Upcoming movie: Killer Elite

It is finally happening! I have been hoping for this for quite a while (I tweeted this wish a long time ago, maybe someone read it!). Jason Staham & Clive Owen are playing in the same movie. Bonus: Robert De niro and Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck) are in it as well.

I love seeing those two actors in action movies, so seeing them together should be very enjoyable. I would have preferred for them to team up, but they are actually enemies in this story. Come to think of it, the fight scenes should be great! You can see the trailer by clicking the title above.

The movie is scheduled to open on September 23, 2011.

Movie review - Terminator Salvation

I saw T4, AKA, Terminator Salvation last week and I did enjoy it a lot. I saw it at Cinéma Banque Scotia (formerly The Paramount) in theatre 4, which is one of their "smaller" room (it's still big enough, mind you), but selected it because it was a DLP projection. Digital means no scratches, lines, pops and other annoying defects. Purists will say old film is still the best, but I am a digital man...

As a tag line say "it happened". Judgment Day, that is. No time travel in this story, we are in the middle of the war, launched by Skynet. So I was expecting an action movie with lots of explosions, shooting, chases, killer robots and much mayhem. Instead, I got a lovely family story reflecting on the aftermath of global warming on the North Pole. NOT! I got exactly what I was expecting. Lots of action. The story was good enough for this type of movie, but it does have a few holes. But that's not what I was thinking while I was watching, so I don't mind.

One thing that spoiled it a little for me, was knowing in advance a plot element about one of the character, which should have been a surprise, but was revealed before the movie got out. I think it was in the trailer, actually. But that was not enough to completely spoil it. Just a little.

John Connor, played by Christian Bale, is of course a key element in the story, but we also follow other characters throughout the movie. The most important character is probably Marcus Wright, played by Sam Worthington. While the original actors were not really in this movie, there are two "cameos" from T2's characters...

If you are a Terminator fan, do go see this movie. While it didn't get as much praise as another recent SciFi movie, it certainly is worth seeing on the big screen. Personally, the order in which I would put the four movies, starting with the one I like best is: T2, T1, T4, T3.

Last thing I want to mention is that one of the trailer in front of this movie was Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis. What surprised me most about it was that this movie is coming out this year, filming is obviously well under way, but this is the first I heard of it! Looks interesting.

Movie review - Max Payne

I saw Max Payne a month ago, but I'm a little behind, again, in my blog reviews... In a race to catch up once more!

I never played the game this movie is based on, so I can't compare the two. I can only comment on the movie itself for what it is. That would be an action movie, with revenge in mind and a lot of violence along the way. Hm, that does sounds like a game! The main character is played by Mark Wahlberg and was key in getting me to go see this movie. I've liked Wahlberg since I saw him in The Big Hit and he made me buy a few more movie tickets since. This movie is perfect for his style of acting (sorry for the type-casting, Mark!).

The plot is not very original, but it works. A cop who's family was killed seeks revenge and hunts down the people responsible for their death. He has to find them first and in his quest will make allies and enemies. Many bullets will be used during this story, as well as other weapons. Did I mention this was a violent movie? OK, just checking.

The movie also stars Beau Bridges, Chris O'Donnell, Ludacris, Mila Kunis and Olga Kurylenko (one of the newest Bond Girl in Quantum Of Solace), to name a few. It's not a great movie, but it's fun if you like action, which this movie does have quite a bit of.

Oh, if your the type that leaves the theatre when the credit starts rolling, you don't get to see the whole movie. There is a short scene at the very end. No, it doesn't star Nick Fury, but I bet they're hinting at a sequel...

Upcoming movie - Star Trek

Like most geeks, I'm very excited about the new Star Trek movie, coming out in May 2009. A new trailer came out just a few days ago and we now have a better idea what it's going to be like, most likely. We do have to keep in mind that trailers can lie. But I hope this one is more honest, because I liked it a lot. Lots of action in this one, but hopefully there is plenty left for the movie itself. It is being directed by the talented J.J. Abrams. I believe this is the first time he is involved in a project which is already a huge franchise, so let's hope he doesn't mess this up!

