NATCHA ON FILM — Just in time for the Look Thep fad in Thailand, America has released “The Boy,” a movie about a family who raises a haunted doll as their child. (Sounds familiar?) The only Thai movie this week is “Boxing in Love,” a mix of action and rom-com. “The Finest Hours” is Disney’s latest addition to its list of disaster films.
Honestly, the month would look like it was ending on a bad note if it wasn’t for “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi,” based on the attacks on the US embassy in Libya, which is the only promising movie this week.
Boxing In Love
What started off as a full-on action movie with lots of kicking and punching, ended up being just another sappy rom-com.
“Boxing In Love” tells a life story of a Thai man who faces several hardships growing up but never gives up due to his dedication to boxing and desire to becoming the best. He ends up getting a job as an undercover detective somehow still utilizing his boxing abilities. During the investigation, he gets partnered with a hot female cop who he falls in love with, and together they try to take down a mafia boss causing havoc in the city.
The only thing that is more stupid than the title of this movie is the actual movie itself. It doesn’t make any sense that the main character suddenly becomes an undercover detective after dedicating pretty much his whole life to boxing.
The Finest Hours
Natural disaster movies have never really been my thing and I could never understand why people enjoy seeing unrealistic storms destroying a whole city or in this case, a ship.
“The Finest Hours” is based on a true event in 1952 when one of the most catastrophic storms ripped apart an oil tanker off the east coast of New England. Sailing on a small life boat in frigid temperatures and monstrous waves, four members of the Coast Guard set out to rescue more than 30 trapped sailors aboard the sinking oil tanker.
The first thing that came to mind when I first saw the trailer was that it reminded me a bit of Titanic, but soon the movie became more about a rescue mission rather than the relationship between the main characters.
Burnt
This film looks a little interesting but I feel like it seems overtly dramatic for a movie just about cooking.
“Burnt” is about a short-tempered, two-Michelin-starred American chef Adam Jones, played by Bradley Cooper, who destroys his career in Paris with drug addiction and diva-like behavior. On a quest and determined to clean himself up, he travels to London in an attempt to earn the third Michelin star and redeem himself. With almost nothing to lose, he spearheads a top restaurant in London alongside with his partner Helene to prove to others that he is still capable at being at the top.
When the words “short-tempered” and “London chef” come together, the first thing that springs to mind is Gordon Ramsay. Although the film is not about him, I’m sure there were some influences from him and his show.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi
What happens when you let Michael Bay produce a war movie? More explosions than you could ever imagine.
“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi” is based on a true story about the attack on the U.S compound in Libya, leaving six soldiers to try and fend off intruders. Also in the building is the American ambassador, who is killed during the attacks. It is up to the six soldiers to try and rescue the remaining 36 people who are stranded in the building.
There’s political controversy surrounding the film since in the actual events, the US did not send reinforcements to help the soldiers fend off attacks on the building. So it is unlikely the film will portray what actually happened.
The Boy
Just in time for the ridiculous trend of people taking care of creepy dolls, or Look Thep, which are thought to bring good luck, comes this absurd horror film.
“The Boy” begins as a horror film about Greta, an American woman who becomes a nanny in a small, remote English village for an older couple with an 8-year-old son. But when she visits the family for the first time, she discovers the son is actually a doll who the couple decided to raise as a replacement for their son who died 20 years ago. When Greta violates a list of strict rules set by the family, her nightmares becomes a reality, leading her to believe that the doll is actually alive.
Over the years, I’ve had my fair share of creepy doll horror movies, but this one just makes me laugh because it just reminds me of the people in Bangkok who actually treat these dolls like their children.
Exposed
It’s really depressing to see Keanu Reeves star in another subpar film, since the last decent film that he was in was about two years ago.
“Exposed” is about police detective Galban, played by Keanu, who tries to discover the truth about his murdered partner. Pressured by the deceased’s wife, detective Galban immerses himself in the investigation and discovers disturbing truths about police corruption in the murder. After all of his sources are murdered, this leaves just one witness to help him solve the murder and get justice for his partner.
The film seems to be less focused on the action genre and more focused on the drama, making it more approachable for those who don’t like to watch shooting every five minutes. However, it doesn’t make the film any better, because it’s obvious Keanu played a similar role in “Street Kings.”
