Sammy's Adventures: The Secret Passage

Sammy's Adventures in glourious 3D

I was a kid once.

I could barely remember what it was like to go on an adventure of a lifetime then emerge from it all bubbly and excited.

Which in a nutshell is what Sammy's Adventures: The Secret Passage is about.

Little Sammy the sea turtle (his mommy must have named her brood while in the egg - one by one by one by one...) hatches from his egg to begin an epic journey, the journey of life - complete in 3D animation.

Along the way, he chums with best pal and jellyfish slugging Ray (one of his supposed many brothers, who looks a suspiciously different breed, ie. colour of turtle); takes 'flying lessons' from hungry seagulls; gets caught by humans and joins the hippy movement; and goes on a hunt for a secret passage that brings him to the south pole. And of course at the end of it all, he finds his long lost love Shelly.

It's all good kiddy fun.

Too bad I'm not a kid anymore.

Life through the eyes of a turtle - an eagle's eye view....

Oh crab!

Enjoying life in the sun - in a makeshift luxury yacht....

Seriously, I wouldn't have watched this movie if I hadn't been asked to do a review. Though to be fair, there is no doubt whatsoever who the target audience is - children - and more specifically those below the age of 12.

And it was telling, sitting amongst an adult audience, that there was hardly any laughter throughout the screening of the preview. On my part, I peaked at a grand total of one good chuckle - when the baby eaglets were pecking away at Sammy's cute bald head.

If you're looking for a good balance of adventure and intelligent humour like say in Finding Nemo, Sammy's Adventures simply will not fit the bill.

The writing is too uninspired for that. Everytime Sammy loses Shelly, a new character pops up to tell him where she is. Deus ex machina in a cartoon? No need to explain to the kids....

Not to say there aren't any saving graces.

Sammy's Adventures proves once again that 3D belongs best for now, in animation rather than in god-awful epics like Clash of the Titans.

The technology isn't perfect. Landscapes and individual objects still look like those cut outs from 3D picture books (to which by the way, there is a wonderful nod during the end credits). But the renditions of sand and water and waves can somtimes border on the sublime. The producers too, make full use of the 3D animation to produce some stunning 'in your face' visuals - the unforgettable image being that of a menacing and inquisitive snake.

And for a kid's film, the movie also brought up a few environmental issues facing the world today - the threat and pollution of oil spills; the problem of whaling etc. These can certainly be appreciated by a young and impressionable audience.

All in, Sammy's Adventures: The Secret Passage can be a fun and unforgettable ride for little children, but adults sans kids may not be too eager to catch this cute animated turtle.


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Query for:
? Being a kid's film: Being a movie primarily targeted at children, it would be unfair to judge it with adult eyes. And yet there are easily plenty of animation films - Finding Nemo among others that are funnier and that appeal to both adults and children. Sammy's Adventures thus gets a generous Moo-o when its rating could easily have been worse.
? Poor Scripting: It seems pretty clear that the writer was thinking: It's for kids! Who cares? Well, I did for one.

The Karate Kid (2010)

The Karate Kid kicks on - in China....

There is practically no karate in this new Karate Kid.

But aside from that little wistful desire that America should finally get the rest of the world right, there is really little doubt that the former Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Will Smith, has served up something of a gem, while officially presenting his son and heir apparent, Jaden Smith, as a future and upcoming heartthrob and superstar.

Simply put, Jaden is his father's son. Adorable at such a young age, the boy nevertheless displays an irresistible charm and an uncanny flair for humour that his father is so famous for.

Sure, he still lacks a little something in the emotive department, but like his character Dre Parker quips while being trashed in table tennis by a Chinese man (???), "Dude! I'm only 12!"

JS & JC - striking up a fine camaraderie....

Jackie Chan takes on a bunch of kids... ouch - for them....

Jaden Smith - your up and coming action superstar?

But enough of that for now. How fare this 2010 version against its 1984 original?

