REEL DEAL: The Gang's All Back With New Friends In “HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2”

The universal appeal of Hiccup and Toothless has touched the hearts of many people round the globe when the first “How To Train Your Dragon” soared successfully into theatres last 2010 and nabbed two Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and Original Score. 

The first film, based on the children’s books written by British author Cressida Cowell, introduced to audiences the gangly teenage Viking Hiccup, whose world is flipped upside down when he encounters and befriends an injured dragon he names Toothless. 

Sneak Previews on June 9 and 10 "How To Train Your Dragon"

20th Century Fox brings the high-flying adventure, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” ahead of its regular release date in Philippine cinemas with its nationwide sneak previews on June 9 (Monday) and June 10 (Tuesday) starting at 5:00pm.   

From DreamWorks Animation, the studio that brought the world blockbuster family animation such as “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “The Croods,” comes the highly anticipated sequel to the Academy Award®-nominated “How To Train Your Dragon,” based on the children’s book series by Cressida Cowell.

REEL DEAL: America Ferrera's Astrid All Grown Up In "Hot To Train Your Dragon 2"

America Ferrera stars alongside Jay Baruchel in “How Tot Train Your Dragon 2,” the second film in the animated 3D trilogy about a young Viking called Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless.  As the thrilling story unfolds, Hiccup has an unexpected meeting with an extraordinary woman who shares his passion for dragons - his mother Valka (Cate Blanchett).  Also starring in the film are Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse,T.J. Miller and Craig Ferguson.

Baruchel voices the story’s intrepid hero while Ferrera plays his feisty girlfriend, Astrid.  Five years on from the original 2010 film from DreamWorks Animation, we find Hiccup enjoying life as an explorer. But his dad, Stoick, the mighty Chieftain of Berk (Gerard Butler), thinks his son needs to shape up and take his responsibilities as a future leader more seriously.  There is currently peace on Berk, where humans and dragons are living happily.

REEL DEAL: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 REVIEW

This movie premiered in the Philippines on my birthday April 30 which many marvel films also make their opening day in the country. Though I was not able to see it on my actual birthday, I am happy to see one of the most successful comic book movie franchise.

Though I am a big fan of the previous trilogy, I love the sequel of this reboot more than the first one.  With the new story focusing on Peter Parker's history and his early years, including his first love Gwen Stacy. 

The sequel brings the mystery behind Peter's parents who were associated with OSCORP which has been linked to the enemies of spidey. The movie is also brings three villains like Electro, Green Goblin and Rhino into a single movie. Expect a lot of action and explosions with this sequel as action scenes become more intense and moving with the fast paced fighting. I felt so disturbed and amazed at the same time which made me want to see the next movie now!

REEL DEAL: Dallas Buyers Club REVIEW

With oscars over, the spotlight are now with the nominees of the Academy Awards or Oscars. One of which was DALLAS BUYERS CLUB starring Mattew McConaughey, Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner. Like most of the oscar nominees, it is a period movie set in the mid 80s about Ron Woodrof who was diagnosed with HIV and was given a month to live.

But Ron was determined to live and will do anything to survive. He went to extremes with unapproved medicines, trying treatments overseas etc. But the interesting part is how he made his treatment an opportunity for him to do business and set up the "Dallas Buyers Club". The topic of HIV/AIDS is actually just the tip of the iceberg as many characters becomes involved in this booming business.

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, Dallas Buyers Club is also a comeback movie of Jared Leto to acting after a 5 year hiatus. The thing that is a shocker to everyone is the disturbing weight loss of Ron (McConaughey) and Rayon (Leto) which is unbelievably thin and brings scary truth of the effects of drugs and the HIV/AIDS complications.

REEL DEAL: Anne Hathaway's Jewel Reunites With Dad In "Rio 2"

Academy Award Winner Anne Hathaway reprises her role as the voice of Jewel in “Rio 2.”   Separated from her family after a massive fire where they nested, she finally reunites with her family in the second outing of Blue Sky’s worldwide hit (“Rio”) where she and Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) finally get to live with their own Blue Macaw species.

