Category: Reviews

Reign of Assassins tells the story of the Wheel King in search of Bodhi’s, a legendary warrior, remains. With his band of assassins, he attempts to track down Drizzle, an assassin that turned against him and fled with one half of Bodhi’s remains. Drizzle undergoes surgery to change her appearance in order to start a new life in a quiet city, away from her old life. In the process, she falls in love and gets drawn back into the fray of her past. Quite a simple story that was cooked up as an excuse just to spill some blood. If you’re looking for an intelligent, thought-provoking story, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for high-octane, action-packed sword fights you’ve come to the right place.

First off I would like to say, this movie contains sword fights that I’ve never seen before. Drizzle wields a sword that bends and cuts like a whip on a stick. I’m not kidding. It’s so outrageous, it’s actually believable. By the end of the movie I was asking Fuad, “do such swords exist?” I haven’t done any research to find out yet, but it’s definitely something I haven’t seen anywhere. I guess some people might find it ridiculous, but in the context of a fantasy movie, it’s definitely not out of place. The other assassins have tricks of their own as well, but Drizzle’s swordplay was what I found most impressive.

Despite the impressive action sequences, the movie is neither here nor there. At times, it tries to be comedic, with some oddly placed gags during the slow paced parts of the movie, at other times it tries to be deeper than it really is, with the whole eunuch storyline of the Wheel King (that wasn’t fleshed out), and Drizzle’s trying to move on from her past life. Then we also have the element of magic, but only for one character- the Magician. I felt that if they wanted to have magic in the movie, they should have at least let it play a bigger part- by letting more than one character use it, and let the Magician use it more impressively. I mean, in one scene he throws a rope up into the air, climbs it, and disappears into a cloud. That seems like some pretty powerful magic to me. But when he’s fighting against the Wheel King, all he can do is muster up some flames to make his swords fiery. Come on! Why not use more powerful magic in such an important battle? And also- the reason the Wheel King goes through so much trouble for Bodhi’s corpse was not to rule the world, but to restore his ‘manhood’. Wow. I couldn’t have thought of a better reason myself. Why not just get the super surgeon to give you a new one? It sure beats me.

Overall, it was an alright movie- just don’t expect too much beyond brilliant swordplay. A standard popcorn affair. Go in and thrill yourself with the action scenes and forget about it. I’d rate Reign of Assassins 5/10.

First of all, despite what the poster says (The most unexpected comedy ever conceived), this movie is far from a comedy. Sure it has some funny bits, but it’s so much more like a drama with funny parts thrown in. I went in expecting a rip-roaring comedy, and was sorely let down. Especially after watching The Other Guys the day before. Anyhow, on to the review.

The Switch is about Kassie- played by Jennifer Aniston, a single lady living in New York who can’t find the perfect guy to start a family with. She decides to take things into her own hands by having a baby through artificial insemination. During a party, her best friend Wally (who is stuck in the friends zone), played by Jason Bateman, gets wasted and swaps Kassie’s donor’s sperm with his own sperm, passes out and remembers nothing. Kassie moves back to her hometown to have the child. Seven years pass, and Kassie returns to New York with her son, Sebastian (played by Thomas Robinson). She meets up with Wally again, and he gets to meet Sebastian, not knowing that he is the father of the boy. As they get closer, Wally discovers that he is Sebastian’s father. He is now stuck with the decision of letting Kassie know before it’s too late, but how does he do it?

In this dramedy, laughs are too few and far between. Wally and Kassie don’t seem to have much chemistry, though you can tell that Wally really likes her and wants to be more than “just friends”. The highlight of the show would be Thomas Robinson’s performance of Sebastian. He was such a joy to watch and played his role really well. Jeff Goldbum, who plays Wally’s good friend and colleague Leonard, was also another highlight of the movie. But other than them, the rest of the cast never really shine.

I felt that the movie had an interesting premise for a comedy, but it wasn’t executed well. The lines were barely witty, and there weren’t any memorable scenes besides the one of Wally in the toilet when ‘the switch’ happens. The storyline is pretty bland, and there aren’t enough challenges or plot twists to keep it interesting all the way. I wouldn’t call it a terrible movie, but I think it could have been so much better. It tries hard to be a comedy, but fails at that and ends up as a very mellow drama piece. I’d rate The Switch 4/10.

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg star in one of this year’s biggest comedies, The Other Guys. If you’re a fan of over-the-top action comedies (i.e. MacGruber), this is a movie you must NOT miss. The official synopsis is so damn good, I’ll just quote it here:

NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. They don’t get tattoos – other men get tattoos of them. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). You’ve seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They’re not heroes – they’re “the Other Guys.”
 
But every cop has his or her day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into New York City’s biggest crime.  It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff?

Right from the get-go you know you’re in for one hell of a ride. A LOLercoaster ride, that is. I’m trying so hard to think of what to say in this review, but words fail me. The whole movie is just packed with jokes from start to finish, and me talking about them here wouldn’t do it any justice and would probably spoil the experience for you. But I gotta say, it’s one of the best comedies I’ve seen all year. Ferrell and Wahlberg give an outstanding performance and make the best cop couple I’ve seen since Lethal Weapon’s Gibson and Glover.

Everything about the movie is spot on. It might drag a tiny little bit in the middle but after that speed bump, things pick up from where they left off and never lets down. If you like to laugh, you’re in for a treat. You’ll be walking out with a stupid grin on your face, and talking about a certain scene in the movie, which I won’t mention here. Adam McKay, you, sir, are a comedic genius. The Other Guys gets a rating of 8/10.

BTW a lot of movies don’t do this anymore, but there’s an extra scene after the credits you don’t wanna miss.