One thing that may take a while to adjust to is seeing Sylar playing Spock. By this I mean that Zachary Quinto, who plays Sylar on TV's Heroes will be taking on the role of Spock in this younger version of the original character. In case you didn't already know, the story is with the original characters, when they were just starting their new Star Fleet careers at the Academy. Other well known actors are Simon Pegg as Scotty, Eric Bana as Nero, Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson and Leonard Nimoy as "Old Spock". I'm not familiar with the other actors, but that shouldn't be a problem...

I don't know about you, but I know where I'm going to be on May 8, 2009!

Movie review; Eagle Eye

I saw Eagle Eye in glorious Imax, which is usually an added interest to movies, particularly when it has nice special effects and action scenes. Eagle Eye certainly have those two elements. And the story is not bad either. The main theme of this movie deals with the ultimate Big Brother figure. The two main characters, played by Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, are chosen for a mission assigned to them by a mysterious group that can follow them everywhere and always can figure out a way to talk to them, using diverse technologies that surrounds them, such as surveillance cameras, cell phones, electronic billboards and much more. The reason why they are chosen and also why they have to do what they are asked to do is revealed slowly during the first part of the movie.

Once we learn the identity of the Big Brother group and even why they are giving specific orders to our two protagonists, the story still continues, with more details and reasons being revealed still. Other important characters are played by Billy Bob Thornton, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie and Michael Chiklis.

The end is somewhat predictable and a little ordinary, but I found the story interesting enough to find myself wanting to know more and got a few surprises along the way. I guess it makes you think about where technology is possibly taking us and makes you ask yourself "what if they could do these things?" or perhaps "how much of this can they already do?".

The movie has good visuals, nice action scenes and plenty of stunts. A nice pop-corn movie, I would say! PG 13 for violence and language. Shia LaBeouf is climbing his way to the top of the action stars domain and this movie is another good step for him.

Movie review; Bangkok Danderous

Basically, Bangkok Dangerous is an Asian movie starring an American, Joe, played by Nicolas Cage. It is actually a remake of an all-Asian movie from 1999, which I didn't see. Joe is an hired assassin and about to retire, after "one last job". We know how this usually end, don't we? I expected more from this movie, although I don't think it's as bad as many seems to think it is.

Things starts right for Joe, but unexpected events starts messing up his plans after he starts getting "soft", relatively speaking. He finds a girl he likes and takes a local guy he hired under his wing. The problem is, he's breaking his own rules. Maybe it was caused by his dreams of retiring?

There's a few good action scenes and the story is not bad. A bit of humour and a bit more violence. I can't really recommend this movie for most people, so you may want to wait and rent it when it comes out on DVD...

Movie review; Babylon A.D.

Babylon A.D. takes place in a not too distant future, where a mercenary gets a special job, which consist in delivering a package in the U.S. What is special about this is that the package is a young and mysterious girl. The story is somewhat average and the ending is kinda missing. I'm just not sure if I don't get it or if there is nothing to get.

On the positive side, there is a lot of action in this movie, along with decent special effects. It stars Vin Diesel in his usual tough guy type of character, along with Mélanie Thierry as the girl he needs to bring in the U.S. and Michelle Yeoh as her protector and mentor. So you can expect fights, chases, guns and many explosions along the way.

It definitely has a style of it's own and lots of potential. Too bad it doesn't quite reach it's full potential... It may not be a revolutionary sci-fi movie, but it's an entertaining action flick. As you probably guessed by now, there is a lot of violence, so leave the kids with the babysitter.

Movie review: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is the third "The Mummy" movie starring Brendan Fraser. While the first two took place where you would expect to find mummy's, this one takes place in China. Some will take issues with this, but I don't. Living-dead creatures don't actually exist, after all. Right??? ;-)

Has it was said before by Rick O'Connell, our hero and again this time, "Here we go again!". Bringing the story to China was one way of making something old new again. Somewhat. I wouldn't call it entirely new, but it does bring new elements to the story, between battles with decayed walking corps. It also brings Jet Li as the Dragon Emperor and Michelle Yeoh as Zi Juan, a witch who once magically imprisoned the Emperor and, due to a certain digging expedition, will need to do deal with him again. But this time, he must be killed, so he can't come back again. I won't tell you if this succeed, as I do not want to insult your intelligence...