Jewel, along with the reluctant Blu and their three chicks named Bia, Tiago and Carla fly to the Amazon when Linda and Tulio, now married, discovered a single blue feather swung past them after a dangerous fall from the Amazon’s rivers.  Convinced that the Blue Macaws are nestled somewhere within the thick forest, Linda and Tulio set out farther into the forest to find them. 

REEL DEAL: Nigel & Gabi Must-See Duo in The Latest "Rio 2"

Nigel, the smart villainous cockatoo that was left flightless in the worldwide hit “Rio” has caught the eye and heart of a toxic frog named Gabi (voiced by Kristin Chenoweth) in the latest family adventure “Rio 2” from Blue Sky Studios.  Our favorite “Rio” characters Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Sergio Mendes, Jemaine Clement, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan and Jamie Foxx are joined by Oscar nominee Andy Garcia, Grammy winner Bruno Mars, Tony® winner Kristin Chenoweth and Oscar/Emmy®/Tony winner Rita Moreno.  RIO 2 also features new Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle Monáe and Wondaland.

Now, Saldanha returns to Brazil and reunites his beloved characters in “Rio 2.”  In the new film, it’s a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids, after they’re hurtled from Rio to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful and villainous Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all…his father-in-law.  

REEL DEAL: Sing-Along With "Rio 2" - What Is Love Lyric Video

“What is Love” lyric video performed by Janelle Monáe from Blue Sky Studios’ “Rio 2” family movie is now up on YouTube!

In April 2011, Twentieth Century Fox released Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studio’s CG animated feature “Rio.”  The film was born from the imagination of Carlos Saldanha, who co-directed or directed the global blockbusters “Ice Age,” “Ice Age: The Meltdown” and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.”

Follow Nico and Pedro of "Rio 2"

Get a chance to meet & greet the lovable characters of Rio 2 - Nico and Pedro as they go on mall tours around the metro. You can check on the schedule below to see which malls these birds would go to. 

Rio 2 Opens April 9, 2014 by 20th Century Fox.

Schedule

MARCH 28, SATURDAY

Sta Lucia East 12:30 - 1:30pm

Robinsons Metroeast 2:30 - 3:30pm

SM Marikina 5:00 - 6:00pm

Eastwood City Walk 7:30 - 8:30pm

REEL DEAL: Flappy Bird No More - Jesse Eisenberg Returns and Soars In "Rio 2"

The world over witnessed when a Blue Macaw named Blu domestically grew up with his companion Linda who initially does not know how to fly in the first Rio movie “Rio” from Blue Sky Studios.  Blu is voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and reprises his voice act in “Rio 2” where we see him comfortably living in the city with his own family within Linda’s home. 

In “Rio 2,” Blu spreads his wings wider, farther and higher as he and his family, along with their friends Luis, Pedro, Nico and Rafael, take a trip into the Amazon.   Jewel (Oscar winning actress Anne Hathaway) and Blu (Oscar nominated Jesse Eisenberg) are now living happily in Rio, with their three kids. It’s a life that suits the thoroughly domesticated Blu, who only discovered he could actually fly in the first film. He enjoys nothing more than human comforts: TV, iPhones and pancakes for breakfast. Jewel’s heart lies in the wild though. This beautiful and feisty bird feels that Blu and the kids are becoming complacent and accustomed to their human comforts. In her mind, birds are meant to be wild and free.

REEL DEAL: Bruno Mars' Jungle Adventure In "Rio 2"

There’s something that Jewel (Anne Hathaway) did not talk about with Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) in the first “Rio” family adventure outing – that is her childhood friend named Roberto (Bruno Mars).  In the upcoming adventure 3D movie “Rio 2,” Blu is suddenly pitted against Jewel’s childhood friend, Roberto who is the epitome of a Blue Macaw - a perfect specimen of a wild bird who charms everyone around him and makes Blu self-conscious.

