Hermione Granger. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasey exudes an equally impressive performance as well. Overall, the acting was superb. Everybody works admirably: Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore; Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape; Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy; Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley; Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn; Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange; Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane as Tom Riddle; Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood; Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy; Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown; David Thewlis as Remus Lupin; Timothy Spall as Wormtail; Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall; and all the rest of the many characters who have made this “Harry Potter” offer a success.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is an impressive film that stands out as the new dark jewel in the “Potter” kingdom. For fans of both the films and the books, this is indeed an elegant addition to the canon – a fantastic magical ride of a movie highly recommended to both teenagers and adults. It can also be regarded as one of the most remarkable series in cinematic history. This film really sets up the stage for the last two installments – the seventh and final follow-up book “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” will be divided into two films to cap off this esteemed franchise.

Let’s hope for the best that the last two films also give justice to the final “Harry Potter” book.

“Aninag” (Light’s Play) Film Photos

My second 35mm film “Aninag” (Light’s Play), 15 mins., 2005

Aninag (Light’s Play) at Culture Unplugged

Film Review: Dragonball Evolution

Who Deserves a Kamehameha??
By Rianne Hill Soriano
The expectations for “Dragonball Evolution” is considerably low. And yet, most people especially the generations of fans of the “Dragonball” series try to hope for the best by saying that a film’s worth does not equate to what the trailer merely shows…  Sad to say, this blandly adapted rendition of the Asian folklore-inspired Manga is truly a terrible mess – worthy to receive the end of a “Kamehameha wave.”

“Dragonball Evolution” is a flat take on the famous anime series with a storytelling merely relying on the audience’s pre-existing knowledge of the original source material for things to work, somehow. It is uninspired as it is cliché-ridden. It lacks scope and style as it is short of wits and imagination. The production tries hard with doses of wry teen humor and Hollywood style visual effects; and yet, the story seems to have been made for the heck of a movie regardless of quality.

It’s like the script was done as the filming went along that the story suffered with bad dialogues, illogical narrative twists, disappointing characterization, brainless pacing, chintzy effects, and uneven CGI. Too bad, there seemed to be a budget… but looks like it went to the wrong hands, or the wrong style, or the wrong treatment, or the wrong conceptualization, or the worst decisions.

There are a few considerably entertaining parts like the opening sequence that is able to catch some attention with its visuals. However, the bulk of the film is crammed by overdubbed lines and a dull script that really makes the film just another disappointing teen action film. Its host of clichéd moments and poor production value makes it a charmless new installment from a rather popular and bankable franchise.

The giddy, anything goes spirit of this flick could have worked; if given the right story, screenplay, art direction, casting, and acting. However, the film’s plot holes equate to the fake-looking sets. Some effects and color schemes come out fine, but they are still not seamless with the visuals. A few fight scenes are engaging in a way, but the shamefully pathetic acting, even with Chow Yun-Fat (as Master Roshi) who seems to have added a bad element to his pretty good resume, is a total dismay.

The casting adds to the confusion to the film’s already many inconsistencies. The leads and major supports topbilled by Justin Chatwin as Goku, Jamie Chung as Chi Chi, Emmy Rossum as Bulma, Joon Park as Yamcha, are played by actors and actresses who may be too old to be teenagers. Along with the rest of the supporting cast including Randall Duk Kim as Grandpa Gohan, James Marsters as Lord Piccolo, Eriko Tamura as Mai, and Megumi Seki as Seki, the performances are generally shaky not merely because of their own rendered skills but because of the rampant miscast and the poor direction. As a fan, it is truly frustrating to see a shoddy film adaptation that is no bigger than the sort of junk stuff seen on TV.

“Dragonball Evolution” loses the steam of the beloved cartoon franchise because of making no effort to live up to the people’s expectations. It doesn’t have to be artsy to make sense to viewers. For such a superhero flick adapted from a mythic anime series that has charmed a number of generations already, all it needs is a solid story, a faithful treatment, and a powerhouse execution to keep its fan-base and its supposed newfound fans fueled. It is a rather cynical attempt to cash in on the “Dragonball” fame. And it turns out to be just another dumb and depressing flick.

