Kungfu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction (機器俠)
Hong Kong’s China-market-friendly (read: suffocatingly naive) version of Michael Bay’s Transformers series holds back until late before the action kicks in. A policeman must look after a cyborg that has joined the force, but romantic complications between the robot and “his” colleagues take the plot hostage before an evil cyborg can do his thing. As the title suggests, there’s more love stuff in this one, but the reviews are even worse than for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which at least had splendid effects. Note: The English title is reversed in some markets. Directed by Jeff Lau (劉鎮偉), perhaps best known for Operation Pink Squad (霸王女福星) and its sequel from the late 1980s.
Looking for Eric
“Eric” is none other than Eric Cantona, retired French soccer superstar and hero to Manchester United fans, and now actor. In this film by working-class-champion director Ken Loach, he is also a key character in the life of another Eric (Steve Evets), an English postman and soccer nut whose life is going down the toilet. Footballer Eric then proceeds to help postie Eric get his life in order, though violence threatens to get in the way. A must-see for United fans and anyone who admires Cantona, who co-produced this strange film.
The Ugly Truth
After a weekend of previews, The Ugly Truth’s season proper starts today. Set in a California news station, producer Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up) is required to fix sinking ratings by bringing in sexist consultant Gerard Butler (300), who also acts as a kind of antihero Cyrano de Bergerac for the lovelorn Heigl as she woos some doctor. This one seems to adopt sexism as a source of humor and sympathy rather than villainy. Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers suggested that viewers looking for a romantic treat “toss this ugly-ass crap to the curb” and see (500) Days of Summer instead, but Taiwanese audiences will have to wait until Nov. 20 for that privilege.
Pandorum
Intriguing title and poster art give way to an amalgam of classic and not-so-good sci-fi/horror moments in Pandorum, a German-American co-production. Dennis Quaid leads a largely continental cast as two space travelers find themselves on board a vessel whose salvationary purpose they can’t remember and which is afflicted with an Event Horizon-style tendency to induce madness — and a batch of nasty creatures ready to pounce. Oh, and there’s a countdown to a massive explosion. In space, no one can hear the kitchen sink scream.
Whiteout
Kate Beckinsale is a law enforcement officer in the Antarctic who suffers the inconvenience of having to probe the continent’s first homicide. This only brings her tormented past to the surface as she tries to solve the crime and fend off a killer. Despite its lack of sci-fi, this film’s set-up, plot and embellishments merely activate memories of John Carpenter’s classic remake The Thing. Based on a reputedly much tougher graphic novel and directed by Dominic Sena, prominent music video maker and director of Gone in Sixty Seconds and Swordfish.
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