Bruno Mars joins the vividly delightful and upbeat musical world of Blu and Jewel in “Rio 2” where director Carlos Saldanha brings the adventure into the wild thick forest of the Amazon.  With the success of “Rio” the call for a sequel came quickly.  Having already teased a new life together for Blu and Jewel – and their three new arrivals – in the film’s finale, Saldanha pitched his idea for a new story.  What if Blu and his family aren’t the last Blue Macaws, he posited.  What would happen to the family dynamic?

REEL DEAL: Travelouge Adventure In "Rio 2" Unfolds Via Breathtaking 3D Pop-Ups

Blue Sky’s Studios’ Blue Macaws and friends from the worldwide hit “Rio” are back for a grander adventure into the Amazon in “Rio 2” where music beats faster and louder with the returning cast Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Oscar and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx,  will.i.am, Jemaine Clement along new voice cast members  - Oscar® nominee Andy Garcia, Grammy® winner Bruno Mars, Tony® winner Kristin Chenoweth and Oscar/Emmy®/Tony winner Rita Moreno.  “Rio 2” also features new Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle Monae and Wondaland.

Helmed by Carlos Saldanha, Jewel convinces Blu to check out Linda and Tulio’s discovery that there might still be other Blue Macaws in the thick forest of the Amazon after seeing a single blue feather while trekking the forest. 

REEL DEAL: Conceived Too Soon In "Devil's Due"

After Zach and Sam’s emotional wedding ceremony, they take off for a honeymoon in the stunning coastlines of Dominican Republic. From the stunning sceneries, their honeymoon suddenly takes a bizarre turn after an encounter with a psychic who warns them that “he has been waiting.”

Much to their surprise, after a night of copious quantities of alcohol, the newlyweds wake up with nary a memory of their honeymoon’s first night.

REEL DEAL: Fear Is Born In The Blood-Curling Horror Thriller "Devil's Due" On March 19

A film about a woman impregnated with…something powerful and evil, and dealing with horrific consequences is the “Devil’s Due.”

In “Devil’s Due,” a young couple, Zach McCall (Zach Gilford) and Samantha (Allison Miller) is  about to tie the knot.  A bright future lies ahead for them – and after an emotional wedding ceremony, they take off for a honeymoon in the sun-kissed Dominican Republic.  Their trip takes a bizarre turn after an uncomfortable session with a psychic, who ominously warns the couple that “he has been waiting.” More than a little taken aback by the encounter, Zach and Sam find themselves lost on some dark and empty streets when they finally find a cab driver, who insists on driving them to a subterranean bar for an “autentico” Dominican Republic experience.   Then, things get really unsettling.

Sam and Zach soak up the unusual surroundings – as well as copious quantities of alcohol.  Along the way, fleeting glimpses of disturbing images accompany them from the revelry:  a heap of bones, a grinning skull, a hideous flash of a limp and bloody female body, muffled voices…and a low, insistent chanting.  Flash forward to the next morning.  The newlyweds remember little of the previous night’s events.  Shortly after their return home, Sam learns she is pregnant.  Despite the surprising news, the couple makes plans for an addition to their new family. 

300's Rodrigo Santoro In The Upcoming Animation Extravaganza "Rio 2"

Fast-rising to be one of Hollywood’s leading men, Rodrigo Santoro, a Brazilian native reprises his role as Tulio in “Rio 2,” from the globally beloved hit “Rio” where he plays an eccentric scientist opposite Leslie Mann’s character, Linda who owns Blu.  

Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) and Linda (Mann) as seen in the first movie are living a simple life together in Minnesota who are both homebodies – explaining the very domesticated rare Macaw, Blu. Upon Tulio’s arrival, their lives are turned upside down bringing news that Blu is not the last of his kind – taking them both to Rio to meet Jewel (Anne Hathaway).  Their adventure brings them further into the Amazon in “Rio 2” where Tulio and Linda who are now married have caught a blue feather floating on air while exploring the deep part of the jungle. The newlyweds are exploring the Amazon, where they discover there may be more Blue Macaws, and set out to find them. 

