- Directed by Nithiwat Tharathorn
- Starring Witawat Singhalampong, Chutima Teepanart, Yuwanart Arayanimitsakul
- The movie is cute and warm, and the music academy setting contributes in creating a romantic and stylized atmosphere. The general idea that the movie tries to convey is also familiar and even occasionally inspiring. However, in execution, the weak script lets down most of these ideas. It also doesn't help that the editing makes the movie feel like a series of short seperate stories. As a result, the movie lacks focus and unity. It's not that it's bad, but this movie could have been much better. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by David R. Ellis
- Starring Samuel L. Jackson
- This movie pretty much delivers on all its promise. There are a lot of snakes... and they're on one plane...to be used an assassination weapon... Anybody still taking this movie seriously from this point on shouldn't even be watching this movie. The concept is out of this world, the movie internal logic doesn't make any sense (the story development towards the end comes out nowhere), the acting senseless and unbelievable (most characters are created just to be disposed off in gory ways), the special effects 10 years behind its time (neither the snakes or the plane look even close to real). In short, this movie is totally ridiculous. The thing is, the movie also knows that it's totally ridiculous, so it never pretends to be something it's not, but rather tries to maximize its cheapness for comedic effect. Snakes on a Plane is great in a 'It's so very bad it's so very good' kind of way (reminiscence of "The Core"). So when Samuel Jackson's character exclaims "I'm sick of these mother%#$@# snakes on this mother&@#*( plane!!!!", you don't ponder about who the heck wrote this crap, you laugh and yell "Now bring on the next mother*&(@$ snake on this mother*&(@$ plane!!!!". Great campy fun. If you're the type who can have a good time laughing at a bad movie, see this now. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by Paul Greengrass
- Starring Polly Adams, Nancy McDoniel, Susan Blommaert, Ray Charleson
- Director Greengrass chose not to choose any well-known actors for this movie, which is a very risky decision. Usually when tragic events are adapted into movies, the temptation is to create central characters with interesting backgrounds for the audience to relate to. There are no such characters here, but this ends up working well for this movie. When you see nameless passengers desperately trying to survive, the impact is much more real and traumatic than seeing A-list actors pretending to die. Perhaps because of this, the movie side-steps the usual trap of making the main characters sacrifice his/her life for his country or whatever. The characters here aren't attacking the terrorists to save the people on the ground, but to save their own lives. They may not be heroic or patriotic as the media usually claimed them to be, but they are also wonderfully human, and that is what makes this movie memorable. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by Alejandro Agresti
- Starring Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves
- Adaptation of a famous Korean romantic fantasy "Il Mare", this movie is about a love relationship between two people in different time spans. This time-travel thing causes a few confusing plots and sometimes doesn't make sense. Somehow the chemistry between the two leads helps it work. Romantic and sweet with happy-ending. It is rather strange, though, for Sandra Bullock to play a serious and calm girl, rather than funny and clownish in her other comedy movies.
- Directed by Michael Mann
- Starring Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrel, Gong Li
- As expected of Mann, this cop thriller is skilfully made. Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrel and Gong Li also deliver strong performances in their roles. Mann once again opted to use digital cameras instead of film, which gave Vice his trademark style. This worked particularly well in Collateral, where the video-look enhances the theme of confusion while also giving Los Angeles an appropriate hellish look. In Miami Vice, however, this made the bigger budget action film look a tad amateurish. Miami Vice also doesn't really try anything new. The plot is cleanly written, but uninspired and predictable. The characters constantly look like they're just one step away from delivering a great scene......only then to be yanked back by the tight leach of the script. Mann's intention was probably to create a classic genre piece, but perhaps by doing so, he limited his movie from ever reaching the standards set by his other thriller greats. As a result, overall, Miami Vice is competently made, is well-acted, is even occasionally exciting. Unfortunately, it's also utterly unmemorable. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
- Starring Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard
- The problem of this film is the story, which is boring, unbelievable and unthrilling.
- Directed by Peyton Reed
- Starring Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston
- Although the trailer looks like a romantic comedy which is supposed to be hilarious and fun, this movie is in fact serious and dull. There is not enough chemistry between the two leads. I can't see any sign of love in the first place. The story doesn't make sense.
- Directed by Gore Verbinski
- Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
- This sequel is big on over the top action sequences, but as tradeoff, loses some of the original's story freshness. Every sequence with the horrendous Kraken is done exceptionally well. All characters except Depp's Captain Sparrow on the other hand, are generally a bore to watch. While the movie is seemingly way too long and too light on plot, the twists at the end surprisingly tie everything together, justifying many scenes that were seemingly unnecessary before. The whole movie might indeed turn out to be just a glorified trailer for part III, but it does work to make you care for the next movie. I'm already hyped for the final film of this trilogy. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by Liz Friedlander
- Starring Antonio Banderas
- Based on a true story of Pierre Dulaine, a NYC ballroom dance teacher who tried to transform the troubled youths by way of teaching ballroom dancing to detention students. Antonio Banderas is charming and entertaining as expected. The music and the dance is great. Yet the story is too long and so familiar.
