See Sam Chuk!
Pattaya movies beginning Wednesday, August 12, 2009
… through Wednesday, August 19
by Thomas Ohlson
Best Bets: Sam Chuk. Harry Potter. Pelham 1 2 3. Public Enemies.
Here is the 104th edition of my weekly compilations of movie times and comments for Pattaya!
Starting our third year!
And the 17th online edition!
Picture at right is from Sam Chuk. Good movie! Go see it!
For the Pattaya online version, go to:
http://thomatpattaya.blogspot.com/
Here are my comments for the films playing in Pattaya for the week as of Wednesday, August 12, for Pattaya Major Cineplex (at Villa Supermarket Center), for the SF Multiplex at Central Plaza (Big C), and for the spanking new SFX Cinema Pattaya Beach on the 6th Floor of Central Festival Pattaya Beach, the new huge and beautiful mall located between Sois 9 and 10 and running the length of the soi from Beach Road to 2nd Road.
Now playing in Pattaya * = new this week
* Jija - Raging Phoenix / Jija-DueSuaiDu / จีจ้า ดื้อ สวย ดุ: Thai, Action/ Romance – 110 mins – One of the biggest Thai Martial arts action films of the year, starring the amazing girl from Chocolate, Jija Yanin, a true female action icon, who here combines her stunning martial arts style with a love story. Fashioned specifically to Jija’s skills and personality, the film interweaves her fighting skills with a considerable amount of break dancing, led by the quite talented and amazingly athletic B-Boys Thai, a Thai B-Dance team of three.
* Trail of the Panda / Xiong mao hui jia lu: China, Family – 87 mins – A Disney live action film directed by Chinese director Yu Zhong and shot in the wilderness of Wolong, Sichuan (the area that was destroyed during the massive earthquake of May 2008),Trail Of The Panda is the story of a little panda cub who is separated from its mother and subsequently rescued by an orphaned boy after going through a series of hardships and dangers in the forest.
* In Country & Melody 2 / E-Som Somwang 2 / อีส้มสมหวัง ชะชะช่า: Thai, Comedy/ Musical – 115 mins – Som and Somwang from the first episode abandon their musical band to pursue their dreams in Bangkok. Somwang gets a job as a singer in a night cafe, and is soon allured by the night life, girls, and fame. The change in Somwang makes Som heartbroken, but the news of Som’s pregnancy seems to reconcile the two.
Public Enemies: US, Action/ Crime/ Drama/ History/ Thriller – 140 min – With Johnny Depp as the criminal John Dillinger and Christian Bale as G-man Melvin Purvis in this Great Depression-era drama about the FBI’s attempts to stop a gangster crime wave. The film features a strong supporting cast, including Billy Crudup, Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, Rory Cochrane, and Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard (for her role as Edith Piaf in the 2007 La môme / La vie en rose). Rated R in the US for gangster violence and some language. Generally favorable reviews: 70/63 out of 100.
I think it’s a mess, albeit a brilliant mess, but I don’t want to unnecessarily discourage you from seeing it, because it offers many pleasures. It’s an impeccably crafted film, with some fine performances, vast attention to period detail, an innovative use of high-definition video instead of film, and a fascinating era recreated. Still, it’s a hodge-podge in my opinion, and doesn’t gel into anything coherent.
Sam Chuk / สามชุก: Thai, Drama – 115 mins – A rarity for Thailand: a thoughtful, well-done social issues film, exploring the lives of seven teenaged boys who are entangled with and devastated by drug use in a small province called Sam Chuk. Their local teacher tries to teach them to cope with their problems. Based on a true story; after a screening I ran into a person who said he was a teacher at that school at that time, and the kids in the movie were the actual kids involved in the story, and were at one time students of his. If that is true, then I am truly impressed with the realistic and affecting performances the director got from the seven kids – in fact the many kids in the movie that flesh out the experience.