The film is essentially a remake of the 1984 Karate Kid starring Ralph Macchio and the famous Pat Morita. In essence however, this 2010 film is actually quite different in tone.

What sets this apart from its predecessor is the injection of quite a bit of comedy, and in a sense, it works very well.

Jackie Chan delivers some of the most hilarious deadpan lines as Mr Han, the kungfu master masquerading as a local apartment caretaker.

Equally funny, though perhaps unintentionally, is the sight of the legendary Jackie Chan pitted against a bunch of Chinese kids (all smaller size than him), when Mr Han tries to save Dre's skin. Somehow I can picture a bunch of white kids ganging up on Pat Morita's Miyagi, but here? I don't wonder if JC himself wasn't embarrassed with the match-up.

The Karate Kid (2010) IS funny, I give you that. And to be fair, the representation of Chinese Kungfu, especially showcasing a trip up the mountain (Mt. Wudang perhaps?), is excellent.

But I cannot help but suspect that the comic element is both a boon and a bane. What worked well as a coming of age movie as the 1984 original was, seems to now have been lost amidst all the laughter and levity.

Ralph Macchio & Pat Morita from the original - a more coming of age experience....

I remember one of the original film's iconic moments, when Daniel (Macchio) adopted the crane stance against his opponent - that was quite something else.

But while that scene is repeated in the remake, it ended up being more funny than actually inspiring.

The story may be the same, but the setting and tone are certainly very different. Perhaps it is a reflection of the times we're in. But in no way should those detract us from an otherwise entertaining, and fairly successful remake.


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He's Just Not That Into You: Doesn't quite get into it....

The men just don't get it. So I guess that's why we have this film to show us guys the ladies' side of things.

Apparently the women don't get it either. At least Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) doesn't, plus a whole host of her female friends in this romantic comedy ensemble about why he's just not that into you.

In Gigi's case, it's Connor (Kevin Conolly), from whom she's waiting for a follow up call after a date. So it's down to Alex (Justin Long) to educate her on a few of life's simple truths.

"If he wants to see you, he'll make it happen."

And all of a sudden, Alex becomes her love guru.

Connor on the other hand, has the hots for the lovely Anna (Scarlett Johansson) who's been blowing hot and cold. She has a friend Mary (Drew Barrymore), whom Connor has never met, but who is helping him with his Real Estate promotion.

Anna actually likes Ben (Bradley Cooper), who wants to keep the faith with wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly), but admits he was forced into marriage before he was ready. Janine however, seems more preoccupied with home renovations plus an unhealthy obsession with her husband's smoking habits.

Meanwhile, Ben's friend Neil (Ben Affleck), and Gigi's colleague Beth (Jennifer Aniston) have a long-time relationship going, but she is giving an ultimatum - too bad he isn't keen on getting married at all.

And oh, there's another thing about Mary. Apparently she's really into online relationships....

Goodwin, Aniston and Connelly: Guys just aren't that into them....

If you think the plotline's convoluted, that's because it actually is.

Yet somewhere through all the complicated and intertwined relationships, the movie and characters do eventually sort themselves out.

Couples get together, break up; pieces fall into place and life goes on.

They do have a Brit version you know - one with a bit more gender equality. It's called well... Love Actually....

It's a pity then that this film quite fails to deliver where the Brit counterpart did so well.

To be fair, the issues are different. But somehow stereotypes abound on an otherwise excellent ensemble cast that should have been fail-safe.

But instead we have characters like Gigi who just appears silly for her unwarranted faith in men, or Anna who insists on being the vixenous third party, and Janine, who just seems to miss the point completely.

I'm sorry then to have to say that, despite the presumably happy endings and it being supposed to be a chick flick and all - well, some men may be jerks - but the movie just doesn't reflect well on the ladies.

Guys must walk out of the theatre thinking that women are a neurotic bunch.

Perhaps, it is like as aforesaid. The men just don't get it.

But if that is so, maybe it's high time the girls learnt that - he's just not that into you....

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