REVIEW The LEGO Movie

The LEGO Movie is by far the best looking commercial for the LEGO brand EVER and it also came in packaged with a movie which is very cool.

The film features the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Elizabeth Banks, Alison Bree and a whole lot more (including three cast members of the 21 Jump Street reboot film). It's the typical story of mistaken identity and finding the hero within you. Typical stuff that will be an eye opener for kids. If you'd be looking for a deep storyline, The LEGO movie ain't for you. That being said, it's still a pretty enjoyable movie both in 2D and 3D. 

Chris Pratt is Emmet, a basic construction minifigure who has suddenly become the prophesied "Master Builder" who will save the Lego world from the nefarious Lord Business/ President Business. He has to stop Business from using the 'Kragle' which will end everything good and wonderful about their worlds. Pretty generic movie plot.

GOOD 

- It's a quirky film, I'll give them that. You just can't pass on the chance to see a movie featuring all sorts of licensed characters coming together albeit in LEGO form. Gandalf, Batman, Shaquille O'Neal and even the Ninja Turtles make cameos somewhere in the movie.

- The humor is OK. The film has several chuckle inducing moments and a few "laugh out loud" ones but it'll take some getting used to pop culture references to get some of the stuff thrown.

- Visuals are appealing for both kids and adults alike. There's something about the LEGO movie that will make you want to pickup a LEGO set and build, build, build!

- The soundtrack is awesome. Everything is awesome. Lonely Island.

- Voice acting done are nice. Morgan Freeman as Vetruvius and Chris Pratt as the bumbling but lovable Emett is one of the best quality I've seen as early as now. Alison Brie's character here is also adorbs to the 10th power. Oh and there's also the 'cameo' of 22 Jump Street stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. .

- I was rooting for Liam Neeson as Bad Cop. The guy has some issues and he's also a very well-written villain. Plus throughout the movie he's got some sweet rides and superior weaponry as well.

- The inclusion of the surprise bit redeemed the movie. It's the major reveal AND a nice appearance of one of the cast. Very nice family values imbued in it. That was actually well-thought of. Good job producers and director!

BAD

- Under utilizing Will Ferrell was a bad idea. Sure he's Lord Evil and he's got a huge OCD for perfection and  weaponized glue but he's not effective as a villain. Where's the Mugatu? I was expecting a Mugatu-esque performance but that wasn't executed.

- For a movie that's 'General Patronage' it's got a lot of violence. Lego's getting blasted, getting their heads cut off, getting glued and a whole lot more... Brick violence kinda throws the film off by a few degrees.

- I had such high hopes that the 3D here would be magnificent but it's a dud. Not impressed, not happy. You wont be missing anything if you see the film in a regular theater.

VERDICT

3.5 out of 5 LEGO Bricks

Special thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures. THE LEGO MOVIE is NOW SHOWING! 

22 Jump Street Gets a Teaser Poster

Columbia Pictures and MGM have just revealed the teaser poster of “22 Jump Street,” the sequel to the 2012 action-comedy blockbuster “21 Jump Street.”

“22 Jump Street” reunites Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as they return to their roles as undercover cops Schmidt and Jenko; they are also re-teaming with 21 Jump Street producer Neal H. Moritz ("Fast and Furious" franchise) and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” upcoming “The LEGO Movie”). Alongside Hill and Tatum, Ice Cube reprises his role as Captain Dickson.
After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. Now they don't have to just crack the case - they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshmen into real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them.

Neal H. Moritz produces through the Original Film banner, along with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Executive producers are Brian Bell, Tania Landau, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Reid Carolin, and Stephen J. Cannell. The screenplay is by Michael Bacall (21 Jump Street), Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman, from a story by Michael Bacall & Jonah Hill, based on the television series "21 Jump Street" created by Patrick Hasburgh & Stephen J. Cannell. The production films in New Orleans and Puerto Rico.



Opening across the Philippines in June 18, 2014, “22 Jump Street” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Cameras Roll for Sequel "22 Jump Street"

Principal photography began September 28th, 2013 on Columbia Pictures' and MGM's 22 Jump Street, the sequel to the 2012 action-comedy blockbuster 21 Jump Street, which took in more than $200 million at the worldwide box office.

22 Jump Street reunites Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as they return to their roles as undercover cops Schmidt and Jenko; they are also re-teaming with 21 Jump Street producer Neal H. Moritz ("Fast and Furious" franchise) and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, upcoming The LEGO Movie). Alongside Hill and Tatum, Ice Cube reprises his role as Captain Dickson.

Neal H. Moritz produces through the Original Film banner, along with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Executive producers are Brian Bell, Tania Landau, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Reid Carolin, and Stephen J. Cannell. The screenplay is by Michael Bacall (21 Jump Street), Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman, from a story by Michael Bacall & Jonah Hill, based on the television series "21 Jump Street" created by Patrick Hasburgh & Stephen J. Cannell. The production films in New Orleans and Puerto Rico.

