Here’s a quick look at the full-length entries for Cinemalaya 2019
ANI (THE HARVEST) Kim Zuniga and Sandro Del Rosario An orphaned boy and his malfunctioning robot go on a journey to save his sick grandfather. BELLE DOULEUR Joji V. Alonso A woman in her 40s gets a fresh start with…
“Spider-Man: Far From Home” Gives Us a Lost Superhero, And It’s Beautiful
As heartbreaking as Avengers: Endgame was, it had one sliver of hope: a more experienced Spider-Man who’s ready to take on the world. The death of his closest ally and mentor will obviously have a tremendous impact on the web slinger’s psyche and…
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is a visual feast
At one point in the movie, we’re told that “anyone can wear the mask.” And that transcends not just in the story of young Miles Morales but also in the manner in which Sony Pictures presented Phil Lord’s vision for…
“Johnny English Strikes Again” brings the same old laughs
More than a decade after ditching the cute teddy bear and donning the sleek suit as the secret agent Johnny English, Rowan Atkinson is back for the third outing of the spy-comedy franchise in “Johnny English Strikes Again” where he…
“A Star Is Born” is close to perfection
Remakes can be tricky because you’re more likely going to be compared to their predecessors. It would require a lot of guts to sprinkle your own magic movie dust to avoid being referred to as the “remake of that classic…
“Venom” is not as bad as most people think
Let’s make one thing clear before I start talking about Ruben Fleischer’s “Venom”: it doesn’t suck. In fact, it’s one of the more entertaining Marvel films of late. That doesn’t mean, however, that it warrants a 4 or 5-star rating….
“Night School” is hilarious, thanks to Tiffany Hadish
There’s always a second chance for someone who’s willing to go through shit. That’s basically what Malcolm Lee’s “Night School” is about. The movie follows Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart), a highschool dropout who has huge dreams. He’s doing really well…
Formidable writing makes “Smallfoot” one of the best animated movies today
What’s great about writer-director Karey Kirkpatrick’s child-friendly film “Smallfoot” is that it doesn’t give any false promises of grandeur but delivers more than what you were hoping for. I have to admit that, at first, there was no excitement whatsoever…
“The House with a Clock in its Walls” lacks gore but it’s a good thing
The year was 1955 and a young orphan, Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), is on the way to New Zebedee, Michigan to live with his uncle Jonathan, who has a little secret hidden inside the walls of his creepy house. An outcast…
“Sol Searching” is funny but will sear your consciousness
One should always scratch the surface to get to the bottom of things. This is one of my key takeaways from Roman Perez Jr.’s entry to To Farm Film Festival, “Sol Searching.” This dark comedy about the plight of teacher…