Good performances, a choppy storytelling style, a bit sentimental at times, but overall a heart-rending document about the seemingly insurmountable problems faced by so many youth in the country today. The film has received support and encouragement from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture Office of Drug Prevention and Suppression – but don’t let that fact scare you away from seeing this excellent film! Directed by Thanit Jintanukul [Tanit Jitnukul / ธนิตย์ จิตนุกูล] [See picture below, right].
About the director:
Wikipedia: Tanit was born in 1956 in Songkhla Province. He made his name doing historical battle epics, directing a string of them: Bang Rajan, Legend of the Warlord and Sema: Warrior of Ayutthaya. However, he's worked in many genres, including horror (Art of the Devil and Narok), crime-action (102 Bangkok Robbery) and comedy (Andaman Girl).
He won best director honors at the Thailand National Film Awards for Bang Rajan. The film was also screened at the 2000 Fantasia Festival, where it placed second in the international competition. Bang Rajan was later "presented" by Oliver Stone in a theatrical release in the United States.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: US, Action/ Adventure/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – 107 mins – Attracting families as well as younger and older men, this wild action-adventure film based on toys scored one of the best August openings of all time, in the US and internationally. It’s from Hasbro the toy-makers, and is very much like Transformers – Critic-proof nonsensical mayhem, and very loud, but stylish. Make sure you take your earplugs! Generally negative reviews: 32/40out of 100.
G.I. Joe was far from being a guaranteed success, given its blatant gung-ho U.S. military theme, not particularly appealing to overseas audiences (to say the least). But they solved that problem by simply changing the US combat group into an international combat group, which actually follows more closely the comic book series, which expanded the original team of U.S. military operatives to include operatives from other countries. Then they deliberately set the film in a number of foreign locales, and featured an international cast including Korean actor/ singer/ heartthrob Byung-hun Lee [picture to left], British actress Sienna Miller, the superb French-Moroccan actor Said Taghmaoui, and the well-regarded South African stage and screen actor Arnold Vosloo.The strategy appears to have worked the film did significant business in many Asian territories, especially South Korea and China.
I actually found it quite a bit more enjoyable than Transformers, which I guess might not be saying much. But if you like an occasional action flick, I think this is one of the better ones. With Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans (he was a lot of fun!). Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy and it’s two sequels, Van Helsing).
Time, Richard Corliss: The only collateral damage is in the audience, where, as you sit through the movie, you can feel your IQ drop minute by minute.
Empire, Dan Jolin: The trick with Stephen Sommers is not to take him too seriously. . . . Hugging the dumb and making it fun is Sommers’ strength.
Joblo.com: G.I. Joe may not be a great movie, but it sure is a hoot and a half, just make sure to find that inner child in you that still likes to play pretend. GO JOE!
Philadelphia Inquirer David Hiltbrand: A brazen, earsplitting, eye-popping, oddly satisfying action extravaganza.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3: US/ UK, Crime/ Drama/ Thriller – 121 mins – I found it a thoroughly engrossing and exciting film, and a satisfying dramatic experience – everything Public Enemies tried for and failed to achieve. In my opinion. Denzel Washington plays a New York City subway dispatcher who’s day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. The criminal mastermind, beautifully played by John Travolta, is the leader of a highly-armed gang of four who threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, the dispatcher employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit the criminals and save the hostages. But there’s one riddle about it all: even if the criminals get the money, how can they possibly escape? A reworking of the 1974 film. Rated R in the US for violence and pervasive language. Mixed or average reviews: 55/56 out of 100.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: US/ UK, Adventure/ Fantasy/ Mystery/ Romance – 153 mins – This, the latest and darkest Harry Potter episode, set a new worldwide opening day box office record, with an astounding one-day global box office gross of more than $104 million. Generally favorable reviews: 78/73 out of 100.
I think it’s a dazzling film with brilliant cinematography, fantastic effects, and moments of emotional power. But I think you’ll find it incoherent unless you’re a close follower of the previous films, or have immersed yourself in the books. If not, large sections of the film will make absolutely no sense whatsoever. If you've read the book, you can plug the plot holes with what you know. Otherwise, all the characters seem to know things the audience is never privy to.
