Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

A worthy sequel to 2011's summer box-office surprise Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but like the first instalment, the star of the show is Andy Serkis and the animation. The human actors - as awesome as Keri Russell always is (seriously, any movie with her in it instantly gets bumped up half a notch at least) - and the storyline are secondary considerations. Actually, in this case, I might actually put them as tertiary, with Michael Giacchino's outstanding score, Matt Reeves' confident directing and Michael Seresin's striking lensing as the next most outstanding aspect of this movie.

Back in 2011, I mentioned that the sequel may be Outbreak-ish in nature, but thankfully the writers (Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver) and Reeves decided to skip all that and go straight to the aftermath, and we really see how "The Planet of the Apes" took its first steps into becoming a reality. A sad, but surprisingly, heartfelt and painfully truthful moment in the mythology.

Reeves' directing has improved much since Cloverfield and Let Me In. Two relatively low-budget genre films that did kind of paved his way to this big budget, special-effects, sci-fi movie. And, boy did he deliver. Reeves managed to capture the emotional struggle of an ape fighting for what he believes in spite of doubt and betrayal. Humans, with all their hubris and short-sightedness, are really just part of the landscape as we watched more in fascination the internal politics of the apes - and how scarily it mirrored humanity.

The action sequences were very well done and choreographed. In particular the penultimate clash and the final, climatic fight. Also a stand out was the scene when Caesar spoke to the humans.

Keri Russell - Matt Reeves' was her ex-boss on Felicity - was wasted here. Have they not witnessed the astounding work she is currently doing on Showtime's The Americans? And also seriously, this film embarrassingly fails Bechdel's Test (J.J. Abrams influence is showing...).

Jason Clarke was alright. Gary Oldman was so wasted too. And Kodi Smit-McPhee (the boy from Reeves' Let Me In - this movie is getting incestuous!) has sure grown up.

Giacchino's score is amazing. In a movie where for most parts there are no verbal dialogue, the music will then surely come to the fore. And Giacchino's penchent for strings and brass really facilitated the audience's connection with the show and the digital cast.

Seresin does not lens much but there were two striking and memorable moments that he captured on screen. *slight spoilers* the moment when Blue Eyes was standing with Koba and fire was raging on behind, and final scene itself. *end spoilers*.

I did not watch it in 3D, but other than the final act which was filmed a bit dimly, this film might actually benefit from it. There were some strange ape like sounds towards the end of the end credits, but whether this means anything...well, the internet will let us know!

Burnt Ends

Finally managed to find the time and get a table booking for Burnt Ends. Only one timing for reservations at 6 to 6.30pm, thereafter is try-your-luck-at-the-door.

Burnt once at Teppei, so am approaching this highly hyped restaurant with a hint of trepidation and slightly blunted expectations.

Open kitchen concept with bar-style sittings - except for one long table at the end. Loud music, poor acoustics, so definitely not the place for an intimate night out.

Service was polite and acceptable, but nothing to rave about. Good explanation of the menu and their house specials but rather didactic. More rote memory regurgitation than personal taste and expression. The bartender was too busy with the caucasian ladies at his end to be effective.

The open kitchen is a good concept if the team is strong. And here, they evidently are. It can be clearly seen that they work well together, but sadly, even mistakes are easily witnessed by the guests (if they are paying attention). However, that is one of the pleasures of an open kitchen by witnessing the chef take control.

Anyways, as for the food. Pacing needs to be better. The prices are on the high side of acceptable, except for their alcohol which were grossly over-priced. And you better like your Aussie wines, because that is all they have. To each his own poison.

The starters were all ready-prepared. The smoked quail eggs were a delight. Soft-boiled with a light smoky taste to the whites and the woody fragrance within the yolk. The crackling was excellent but the mustard-mayo was a bit too much and could use a bit more kick.

The duck hearts were well grilled - reminds one of the chicken hearts in the yakitori-yas. It went well with the burnt artichokes, however the aioli mix did not add much other than to mask the slightly bloody smell of the muscles (which is to be expected if you order heart).

The quail was a standout. Succulent, soft and tasty. Very good except the sauce was too heavy. Covered too much of the natural taste of the bird which was a pity.

Then we had the Burnt Ends Sangers. Essentially a pulled pork burger with melted cheese and jalepenos. I could just come down here to get this as a take-away and will be happy. Very well grilled and soft pork with the appropriate bite from the cheese and spice from the chilli. A good sign if I am eating with my fingers by this point.

Then the disappointments came. Sadly, the beef were all missing the mark.