In the action-comedy 22 Jump Street, after making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college.

Says producer Neal H. Moritz, "We were all so thrilled by the irreverent humor and the chemistry between Channing and Jonah as we sent them back to high school in the first film. So, of course, we just had to send them to college. It's also great to have Chris and Phil back at the helm. From the get go they have had the perfect pulse on the material, and have created an unforgettable cop buddy team in Schmidt and Jenko."

Continue directors Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, "Buddies who work together is a topic that is close to home for us. We're looking forward to working with Channing and Jonah, Neal and our friends at Sony again to take these guys' relationship to the next level."

Hill and Tatum add, "We are grateful to our friends at Sony and MGM for letting us do another one. We're proud to be working alongside Phil, Chris, Neal, Ice Cube, Korean Jesus and the rest of our amazing crew and cast. As we all know, sequels are ALWAYS better than the original. Every single time. This will be no exception. How are we still saying the exact same words at the same time? This is crazy! Jump Street!"

THIS IS THE END Review

Take five of the some of the most famous Hollywood comedians and place them in an apocalyptic situation and you've got yourself the makings of a great comedy such as "THIS IS THE END" which will be exclusively playing in Ayala Cinemas.

So if you live in a bunker and you're not familiar with who the cast members are, here goes: Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), James Franco (Spider-Man 1,2 and 3, 127 Hours, Oz the Great and Powerful), Jay Baruchel (Tropic Thunder, How to Train your Dragon 2), Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine 1 & 2), Danny McBride (Your Highness, Tropic Thunder) and Jonah Hill (Moneyball, 21 Jump Street, Django Unchained). 

There's a number of reasons why I'm putting the film in such a high regard. First, it managed to topple the already high standing of Adam Sandler's LITTLE NICKY. Secondly it's a no-brainer, stoner-friendly comedy starring the same guys from such films as TROPIC THUNDER, YOUR HIGHNESS, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, 21 JUMP STREET and so much more. That alone is worth the ticket price. If you still need a bit of convincing then hold on...

The movie is obnoxious and downright irreverent which makes it much more appealing to watch (well because it's silly and we all get to laugh at silliness right?) From Danny McBride's A-grade performance as a certified asshole to stuff like the two dozen cameos splattered across the film, THIS IS THE END is certainly worth watching.

THE GOOD:

- The main cast is star power enough but check out the cameos and guest appearance. They've got Jason Segel, Kevin Hart, that Indian chick from that drama series, that Indian guy from I think "The Office", a very different looking Paul Rudd and more importantly - RIHANNA. 

- The BACKSTREET BOYS. 

- A potential teaser to PINEAPPLE EXPRESS 2 all taken using the camera that Franco used in "127 Hours". 

- There's also a ton of movie references thrown around the film. One that stood out was the comment hurled about Seth Rogen making a "Green Hornet" movie that did not suck. Oh and they want us to believe that James Franco loves himself so much that he'd keep standees from his New/ Green Goblin days. 

- I hated Danny McBride ever since. And "This is the End" definitely proved why I hate him so much. But with so much hate, maybe he shows that he's an effective actor/ comedian. Still I hate that guy. 

- The music that they chose to use in the film was also great. They've got M.I.A.'s Paper Planes, Dr. Dre and Snoop's Next Episode and my favorite, PSY's Gangnam Style. Used to the best of their abilities. 

- The jizzing jokes were funny and cringeworthy at the same time. 


THE BAD

- Rape jokes. I hate rape jokes. It's improper and just plain bad. Thank goodness they got limited that bit. 

- Forced bromosexual tensions. Not cool. We get that you guys are buds and all but some things are just depicted too much. 

- Demon Dicks. No thank you. 

- There's really something disturbing about seeing Channing Tatum in this film. 

VERDICT: Me and the missues had a grand time watching THIS IS THE END. It's crass and a bit boorish and asinine but there's a lot of redemption going on in this movie (both literally and figuratively). Catch it when it starts rolling exclusively in AYALA CINEMAS starting September 11. 

Actors Play `Horrible' Versions of Themselves in "This Is The End"

For a film about the group dynamics among a group of friends facing the apocalypse, it’s no surprise that the characters in Columbia Pictures' critically acclaimed comedy “This Is The End” were tailor-made for the actors playing the roles. They would all play horrible “versions” of themselves, says co-director/writer Evan Goldberg.

In “This Is The End,” six friends – who just happen to be James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson – are trapped in Franco’s house as the end of the world begins outside. And we’re not talking about any old California-slides-into-the-ocean earthquake… we’re talking the fire-and-brimstone Apocalypse – the real Biblical deal.