It gets to the point that the viewers would wish to strike the infamous and blistering finishing move called the “Kamehameha” to end up their disappointment.

Film Review: Monsters vs. Aliens

A Family’s 3D Homage
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

“Monsters vs. Aliens” is an affectionate spoof of 1950’s sci-fi and monster flicks with the ambitious visual texture of what the 3D technology of the today can offer. It works if you merely enjoy it’s 3D glory and not overthink… This family-friendly animated offer captures both the thrills for the kids and the nods of parents feeling the nostalgia for alien invasion movies through its fine homage to a number of flicks of the past. And it has enough color, motion, and mayhem to keep the willing viewers entertained.

“Monsters vs. Aliens” aims to entertain every demographic in the audience. It contains much of the formula; but the occasional gross-out jokes and way-cool beasties and robots work pretty good enough. As an industry breakthrough for 3D animation, it uses the newfangled 3D effects quite nicely. And as an example of a mainstream studio blockbuster done in a generally acceptable manner, the cool stuff are balanced with enough humor and action, visuals and sounds, and relative fun and amazement for both the children and the parents (especially when seen in IMAX). Directors Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon mainly utilizes solid gags and superb technical sophistication to create the required appeal to showcase a bride-to-be-turned-50-foot-tall-superheroine and a ragtag group of monsters for fun alien battles around the city.

This Dreamworks animated funhouse uses the “Shrek” formula to incorporate grotesquely charming characters with mature and memorable themes. With its crisp and sparkling 3D look, bigger-than-life treatment, and classic movie creatures getting a high-tech makeover, the movie ably disguises its conventional family fare premise into a clever satire. However, it actually doesn’t quite live up to the top potential of its premise due to some lines falling flat and overused and a treatment losing some needed emotional punch for the sake of technological show-offs. It could have been much better if the filmmakers were able to put that kind of passion on the storytelling as they were with the audio-visual spectacle. Indeed, despite dazzling visuals and sporadic thrills, the film lacks the consistency, inventiveness, wit, and big-heartedness found in superior and unforgettable animation classics.

“MvA” uses ironic, sometimes sardonic, language to satirize just about everyone. This tale about a plus-plus-sized lady taking on extraterrestrial enemies with the help of some equally oddball friends allows for a decent family entertainment. With the viewers cheering for the “female superhero” and her mosterrific companions, it’s a lightweight picture of embracing the inner superpowered 50-foot-tall monster inside her. And it interestingly becomes a tale on female empowerment and male comeuppance as it asserts a dumped woman’s reestablishing of herself from her egomaniacal fiancé.

The computer artisans and voice actors who bring the story to life serve the film well. The slyly voice performances are quite a deal in making the film work. Offering their voices for the film are Reese Witherspoon as Susan Murphy/Ginormica, Seth Rogen as B.O.B., Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach Ph.D., Will Arnett as The Missing Link, Kiefer Sutherland as General W.R. Monger, Rainn Wilson as Gallaxhar, Stephen Colbert as President Hathaway, Paul Rudd as Derek, Julie White as Wendy Murphy, Jeffrey Tambor as Carl Murphy, Renée Zellweger as Katie, Amy Poehler as the Computer, among others. The funniest characters amongst them are Rogen as the animated blue blob and Colbert stealing the scenes as the US president.

“Monsters vs. Aliens” doesn’t have a lot of emotional depth, but it’s a well-designed crowd-pleaser for audiences of all ages. It just falls short on the fact that if you take away the 3D, half of what’s left is your generic family flick.

Film Review: The Secret of Moon Acre

Scenic Fantasy Less the Connection
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

“The Secret of Moon Acre” is whimsically lovely to look at, but never reaches the level of magic and enchantment it needs to succeed. It still falls short on wielding magic to its storytelling that the plot seems to get totally mangled with the technical priorities of the film. With a dull screenplay, ploddy direction, patchy editing, and wooden performances, and without a coherent central tone, this children’s tale on the big screen still hardly brings the needed fantasy to life. If not for its eye candy looks, it is nothing but uninvolving.