REEL DEAL: Ramped-Up Scares And Shocks In Devil's Due

A few years ago, a quartet of filmmakers known as Radio Silence, comprised of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Chad Villella and Justin Martinez, helmed a segment of the horror anthology film V/H/S about four friends who show up for a Halloween house party, only to realize that not only are they in the wrong home, they have stumbled onto an exorcism.  The segment ends in a melee of brilliantly staged and horrific mayhem and inventive visual effects.The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Magnolia Pictures.               

The group’s 2010 short film Mountain Devil Prank Goes Horribly,went “viral” and led directly to the V/H/S assignment.  That in turn led to Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett getting the nod to direct their debut feature film, “Devil’s Due,” with Villella and Martinez serving as executive producers.

The quartet’s work on “Devil’s Due” showcases a series of ramped-up scares, shocks and an overall disquieting tone.  But, notes Gillett, they were also striving to make a thriller that “feels really emotionally connected and character driven from the start.  In “Devil’s Due,” after a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.

REEL DEAL: Into The Wild Adventure In "Rio 2"

Carlos Saldanha, who co-directed and directed the global blockbuster “Ice Age” movies had long wanted to write a love letter to his hometown of Rio.  From his imagination came a story about a nerdy, highly domesticated bird who goes on the adventure of a lifetime in that wondrous city that produced the highly successful “Rio” movie released in April 2011 that became a worldwide smash with almost $500 million at the global box office.  

REEL DEAL: YouTube Group Phenomenon Radio Silence Reel It Real Time In "Devil's Due"

There’s the traditional route to a directorial debut; camcorder obsession, film school, an internship, personal assistant, directorial assistant, the keys to the store. And then there’s Radio Silence, a collective of four talented filmmakers who used YouTube to learn their craft, post their clips and advertise their wares with so much professional aplomb that Fox made all their dreams come true.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Justin Martinez and Chad Villella grew from the ashes of the former group known as Chad, Matt & Rob, three friends who had an idea, a camera, some technical expertise – much of it gleaned from YouTube tutorials –and got to work. Their breakout was Alien Roommate Prank Goes Bad, a found-footage style short they posted in February 2008; as of today, it’s been viewed more than 32 million times.

REEL DEAL: Paranomal Activity The Marked Ones SPOTLIGHT

Scary but remarkably cinematic The story starts in June 2012 in Oxnard, California. Jesse has a party with his family and friends to celebrate his high school graduation. One morning, Jesse finds a mysterious bite on his arm which somehow gives him superhuman abilities. When he and his friend Hector are confronted by two thugs who attack them, Jesse knocks them out. When they relate the incident to their other friend Marisol, Jesse cannot remember how it happened

Anna, the strange old witch-like neighbor of Jesse, is killed, and the police suspect that Oscar, a former classmate of Jesse, is the prime suspect. Jesse and his friend decide to find out what Anna's apartment looks like. They find black magic rituals and a picture of Jesse and several VHS tapes - including tapes of Katie & Kristi (from the third film). The next day, Jesse and Hector meet Penelope. Penelope finds a trap door in the apartment leading to a basement and is grabbed by an arm before she breaks free and runs away. Jesse arrives back and chases Oscar who reveals that he did kill Anna because she bit his arm. Oscar then commits suicide by jumping from a building onto the top of a car.

REEL DEAL: Jackie Chan Back In Full Blast In Latest "Police Story" Movie

Millions of Jackie Chan fans worldwide grunted when it was announced that the action maestro is about to retire from action films. But recently, Chan had been doing the rounds promoting his latest action movie, “Police Story 2013” set to open in cinemas (Philippines) this January 22.

Now, Jackie Chan is once again in full action mode orchestrating his stunts in “Police Story 2013.”   Chan began as a stuntman in Chinese action movies and became his country’s action star in the 70s with his action comedy films such as “Snake in the Eagle's Shadow” and “Drunken Master” prior his big Hollywood fame in the 90s.