Evelyn O’Connell is back as Rick's wife, but is played by Maria Bello this time around. I guess Rachel Weisz was not interested in another easy blockbuster movie. On the other hand, John Hannah is back as Jonathan Carnahan, who happens to have moved to China to get away from those darn mummy's... New to the main cast is Luke Ford, as Alex O'Connell (Rick's son) and Isabella Leong, as Lin (Zi Juan's daughter). Both kids are following their parent's path in live, respectively.

I liked the movie for what it is, a fun summer ride with great special effects (while not always perfect) and a comical undertone. As can be seen in the trailer, there is a lot of mummy's to be seen, as well as a few Yetis. If this movies makes enough money, then there could be a fourth one coming, but I think it may be a good idea to keep it as a trilogy, before they start to spread this franchise too thin... We'll see.

Movie review: The Dark Knight

Wow. Just, wow. When I wrote my review for Iron Man, I said that it would become a standard against which other superheroes movies would be compared to. Well, The Dark Knight certainly compares favourably. I found it to be excellent! Despite being two hours and a half, I didn't want it to finish. I didn't know it was that long when I went to see it, but as I was watching it, I knew it was longer then usual, not because I was getting bored, but because I was getting so much! And I'm certainly not alone thinking so. It broke records, it's getting great reviews from both professional critics and regular movie goers and it currently holds IMDB #1 spot of their Top 250, with over 91K votes. It is that good.

I did go see it on it's official opening day, after work. I wanted to see the Imax version, so I went "early" to buy my ticket during my lunch time. When I got to the theatre, all Imax showings for the day were already sold-out. Darn. But I had to see it that evening, so I bought a regular ticket. The Montreal's Scotiabank movie theatre (formerly the Paramount) still has excellent and big screens as regular ones. I will go back to see this movie and this time, it will be Imax.

Great performance from all the main actors, including Heath Ledger as the Joker. Once again, the Joker steals the show, but this time it's even better. The Jack Nicholson version was good, but it was Nicholson in Joker makeup. This new version is just the Joker. The actor disappear and we are left with a pure evil Joker. That's a compliment, in case I'm not clear. It's really too bad Ledger can never take this, or any other role in the future. He even performs a magic trick like you have never seen before!

The other actors include Christian Bale as Batman, Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as Lt. James Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes, plus many more.

The story keeps you guessing and is very well written. This is more then your typical three acts script. It's very human and you care about the characters, who are faced with difficult problems and dilemmas. There's a bit of humour, some of it pretty dark, but it's pretty serious most of the time. Oh, also, there's action! Fights, chases and a whole lot of violence, although not as graphic as they could have make it (probably to keep it PG-13).

Don't bring young kids to see this movie, but do go see it yourself (unless you're a young kid...). Even if you're not a typical superheroes fan, this one might be able to get you to start liking this genre. If you are a fan, you probably saw it already, but if not, what are you waiting for? You have to see this on the big screen.

Movie review: Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D

I wasn't expecting too much from Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, beyond a fun ride and nice visuals. The movie was fun in that way, except that it was partly ruined by the 3D technology part. I don't know if I was sitting too close to the screen or if my eyes did not adapt properly to their technology, but it looked really bad. I barely got the 3D effect in a few shots, most of them being out of sync. The close up in particular did not work at all, as I saw two separated images and the colours did not match properly because of this as well. Just one or two images out of sync from the two projections would probably cause the same issue. I went to see it alone, so I couldn't compare my experience and I didn't check with the other people in the room either, as I am a bit shy. I hope this was an exceptional problem, because I can't imagine why they would use this technology if it's not working properly. I saw an Imax 3D movie not too long ago and it looked great, so I doubt it's me.

What's more, the movie theatre I saw it at, the Guzzo at Marché Central, in Montreal, charged $3 extra for the glasses rental, on top of asking for an ID card they kept as hostage to insure they get them back! And we had to sign a piece of paper too. There were 3D previews before the movie, and they looked better than the movie itself, while not perfect, so I'll take a chance and try again with another movie, most likely, but I can't say I'm that anxious to try again. Note to the studios: Use Imax 3D or make sure the theatres you let use this new technology are properly tested and trained.

