Movie Reviews: Despicable 3/ The Promise
DESPICABLE ME 3 (PG) 3/5
Credit has to be given to the film-makers for creating amusing villains.
Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) is an embittered former child star who wants Hollywood to pay for cancelling his show.
Dressed in a purple outfit with oversized shoulder pads, pump sneakers and a flat-top mullet, Balthazar is a throwback to the 80s.
He even commits crime to 80s music by Michael Jackson, A-ha and Madonna.
The movie is about how Gru (Steve Carell) and his new wife, Lucy (Kristen Wiig), are hot on Balthazar's heels.
There is also a sweet subplot about Gru finding his long-lost twin brother, Dru, who aspires to be a super-villain just like his brother. Of course, Dru does not know that Gru has given up being on the dark side.
The quick-tempo movie is as hilarious and adorable as the earlier films. The Minions are also back to add to the fun. - JOANNE SOH
THE PROMISE (PG13) 3/5
The largely forgotten atrocities of the early 20th-century Armenian Genocide form the backdrop of this historical romance between American photojournalist Chris (Christian Bale), Paris-educated Armenian artist Ana (Charlotte Le Bon) and Armenian medical student Mikael (Oscar Isaac).
The strong cast makes this a compelling watch, but there is not much tension in the supposed love triangle.
Also, the human catastrophe becomes a generic portrayal that we have seen before in holocaust flicks.
The intent of the film is admirable but it is let down by the execution, and it moves along a tad slowly. - JOANNE SOH
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