We love movies in my household, and since my son is just 7 years old we watch practically every animated film that gets released. You name it, we’ve very likely seen it, multiple times! So you can trust us when we say a film is worth your time.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is worth your time.

I know what you’re thinking. “But the first Puss in Boots movie was so…mediocre!” Even though it boasted the voice acting chops of beloved Antonio Banderas, the lovely Selma Hayek and usually-hilarious Zach Galifianakis, the original Puss in Boots (2011) was a very forgettable film. That’s why I was completely surprised when the sequel, available in cinemas worldwide since Christmas, turned out to be such an entertaining, poignant and artistically fun film! And again, for further proof that the sequel is way better, the Rotten Tomatoes score for the first film is 86% and the sequel’s is 95%!

So what makes this second Puss in Boots film worth spending RMB 60 each on movie tickets?

Firstly, the story is much more relatable than the original movie’s, for both kids and adults. On the surface, it’s basically a quest for the wishing star, with every character wanting it for their own agenda – our titular hero Puss believes it’s the only way to get back his nine lives, having already used up eight of them in his worldly adventures. But anyone who digs a little deeper will see that the story is one of redemption, as well as acceptance of life and its ultimate end – which is probably something most adults will identify with.

Secondly, the animation style is inventive and gorgeous to watch. Animation is certainly pushing boundaries these days, and director Joel Crawford saw the need and opportunity to try something different. Starting out with more standard hand-drawn techniques, the movie evolves into a painting aesthetic to match its fairytale setting as the story progresses, which makes sense when the film’s characters are straight out of favorite nursery rhymes like Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, and Samson Kayo), the Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura), Little Jack Horner (John Mulaney), and even Puss himself (Antonio Banderas). Stunning visuals are always a great reason to watch a film on the big screen.

So where can you watch Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?

To see at a glance where the film is playing near you, go to the “Me” tab in your WeChat account and click on “Services.” Scroll down to “Event Tickets” and look for the movie poster you want. The list will show you every public cinema in Beijing, the times and the languages the film will be playing in.

PRO TIP: 原版 refers to the original version of the film, which in this case is English. 英语 means the film will be played in English and 国语 means the film will be played in the national language of Chinese.

Images: Internet, Vivienne Tseng-Rush

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Sometimes moms need a break, so I have little breaks indulging myself with movies from the DVD store around the corner. Last week I bought the movie Tully with Charlize Theron. I thought I was going to have a little laugh and relax while watching this movie. I was wrong; this movie brought me to tears, and got me thinking.

Marlo (played by Theron) is a mother of two, pregnant with her third baby. Her brother, who is wealthier, gifts her with a night nanny. Marlo does not want to have anything to do with this, but taking care of her third child breaks her up and she decides to take him up on the offer. What unfolds is something each mother dreams of: the night nanny comes and stays with her newborn at night so Marlo can sleep, only waking her for night feeds.

The movie shows with much honesty the life of new moms: the feeds, the poops, the raw and the ugly. Nothing is off limits in this movie. Marlo develops a special bond with the night nanny. The night nanny cleans her home, bakes cupcakes, and gives Marlo the energy to be a great mother during the day, so she can play with her other two kids and prepare home-cooked meals.

The night nanny is a young woman, and Marlo recognizes much of her young self in her. At the end of the movie Marlo and the night nanny go out for a night together. The baby is sleeping through the night and is safe with dad. They both get drunk and decide to drive home, but they get into an accident. While Marlo is in the hospital the brutal truth comes out, as her husband speaks with the doctor.

[Warning: Spoiler to follow!]

Marlo never had a night nanny. She was severely depressed after the birth of her third child, and had not slept in ages. Her husband had no idea there was no night nanny at all, and that Marlo had imagined everything. Postnatal psychosis is a rare but severe form of depression.

I know this is a huge spoiler blog, but I could not let this moment pass to highlight the dangers of postnatal depression. This movie shows the truth behind mental illness, and does us a service by opening debate about these important topics. I was crushed when Marlo and the night nanny decide to say goodbye.

Pictures awardswatch.com

The Doraemon franchise has recently released the film, Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016, which is based on the popular animation and manga (comicbook) series that many are familiar with today. Those who had grown up with the anime series tend to be interested whenever a new Doraemon film comes out as it recalls childhood memories of watching the series.

Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016 features the same group of characters as the original anime series and has been available in Beijing with a Chinese dubbed version. The film retains the characteristic personality traits of each of these characters: the orderly and kind-hearted girl, the clumsy but well-meaning main character, his more reckless and aggressive friend…and of course Doraemon himself, the friend doubling as advisor who constantly produces new futuristic gadgets and inventions from the kangaroo-esque pouch under his bell collar.

The film uses the vibrant colors and clearly delineated imagery that is consistent with the anime series, and the characters show emotion in an upfront and relatively unrestricted manner that can arguably be an augmentation of feasible reality, and yet is designed to, rather successfully, emphasize the genuine nature of their feelings as is compatible with the uncalculating nature of youth. As the plot unfolds, visual style complements film content for the vibrancy of the animation’s visual elements contributes to the intensity and purity of the characters’ emotional expressions.

Overall, the storyline follows a relatively archetypal trajectory with a peaceful exposition, ascending action that builds up to a conflict-driven and visually action-packed climax, which then glides down to the usual, mostly happy–albeit slightly bittersweet–resolution.

While it is a children’s film with a straightforward plot that arguably lacks subtlety or significance beyond the common themes of good versus evil and the importance of courage and morality, there was a surprisingly dark moment in the film when a character, in what may be considered a near-death experience, deeply explored psychological questions on self-value and the connection between self-perceived potential and negative external reinforcements from society.

While not deviating much from standard expectations of its genre, this Doraemon film could be a good choice for spending more time together with your child over the weekend. If nothing else, for someone familiar with the anime, the colorful imageries of the characters exploring vast landscapes provide entertainment, awakening memories spanning the last several decades.

Featured Image Source: Deviant Art 

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly three years to the day since I reviewed The Avengers back in 2012. I viewed it with two other expat parents and the three of us unanimously declared it a hit. Somehow, it still feels fresh in my mind, but that probably has more to do with the intervening installments of Iron Man 3 (2013) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014); characters who both play leading roles in the Avengers series as well as major roles in the Marvel dynasty of superheros on screen.

As with the first Avengers flick, Director Joss Whedon again leads the audience through a movie staring a raft of Marvel superheros: Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) played by Robert Downey, Jr.; Captain America played by Chris Evans; Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth; Dr. Bruce Banner (a.k.a. The Hulk) played by Mark Ruffalo; Natasha Romanoff (a.k.a. Black Widow) played by Scarlet Johansson; Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye; and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury all return for Age of Ultron. Meanwhile, we are introduced to two new characters with special powers: the lightning fast Quicksilver, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson; and Scarlet Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen who wields the powers mind control and some other wicked cool stuff you will just have to see for yourself.

Unlike the first Avengers, Age of Ultron assumes moviegoers have seen the previous installment and some, if not all, of the related superhero films centered around Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, and Captain America. Consequently, not much time is spent on developing the characters except for the newcomers, Ultron himself, and a couple of characters without their own franchises yet. If you have been along for the ride since the first Iron Man, you won’t have any trouble keeping up.

Age of Ultron is basically an all out battle royal pitting the Avengers against the bad guys and occasionally against themselves as they struggle to bring their egos together to fight for the greater good. It is about smashing up robots, cars, buildings, cities, and one innocent cord of wood. There are a few breaks in the action, but not for long.

One point of ire for me was the lack of a 2D option. There is nothing gained by viewing the film in 3D other than a sore nose from wearing unwanted glasses. The sole exception was a bit of clever CG in the closing credits that made great use of the 3D visual effect. Unfortunately, the rest of the film would be perfectly enjoyable without 3D.

Age of Ultron is rated PG-13 in the USA purely for superhero-genre violence. If your children have watched anything similar from Marvel, you will know what to expect. There is almost no blood and just little bit of harsh language used for comedic effect.

Age of Ultron is currently playing at CCV in Indigo Mall and probably everywhere else in Beijing with a screen. Enjoy, and be sure to sit through the first few minutes of the closing credits for a teaser of things to come.

Photo: Flickringmyth.com