Had it not been for the disappointment noted above, I would surely have enjoyed this movie much more. The story is interesting, the visuals are probably very nice without the bad 3D and the actors do a good job. As can be seen in the trailer and implied in the title, our "heroes" go to the centre of the Earth to discover an old lost world. Of course, one must completely let go of reality to accept how they enter and exit that world, let alone accept the complexity of a world such as this one, so deep under the surface. But it's fantasy and it's fun to relax your brain from time to time.

The movie stars Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem, as well as shorter roles with Seth Meyers and a few others. There are many funny scenes, lots of action and a bit of romance. So, a nice summer pop-corn movie if you like adventure and nice endings. It is not only inspired by the Jules Verne's work of the same name, it is referred to in the movie.

If you do see the 3D version, I'd like to know how it went for you and where you saw it. I just can't accept it can be this bad everywhere...

Movie review: Hancock

Hancock is a very cool movie. I got more then I expected. From the trailer, we get that Hancock, played by Will Smith, has superhero powers, such as flight and great strength & speed, but he doesn't care much about it. He does help by stopping bad guys, but causes a lot of damage along the way, not caring about how much it will cost the city to repair it all, when he could easily perform the same tasks with minimal damage.

After a chance encounter with Ray Embrey, a PR person played by Jason Bateman, he is offered a new way of living with his powers. He talks to him, invites him home for dinner, introduce him to his young son Aaron, played by Jae Head and his wife Mary, played by the beautiful Charlize Theron. Embrey convince him, after much encouragements, that he would feel much better about himself if he was considerate to other people's properties and in return, they wouldn't consider him like such a jerk. He even convince him to surrender to the police as a sign of good faith, after he received yet another warrant for arrest. Of course, the police can't force him to do anything if he doesn't want to. The hope is also that once Hancock is in prison, the crime rate will rise and the authorities will realize that they need him back on their side. That's what happens, of course.

I pretty much much expected the above, but not much more. I was wrong. There is more to this story and I just didn't see it coming. I won't say any more on that subject, but it's makes the movie much more interesting. Hints of it can be seen in the trailer, however...

There is some violence and strong language, but apparently it was toned down because they were facing an R rating in the U.S., which would greatly diminish the audience, so they edited it to get a PG-13 instead. I wonder if they will make the original version available on DVD... Also, this being a superhero movie, physics takes a backseat to reality. Even if we accept that someone could fly and be super strong and fast, there are obvious impossibilities in this movie. For example, like we have seen in other similar movies, when he trows a kid in the air, the kid stays in the air for a very long time, which means he goes really high and fast. If that didn't kill him, then he certainly would when Hancock catches him just before he hits the ground. At the speed the kid was going at that point, it wouldn't make a difference if he lands on Hancock's arm or on solid ground. The sudden deceleration is what kills someone, not the fall itself. Anyway, if you can look past these details, it's a really well made movie and fun to watch.

Movie review: Wanted

I knew two things when I went to see Wanted: It was an action movie, starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. First, the real star is James McAvoy, unknown to me until then, who plays Wesley Gibson, a man with talents he doesn't know he has, until he his contacted by a member of The Fraternity, an assassins group. That member is Fox, played by Jolie. The leader of the group is Sloan, played by Freeman. Second, while it is an action movie, I found it to be more then what the trailer let us know. That's a good thing. And I'm not just talking about a single surprise twist to the story at the end of the movie, but several plot development to the story. Of course, it does have it's lot of improbable or even impossible scenes, has can be witnessed in the trailer.

I do not want to spoil the story, so I'll keep it brief. Gibson works in a cubicle, in an office, as an accountant. He's been at it for a while and he'd love nothing more than leaving that job, but doesn't have the nerves to do it. He keeps taking the abuse from the boss and takes pills to deal with the stress. After his encounter with Fox and a wild ride running from another assassin who rebelled against The Fraternity, he gets to meet Sloan and the rest of the gang. He learns about his father's history with the group and about his own abilities. At first, he doesn't want to join, but after a few more work related events and other events in his personal life, he will of course join the guild.

