Happy New Years!!!

Happy New Years movie lovers! Hoping to watch many more movies in the new year. Hopefully more good than bad. Also I will try to update more often for all of my millions of followers.

Taken 2 (2012)

I'll get to the point. 'Taken 2' is horrible. Movies like this is why so many sequels get bad reputation. I actually liked the first 'Taken', but there was no reason for this movie to be made. None whatsoever (other than the studios making money). Why did you go watch this movie Yong? Thanks for asking. Well, a little thing called peer pressure. Everyone I was with wanted to see this movie. I warned them. No one listened. And we all paid a heavy price. There's really no point in trying to explain the plot, because if you've seen the previews you've seen it all. The plot is thin at best and everything is so predictable I had to catch myself from chuckling throughout the movie. The only thing that could've saved this movie was if Jack showed up and took Shannon back to the island. I know I'm really late with this review. My only regret is I might have prevented someone from having to go see this movie if I had written this earlier. That's my bad.

IMDB- 6.5/10
Metascore- 45/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 21% Audience- 56%
Yong's Rating- 1/5 Stars

Skyfall (2012)

The latest Bond film delivers everything you'd expect from a good Bond film. Fast paced action, an evil mastermind, cool gadgets, sexy girls, nice suits, and slick cars. Daniel Craig has already proven himself to be worthy to carry the Bond name with the previous two movies. 'Skyfall' just reminds us not to doubt him.
MI6's infrastructure is infiltrated and agency's existence is threatened by an evil genius. Bond's loyalty to M and his country is put to the test. Both M and Bond's pasts are explored and the two must face their past nightmares to get through their present adversity. I found 'Skyfall' to be enjoyable and whether you are a Bond fan or new to the franchise, there's something here for everyone to get their money's worth.


IMDB-8.1/10
Metacritic-81/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 92% Audience- 88%
Yong's rating- 3.5/5 Stars

'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' (2011)

"Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success... and is the key to being regarded honorably." -Jiro Ono

  The opening lines of 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' just about sums up the life philosophy of the master sushi chef, Jiro Ono. This documentary takes us into the life of a remarkable man. A man who has dedicated seven decades of his life to the art of making sushi and is still tirelessly honing his craft. His restaurant has earned the prestigious Michelin Guide 3 star. I will admit, I have very limited knowledge about sushi. After seeing this documentary, I realize just how much work and art goes into making the perfect sushi. 
 Even in his 80's, Jiro is shown working hard as ever doing what he loves doing. It was inspiring to see such a high level of dedication to one's work. Jiro's philosophy on hard work can be universally understood and speaks to all of us. I hope I can strive to have the level of dedication to my work and life as Jiro has demonstrated. 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' is a welcoming insight into a foreign world and has a message that we can all take in. If you are a fan of documentaries, I highly recommend watching this gem. 


IMDB-7.8/10
Metascore- 77/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 99% Audience- 93%
Yong's Rating- 4/5 stars

Total Recall (2012)

I have not had the chance to watch the original 'Total Recall'. So, I will not be making any comparisons to the original here. Well, because I can't. I know there's been overall negative vibe around the remake, but I didn't think it was terrible. Sure, it's not a masterpiece, but it was entertaining and easy on the eyes.  Set in the future where the earth is overpopulated and polluted, life seems depressing for the average joe. Colin Farrell plays the hero of the film. Tired of his dead end life (one thing that did bother me about this movie was this- can your life really be that bad if you are waking up next to Kate Beckinsale everyday?), Farrell makes a visit to Rekall, a company that promises to make all your dreams come true. Following the visit, he suddenly becomes the most wanted man. As Farrell is getting chased by just about everyone, he must piece together clues to find out who he is. There's plenty of action and neat chase scenes. And the storyline was just intriguing enough to keep me entertained. Oh and Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel didn't hurt either. Don't be scared by the bad reviews, it's not as bad as advertised.

IMDB-6.3/10
Metascore- 43/100
Rotten tomatoes- Critics- 29%, Audience- 47%
Yong's Rating- 3.5/5 Stars

'The Amazing Spiderman' (2012)

Are we entering the golden age of superhero movies? Or are the studios fresh out of original ideas? 'The Amazing Spiderman' is the revamped version of the spiderman franchise. There is definitely a different feel to this franchise compared to the Tobey Maguire franchise. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this new spiderman. To quote Larry David, the new spiderman was pretty pretty pretty good. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are fresh face talents perfect for this movie. They draw the type of excitement that this revamped franchise needs.
The movie tells the story of Peter Parker and how he becomes the friendly, webbing swinging hero.  However, this version of Parker's origin is slightly different from the traditional spiderman storyline that I was accustomed to. I felt that the small twists made the story fresh and actually made me care about what was happening on screen. The movie looks clean and crisp, just plain easy on the eyes. Garfield and Stone are excellent in their roles. They share good chemistry and places an unique touch to their characters. 'The Amazing Spiderman' is a well made summer action blockbuster that appeals to everyone. If you are a fan, it's well worth a look.    




