YeinJee's Asian blog

Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment

American showbiz

Independence Day: Resurgence movie trailer

by

Official trailer for Hollywood movie Independence Day: Resurgence (ID:R). The scifi action disaster film is a sequel to Independence Day, which was the highest-grossing film worldwide in 1996.

Directed by Roland Emmerich (director of the original film), ID:R stars an ensemble cast of Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Jessie Usher, Travis Tope, William Fichtner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Judd Hirsch, Brent Spiner, and Sela Ward. In theatres June 2016 in the United States.

[Read more…] about Independence Day: Resurgence movie trailer

Hathaway wrecks a ball on Lip Sync Battle

by

Video of Anne Hathaway performing Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball on Lip Sync Battle – a musical reality competition show which pits celebrities against each other in lip sync performances.

This performance was from the third episode last April, which also featured Emily Blunt. I watched the preview video back then, which was fun; but this full version is simply awesome in a satirical way.

Blunt’s reaction is extra bonus. The duo was co-stars in The Devil Wears Prada in 2006; it was Blunt’s breakthrough film which boosted Hathaway’s career too. The two also became good friends since.

Merida meets Mulan in Once Upon a Time

by

Short video of Merida meeting Mulan in Once Upon a Time. It’s an American fantasy drama series on ABC which borrows elements from folklore and fairy tales, especially those from Disney. The clip comes from its latest (fifth) season, with Amy Manson and Jamie Chung portraying the roles.

The show, first aired in 2011, features characters from fairy tales who are transported to the real world while robbed of their memories by an evil queen. The initial story follows the daughter of Snow White who try to break the curse, and the plot revolves between both the real and fantasy world.

It’s a cute and brilliant idea. I’ve watched a few episodes in the past, it’s average but I’m fond of it. Couldn’t find time to follow the series regularly though, perhaps I should binge-watch the show if there’s a chance. Hope it’s on Netflix when the online streaming service comes to Asia early next year.

BTW, Mulan was a legendary Chinese warrior who’s the main character in Disney’s 1998 animated film. Merida meanwhile is a fictional princess in the 2012 Pixar movie Brave. Both are recurring characters in the TV series – Mulan first appears in season two while Merida made her debut in current season.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie trailer

by

Official trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first instalment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Directed by J. J. Abrams, and stars an ensemble cast which includes Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max von Sydow. In cinemas in December 2015.

I like the original trilogy, hate the prequels, and hardly a fan of the franchise regardless. I couldn’t recall the titles of any of the previous films, nor the name of most characters (not even the two robots) before writing this post. Has to do some digging on wiki to refresh my memories.

[Read more…] about Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie trailer

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials movie trailer

by

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.

San Andreas movie trailer

by

Official trailer for San Andreas, an upcoming American disaster movie. Directed by Brad Peyton, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Art Parkinson, and Paul Giamatti. In theatres May 29 in the United States.

The San Andreas Fault [wiki] is a continental transform fault that extends roughly 1,200 kilometres through California. It’s a real thing, and scientists have long predicted that a huge (8.0+ magnitude) earthquake will occur in the next few decades somewhere along the fault.

The movie sets on a major earthquake caused by the San Andreas Fault that devastates Los Angeles and San Francisco. And the story focuses on a rescue helicopter pilot who tries to save his estranged wife and beautiful daughter while totally ignoring his civic duty during the crisis.

Update & verdict

I watched the movie many months later on TV. The plot is cheesy, and sometimes ridiculous, like in most other disaster films. The special effects are great though; some scenes are over the top, which again is a common thing in this genre; but it’s believable enough to see it as something probable in real life.

The tsunami scene reminded me so much of the Japanese disaster in 2011, it made me felt a bit guilty that I actually enjoyed the film. It’s easier said than done but I hope people are more ready for natural disasters these days. As the cliché goes, it’s not whether it will happen, it’s simply about when.