Purely Movies Reviews

Rating: 3.5/5 Review: "Dolittle 3D" (106 minutes) "A simple story that is enhanced by the great realistic CGI animals and decent immersive 3D format." To be frank, I didn't have any expectation for Dolittle because it's a January movie. We all know it's the month where studios like to dump their poorly-received movies. However with a hefty budget of US$175 million, it's really a surprise that Universal Pictures has little faith in it. With overwhelming negative reviews, it is indeed true. So is it really that bad? No, it's not if you are looking for harmless fun. Maybe it's better to watch it with a weekday ticket price instead of a weekend ticket price. Critics have complained that it is disjointed and it is clear why they said so. The movie is fast paced but for the wrong reason. Things come and go. I felt many scenes seem to be cut out. It's the same feeling I had with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. What Star Wars has t...

Rating: 4.6/5 Review: "Avengers: Endgame IMAX movie review" (181 minutes) This is surely the most anticipated movie this year. This is a non-spoiler review so it won't be very long. The ultimate question is: Is the conclusion worth the wait? Those who have invested 10 over years on every Marvel movie should have no doubts watching this on big screen. I personally find Endgame a little disappointing as it felt safer compared to the brutal Infinity War. The story: It is a direct sequel. And that's all a reader should know. There are some surprises along the way and it ends in a satisfying way. Audience should know that it is a 3 hours movie so they SHOULD NOT expect an action-packed thrill ride like what Infinity War is. It takes its time with characters and therefore it is reasonable to call it an action drama that delivers an emotional and nostalgic ride. Although it does feel a bit long, I found it consistently engaging. Music by Alan Silvestri is a bit lacki...

Rating: 4.3/5 Review: "Alita: Battle Angel IMAX movie review" (122 minutes) This is Robert Rodriguez's biggest movie yet and costs a staggering US$200 million. It is easy to see why. The sets are massive loaded with CGI and even many characters are CGI. Alita: Battle Angel has everything a Blockbuster has; action, romance, drama, CGI, epic music. Robert's direction is confident despite him handling a large-scale movie for the first time. As this is based on the manga, it suffers the cram condensation of a few volumes. The story: The start is surprising as it has no big opening action scene (we are used to seeing a big opening action in most Blockbuster). The sets may be big scaled but the opening feels intimate in terms of emotions. We see Dr. Dyson (Christoph Waltz) finding and rebuilding a female cyborg, Alita (Rosa Salazar). The first 20 minutes are engaging as we discover Iron City from the eyes of Alita. From then on, the pace quickens as we are introduce...

The Five Best and Worst of 2018 Best 1. Bumblebee This was a pleasant surprise for the live-action Transformers franchise. Michael Bay's first Transformers still has a place in my heart but his other movies became more tired. Bumblebee is a refreshing new start that the franchise needs. Action, emotions, great CGI, music and 3D. This is what a blockbuster needs. 2. A Quiet Place It is a surprise hit in 2018. I never knew I would enjoy this so much. Apart from the intense trailers, I didn't know what I would be expecting. However it turned out to be intense horror thriller with uneasy sound design and surprisingly emotional. It is one of the best horror thrillers in years. 3. Ready Player One The colorful movie is packed with action, cameos and nostalgia that it is hard not to be entertained by it. With so much things happening, it is a joy to watch Steven Spielberg work his magic on the big screen. This is a feel-good journey that you would want to watch....

Rating: 4.6/5 Review: "Aquaman 3D movie review" (143 minutes) As the latest movie to the DC movie franchise, Aquaman has upped the scale in visuals and non-stop action. Director James Wan, famous for his horror movies, shows that he has the action mindset and he delivers. Although the 2 hours and 23 minutes movie may become exhausting, it is still massively entertaining. The story: As an origin story, it has nothing new to offer the audience. James Wan smartly integrates the flashbacks with the present day so it will hold the audience's attention without becoming draggy. He throws in whatever a big-budget movie should have; non-stop action, romance, loads of CGI, grand set pieces, loads of characters, battle and fight scenes and more. As time passed by, it is clear that he is ticking off everything in the checklist. There are even chase scenes. After a while, it becomes exhausting to watch but I still can't take my eyes off the beautiful visuals. The chemistry...

Rating: 4.8/5 Review: "Bumblebee 3D movie review" (114 minutes) First of all, I enjoyed all of Michael Bay's Transformers movies especially the first one. The first one still has a special place in my heart. When The Last Knight was released last year, it was met with negative reviews and even I felt it was increasingly becoming a tired franchise. But I didn't mind seeing a conclusion to the Bayformers franchise. The hopes were dashed when it didn't do very well in box office and instead, a prequel was announced. Bumblebee was announced as a soft reboot and once Travis Knight was brought in as the director, I thought the franchise could become fresh again. And I wasn't wrong. Although Bumblebee brings nothing new to the table, its characters and heartfelt drama have made this movie a rousing and emotional journey. The story: Bumblebee is small-scaled compared to the others in the franchise and director Travis is smart to use this to his advantage. This...

Rating: 4.7/5 Review: "Avengers: Infinity War 3D movie review" (150 minutes) It is understandable that almost the whole world was anticipating for this and it shows in the box office results. The real question is whether this is worth the wait for 10 years. In my own opinion, my feelings were rather mixed after leaving the cinema. The story: There is almost no plot in this. The heroes are literally moving from one place to another with a quest to defeat the most powerful villain ever seen on big screen in the Marvel franchise. With all the individual movies leading up to this, it makes sense for the directors to drive straight into the action and witty interactions between the different characters. The end product is an immersive action-packed adventure that rarely stops to breathe. That is the strongest aspect the directors have brought to this movie. Though the runtime seems long, it felt like a breeze because the heroes are racing against time to find a solution. ...