Page 6 The Skanner February 10, 2016
Arts & Entertainment
Kam’s Kapsules: Movies Opening Friday, Feb. 12, 2016
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Deadpool (R for sex-
uality, graphic nudity,
graphic violence and
pervasive
profanity)
Ryan Reynolds plays the
Marvel Comics antihero
in this origins adventure
about a Special Forces
mercenary left mutated
by a proverbial medical
experiment gone hor-
ribly wrong. With Ed
Skrein, Karan Soni and
Michael Benyaer.
How to Be Single (R
for sexuality and perva-
sive profanity) Roman-
tic comedy revolving
around the misadven-
tures of a newcomer to
New York City (Dakota
Johnson) who decides
to test the waters of the
Manhattan dating scene
after breaking up with
her
marriage-minded
college sweetheart (Nich-
olas Braun). Co-starring
Rebel Wilson, Leslie
Mann, Damon Wayans,
Jr. and Alison Brie.
Where to Invade Next
(R for profanity, drug
use, violent images and
brief graphic nudity) Mi-
chael Moore mockumen-
tary finds the inveterate
iconclast mounting faux
Kam
Williams
Kam’s
Kapsules
Movie
Reviews
invasions of other na-
tions in search of ways
to improve the quality of
life in the United States
of America.
Zoolander 2 (PG-13 for
brief profanity, coarse
humor, crude sexuality
and a scene of over-the-
top violence) Ben Stiller
reprises the title role in
a silly sequel which finds
the dim-witted model
joining forces with his
former adversary (Owen
Wilson) in order to fight
a new fashion industry
nemesis (Will Ferrell).
Ensemble cast includes
Kristen Wiig, Benedict
Cumberbatch, Penelope
Cruz and Olivia Munn,
with cameos by Justin
Bieber, Ariana Grande,
Kim Kardashian, Kanye
West, Lenny Kravitz,
Demi Lovato and Macau-
lay Culkin.
INDEPENDENT &
FOREIGN FILMS
Already
Tomorrow
in Hong Kong (Unrated)
Romantic comedy re-
volving around the love
which blossoms between
an
Asian-American
(Jamie Chung) visiting
Hong Kong for the very
first time and the white
guy (Bryan Greenberg)
giving her a tour of the
city. With Sarah Lian,
Jaeden Cheng and Rich-
ard Ng.
Cabin Fever (Unrat-
ed) Faithful remake of
the 2002 horror comedy
about five college friends
(Gage Golightly, Mat-
thew Daddario, Nadine
Crocker, Dustin Inram
and Samuel Davis) on the
run from a flesh-eating
virus during a weekend
getaway at a remote ru-
ral retreat. Featuring
Randy Schulman, Louise
Linton, Jason Rouse and
Eli Roth.
Fitoor (Unrated) Bol-
lywood version of Great
Expectations, the Charles
Dickens classic revolving
around the coming-of-
age of a struggling street
urchin (Aditya Roy Ka-
poor). With Katrina Kaif,
Rahul Bhat and Tabu. (In
Hindi with subtitles)
‘Zoolander 2’
Mountains May De-
part (Unrated) Three-
part character study, set
in 1999, 2014 and 2025,
chronicling events in the
life of a beautiful (Tao
Zhao), pursued by two
suitors (Yi Zhang and
Jing Dong Liang), who
opted to marry for mon-
ey over love. With Zijan
Dong, Sylvia Chang and
Lu Liu. (In Cantonese,
Mandarin and English
with subtitles)
National Parks Adven-
ture (Unrated) Eco-doc-
umentary, narrated by
Robert Redford, extolling
the virtues of America’s
national parks.
Of Mind and Music
(PG-13 for suggestive
material, drug referenc-
es and mature themes)
Tenderhearted
family
drama, unfolding against
the backdrop of the New
Orleans music scene, ex-
amining the toll exacted
by Alzheimer’s on a pop-
ular street performer
(Aunjanue Ellis). Co-star-
ring Bill Cobbs and Joa-
quim de Almeida.
Providence (Unrated)
See MOVIES on page 10
FILM REVIEW: ‘Monster Hunt’ a Kid-
Friendly Medieval Martial Arts Mash-up
‘Monster Hunt’
By Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
D
The James F. & Marion L.
Miller Foundation
irected by Raman Hui (Shrek
the Third), Monster Hunt was
released across Asia last sum-
mer where it became the high-
est-grossing Chinese film of all time.
The version I watched was dubbed
into English, which served to turn
the martial arts/comedy mash-up
into a decidedly campy affair.
The experience reminded me of
the Japanese horror flicks from the
1950s where the corny dialogue in-
variably failed to fit the movement
of the actors’ mouths. This one even
has its characters often speaking
in inappropriately-modern idioms
such as, “You are such a loser!” Pur-
ists might be happy to know that the
movie is also being made available
with subtitles, though I suspect it’s
far funnier lip-synched.
Set during an ancient dynasty, the
picture features an unapologetical-
ly exuberant mix of sentiment and
slapstick that endeavors to tug at
your heartstrings while simultane-
ously tickling your funny bone. The
CGI-driven costume fantasy unfolds
in a mythical kingdom inhabited by
both humans and monsters.
The plot thickens when the ham-
let’s male mayor, Tianyin (Jing Bo-
ran), is miraculously impregnated
by a malevolent Monster Queen.
Next thing you know, just about
everybody around, human and mon-
ster alike, wants half-breed baby
Wooba dead, much to the chagrin of
the glowing, expecting daddy.
Lucky for Tianyin, he forges a
fast friendship with Hua Xiaolan
(Bai Baihe), a female warrior bless-
ed with a winning combination of
maternal instincts and mad karate
skills. She’s determined to save the
radish-shaped bundle of joy, so what
ensues is an overstimulating kitchen
sink adventure throwing everything
up on the screen from cartoon phys-
ics fight scenes to Bollywood-style
song-and-dance numbers.
Kid-friendly fare amusing enough
to entertain adults, too, provided
their brains are on pause!
Very Good HH1/2
Unrated
Dubbed or Mandarin with subtitles
Running time: 104 minutes
Distributor: Film Rise