What follows is training, missions and revenge. One of the thing that pushed him was the fact that his father was killed by a rogue member of The Fraternity. Everything leads to this final vengeance, or so he believes. Other things gets in the way. In particular, the obligatory assassination orders, which are summoned in a very unique way. I can't really say more, except that the visuals are very good, there are many great action scenes, as well as over the top sequences and a bit of humour here and there, for good measure. Good casting too, I didn't know many of the actors, but they did a good job.

Of course, there's a lot of violence, so don't bring young kids along. And one word of advice: Don't stand on that X on the floor... ;-)

Movie review: The Incredible Hulk

I saw The Incredible Hulk and I really liked it. Much better then the first one. It's what Hulk should be, with lots of action and smashing. Good casting too, starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, the beautiful Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky and William Hurt, barely recognizable as General Thaddeus Ross, amongst others.

As expected, Banner is on the run from the government and is looking for a "cure" to his condition. The intro is a brief explanation of what happened to him and the ones around him when he got his overdose of Gamma rays. The story is interesting and well told, special effects are great a sequel is just about guaranteed, at this point. There are a few nods to the TV series and also a few cool cameos. There was also humour throughout the movie, of course...

At the end, there is a little scene that connect the movie to other ones, like another recent superhero movie... But it's before the credits, not after. We were a lot of people who stayed until the very end, hoping for one last shot which never came and there was some disappointment about that. But the movie itself being what it is, I don't think anyone regretted having been there on opening day.

Movie review: Speed Racer

I may never have seen the cartoon it is based on, but I have seen the Speed Racer movie and it's a thrill ride! As a matter of fact, it does look like a cartoon for the most part, which is OK for a movie like this one. It is live action, but with a lot of CG. It holds very well on the Imax screen I saw it on. The type of races we see are way over the top and are fun to watch, with lots of action. The music is fun too, the story is interesting and the actors are good.

The movie is directed by the Wachowski brothers (Andy & Larry), of The Matrix fame. It stars Emile Hirsch as Speed, Matthew Fox as Racer X, John Goodman as Pops (Speed's father), Susan Sarandon as Mom and Christina Ricci as Trixie, Speed's girlfriend (we don't get to see her a lot, unfortunately, but it suits the story). There are actually a lot more interesting characters, but you can go to IMDB for those details...

If you are looking for a realistic car racing movie, go somewhere else. On the other hand, if you are looking for family friendly, special f/x heavy action, impossible racing moves and just plain silly fun, this is a good choice. It's over two hours (2:15), but it sure didn't feel like it.

Upcoming Movie: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

When I went to see Jumper this week-end, I was treated to a movie preview I was looking forward to see on the big screen: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull! Long title, but I would go see it even if it was called Indiana Jones reads the phone book. Probably... But such is not the case.

I know I'm not the only one who just can't wait to see this movie. Harrison Ford is older, sure, but he's still "The Man"! The trailer, more of a teaser, is very promising. You can check it out at the official site by clicking the title of this blog entry above. Other links goes to IMDB. Other nice things to see on the site too, including a countdown to opening day. 85 days to go as of this writing, which makes it May 22, 2008. Hmm, that looks like a Star Wars date... George Lucas must have something to do with that. Is it too early to go wait in line? I'm sure my boss would think so! ;-)

Are you excited to go see this movie? By now, you know I am! Let's all go see it on day 1, OK? See you there!

Movie review: Jumper

The version I saw, at the AMC in Montreal, was actually called Jumper DLP. I guessed it meant it was a digital projection and I was right. It looks beautiful! No scratches, pops or other shows of deterioration. Digital is the future.

Now, for the movie itself. I had low expectations for Jumper, after seeing how others reacted to it, on different Internet sites. But the previews showed me action and adventure and I thought it would be enough entertainment for me to enjoy. And it was! The storyline is different enough from other movies with similar ideas and it looks good, including the special effects.

The concept is that the main character David Rice, played by Hayden Christensen, discovers that he can teleport - or jump - one day, as he almost dies drowning (this is in the trailer...). So of course, he eventually starts to use his gift to enter bank's vault and "borrow" some money. Turns out he is not the only jumper around and there is a group of Paladins hunting them down, led by Roland, played by Samuel L. Jackson, re-uniting the two Star Wars actors together.

So lots of action, a few twists and decent acting makes this a fun movie to watch.