Worth seeing for the great art direction and scenic design alone. But for all the rest as well. It’s really well directed, with excellent performances, and an exciting story.
Dear Galileo / หนีตามกาลิเลโอ: Thai, Comedy/ Drama – 90 mins – A pleasant enough outing about girls on their own in Europe – low-keyed and low-powered, slow and meandering. From Nithiwat Tharathorn, one of the famed “Fan Chan Six,” who continues his examination of students in love as two teenage girls backpack for a year in London, Paris, and Rome, working in Thai restaurants when they run short of money. Filmed on location, and based on the director's own experiences of living and working abroad.
Wise Kwai’s review: 3 out of 5 - Just okay.
Two young women do a bit of growing up in Dear Galileo - the overwhelmingly light travel drama by GMM Tai Hub and director Nithiwat Tharatorn.
6:66 Death Happens / 6:66 Die Not Die / tai mai dai tai / 6:66 dtaai mai dai dtaai / ตายไม่ได้ตาย: Thai, Horror – 90 mins – Susie-Susira plays a crime reporter who starts seeing weird and scary things after someone who was supposed to die doesn't die, causing a rip in the fabric between life and death, or something like that. A dreadful movie, to gauge from the previews and posters. I choose not to see it.
Wise Kwai’s review: 2 out of 5 - Barely watchable.
A couple or three decent gore-worthy moments and a satisfying twist ending make 6:66 Tai Mai Dai Tai worth a look, if only just barely. Mostly though, 6:66 Tai Mai Dai Tai is aggravating because it frequently doesn't make any sense. … It's a bit odd for Thai horror in that it's rooted in Christian, rather than Buddhist mythology, with God invoked as the ultimate decider of when someone dies, and the 6:66 in the title referencing the mark of the beast or Satan.
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs: US, Animation/ Action/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Family/ Romance – 94 mins – Manny, Sid, Diego, and Ellie are back in some extraordinary animation in this third film in the computer-animated Ice Age series. With those creatures in starring roles, we hear again the vocal talents of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Queen Latifah – and newcomer Simon Pegg, in a star turn as a crazed weasel. Mixed or average reviews: 50/52 out of 100.
Scheduled for Pattaya cineplexes on Thursday, August 20
Inglourious Basterds: US/ Germany, Action/ Adventure/ War – Quentin Tarantino's long-awaited, exceptionally bloody tale of Jewish-American troops on the hunt for Nazi scalps in World War II France, starring Brad Pitt. Rated R in the US for strong graphic violence, language, and brief sexuality. Early reviews: Generally favorable: 64 out of 100.
Bandslam: US, Comedy/ Drama/ Music – 111 mins – Probably the only film ever with a character named “Sa5m.” (Hint, the “5” is silent; it’s a sign of her independence, you know?) A new kid in town, teenager Will Burton, assembles a fledgling rock band to compete against the best in the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands. Stars Disney Channel superstars Vanessa Anne Hudgens (High School Musical 1, 2, 3) and Alyson Michalka (Phil of the Future, pop duo Aly and AJ), joined by Gaelan Connell (Chocolat), Scott Porter (Speed Racer) and Lisa Kudrow ("Friends"). Against all odds, their band develops a sound all its own with a real shot at success in the contest. Meanwhile, romance brews between Will and Sa5m (Hudgens), who plays a mean guitar and has a voice to die for. Or so it says here in their promotional literature . . .
Buppha Rahtree 3.2: Rahtree's Revenge / บุปผาราตรี3.2: Thai, Horror/ Romance – The incremental sequel to Buppah Rahtree 3.1: Rahtree Reborn that continues the romantic-horror story of the revengeful ghost of Buppha and her love struck cartoonist.
And looking forward:
Nov 12 – 2012: US/ Canada, Action/ Drama/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – Director Roland Emmerich has given movie watchers several apocalyptic films in the past in Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, and he offers another look at the end of the world in 2012. This action film stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Amanda Peet. The film proves conclusively that the world will end on December 21, 2012, so let’s hope the studio recoups its investment before then. It’s the Mayan Long Count calendar that contains the proof, and it’s irrefutable. Don’t make any plans for Christmas that year! For further information, read John Major Jenkins, Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End-Date (1998).
