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Let's Go To The Movies
by Mark Gernpy |
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Now playing in Chiang Mai through May 2.
Lockout:
France, Action/ Thriller/ Sci-Fi – From French writer-producer Luc Besson,
another actioner. A man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage
against the U.S. is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president's
daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates. Stars Guy
Pearce. Rated 18+ in Thailand for intense sequences of violence and action,
and language including some sexual references; only PG 13 in the US. Mixed
or average reviews. English at Airport Plaza; Thai-dubbed at Vista.
Safe:
US, Action/ Crime/ Thriller – Stars Jason Statham as a second-rate cage
fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, who lives a numbing life of
routine beatings and chump change, until the day he blows a rigged fight.
Wanting to make an example of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and
banishes him from his life forever, leaving him to wander the streets of New
York tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone
he develops a relationship with will also be killed. But when he witnesses a
frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, being pursued by the same gangsters
who killed his wife, he impulsively jumps to action and straight into the
heart of a deadly high-stakes war. It's the imposing Statham's badass
grimace and combat acumen that primarily elevate the film above your average
direct-to-video genre work, with every flying punch and snapped wrist
reconfirming the star's status as this era's Charles Bronson-style angel of
righteous death. Rated R in the US for strong violence throughout, and for
language; 18+ here. Early reviews: Mixed or average.
English at Airport Plaza; Thai-dubbed at Vista.
Home:
Thai, Comedy/ Drama – Viewers who were moved by the puppy-love relationship
of the two boys in the world-wide hit Love of Siam will appreciate
the first story in this trio, which is entirely a wide-ranging conversation
between two boys as they wander lonely high school grounds at night while
one of them shoots pictures of the deserted buildings. A tentative wisp of a
relationship begins to develop in fits and starts, with neither knowing
where it’s headed. A marvelous mood-piece, delicately told by director
Chookiat Sakveerakul. All three stories take place in and around his home
town of Chiang Mai. In one story you’ll be able to see firsthand what
happens at a Thai wedding, perhaps leaving you puzzling at how strange are
mankind’s courting rituals, with none so strange as those of Northern
Thailand. Certainly a worthwhile watch by one of the best of the Thai
directors. Rated 18+. English subtitles at Airport Plaza; Thai only at
Vista.
Marvel’s The Avengers
3D: (Scheduled for next Tuesday, May 1) US, Action/
Adventure/ Sci-Fi – Marvel Comics brings its greatest superheroes together
in this film, hoping they’ll be enough to smash the evil super-villain Loki
(and attract you to the cinema by strength of sheer numbers). Includes all
(or most?) of your favorites: Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Incredible
Hulk (Bruce Banner), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans),
Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Early reviews:
Universal acclaim. The film was converted to 3D during post-production.
The Raven:
US/ Hungary/ Spain, Mystery/ Thriller – When a madman begins committing
horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young detective
joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality. With
John Cusack, Alice Eve, and Luke Evans. Screenplay by Shakespeare*. Rated R
in the US for bloody violence and grisly images; 18+ here. Mixed or average
reviews. It’s a 2D film, at Airport Plaza only – but off at the moment; may
return any day. *(Hannah Shakespeare, that is).
Battleship:
US, Action/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with
an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their
destructive goals. It’s based on the Hasbro classic naval combat game. Just
as the Hasbro game Transformers brought those toys to the screen, so
this time the popular board game is realized onscreen, with hopes that you
will want to see sequel after sequel. Stars Liam Neeson and the star of
John Carter, Taylor Kitsch. Viewers who fancy lots of pyrotechnics will
have their money's worth here. Early reviews: mixed or average. There’s a
short scene after the closing credits which bring tidings of the first
sequel. It’s a 2D film, both regular and Digital at both locations. The
regular 2D version at Vista is Thai-dubbed.
Ma Mha 2:
Thai, Comedy/ Family – A sequel to 2007’s popular Mid-Road Gang,
about a cute pack of soi dogs (if packs of dogs in Thailand can ever be
considered cute). Here, an adorable pooch has been adopted by a nice family
and turns would-be hero when the family baby is kidnapped and the dog takes
it as his duty to catch the kidnappers and return the kid. The dogs speak,
but only in Thai, and without English subtitles; now at Airport Plaza only.
Plon Naya 2:
Thai, Action/ Comedy – Poj Arnon at it again, continuing the farce of his
2004 bank-robbery film Spicy Beauty Queens in Bangkok. Colorful
transgender cabaret dancers robbed a bank to pay for sex-change operations,
and now they’re back so the ringleader can finally get his change. But
before that can happen, the hospital is stormed by a radical student group.
Only in Thai, only at Vista.
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Now playing in Chiang Mai through Apr 25.