IMDB- 7.6/10
Metascore- 66/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 74% Audience- 84%
Yong's rating- 4/5 stars  

To Rome With Love (2012)

'To Rome with Love' is Woody Allen's latest romantic comedy. It continues Woody's recent trend of filming in Europe. Set in the romantic city of Rome, the film tells the stories of an eclectic group of people brought together by the magical city. The ensemble cast features notable actors like Judy Davis, Roberto Benigni, Alison Pill, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz, and the return of Woody Allen. And as with any Woody movie, the city itself becomes one of the characters. Each of the stories feature light hearted fun mixed with romance, drama, and philosophical thoughts explored in many of Allen's films. While 'To Rome with Love' may not be one of Allen's better films, it's something his fans would definitely enjoy, especially seeing him back on the big screen.





IMDB- 6.5/10
Metascore- 55/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 45% Audience- 49%
Yong's Rating- 3/5 stars

9 (2009)

'9' is a fresh take on the post apocalyptic movie genre. Fresh because I can't think of another post apocalyptic movie featuring cute rag dolls. The movie is set in the future where the machines have completely wiped out all of mankind. Imagine Sarah Conor's ultimate nightmare come true, but with dolls and killer machines. The only remnants of humanity remains with a collection of rag dolls with #'s stitched on them. Our hero, #9 wakes up to a dark and gloomy world over run by machines. When he finds others like him, he must convince them to fight back against the machines to preserve their lives.
'9' showcases impressive graphics and action. What it lacks is direction. Who were the intended audience? On the outer surface, it seems like another animation made for kids. But, '9' is much too violent and heavy to be kid friendly. I just don't think the public realized it was meant for a more mature audience. Overall, '9' just felt very flat. The storyline was just not captivating and it was hard to feel any real connection to these dolls despite their cuteness. While '9' isn't terrible, I felt that it had good potential which was wasted due to its overall lack of direction.

IMDB-7/10
Metascore- 60/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Audience- 58% Critics- 56%
Yong's Rating- 2.5/5 stars

Men in Black 3 (2012)

It's a known fact that Will Smith is the closest thing to a guaranteed box office success in Hollywood today. You put Will Smith in any movie and people will come. So, I can't really blame the studios for making a third Men in Black. You go to watch a blockbuster Will Smith movie to be entertained, to laugh and be thankful that you live in world where you can watch Will Smith travel through time to kick alien ass.
In this third installment of MIB, a dangerous alien outlaw known as Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement) has escaped from a high security prison and is determined to kill the person who locked him up. He is willing to go to any length to destroy his nemesis even if that means traveling through time. Boris' action puts Agent K's (Tommy Lee Jones/ Josh Brolin) life in danger. Naturally, it's up to Agent J (Will Smith) to track down Boris the Animal and stop him before it is too late.
I actually found myself laughing and enjoying this movie very much. Josh Brolin delivers a dead on performance of the young Agent K and shares a good chemistry with Will Smith. 'MIB3' does what it's meant to do and it does it very well. It's fun and entertaining at every level. Exactly what you look for in a summer blockbuster movie. Refreshing, funny, action, Will Smith, go watch it.

IMDB- 7.2/10
Metascore- 58/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 69% Audience- 74%
Yong's rating- 3.5/5 stars

'The Avengers' (2012)

I'm guessing you have already seen 'The Avengers' by now along with the rest of the world, but just in case you haven't seen it yet or would just like to see what I thought of it, here's my review. If have seen any of the recent Marvel superhero movies like 'Thor', 'Iron Man', and 'Captain America' you probably knew 'The Avengers' was coming. With such hype surrounding this movie I was curious as to whether it would live up to its hype like LeBron James or land flat like Darko (where else can you get a Darko reference in a movie review?). There are movies that come out every summer with the tagline of 'non-stop action', and a lot of those movies are just plain terrible. In the case of 'The Avengers', it has that non-stop action quality that is both enjoyable and entertaining.
When the world is threatened by Loki (Tom Hiddleston), an evil super villain from another universe, the world must turn to a group of misfit superheroes to save them. Known as the Avengers initiative, secret government agency headed by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) seeks help from the earth's finest. There's the playboy genius, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). The all-American superhero, Captain America (Chris Evans). The reclusive scientist with a dark angry side, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). And a pair of super assassins, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Oh, there's also a demi-god who stops by to help out, Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Can such an eclectic group of people with huge egos and personalities work together or will they fall flat? I can't tell you that, you need to watch to find out.
Overall, I was very impressed by 'The Avengers'. It really kept me entertained from the start to the end. The movie did a good job of dividing the screen time for all the characters without extending the total time. Every character had his or her special moment in the movie, and left you always wanting more. The combination of action, fancy graphics, and humor of this movie is just what every huge blockbuster should emulate to have. 'The Avengers' lives up to its hype and you can see that with its box office dominance. Only the future will tell whether this franchise has reached its peak or if there's room for improvement. Let's just say, it has set the bar very high for itself.


IMDB-8.7/10
Metascore- 69/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics-93% Audience- 96%
Yong's Rating- 4.5/5 Stars