Dec 17 – Avatar: US, Action/ Adventure/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – From director James Cameron, who originally attempted to get this film made in 1999 immediately after his huge success with Titanic (1997). However, at the time, the special effects he wanted for the movie ran the proposed budget up to $400 million. No studio would fund the film, and it was subsequently shelved for almost ten years. This is, in fact, the director’s first feature film since Titanic. The story involves a band of humans pitted in battle against a distant planet's indigenous population. In December 2006, Cameron described Avatar as "a futuristic tale set on a planet 200 years hence... an old-fashioned jungle adventure with an environmental conscience... [that] aspires to a mythic level of storytelling." A January 2007 press release described the film in these words: "Avatar is also an emotional journey of redemption and revolution.”
Dec 24 – Sherlock Holmes: US/ UK/ Australia, Action/ Adventure/ Crime/ Drama/ Mystery/ Thriller – Detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr. – not his picture to the right!) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England. This new Holmes is rougher, more emotionally multilayered, more inclined to run with his clothing askew, covered in bruises and smudges of dirt and blood. He falls into modern-style funks between cases, lying on the sofa, suffused with anomie, unshaven and unkempt, surrounded by a pile of debris. But when he applies himself, Holmes is as fast with his body — he is a bare-knuckle boxer, a crack shot, and an expert swordsman — as he is with his mind. But … no cocaine. Says the director Guy Ritchie, “It’s a family picture.”
Mar 4, 2010 – Alice in Wonderland: US, Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy – I am looking forward to this one! Seems to me like a perfect marriage between director Tim Burton and the Lewis Carroll classic. The film stars frequent Burton collaborator Johnny Depp [picture above, right] as the Mad Hatter, Mia Wasikowska as Alice, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. Also with Helena Bonham-Carter, Crispin Glover, Alan Rickman.
Here you go: Schedule on Major Cineplex Website or http://www.majorcineplex.com/showtimepage.php
It’s basically a mixture of Thai and English, and this is how you work it: The link above gets you to the “Showtime” page. On the right two-thirds of the screen you will see two lists: movies, and theaters. At the top of the list of movies, click “Select All Movie” unless you’re really only interested in one movie. On the list of theaters, click “Pattaya.” This is one of four cities in the “Zone UPC-South-East” section, which is the 7th region down, or the 3rd from the bottom. Then hit “go” either at the top or the bottom of the lists, and almost immediately you will get at the very bottom of the page a list of the movies, the cinemas (โรง) they are in, and their remaining times (เวลา) for the day. If you do this after midnight and in the early morning, you will get a blank. Times are posted later in the morning. You have no way at the moment for getting any times except for the current day, and only the remaining times.
The new website redesign for MovieSeer
Major Cineplex - Pattaya
At Villa Supermarket Center
Opposite Soi 13 on 2nd Road.
“At The Avenue!”
Schedule on MovieSeer (newly redesigned; not working too well)
[In the large form on the right side, select in the center box first
Major Cineplex, and then Pattaya. On the next line, make
sure “By Theater Group” is checked. Then click “Search”.]
SFX Cinema Pattaya Beach
6th Floor of Central Festival Pattaya Beach
Schedule on MovieSeer (newly redesigned; not working too well)
[In the large form on the right side, select in the center box
SF Cinema City, SFX Pattaya Beach. On the next line, make
sure “By Theater Group” is checked. Then click “Search”.]
SF Multiplex / Cinemacity-Pattaya
At Big C
3rd Floor, Central Festival Department Store
[Central Plaza] Pattaya 2 Road, T. Nog Prue
A. Banglamoong, Chonburi
Schedule on MovieSeer (newly redesigned; not working too well)
[In the large form on the right side, select in the center box
SF Cinema City, Central Pattaya. On the next line, make
sure “By Theater Group” is checked. Then click “Search”.
Ignore the fact that it says it’s Central Festival Pattaya Beach.
It’s not. It’s Big C.]