- Directed by Bryan Singer
- Starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey
- The film's greatest merit, like other superhero greats (Spiderman and Singer's own X-men II comes to mind) is how it begs us to identify and relate with the hero. Brandon Routh's Superman may indeed be super (the film's SFX sequences are all spectacular), but he also has other issues to deal with just like the rest of us. Kudos to Singer who decided to give these other plotlines as much attention and screentime as the save-the-world part. The result is a well-balanced and polished film. Good superhero movies make you want to have superhero powers when you leave the theater. Great ones make you want to be the hero, sharing his/her ideals and beliefs. This is one such movie.
The only real flaw is perhaps the utter uselessness of the main villain. Kevin Spacey did his best to make Luthor as memorable as he could, but when you are going against Superman, you need much more than that to stand out.
IMPORTANT LESSON: When going to watch movies that children might also be present in the theater, either schedule for an evening showing or bring some transquilizer with you. Vicious elbow attacks could work too, to the child or the mother, or both. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by Konpin Khemkamnerd
- This 3D animation is by far the most successful local animated productions ever made in the Thai history. All the animated elephant characters are very cute and natural. Human characters are however unnatural and clumsy. The light, sound, and other special effects are above expectation. The story tells the adventure of a young elephant who tries to find his missing father before he becomes a brave and strong warrior elephant. The film might be funnier for children should Khan Kluay be an ordinary elephant whose adventure is in the forest, not in the battlefield.
- Directed by Brett Ratner
- Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry
- New director to the series Brett Ratner did a competent job juggling all the superheroes, screentimes and plot. While he faltered in quite a few areas, Ratner delivered in the area that action fans will like: explosion special effect action sequences (that don't always make sense). The movie would have benefited greatly from a reduced number of x-mens (Halle Berry in particular contributed pretty much nothing in the film), but this being the third film in the series, this flaw is understandable. Perhaps because of this, the movie went out of its way to annihilate the heroes and villains, which will surely cause discomfort to many of the fans. -Comment written by Dear-
- Directed by Ron Howard
- Starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany
- Adapted from one of the most controversial bestsellers by Dan Brown, this movie is boring, dull, too long, too dark and not at all thrilling. The director's attempt to please everybody turns out that it pleases nobody. A lesson is derived; it is impossible to make a good and satisfying movie out of a good bestseller book.
- Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, John Seale
- Starring Josh Lucas, Kurt Russel, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum
- Due to the fact that this movie is a remake of the most successful 1972 predecessor "The Poseidon Adventure" played by Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, and Shelley Winters, I cannot help feeling biased to conclude that this movie is boring and unthrilling. Very disappointing.
- Directed by J.J. Abrams
- Starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Phillip S. Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne
- Tom Cruise is back in the third sequel of the film "Mission: Impossible", which is the most satisfying and much, much better than the second sequel directed by John Woo. This one, smartly written and directed by J.J. Abrams, is action-packed, exciting, thrilling, fast, and fun, from the beginning to the end.
- Directed by Woody Allen
- Starring Jonathan Rhys-Myers, Scralett Johansson, Emily Mortimer
- Written and directed by Woody Allen, this film is a dramatic thriller about sexual passion, obsession, ambition, hunger for wealth, and murder. It is outstanding and different from other suspense movies because it is so straight-forward and unpredictable. The ending twist is shocking and thrilling. The best part of the film, I think, is how it ends--it leaves the audiences to think and imagine what is going to be next.
- Directed by Jim Jarmusch
- Starring Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Tilda Swinton, Jessica Lange, Julie Deply
- The movie tells the story of a successful but lonesome man who tries to find his son, although he is not sure he has one, by visiting his former girlfriends who might be the mother. After meeting them, he is more lost, more lonesome, more confused and more empty. This movie is written for Bill Murray, who made a big success in "Lost in Translation". Funny but sad movie.
- Directed by Andy Fickman
- Starring Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum
- A romantic comedy inspired by Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", this movie is more fun and entertaining than I'd expected. Amanda Bynes is cute, lovable and funny. This movie is made for her.
- Directed by Tom Dev
- Starring Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker
- The title of the movie describes itself. This is neither a romantic nor a comedy. There are many supposed-to-be funny plots, involving supporting cast, which are unrelated to the main theme of the movie. Horrible scriptwriting.
- Directed by Spike Lee
- Starring Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster
- A story about bank robbers playing cat-and-mouse chase with policemen. Interesting and complicating scriptwriting with clever twists and turns and best performances of casts, especially Jodie Foster. The film is, however, not a thriller movie that you can expect to get excitement from.