The onglet was blah. The meat lacked that wholesome beefiness and it really did not go well with the bone marrow sauce. But at least it was cheap, that could not be said of the Blackmore rolled cube (Australia Wagyu).

Costing $75/100g with a minimum order of 250g, you get a nice piece of well-marbled wagyu beef. But a) Australian wagyu can never compare to Japaneses wagyu; b) Wagyu never does very well as a piece of steak because of the fat content. Therefore, despite the excellent grilling and temperature control, yielding a perfectly pink steak with a crisp outer layer flavoured with just some coarse sea salt, the taste itself stills fall behind a well-aged and dried, grain fed USDA or Aussie ribeye. So, do order with the appropriate expectations.

The King Crab was a delight though. Well grilled, tasty and sweet with a fitting butter and capers sauce. However, freshness is top grade. It is fresh, but not Japanese-fresh. You can taste it in the meat. The texture lacked the firmness.

Skip the weak drip coffee.

Desserts were acceptable. Good way to end the meal, but also nothing much to shout about. The pineapple with rum and vanilla was slightly better than the banana and (salted) caramel. Got a free apricot cake too, and that was much better. A good balance of sweet, sour and salty, and soft and crumbly.

Verdict: Will come again, but maybe not with a booking.

Begin Again

Finally, a genuinely feel good romantic dramedy for the summer by writer/director John Carney who gave us the fantastically under-watched, under-appreciated Once back in 2007. The biggest problem here is that unlike in Once, it is the story that drives Begin Again forward and not the mostly forgettable songs (maybe except this, but more also because of the scene itself). The story and the moments are predictable but memorable due to the chemistry between Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. Only Adam Levine was horribly miscast - boy, can't act.

Carney again uses music and songs to trace the emotional journey of his two leads, but sadly the music here failed to charmed as much as Knightley's British accent and Ruffalo's Brooklyn intonation. However, where music failed, the story became stronger with his two stars reminding us again why they are both Oscar nominees. The creative use of flashbacks and loops in the first act was refreshing. Then there was the always useful musical montage interlude which was fun. There is a sort of youthful, exciting energy here that can be rather infectious.

Knightley, especially, shone brilliantly here. It is refreshing to see her lose the corsets and embrace her modern vitality. Reminded me of her early years in Love, Actually and Bend It Like Beckham. She has a likability here that embodied her character's pragmatic naiveté.

Supporting cast Catherine Keener was subtly understated in her portrayal to great effect; Hailee Steinfeld is another young actress to look out for ever since her True Grit days; James Corden too is a talent to watch out for, let's see if he can translate a Tony Award to an Academy Award.

Levine cannot act. Even his singing is sometimes debatable.

A great summer counter-programming. Predictable but enjoyable. And definitely a new aw-shucks memorable Romantic scene for the record.

Transformers: Age of Extinction [IMAX/3D]

For a movie such as this, the only way to even enjoy it is to go in with low expectations. Come on, this is a Michael Bay action/summer popcorn/explosives bonanza - and it is unabashedly so - and also a follow-up to two incredibly bad sequels. Embrace all that and this was a fairly enjoyable movie.

Sure, at 165 minutes it was possibly 30 to 45 minutes too long, but giving credit where credit is due, Bay is one of the best action-directors out there and also one of the best user of wide-angle cinematography (together with cinematographer Amir Mokri)

T4: AOE started off promising, but in the end it got weighed down by too much sameness within one movie. The explosives did not get bigger, neither did the destruction or mayhem. Pacific Rim destroyed Hong Kong more beautifully than this boring depiction. It was as if even Bay himself got bored towards the final third.

Of course the poorly written script (by Ehren Kruger) and general bad acting did not help matters. Thankfully we had the always reliable Stanley Tucci providing comedic relief towards the end; Kelsey Grammer chewing the scenery as if he was still on Boss; and character actor Titus Welliver providing some necessary badass-ness.

Do not think too hard on the plot holes. It will just hurt your brain. Just accept the fact that one can drive from Beijing to Hong Kong overnight.

Definitely will not be surprised if we get a T5. Get ready for more blatantly shameless product placements!

The prologue was really, really well done. That scene alone was worth the IMAX and 3D experience. If you can accept all the flaws, then splurge on IMAX and 3D. They were quite well utilised here. Steve Jablonsky's by now recognisable Transformers theme will definitely benefit from a good sound system.

Teppei

There will be no pictures in this post because, simply, NOTHING was worth the effort. 

This place is the dictionary definition of over-rated. I'm only here because a friend could not make it at the last minute and I hijacked his spot.

The nicest thing I can say is that you get what you pay for. $50 gives you a $50 standard. But truth be told, it felt more like $30. 