Home:
Thai, Comedy/ Drama – Viewers who were moved by the puppy-love relationship
of the two boys in the world-wide hit Love of Siam will appreciate
the first story in this trio, which is entirely a wide-ranging conversation
between two boys as they wander lonely high school grounds at night while
one of them shoots pictures of the deserted buildings. A tentative wisp of a
relationship begins to develop in fits and starts, with neither knowing
where it’s headed. A marvelous mood-piece, delicately told by director
Chookiat Sakveerakul. All three stories take place in and around his home
town of Chiang Mai. In one story you’ll be able to see firsthand what
happens at a Thai wedding, perhaps leaving you puzzling at how strange are
mankind’s courting rituals, with none so strange as those of Northern
Thailand. Certainly a worthwhile watch by one of the best of the Thai
directors. Rated 18+. At Airport Plaza only.
Titanic:
US, Adventure/ Drama/ History/ Romance – Still the one film in town to see.
It’s grand entertainment and I’m still in a state of shock by the poor
reception it’s gotten in Thailand – seems very few people are interested.
I’m saying: If you ever liked it, see it again in its 3D incarnation. You’ll
love it. If you’ve never seen it, now’s your chance. This is made to be seen
on a big screen with a good sound system. And it’s even better in 3D. I
can’t encourage you enough to go see it.
It’s a brilliant reworking of the 1997
film, done under the fastidious eye of the director James Cameron, who is a
stickler for perfection. Here, his work is outstanding. The 3D conversion,
as I saw for myself at Airport Plaza, is as good as it gets. It’s thrilling
– much more than I had expected or had hoped for. I agree with the majority
of reviewers who say that, in this very rare case, the 3D technology
improves on what is one of the greatest motion pictures ever made.
Believe me, James Cameron’s epic
creation shines, and the picture and sound conversion is a stunning
achievement. And those who are not moved to tears by the stories shown are
those who are determined not to be, who have made that decision ahead of
time.
Generally favorable reviews. All low
expectations and doubts can be thrown overboard. Showing only at Airport
Plaza, in glorious 3D and sound to match. Sometimes on only once a day. See
it while you can!
The Raven:
US/ Hungary/ Spain, Mystery/ Thriller – When a madman begins committing
horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young detective
joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality. With
John Cusack, Alice Eve, and Luke Evans. Screenplay by Shakespeare*. Rated R
in the US for bloody violence and grisly images; 18+ here. Mixed or average
reviews. It’s a 2D film, at Airport Plaza only. *(Hannah Shakespeare, that
is).
Battleship:
US, Action/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with
an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their
destructive goals. It’s based on a game! Hasbro's classic naval combat game.
Just as the Hasbro game Transformers brought those toys to the
screen, so this time the popular board game is realized onscreen, with hopes
that you will want to see sequel after sequel. Stars Liam Neeson and the
star of John Carter, Taylor Kitsch. Viewers who fancy lots of
pyrotechnics will have their money's worth here. I understand that the
"flying yo-yo" weapons of the aliens are a must-see, but I wouldn’t know
first-hand. I haven’t convinced myself yet that I want to see it. Early
reviews: mixed or average. Not opening in the US until next month – we’re a
test case. There’s a short scene after the closing credits which bodes
tidings of the first sequel. It’s a 2D film, both regular and Digital at
both locations. The regular 2D version at Vista is Thai-dubbed.
The Hunger Games:
US, Action/ Drama/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – I found this to be tight, taut,
creepy, exciting – and entertaining. Every year in the ruins of what was
once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of
its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger
Games, in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor
remains. With Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth.
Generally favorable reviews. A 2D film, now only at Vista, Thai-dubbed.
Wrath of the Titans:
US, Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy – Perseus braves the treacherous underworld
to rescue his father, Zeus, captured by his son, Ares, and brother Hades,
who unleash the ancient Titans upon the world. A sequel to Clash of the
Titans. Stars Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Rosamund Pike. Generally
unfavorable reviews. Now shown in 2D, and only at Airport Plaza.
Ma Mha 2:
Thai, Comedy/ Family – A sequel to 2007’s popular Mid-Road Gang,
about a cute pack of soi dogs (if packs of dogs in Thailand can ever be
considered cute). Here, an adorable pooch has been adopted by a nice family
and turns would-be hero when the family baby is kidnapped and the dog takes
it as his duty to catch the kidnappers and return the kid. The dogs speak,
but only in Thai, and without English subtitles, both movie locations.
Plon Naya 2:
Thai, Action/ Comedy – Poj Arnon at it again, continuing the farce of his
2004 bank-robbery film Spicy Beauty Queens in Bangkok. Colorful
transgender cabaret dancers robbed a bank to pay for sex-change operations,
and now they’re back so the ringleader can finally get his change. But
before that can happen, the hospital is stormed by a radical student group.
Only in Thai, both locations.
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Now playing in Chiang Mai through
Apr 18.
