YeinJee's Asian blog

Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment

Archive for action movies - action dramas, trailers and adventure films

Asian and Hollywood action movie trailers, cast and information. Some posts are updated with short reviews and extra thoughts after I watched the films.

Top Gun: Maverick movie trailer is beautiful

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Trailer for American film Top Gun: Maverick, a sequel to 1986’s Top Gun. Beautiful is not the usual word to associate with action movies, but I cannot find a better term to describe this teaser video… because it is really beautiful. In cinemas in June 2020 in Malaysia and the United States etc.

Not much thought about the first movie, it was a long time ago. Regardless, the film made Tom Cruise a superstar, and he is reprising his role after more than three decades. There are actually films with longer gap between sequel, such as the Blade Runner (1982-2017)…

There’s probably no feature film that stars the same main lead with such a huge sequel-gap like Top Gun though. Tom Cruise is THE leading actor in both movies. In other cases, the main cast may return but usually in lesser roles for a sequel that comes 20-30 years after the previous one.

Top Gun: Maverick is directed by Joseph Kosinski. Besides Tom Cruise, the main cast also includes Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman and Ed Harris. Val Kilmer, who played a key part in the original movie, also returns but with a small role instead.

Not much info about the plot, it looks like Cruise is becoming a mentor for some new fighter pilots. The film is going to be a hit as long as the story isn’t too bad. The visual effect looks great, and there’s always the nostalgia factor. This trailer certainly gives it a good head start.

King Arthur movie trailer

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King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is an epic fantasy action adventure film. Inspired by the British Arthurian legends, directed by Guy Ritchie, and stars Charlie Hunnam, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, Jude Law and Eric Bana. In cinemas next year, check out the early trailer…

If you don’t know much about the legend, please proceed to wiki for a long read if interested. In short, this movie follows the young Arthur who fights against his evil uncle and claims his rightful throne; and he does that with the help of a mage, some warriors, and the legendary Excalibur sword.

Historians are still debating whether King Arthur is real or just a myth. There are many folklore about the legend (and his knights), and some are pretty wild with mages and dragons. It’s widely agreed though, that it’s set in medieval Britain around the 5-6th century, and this film is way off in that sense…

It’s fine to have some modernised ideas in an old-age setting, but they shouldn’t overdo it. The filmmakers obviously want the movie to be in a medieval theme, but for some reasons think that it’s smart to rewrite the cultural stuff just because they can. Creativity or whatever, it’s not my cup of tea.

Besides, many people who are interested in Arthurian legends are fond with the medieval background. Marketing wise it’s a bad idea to discard those aspects in the movie, which looks more like Game of Thrones or some video games instead. Good luck if they think that it’s a good idea.

The trailer is interesting from neutral point of view though. I’ll never forgive the fashion and those dashing hairs among other things. But the visual effects are decent, and I like the song – The Devil and The Huntsman by Sam Lee and Daniel Pemberton – in later part of the video.

Review and updates – we won’t be seeing Merlin

The film is above average despite the issues I’ve mentioned above. They did spoil many medieval stuff, but if we can see beyond that… the action and visual effects are decent, and the soundtrack is amazing. Jude Law is awesome too, but I have mixed feelings about the rest of the cast.

The plot is a bit weak though. It’s fine at first but becomes stale after Arthur’s rescue. The movie is also too long (over two hours) for a sub-par script. There are boring moments which could be cut off without affecting the whole story. But overall it’s still an entertaining film in my opinion.

David Beckham in King Arthur Legend of the Sword movie

On lighter note, it’s a pleasant surprise to see David Beckham in a cameo role. The timing (and his acting) is awkward though, it took away the focus from the scene – when Arthur pulls the sword from the rock – which should have been epic but appears comical instead.

I’m also disappointed with the lack of notable female characters besides the mage. Most women are servants and prostitutes in the movie. Don’t tell me that’s factual in those days, the producers threw away the historical aspects at the first place. This issue doesn’t hurt the film though.

Regardless, they have cancelled future sequels – originally planned to be a six-film franchise – because of poor box office result. Perhaps the legend is not that big a selling point to begin with. Or perhaps the Arthurian fans (and general publuc) are not that fond of the medieval-modern fusion.

Sad thing is we won’t be seeing a big budget movie for Merlin and some others. It’s a pity because there are better stories beside King Arthur despite him being the centre of the legends. But I’m also glad at the same time because I don’t want this group of filmmakers to touch the legends any further.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials movie trailer

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Trailer for Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, an American dystopian action movie based on James Dashner’s novel series. Directed by Wes Ball, and stars Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Ki Hong Lee, Barry Pepper, Lili Taylor and Patricia Clarkson.

The Scorch Trials is the second instalment in the Maze Runner film trilogy. I didn’t pay much attention when the first movie rolled out last year. Watched it on TV by chance and it’s surprisingly fun. It also stars Korean American actor Ki Hong Lee – it’s always good to see a new Asian face in Hollywood.

The first film follows a group of teenagers who try to find their way out of a labyrinth guarded by monsters while also establishing a functional society in a safe area at the same time.

The Scorch Trials takes place immediately after the ending of the first film (it was a cliffhanger). The survivors were rescued by an organisation called the WCKD which has a hidden agenda. And the folks still have to run a lot but in the desert and city ruins instead.

Don’t want to judge too early but I wonder if the new one will be as fun without the “real” maze. From the trailer seems like it’s turning into a generic action movie. Not necessary bad but it may have lost an important element from the first film. And no zombie please, that will be a real bummer.

Update – It’s a disappointment. The original Maze Runner is far better, and even without comparison The Scorch Trial is still a below average movie. The action is decent but the plot is really poor, and there’s not much suspense unlike the original. Don’t think I’ll follow up on the next instalment.

Sin City 2 movie trailer is a piece of art

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Trailer for American action crime film Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. It’s a follow up to the 2005 film Sin City, and it consists of a few interlinking stories. Couldn’t care much about the plot to be frank, but pretty amused by the teaser itself. In cinema in the United States later this month.

The film stars an ensemble cast which includes returning members Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Powers Boothe (in his final film role) and Jaime King. While newcomers include Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eva Green, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Jamie Chung, Christopher Lloyd, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Meloni and Juno Temple. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller.

Cold Eyes Korean movie trailer

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English-subbed teaser for Korean action thriller film Cold Eyes. Directed by Cho Ui-seok and Kim Byeong-seo, and starring Sol Kyung-gu, Jung Woo-sung, Han Hyo-joo, Jin Kyung and Lee Jun-ho.

The movie is a remake of 2007 Hong Kong film Eye in the Sky, about a police surveillance team tracking down a notorious bank robber. It opened in South Korea last week and dominating the local box office. It will make its North American premiere at the Toronto Int’l Film Festival in September.

I like the original film, hope the remake is as good. The Korean cast looks solid though, too bad I doubt it’s going to screen in Malaysian cinemas, will have to find other channels to see this.

Update – It’s a good movie, better than the original which is decent to begin with. Both films share the main plot but the Korean remake has better character developments and finer details for most parts.

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