The Dark Knight Rises opens on 19 July

Sequel to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, the third and concluding installment in the Batman film series will be released in Singapore a day before the US opening date. At a budget of US$250 million, the film will be 165 minutes long, with over an hour of footage being shot with IMAX cameras.

"A fire will rise"

The Dark Knight Rises in Singapore islandwide on 19 July, in IMAX and 2D theatres.

The Amazing Spider-Man now in theatres

Theatrical poster

The Amazing Spider-Man opens in Singapore theatres on 29 June, 4 days ahead of the US release. It screens in IMAX, 3D and 2D theatres.

Prometheus opens in theatres 7 June

Distributed by 20th Century Fox, Prometheus is a science-fiction film set in the future. Following the discovery of a star map, the crew of the spaceship Prometheus sets out on a scientific expedition to follow the map and attempt to search for the origins of mankind, and in the process faces a threat which could potentially cause the extinction of the entire human race.

Theatrical release poster for "Prometheus"

Ridley Scott is both the director and producer for the film which stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron.

Prometheus is set to open in Singapore cinemas on 7 June in IMAX, 3D and 2D theatres.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted opens 7 June

The second sequel of the series produced by DreamWorks Animation, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted will be the first Madagascar film to be released in 3D format. The main characters in the animation film - Alex (the Lion), Marty (the Zebra), Melman (the Giraffe), and Gloria (the Hippopotamus) - tries to return to the city of New York after their escape to Africa. Instead, they landed up in Monte Carlo where they will have to flee from animal control led by Captain Chantel DuBois, and then joins an animal circus which tours several European cities, in the process bringing circus performance to a whole new level.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Hans Zimmer is the composer for the film's soundtrack. His other works include the soundtrack music for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.

Madagascar 3 opens in Singapore theatres on 7 June in both 3D and 2D format.

Movie openings on 31 May

Snow White and the Huntsman

Theatrical release poster

 Starring:

• Kristen Stewart (who played "Bella" in Twilight)
• Charlize Theron (Academy Award winner who is also a cast in Prometheus which will open on 7 June)
• Chris Hemsworth (who played "Thor" in Thor and The Avengers)

Directed by: Rupert Sanders

Budget: US$170 million

Men In Black 3 opens on 24 May

Men In Black 3 is the third film in the MIB series, and sequel to Men in Black II (2002).

The blockbuster primarily stars Will Smith as Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K, alongside other actors including Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve and Jemaine Clement. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, the film involves having Agent J to time-travel back to 1969 in an attempt to prevent Boris, an alien criminal, from assassinating Agent K.

Men In Black 3 opens in Singapore cinemas on 24 May 2012, in IMAX, 3D and 2D conventional theatres.

Review of WE Cinemas Suntec City

A movie theatre at WE Cinemas Suntec

WE Cinemas was formerly known as Eng Wah Cinemas until its recent re-branding in 2011. It has two cinemas in operation - Suntec and West Mall, while one at Empress (near Clementi) is due to be completed in 2013 together with the entertainment complex. WE Suntec is the newer of the two cinemas, as it underwent an extensive major renovation in 2011.

The first thing you would see is a big screen at the walkway entrance to the cinema made up of 9 TV screens which shows the latest movie trailers. Walk a bit more and you will step onto the soft light purple carpet of the box office area. Unlike other cinemas, WE Suntec does not have separate popcorn counters - the ticketing counter is the same as the popcorn counter, allowing you to get everything you need at one place. It's usually not very crowded and the queue is not long perhaps except for the peak hours, so it is generally quite a peaceful cinema for you to sit back and relax.

The 5 halls at WE Cinemas Suntec are all digital halls with 2K digital projectors, while two of the halls have 3D capabilities. It is worth noting that all of them have the same seating configuration - about 200 seats in each theatre with a middle aisle cutting through. They offer good elevation but slightly less legroom though. One thing I like about this cinema is that the seats look very new and clean each time you visit it, which definitely provides a good cinematic experience.

Just on a side note, since most patrons would sit along the aisle so that they would be at the middle of the screen, the blue lights which show the row and seat numbers are a bit too bright and glaring if you sit just beside the aisle. Because of the single aisle configuration it sort of shines at the opposite row. Not that it really that uncomfortable, but perhaps something for the management to think about.

Till next time!

The Avengers ranks second of all-time US box office openings

Marvel's The Avengers Theatrical release poster

On its opening day on 4th May, Marvel's The Avengers achieved the 2nd best all-time opening at US$80.5 million in US and Canadian cinemas. This was just behind "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" which had a US$91.1 million first day opening at the box office. Noting that the film opened slightly earlier in other countries worldwide, it has reached US$414.8 million as of 4 May.

The American superhero blockbuster produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures was also well received by worldwide critics for its powerful storyline and special effects. The film also appears to receive much praise by local cinema-goers.

Marvel's The Avengers opened in Singapore cinemas on 1 May, in IMAX, 3D and conventional 2D theatres.