If I were the one footing the bill - I was just an invited guest - I would have left 30 minutes in. The whole dining experienced stretched from first seating 6.30pm all the way into the second seating (poor folks waiting outside). 

The fishes were atrocious! Every single fish was not fresh. The portions are minuscule (that's okie for the price) but the control of the sauces and taste overwhelmed everything. For a Japanese restaurant you were not tasting the raw ingredients but the sauce. Cheap sauce. Can't even call it pseudo-French! What a waste of fish and beef. 

Chef has no control of his staffs. There was absolutely no control of timing. Slow, uneven serving. Food was left out too long before serving and not even under a heater or on a warmer. There was no skill in sushi making whatsoever. The sushi rice may be from Nigata but it sure does not reflect it.

The open kitchen is an embarrassment. If you want to do an open concept you jolly well be aware that everybody is scrutinising. 

Service was beyond bad. Forgot a portion of soup and just walked off. Did not inform the guest at all but told the sous chef and he begun to prepare another. My neighbour is a non-beef eater but his fried rice came with beef. No recognition by the staff on the faux pas nor an apology. 

I don't really care about the ambience. A hole in the wall concept is fine. Unique too, but the constant movement of staffs behind you and asking to be excused is an interruption to a dining experienced. Your food had better be damn good to compensate.

Verdict: Absolutely never again. 

The Fault In Our Stars

Disclaimer: I read the book about 3 - 4 months before watching the movie, and it made me cry. Despite all its cliché-ness and predictability (other than who dies first...but you know someone is going to die), the tears just kept flowing. Kudos to John Green for capturing the emotions of first love, love and lost, and putting them into words.

A cheesy, romantic film that unabashedly tugs at the heartstrings and milk the tear ducts, but despite its 125 minutes duration, it still falls short of the emotional impact and heave that John Green's novel had. Shailene Woodley anchored the film beautifully and she is the real reason to catch this (other than for the book itself).

Director Josh Boone and screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber compacted the storyline to focus only on Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters. Everybody else, except Mrs. Lancaster, became periphery. As such, the focus was more on the romance rather than the Romance (with a capital R).

However, a positive and unexpected outcome of this treatment of the novel was that the relationship between Hazel and her mum felt more authentic then that between Hazel and Gus. We do not really see the ups and downs of Hazel and Gus' relationship, so the emotional impact of the ending was not as powerful as depicted by Green.

Shailene Woodley was spot on as Hazel. The smart alecky girl that is pretty but not in a conventional way. Her line deliveries carried the sarcasm and wit one would expect of her character, as does the way her face just lights up genuinely as she fell in love. Woodley came onto the scene almost at the same time as Jennifer Lawrence and they both got noticed straightaway, but Lawrence is now America's newest sweetheart whereas Woodley is playing catch-up. But, watch out for her.

Ansel Elgort as Augustus was sadly, not the right fit for Woodley. They had their moments of chemistry, and Elgort also had his moments, but he was not consistent. Too often he fell flat, and ended up being smug rather than endearingly goofy. Although he did displayed more talent towards comedy than drama.

Laura Dern was great as Mrs Lancaster, and her chemistry with Woodley was simply the best thing about the movie. That felt real and genuine. Perhaps it arose from her stint on HBO's Enlightened.

The soundtrack was a highlight too if that is any consolation.

How To Train Your Dragon 2

A feel good, family movie that is more heavily skewed towards the children rather than tweens or above. Less exciting and less dramatic than the first instalment, but still a decent cartoon.

Writer-Director Dean DeBlois did a commendable job but the directing here was rather messy with the action-choreography seemingly too rushed. Many scenes borrowed heavily from other sci-fi geek moments which made this movie seemed less original that it was meant to be.

Although I did not watch it in 3D, I believed that there were a few scenes which would have definitely showed-off the technology. However, they were a lot less frequent than in the first movie.

Even from a story point of view, DeBlois' foreshadowings were way too heavy-handed. Perhaps it would be suited for the target audience of under-10s, but the adults in the audience would surely be groaning inwardly. Even the emotional centre was dealt simply and too casually, such that where there should be emotional fallout in the audience just fell kind of flat.

The best relationship depicted was between boy and pet.

I love Cate Blanchett, but her voice-acting here was extremely distracting. She affected a strange Aussie tilted, pseudo-Viking-that-sounds-Scottish accent that was not constant. It just kept jumping around.

The best aspect of the movie was Roger Deakins' cinematography (Visual Consultant). Some scenes were just so gorgeously depicted.