Madagascar clinched the record for All-Time Biggest Opening Weekend for an Animation in Singapore. Why won’t I be surprised? It’s cute, sweet and whole lot of fun.

A refreshing storyline about 4 animals in the zoo who wants to experience the wild. I am not sure how children nowadays will relate to this, because to me, it’s a self reflection piece. Children are so protected now, and love to complain. Try putting them in the ‘wild’. Can they survive?

I wished Madagascar had explored more on this issue. Unlike Incredibles and Shrek, it lacks the adult element and ends before you know it.

Watch out for your favourite characters – Alex the lion who has gay tendencies, Mort who does a Puss-in-boots, and the 4 penguins (my personal favourite). Aww………

Madagascar – Mildly cute, and nothing to roar about.

I had a hard time just finding someone to watch this movie with me. Is it Jet Li or is it because they think it’s a dumb, action flick? I am a fan of Jet Li (at least more than Jacky). It’s Top 5 in the US, so it can’t be that bad, right?

Jet Li plays Danny the Dog. Once he’s unleashed, he listens to his master and attacks his enemies like a howl dog. Interesting plot, and you look forward to uncover more. It starts off really promising – dark lighting, jump cuts, action sequence, music from Massive Attack. Feels as though you are watching an MTV.

Enters Morgan Freeman – the blind piano tuner who saves Danny from his master and teaches him about life and music. From then on, I started looking at the watch every other minute.

Questions were unanswered. Fighting sequences looked familiar and uncreative (probably because Yuen Wo Ping is used in every action movie). Movie reminded me of Hong Kong martial arts movies in the 80s.

I walked out of the cinema feeling that this was just lame. I felt sorry for the friend I dragged to watch this movie with, telling him “It can’t be that bad, right?”

Unleashed – Ans: It’s that bad.

Call me grim face, but I have never laughed so much at a movie in recent times. Monster-In-Law is the Meet-The-Parents kind of a story, just that you get the 2 Js - Viola (Jane Fonda) and Charlie (Jennifer Lopez).

This marks Fonda's return to the big screen following a 14-year absence. How we miss her! (Apart from seeing her in aerobics and steps videos.) Fonda plays a fired popular TV show host who just came out from the mental institute. (We wonder sometimes if she is playing herself)

Jennifer Lopez is the happy-go-lucky Charlie. (This is so unlike herself, probably had many acting classes.) She’s a temp who falls in love with rich, good looking doctor Keith (Michael Vartan). All is well till she meets her future mother-in-law, who is over protective of her son.

Lots of stereotypes here - the black assistant sidekick who is brutal and fun, the gay best friend and Ms “Britney Spears”. Put 2 women together and you get dumb girly jokes, and querky one-liners. Who cares anyway? I just knew I got a great time laughing at women. Opps.

Monster-In-Law: Jane and Jennifer gives you joy, jokes, jollity and joviality.

Catch this you must. Not because it is the best movie around (well, I think it is at least for this period of time), but because everybody’s talking about it.

You know the start. You know the ending. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) wants to save his wife Amidala (Natalie Portman) from dying at childbirth. Coaxed by Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) to join the dark side, Anakin becomes Darth Vader eventually. The movie ends with a climatic light saber fight with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). (This is the first time we see 2 light sabers of the same colour meet.)

Die hard Star Wars fan will enjoy this movie spectacle. Technically, magic it is. Acting wise, only 2 make the mark – Kenobi and Yoda (Oh my, human he isn’t.) Expectations it failed to lived up with, but it’s good enough. Let’s not be over critical over Christensen’s 2 facial expressions (angry and angrier) or Portman’s 4 (sad, forlorn, pain then mati)

Spanning 28 years and 6 movies – The Star Wars is really a phenomenal. For fans who still got their hearts left at Empire of The Sun, there’s only one thing I can tell you. Welcome to the Digital Age.

Star Wars 3 - May The Farce Be With You.

Prey. Slay. Display.

It starts off as your typical horror show. 6 six friends go for a weekend getaway, and ends up at a local town. As a couple explore the town’s attraction – Trudy’s House of Wax, they are intrigued as the exhibits look too real to be true.

You have Carly (Elisha Cuthbert) the lead girl, Nick (Cha Michael Murrary) her twin brother, Wade her boyfriend, Paige (Pasir Hilton) her friend, and Paige’s boyfriend. You know who strips to her red panties. You know who doesn’t keep his shirt on. You know who dies and who doesn’t. Yes, you know.

Before you slam the show, hey, it is scary. I mean, it’s gruesome, creepy, trilling, disgusting and funny at the same time. The wax figures and final scenes are authentic. Elisha’s (the always end up at the wrong places lead) performance is intense . And Hilton does a fantastic job acting herself.

As Hilton says, “I think I have the coolest death scene in the movie. It looks awesome.” I couldn’t agree more with her for once.

House of Wax - Melts in your spine, not in your hands

What happens when you fall in love with your best friend, who happens to be of the same sex? During a trip to a rowing summer camp, Tobi is confused and finds it harder and harder to hide his feelings for Achim. A young and gorgeous Anke shows interest towards Tobi, but he just doesn’t know how to accept her love.

The story gets complicated when there is a group of gays in the rowing camp. Tobi has to grapple with his internal conflict, prejudice and fear towards gay, while he is one himself.

While the society generally still has stigmas towards homosexuals, I believe this movie allows you to see the internal struggle they face. Are all gays effeminate, broken wrists sissy pots? You see a good stereotypical mix in the rowing team – the cocky, the athletic, the shy, and the ‘girly’.

I liked the way it uses images to explore feelings subtlety. A simple act of Tobi jumping to the water (as seen in the poster) – a mental release or a physical union?

Towards the end, you see only empty and lonely people, whether they are straight, queer, or attached. Being able to accept yourself is one thing, convincing the society to accept will be the challenge.

Summer Storm – A subtle and sensitive story - for straights, gays and confused.

Will you pay $9.50 to watch explosive cars, explosive girls, explosive trains and explosive buildings? The answer is “Yes”. Judging by box office trends, this will be a seller.

The US President is in danger. (Yes, he is always in danger.) A dangerous military group led by William Dafoe (always the bad guy, last seen in Spiderman) is conspiring to overthrow the government. Stoned-faced agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits his new XXX (Ice Cube), and (you know it) they save the world.

Cliché cliché cliché. Cliché characters, cliché storyline, cliché lines and even a cliché ‘twist’. You know the joke even beyond the person speaks, that’s how bad it is. Ice Cube replaces Vin Disel as the XXX. You really wonder, how’s next?

Many laughable scenes, such as XXX walking in slow motion carrying a machine guns with explosive flames behind. Boo. But… the truth is, the movie is still really quite entertaining and funny in a way.

XXX - Big Budget, Action Movie. Leave home without your brain.