Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Jackie Chan goes yoga
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 26/01/2017
» With over 200 films under his belt dating back to the 1960s, Jackie Chan needs no introduction. The popular stuntman, director and actor -- whose long career recently earned him an honorary Oscar for his "extraordinary achievements in film" on Nov 12 last year from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the first Chinese in history to receive the award -- is back with his latest film, Kung Fu Yoga, a Chinese-Indian production set for Thailand release today.
Caught between realms
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 02/02/2017
» Halfworlds is an original production of HBO Asia, a fantasy series that takes place in an alternate reality, where the demons of local myths live their immortal lives beside humans in secret. In the new season, which viewers can watch for free online, HBO for the first time has used a Thai director and cast in a production that relies on Thai mythology and vibes.
A fortunate series
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 03/02/2017
» Based closely on the children's novels of the same name, Netflix's A Series Of Unfortunate Events -- the online streaming service's latest high-profile original feature -- isn't a pleasant tale.
Plastic fantastic
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 10/02/2017
» Sporting a brilliant and relentlessly funny script, while somehow still maintaining and paying due reverence to Batman's identity and legacy, The Lego Batman Movie (LBM) is the best big-screen outing for the Dark Knight since, well, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight (2008), being in equal parts a self-aware parody, worthy homage and poignant deconstruction of everyone's favourite gravelly-voiced crime fighter.
Great sequel - more action, more story
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 17/02/2017
» The original John Wick -- released in 2014 -- was perhaps the most enjoyable, well-crafted action film I have seen in years. Despite having a paper-thin premise -- retired (but legendary) assassin John Wick goes on a rampage against an entire army of Russian gangsters for killing his dog and stealing his car -- the film succeeded thanks to its masterfully choreographed action sequences and beautifully shot scenes. If nothing else, the original John Wick proved that you really don't need much in terms of story to make a great action film.
Nothing is true. Everything is permitted
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 23/12/2016
» Full disclosure: I adore the Assassin's Creed video game franchise. As such, it probably isn't much of a leap to say I thoroughly enjoyed Assassin's Creed the film, what with its stylishly gratifying action scenes, superhuman feats of parkour and nerdy, sci-fi pseudoscience, lifted right out of the games thanks to the participation of Ubisoft, the company responsible for both the development and publishing of the video games.
Under the curse
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 27/05/2016
» While I can't say much about the first two Warcraft games -- released in the mid-90s -- Warcraft 3 is perhaps one of the most influential video games of the 21st century, giving birth to the MOBA genre of video games and the multi-billion-dollar e-sports industry that followed it. It was also the foundation of perhaps the most successful online game in history, World Of Warcraft, which -- at its peak -- had over 12 million players paying monthly subscriptions to play it. If any video game franchise could break the trend of the horrible video game adaptation films, it should be Warcraft.
Batman v Superman is a blast, but disjointed and dense
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 25/03/2016
» Filled with explosive action, deep, heavy exposition and nearly gratuitous fan-service, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (which I will henceforth refer to as BvS) is a film that's tough to have a definitive opinion on. While the pacing of the film can sometimes feel slightly disjointed and random -- partly due to it being a set-up for DC's planned Justice League franchise (roughly equivalent to Marvel's Avengers) -- everything still comes together with such polish that I found it enjoyable, if a bit uneven.
Reasons for back-breaking
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 11/09/2015
» Many would probably agree with me that watching Tony Jaa deliver righteous fury upon scores of bad guys is all good fun in and of itself. When we actually think about it, Jaa's past characters have committed untold absurdities to hundreds of people (who, to be fair, probably deserve it) for pretty minor reasons. The seminal Ong Bak is about a guy who wreaks havoc through the streets of Bangkok, probably causing millions of baht worth of damages, all for the head of a Buddha statue. In Tom Yum Goong, he was a guy who single-handedly brought down an international crime cartel because they made a fossil exhibit out of his favourite elephant. It's clear that as long as we are treated to Jaa's unmatched ability to bring the pain, the reasons why do not matter so much.
Pales in comparison to the original
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 04/09/2015
» The original The Transporter series will always have a place in my heart as one of the most entertaining action flicks of all time. Jason Statham's portrayal of the mysterious Frank Martin appealed to me with his deadpan humour and silent, threatening stares, not to mention his borderline mythic skills with the wheel.