Writer: Wahiduzzaman

Writer Ratings:
Overall:
Cast:
Plot:
Effects:
Cinematography:

Watch this if you liked: "XX Ray" franchise

Box office brain Ahmad Idham returns to close 2008's local releases with a sci-fi comedy for the whole family that guarantees to bring back the old times, like Aziz M. Osman's 90s franchise "XX Ray".

With a good story and some wise direction, "Brainscan" can be proud of its finished article, although it lacks Class A players. Young talents like Nik Farith Adruce, Erin Malek, Fatin Nur Afifah, Eric Fuzi and Nasiruddin Nasir did the job well enough to make it entertaining. Adding colour to the story, there's a line-up of comedians like Zul Yahya, Nik Safiyyah, Cat Farish, Kuman, Zaibo and Sharifah Shahira. Plus, veteran actors M. Rajoli and Khatijah Tan also fit their comedy roles well. Hence, one star for the cast!

Aside from the brilliant acting, one may also be stunned by the CGI work in "Brainscan". It's smooth and realistic, more than what any other local effort ever achieved. You'll cruise along the journey of Adruce's dream and get fascinated by the beauty of a fantasy world. Admittedly, it's not perfect but it's still really good by a long way compared to what we've seen before. So that's another star for "Brainscan".

Nonetheless, the cinematography is not up the expectations. The lighting, especially for the earlier scenes, was quite dim and gloomy - tarnishing the overall quality. Well-known cinematographer Indera Che Muda and his team have nothing much to offer since the movie doesn't really test them with action or fast-paced scenes. However, the wardrobe, make-up and location fit the movie's texture well.

Putting aside minor flaws, the movie has opened a new avenue for Metrowealth products, particularly the promising CGI work. For prolific director Ahmad Idham, "Brainscan" is definitely the next best thing from him after "Congkak". Penning a good story, writer Shahrul Ezad has produced a commendable piece that is entertaining and appealing to the whole family. So that's two more stars for the
director and writer!

For this holiday season, one might need a brain scan for giving this movie a miss. It's really good value for money.

Cinema Online, 12 December 2008