Coming to Cinemas (4/4/2013)

We are going into the first week of April, as we get closer to the summer months. But from the releases last week and this week, we are already whetting our appetite with those explosive blockbusters.

Here's the trailers for the movies coming out this week.

Dua Kalimah

Director: Eyra Rahman
Cast: Shaheizy Sam, Nora Danish, Yana Samsudin
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: P13
Synopsis: "2 Kalimah" tells the story of a couple, Aiman and a Malay-English girl Selena, who decide to return to their hometown. The couple have a secret of their own: Aiman is actually still in love with Humaira, thus he does not want want to wed Selena, but due to her pregnancy, is forced to lie to their relatives and friends that they are married. On the way, the couple experience the deaths of three different people, punishment brought upon them by God for their sins while living, which are practicing witchcraft, adultery and disrespect to the elderly. Selena, after witnessing these incidents, is fearful and knows that it is a sign from God telling them to repent. In fact, Selena hopes that Aiman, who is known for his religiousness, will guide her back into the way of the Lord. However, Aiman threatens her when she tells him that she wants to reveal the truth. One day, Aiman falls sick and his movements become more and more limited, until he cannot even pray...

Ghost Child (鬼仔)

Director: Gilbert Chan
Cast: Chen Hanwei, Jayley Woo, Carmen Soo
Running Time: 1 Hour 28 Minutes
Language:: Mandarin
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Kim, a 15-year-old teenager, is having the worst year of her life. She has not quite come to terms with her mother's death a couple of years ago and has problems adjusting to her new school. At this time, her father Choon has decided to remarry Na, who hails from a remote village in Indonesia. Na experiences a lot of hostility in her new home, from Kim, her mother-in-law Mrs Lee and the maid Rosa. Further, it seems that her arrival has sparked off a series of spooky incidents at home. Things improve when Na becomes pregnant. Mrs Lee - who longs for another grandchild - starts treating her better, and even cajoles Kim to do the same. Meanwhile, Choon's lacklustre career takes a turn for better. Just when all seems rosy, tragedy strikes with Mrs Lee getting terribly injured and it is discovered that Na has brought with her from Indonesia a macabre urn, one which contains a Toyol. When she forces Na to get rid of it, the consequences are tragic and horrifying...

Saving General Yang (忠烈楊家將)

Director: Ronny Yu
Cast: Adam Cheng, Xu Fan, Ekin Cheng, Yu Bo, Vic Chou, Li Chen, Raymond Lam Fung, Wu Chun, Fu Xinbo
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Language:: Cantonese
Classification: P13
Synopsis: This is an epic tale about the renowned Song Dynasty's military defence headed by the clan of Yang against the nomadic Northern nation the Liao, sometimes also known as the Khitans in accounts of ancient Chinese history. Head of the Yang clan is the charismatic old veteran general, Yang Ye, who is also the father of seven sons, namely Ping, Ding, Ang, Hui, De, Zhao and Si. The seven young men possess different temperaments and characters, but they have to join forces and wits when their father is taken by enemy forces.
Trailer Impressions: Since I first saw the trailer for this, I fell in love. For one, compared to the other Chinese period epics like The Guillotone, this one seems to have a higher production value than them. Secondly, I'm a sucker for ensemble heroes movies like Seven Samurais, and fortunately the cast isn't only filled with unknown but pretty stars like in Young and Dangerous: Reloaded. So with expectations for great action, and Chinese manly puffed chest, I'm going to see this.

The Host

Director: Andrew Niccol
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Jake Abel, Diane Kruger, Max Irons
Running Time: 2 Hours 4 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Based on the science fiction/romance novel by Stephenie Meyer (the "Twilight" franchise), Andrew Niccol ("In Time") directs this film with the up-and-coming cast of Saoirse Ronan ("Hanna"), Max Irons ("Red Riding Hood"), and Jake Abel ("I Am Number Four"). Alien beings from another planet called Souls, have invaded the earth and have begun to take over the bodies and minds of humans. Melanie Stryder's body has been inhabited by one of the "souls" named Wanderer, but when she refuses to fade away, the Soul known as Wanderer, is forced to cooperate with Melanie to find her companions, who are the last group of rebels left on Earth.
Trailer Impressions: Although any mere mention of Stephanie Meyer is enough to make me look the other way, there was another name mentioned here that has got me interested; Andrew Niccol. Having him in the mix is an interesting one because given the scientific setting, Niccol could spin some interesting twist to the concept, as long as he doesn't get too constraint by the tween-novel romance beats. Curious, for sure.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

After watching a 'meh' G.I. Joe Retaliation, I guess I'm still looking for something to please my low expectation brain. Saving General Yang may just hit the sweet spot with its archaic dialogue (though I much prefer it in Mandarin than Cantonese) and having some actual intrinsic message that resonates.

Releases according to CinemaOnline.