Adapted from Elizabeth Goudge’s “The Little White Horse,” “The Secret of Moon Acre” is clearly meant for family audiences. The story revolves around Dakota Blue Richards’ character as Maria Merryweather who discovers upon her father’s death that he was a notorious debtor. Orphaned, homeless, and bequeathed a single possession, a leather-bound book, she is shuttled to the strange and mysterious Moonacre country estate which is presided over by her rigid uncle, Sir Benjamin (Ioan Gruffudd). There, she learns that her family has been entangled in an ancient blood feud with the De Noir clan over possession of magical pearls. And she, the last moon princess, is the only hope for their clans’ salvation.

“The Secret of Moon Acre” truly features the beauty of its scenic European locations. The costumes are beautiful. The sets and props are gorgeous. Indeed, the lush production design makes for great opportunities in cinematography work, which then gives the viewers a real plenty for the eye. The effects are not on top, but they still considerably render well to the film’s requirements. The technical aspect of the film is generally commendable. Hungarian director Gabor Csupo (“The Bridge to Terabithia”), along with his team including cinematographer David Eggby, production designer Sophie Becher, art directors Bill Crutcher, Mónika Esztán, and Gary Jopling, set decorators Zoltán Horváth and Kay McGlone, and costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor, gets to utilize a visual illustration of moonlit visual splendor and the greed, tension and lust over objects of desire. Yet, the film can’t hide the fact that it is poorly written, badly acted, and drained by a stagnant narrative line. It may employ strong animation techniques and special effects for evocative visual intentions, but it never stakes out its very identity to establish such a fantastical story. The music is within the bounds of the fantasy genre, but it never takes itself away from the mainstream conventions and it overdoes itself most of the time. And with its sluggish blend of humor, disengaged characters, and dizzying narrative line, it fails to connect on cinematic and emotional levels.

The film’s performances, pacing, and rhythm are never synchronized that the picture doesn’t give the necessary depth, insight, and imagination; thus, denying it the beguiling wonder it needs. These fracture the main story, a derivative of the typical “Romeo and Juliet” love story, to the point that the individual moments also get drained of much filmic insights and imagination. The intention to rise and take flights of fancy is there, but with how the story is weaved, the film remains resolutely earthbound. With the director being a talented animator as well, he truly makes the film physically wonderful to look at. However, he seems quite uncomfortable with actors that the cast looks quite vague with their rendered performances.

The appeal of “The Golden Compass” star Dakota Blue Richards is generally fine for her whimsical character. However, just like with the rest of the cast falling prey to merely animated tight/reaction shots in the film most of the time, this pulls down not just the individual goodness of what the acting performances can offer but the whole film being nailed down and not effectively living up to the cinematic medium. Natascha McElhone as Loveday is generally fine, but the slow-moving affair hampers her characterization just like everybody else. Gruffudd is too wooden that all he really has to do for most times is to look brooding. Juliet Stevenson as Maria’s overprotective governess Miss Heliotrope mostly gets the comedy part, but her overacting and too animated characterization often detract her comic turns away from the more resonant storyline. Tim Curry as Coeur De Noir is too broad and unfixed. Andy Linden as the manor’s undersized, magical, and mercurial chef Marmaduke Scarlet seems to merely phone in a performance. Augustus Prew as Robin seems like he just came out from a set of a Tim Burton film. As an acting talent, he considerably looks fresh the way he handles himself on screen, but he still can’t muster any enthusiasm for such a sluggish narrative that throws around pearls of blandness like moondust.

“The Secret Of Moonacre” lacks action, adventure, and magic. This dull children’s fantasy adventure for family audiences never soars or completely takes hold of the imagination. It feels like it drifts all over the place with undermined treatment and execution. Perhaps, people can opt to watch it just for how lovely it is to look at – not for the plot, the characters, nor the story.