Movie Review: Gran Torino

Did you know that Gran Torino is actually the name of an automobile -- a Ford Classic? I didnt... not until I was told. As part of my birthday celebration (of dinner and a movie), we set out to see Gran Torino, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. From the tv commercials, i thought this movie was going to be about how Eastwood takes on an Asian (Hmong) gang. In way it was about that. It was also about the car. But there was more.... much more. Eastwood plays a hardass, racist, miserable, sorry-excuse for a man, who's dialog is hysterically funny at times. He just lost his wife and his family is out to send him to a senior home. He lives in a poor neighborhood where it seems as if he's the only white American left. I dont want to give anymore away... there is a synopsis below.

The movie was slow at first, and then towards the end, moved too fast. This was a very intriguing movie, which I enjoyed a lot. There was comedy, drama, suspense and also, tears! All-in-all I give this 5 stars. It should have been on the Oscar list but I can see why this wasn't nominated -- it was TOO entertaining!

Moviefone synopsis: A racist war veteran living in a crime-ridden neighborhood is forced to confront his own lingering prejudice when a troubled Hmong teen from his neighborhood attempts to steal his prized Gran Torino. The two objects that matter most to Kowalski in life are the classic Gran Torino that represents his happier days working in a Ford assembly plant, and the M-1 rifle that saved his life countless times during combat. When Kowalski's teenage neighbor attempts to steal his Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation rite, the old man manages to catch the aspiring thief at the business end of his well-maintained semi-automatic rifle. Later, due to the pride of the Asian group, the boy is forced to return to Kowalski's house and perform an act of penance.

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda

We were skeptical to watch this movie and pegged this movie as something to watch on a DVD. And our concerns were validated when we were sitting in an audience full of little kids! However, this cute movie was helluva lot more entertaining and funny than recent movies. I personally love Jack Black but I find his humor to be abrasive at times (hello?! School of Rock, anyone?). But his voice alone as the panda bear was perfect. I knew that Angelina Jolie was in this movie as well but I assumed that she was Tigress. For actors to be putting their voices on cartoons...I really don't see the stretch in the acting skills. And for the most part, it wasn't the case. But Jack Black was totally awesome in his intonations and playing the character of a timid and fearful yet aspiring dragon warrior!!! As he learned to perfect his kung fu moves, the witty writing and fast-paced storyline, made us cheer for him all the way! He was a lovable character. The supporting actors were also well played, especially SchiFu played by Dustin Hoffman. (I couldn't quite place my finger on his voice). Overall, if you're looking for a quick time to pass your afternoon this summer, this is a great movie to watch. It won't disappoint you! And when the DVD comes out for this movie, count me in because I can't wait to watch it again!

Summary: Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around...which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

Here's a trailer of the movie:

Movie Review: Take Out

As I posted last week, a new indie film by Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou called 'Take Out' was released in NYC on June 6th. And since I know the main actor (Charles Jang) through 2 degrees of separation, I had to come support my fellow Asian friends and filmmakers. I didn't know what to expect - the 8:30pm show was sold out! We purchased our tickets but decided to grab a snack beforehand. So we ended up arriving at the theatre at 8:20pm. There were crowds of people ahead of us, but luckily some of my friends were standing in line already. They were able to reserve enough seats for all 10 of us! The theatre inside Quad Cinema was quite small - I didn't expect it to be so tiny. It barely fit about 150 people. The seats were in high demand so it was almost difficult to reserve a seat for our friend who arrived late.

Back to the movie. It was all filmed on one camera. The dialogue was all in Mandarin (mixed with a few Cantonese words). The main character Ming, (played by Charles) was top-notch. He was able to portray a sullen, confused, frustrated illegal Chinese immigrant. Nevermind that he is actually Korean and is a very outspoken guy! There were very humorous moments in the film. The filmmaker Sean noted at the end of the film that all the actors were professionals and that they put an ad on Craigslist for people in the film who 'ordered Chinese food.'

One of the funniest moments for me was when Ming's friend was teaching him how to get more tips from the customers. The technique to smile and say "thank you very much" was classic because it reminded me of how true it is! The film is an earnest attempt to reveal the true trials of a daily struggles of Chinese delivery men. I would recommend it to anyone who has ever eaten Chinese takeout - so that means everyone!!

http://takeoutthemovie.com/trailer.html

Take Out - The Movie

http://takeoutthemovie.com/home.htm

'Take Out' is a newly released Asian film screening this weekend in NYC at the Quad Cinema. Come check it out and support Asian filmakers!

Here is a synposis of the film from their website:

Take Out is a day-in-the-life of Ming Ding (Charles Jang), an illegal Chinese immigrant working as a deliveryman for a Chinese take-out shop in New York City. Ming is behind with payments on his huge debt to the smugglers who brought him to the United States. The collectors have given him until the end of the day to deliver the money that is due. After borrowing most of the money from friends and relatives, Ming realizes that the remainder must come from the day's delivery tips. In order to do so, he must make more than double his average daily income.

In a social-realist style, the camera follows Ming on his deliveries throughout the upper Manhattan neighborhood where social and economic extremes exist side by side. Intercutting between Ming's deliveries and the daily routine of the restaurant, Take Out presents a harshly real look at the daily lives of illegal Chinese immigrants in New York City.

I Am Iron Man!

http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/


Marvel Comics has translated a number of comic books to the big screen. There have been a handful of success stories (Spiderman 1/2/3), a number of box office duds (Daredevil and Elektra), and a smattering of movies that have fallen somewhere in between (Fantastic Four 1/2, The Incredible Hulk, and Ghostrider). Marvel's latest movie adaptation is Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr stars as Tony Stark aka Iron Man. While I had my doubts prior to seeing the movie, I feel that he was cast perfectly in this role. At the very least, he looks like Tony Stark!

Gwyneth Paltrow fills the roll of Tony Stark's endearing assistant, Pepper Potts. Did Pepper Potts actually exist in the comic books? I can't remember.

Jeff Bridges plays the part of Tony Stark's one-time mentor and corporate partner, Obidiah Stane. I wouldn't have recognized him if I didn't know in advance that it was him. He doesn't look like a nice guy...

Check out the trailer and try to tell me that you don't want to watch the movie:

I don't want to ruin anything for those who plan to watch the movie, but at mark 1:52in the trailer it looks like Tony and Pepper share a moment. I hazard the guess that Gwyneth and Robert did not perform a convincing kiss on-camera as the scene was cut from the movie.

Here's a headshot of what some of the various incarnations of Iron Man look like throughout the movie.

It's a little unrealistic that it only takes 5 or 6 hours for the Mark3 suit to be manufactured. I'm still not too clear where it's actually assembled - but I guess if Tony can create the Mark1 suit in a cave with a hammer and blowtorch, it has to be mind boggling what he can invent in a high tech facility like his basement.

Since I don't want to ruin anything, all I'll say is that Iron Man is a movie well worth watching. Iron Man looks great, the acting is decent-to-good, and the special effects were well-done.

One last thing - sit through the credits as there is a special scene at the end that you won't want to miss.