“Seth isn’t a duplicitous coward, but he plays one in this film,” Goldbrg says. “Danny is a delightful sweetheart, but his character is a maniac. Franco – the things we mock in Franco in the movie are real, but Franco in real life is nothing like the way he acts in the movie. He genuinely does like art and weird stuff, but it’s not pretentious and he’s not in-your-face about it. He doesn’t care what others think about his art. He just likes art. The only exceptions are Jay, who is more like his character than anyone else in the movie, and Craig, who isn’t a jerk like his character, but is a guy who carries a towel around to wipe sweat off his face.”

“People think they know everything about you based on the characters you play,” says co-director/writer and star Seth Rogen. “So we thought it would be funny to play into that – to have these characters that behave in the way that everybody thinks is what we’re like off-screen. There are elements of our real selves, but we all twisted them or exaggerated them to make it funny.”

Playing yourself can be a challenge – even for an Academy Award® nominee, as Jonah Hill says, “I’ve never slipped out of character more than when I was playing myself.”

But it’s more than just a joke, says Rogen. It’s a way of acknowledging the elephant in the room. “Everybody knows that we’re friends and we’re always in movies together. It was almost weirder that the movie wouldn’t acknowledge that in some way,” says Rogen. “So we thought, OK, let’s acknowledge it, and then let’s move beyond it. We wanted the relationships to feel real. We thought that would be the element that grounded the movie if the dynamics between the characters were real and relatable. So even though the movie gets super-crazy – it’s the Apocalypse – there’s a simple idea at the center that I hope is very believable. We never could have written this movie if we didn’t know these guys – and we definitely couldn’t have directed it.”

Distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International, “This Is The End” will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide starting Sept. 11.

New Poster and Trailer for 'This is the End' Starring Seth Rogen, James Franco and the Gang

James Franco and Seth Rogen headlines a new movie entitled "This is the End" which is basically an 'end of the world' flick featuring other funny men like Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel and Craig Robinson.

Who the heck is Craig Robinson? 

Anyway, check out the film's trailer and the synopsis after the cut.

Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn Ward Off Aliens in "The Watch"

Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn reunite in “The Watch” along with Jonah Hill and British comedian Richard Ayoade who band together in the film to uncover the mysterious events happening in their neighborhood.

Ben Stiller’s Evan is a senior manager at the superstore Costco, having made a not-so-lightning-fast ascent to that position from assistant manager. Evan is a dedicated employee, but his heart is with the Glenview Neighborhood Watch, of which he is the founder and CEO. “Evan is very community-oriented,” says Stiller, “because he has so few friends, and these clubs give him the opportunity to meet new people.”

Jumpstreet's Jonah Hill in Another Outrageous Comedy - The Watch

After debuting in the comedy “I Heart Huckabees,” Jonah Hill has steadily posited himself as a solid hilarious support in the string of his movies that followed. Appearing afterwards in acclaimed hits like “The 40-Year Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” “Superbad,” “Forgettting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek,” “Moneyball” and the most recent “21 Jump Street” with Channing Tatum which is Hill’s highest grossing film after “Superbad.”

Ben Stiller's "The Watch" To Open September 5 in the Philippines

Meet the neighborhood watch: civic-minded Evan (Ben Stiller), fun-loving family guy Bob (Vince Vaughn), tough-talking “wild card” Franklin (Jonah Hill) and the looking-for-love divorcé Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade). In a seemingly serene suburban enclave and safe haven, Evan Bob, Franklin and Jamarcus have decided to join forces to safeguard their community. In addition, they’re enjoying some of the perks that come with being a “Watcher”… like drinking beer and just being guys.

MOVIE REVIEW: 21 Jump Street

Reviewing the film "21 Jump Street" starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill together with Ice Cube courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

GIST: The movie is a testosterone fueled movie filled with dirty jokes and high school humor. It's actually quite funny and somewhere along the grossly funny moments you will definitely see how much things have changed in the real world. Also this has got to be one of the funniest movie starring Jonah Hill.

Now for the details.

Sneak Peek: 21 Jump Street

In Columbia Pictures' action-comedy “21 Jump Street,” Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) were enemies in high school who became unlikely friends in Police Academy. While they may not be the best cops on the beat, they have a chance to turn it around when they join the police department's secret Jump Street unit, run by Captain Dickson (Ice Cube). They trade in their guns and badges for backpacks and use their youthful appearances to go undercover.

Trouble is, teenagers today are nothing like what they were just a few years ago, and Schmidt and Jenko discover that everything they think they know about being a teenager, from sex to drugs to rock and roll, is all wrong. More importantly, they both find they are still dealing with all of the adolescent problems they didn't address in their own teen years - and both will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.