Movie review: Shoot 'Em Up

When I first heard of this movie, I wasn't really interested based on the title. Then, I learned that it starred Clive Owen, an actor I really like. Then, I also learned that it wasn't that serious. In fact, within the first few minutes of the movie, it was said that he killed a man with a carrot and cut the umbilical cord of a new-born with a bullet (BTW, he does!). Now, that's different... So I did go see the movie and it was a great ride!

I had a lot of fun watching this movie, but be warned it is quite violent, as you probably already figured out. And also funny, very tongue-in-cheek in style. Lots of action and shooting, of course, with a lot of humour too. The story is around a baby who gets chased after, hidden, tossed around, dropped, picked-up and taken cared of as best as possible considering all the bullets flying around. Insane. There's also a great chase & shoot-out scene in parachutes near the end, but the baby missed that one.

Beside Clive Owen, the movie also stars Paul Giamatti as the main bad buy and Monica Bellucci, a prostitute who gets stuck in this adventure pretty much against her will and better judgment... Both do a great job.

So if you like dark humour and action, go see this this movie, it's really worth it!

Movie review: War

One movie I was looking forward to, since I first heard of it, is War, mainly because it stars Jet Li and Jason Statham. They are two of my favourite action stars, so just thinking about them fighting each other was pretty much all I needed to know that I would want to see the movie.

And it was quite an action ride! Good action, of course, including great fights and a car chase. The war in question is the one between the Chinese Mafia (Triads) and the Japanese Mafia (Yakuza), which Rogue (Jet Li) exploit to his own benefit. Jack Crawford (Jason Statham) is an FBI agent pursuing Rogue, who killed is partner. The later plot is not very original, but they managed to put a twist to it which makes it very interesting. The only thing I was not too crazy about is the end, which I can't discuss without spoiling it, so I won't say what bugs me...

A movie to be seen by action fans, particularly if you like the two main actors.

Movie review: Rush Hour 3

Since I really liked the first two "Rush Hour" movies, seeing Rush Hour 3 was an easy decision. It may not be as 'fresh', but it was still a lot of fun. Lots of humour and action scenes, including fights. Some scenes required special effects, I'm sure, but there is still a lot of live action.

The story starts in LA, USA, but eventually moves to Paris, France. Our heroes must find a critical item to expose the Triads, the powerful Chinese crime organisation. Of course, many people stands in the way, while others wants to help.

Chris Tucker & Jackie Chan works very well together once again, although many scenes must be done a few times to get it right, as shown in the traditional bloopers scenes at the end of the movie, in the beginning of the credits.

A must-see for the fans of the series. Will there be a fourth one? Me thinks so... :-)

Movie review: Transformers

I saw Transformers a few hours ago and it was awesome! Better than I expected, as a matter of fact. I did expect good special effects and action, but I got more with a good story and surprisingly, lots of funny scenes. I didn't think I would be laughing this much, with several out loud laughs. And I wasn't the only one laughing, so it's not just me. It's not a comedy, to be sure, but for an action film, the humour is more than the usual one-liners.

I'm not too familiar with the back-story of the Transformers, since I didn't read or watch them when they were 'just cartoons'. There is a nice intro at the beginning of the movie, so I knew enough for this particular story. On the other hand, I may have missed a few references, but it would not have affected my enjoyment of the movie if this was the case. Actually, not knowing what it should have been, if they diverged from the origins of the characters, may be a good thing. I just don't know.

One reference I was not expecting is to the Kill Bill movies. It may just be a coincidence, but I doubt it very much. What I know is that we laughed when we saw and heard it. I won't say anything more, not to spoil it for you guys.

In short, there are two clans of Transformers, the bad guys, the Decepticons and the good guys, the Autobots. And the fact that they battle on our planet is not a coincidence, as something brought them here...

One thing I did expect was great special effects and we got that big time. The visuals are spectacular and believable. One of the FX house that worked on this movie is ILM, which is not surprising.

There's a few short scenes during the beginning of the credits, but nothing at the end, which did surprise me, as I thought they would hint at a sequel with a short visual clue, but that was not the case. The end of the movie do make a sequel possible, so that is very likely to happen, IMHO.

Go see it already!