Titanic: US, Adventure/ Drama/ History/ Romance – Still the one film
in town to see. It’s grand entertainment! I’m shocked by the poor reception
it’s gotten in Thailand – seems very few people are interested. I’m saying:
If you ever liked it, see it again in its 3D incarnation. You’ll love it. If
you’ve never seen it, now’s your chance. This is made to be seen on a big
screen with a good sound system. And it’s even better in 3D. I can’t
encourage you enough to go see it.
It’s a brilliant reworking of the 1997 film, done under the fastidious eye
of the director James Cameron, who as we know is a stickler for perfection –
or at least as close to perfection as possible. Here, his work is
outstanding. Even the 2D version now is sharpened and cleaned up in a
hundred small ways: little errors fixed, some skies reworked (there are now
bright stars in the sky in the aftermath of the sinking, and the stars have
been corrected after an astronomer pointed out that the wrong stars were
shown for that place on earth), also some anachronisms have been removed.
Some of the color has been changed. The audio has been restored and
enhanced. Then the whole film was scanned digitally, as a necessary step
before converting to 3D. The conversion itself, as I saw for myself at
Airport Plaza, is as good as it gets. It’s thrilling – much more than I had
expected or had hoped for. I agree with the majority of reviewers so far who
say that, in this very rare case, the 3D technology improves on what is one
of the greatest motion pictures ever made.
Believe me, James Cameron’s epic creation shines, and the picture and sound
conversion is a stunning achievement. And those who are not moved to tears
by the stories shown are those who are determined not to be, who have made
that decision ahead of time.
Generally favorable reviews. All low expectations and doubts can be thrown
overboard. Showing only at Airport Plaza, in glorious 3D and sound to match.
See it!
Battleship: US, Action/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – A fleet of ships is forced
to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and
thwart their destructive goals. It’s based on a game! Hasbro's classic naval
combat game. Just as the Hasbro game Transformers brought those toys to the
screen, so this time the popular board game is realized onscreen, with hopes
that you will want to see sequel after sequel. Stars Liam Neeson and the
star of John Carter, Taylor Kitsch. Viewers who fancy lots of pyrotechnics
will have their money's worth here. I understand that the "flying yo-yo"
weapons of the aliens are a must-see, but I wouldn’t know first-hand. I
haven’t convinced myself yet that I want to see it. Early reviews: mixed or
average. Not opening in the US until next month – we’re a test case. There’s
a short scene after the closing credits which bodes tidings of the first
sequel. It’s a 2D film, both regular and Digital at both locations. The
regular 2D version at Vista is Thai-dubbed.
Home: Thai, Comedy/ Drama – Here’s a Thai film I’m really looking
forward to. The buzz is decidedly awesome, along the lines of saying it
delves into Thai family relationships as deeply and as movingly as the
director’s worldwide hit, Love of Siam. That director is Chookiat
Sakveerakul, Chiang Mai is his home town, and the three stories that make up
this film are located here. Rated 18+ in Thailand – which is a very good
sign indeed. It’s scheduled to open on April 19 (next Thursday), but Major
Cineplex is holding a special “Gala Preview” on Tuesday evening, April 17 at
6 pm.
The Cold Light of Day: US, Action/ Thriller – After his family is
kidnapped during their sailing trip in Spain, a young Wall Street trader is
confronted by the people responsible: intelligence agents looking to recover
a mysterious briefcase. With Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, and Sigourney
Weaver. This is a 2D film; no reviews yet; won’t open in the US until
September – but the buzz is not good. Airport Plaza only.
The Hunger Games: US, Action/ Drama/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – I found this
to be tight, taut, creepy, exciting – and entertaining. Every year in the
ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of
Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to
compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an
ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally
televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one
survivor remains. With Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam
Hemsworth. Generally favorable reviews. A 2D film, now only at Vista,
Thai-dubbed.
Wrath of the Titans: US, Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy – Perseus braves
the treacherous underworld to rescue his father, Zeus, captured by his son,
Ares, and brother Hades, who unleash the ancient Titans upon the world. A
sequel to Clash of the Titans. Stars Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and
Rosamund Pike. Generally unfavorable reviews. Now shown in 2D, and only at
Airport Plaza.
Ma Mha 2: Thai, Comedy/ Family – A sequel to 2007’s popular Mid-Road
Gang, about a cute pack of soi dogs (if packs of dogs in Thailand can ever
be considered cute). Here, an adorable pooch has been adopted by a nice
family and turns would-be hero when the family baby is kidnapped and the dog
takes it as his duty to catch the kidnappers and return the kid. The dogs
speak, but only in Thai, and without English subtitles, both movie
locations.
Plon Naya 2: Thai, Action/ Comedy – Poj Arnon at it again, continuing
the farce of his 2004 bank-robbery film Spicy Beauty Queens in Bangkok.
Colorful transgender cabaret dancers robbed a bank to pay for sex-change
operations, and now they’re back so the ringleader can finally get his
change. But before that can happen, the hospital is stormed by a radical
student group. Only in Thai, both locations.
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