MOViE REViEW: SUPER 8

Title: Super 8 (Paramount Pictures)
Genre:  Mystery/Science Fiction
Personal Rating: 6/10

"If you're asking me if we have dangerous persons on board this train, I can assure you the answer is no." -- Colonel Nelec


Set in a 1979 town, a group of friends witnessed a military cargo train derailed and crashed while trying to film scenes of their amateur super 8 film.


After the incident, mysterious happenings begin to plague town - and the military began searching for something.  The only clue left to what really is causing all the unusual events is the amateur video recording of the kids who unintentionally filmed the cargo train crash.


The Super 8 caught 'something'.

PLOT

The first hour, everything was unusually entertaining -- you get glued to the scene not wanting to miss anything.  And at the back of your head you would want to know what was going on, what was inside the cargo train that got loose, what does it really want, and what the hell is a Super 8?  All these questions are tantamount to elevated anxiety and curiosity.


Then the 'monster' is revealed.  And it's purpose.  And the elevated entertainment dies down with it. Damn.  The next scenes become predictable.

ACTORS
The child actors here are all unknown to me.  Joel Courtney as the main child actor did good.  The other child actors made good comedy scenes, but for some reason these scenes were presented dull (in short, I am blaming the Director).
Everyone should watch out for child actress Elle Fanning, younger sister of famous Dakota Fanning (from HBO series Taken, War of the Worlds, and Hide and Seek).  She has potential, really runs in their family I guess.  I'm placing my bets she's going to be something in the future.  She has a pretty face, too.


Say hello to Kyle Chandler, portraying as the father of Courtney and town police officer.  He has always been a great actor, and this film is not an exception.  But looking at him, though, I always remember him as the guy who gets tomorrow's newspaper today (honestly, I was an avid fan of that TV series!).


PRESENTATION
Cinematography and Special Effects were all great, you won't think less of Steven Spielberg.  It's the story that has a problem.  So it's the kind of movie that hypes you up while watching, and then leaves you unsatisfied when you go out of the cinema.


'That's it?'
...


So why Super 8?


I don't know if it's a marketing strategy, since almost all moviegoers don't know what a Super 8 is, and that peeks up their curiosity to watch the film.


At first I counted the kids and they were only 5 of them, so that doesn't count as a superhero team.  My other guess was that the 'monster' (okay okay it's an ALIEN! Damn I don't wanna be a spoiler) is Super 8 because it looks a lot like a spider, LOL.  Stupid me.


Honestly I have no idea, until Google answered it for me.  It's a motion film format.  In the movie, the Super 8 film revealed the ghastly image of the 'monster'.  They could have made the Super 8 film a star, the focus, the main object of the movie, but didn't.


Super 8 was a bad title.  Well it could have been a good title if they focused more on the Super 8.  They could have made a story out of the movie reel, revolved all the characters' scenes around that significant object, but didn't.  I am being redundant, I know.


Overall it's watchable.  Special effects commendable.  Good actors.  Bad director.  Bad story.


Seriously the alien looks like a spider.  And it eats people, jeez..


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MOViE REViEW: X-MEN FiRST CLASS

Title: X-Men: First Class (20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment)
Genre:  Action/Fantasy
Personal Rating: 7.5/10


"Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet."  -- Professor Charles Xavier


1963 -- The story brings us back to the origins of the two X-men founders and bestfriends Professor X and Magneto.  Telepath Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and magnetic manipulator Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) discovered that they were not alone in the world and that there were other people like them out there -- humans with extraordinary powers called mutants, unknown from current society and abilities hidden from sight.  And so started their search to find them, the first X-men.

Together with the help of a special government agency who believed in their power to help prevent a brewing war between the US and the USSR, they formed a team that will try to stop a catastrophic nuclear battle that is being plotted by a group of villainous mutants under Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon).  Caught between the mutant-to-mutant battle, the humans begin to doubt their difference, turning against them in the end.  Furious by the treacherous retaliation of the humans, Erik vows to destroy the humans to create a peaceful world for the mutants.  Charles opposes as he seeks a greater peace -- a world of mutants and humans living in harmony.





PLOT
No doubt, this is the best movie yet from the X-men franchise, not because of the plot, but because of the superb performances of the actors.  Plot was lame, VERY VERY LAME.  And just like any other Marvel-based movie, they were never true to the real comic story.  For one, Mystique and Professor X were never childhood friends.  And the worst betrayal -- Professor X wasn't lamed by a bullet in the spine.  FYI: A heavy rock lamed him during a battle with an alien trying to conquer Earth.  Period.


Well, they just really have to make up that bullet-in-spine story for the sake of inserting the "I-can't-feel-my-legs!" scene.


ACTORS
Magneto is a must-see in this movie.   I cannot even think of anyone better for Magneto's role.  Michael Fassbender as Magneto was very, very good, he actually overshadowed James McAvoy.  Although McAvoy also did well, he did better in the film, Wanted.


Many loved the new Mystique actress Jennifer Lawrence, but there was something about him that was so.. ummm.. un-Mystique.  I can't explain why.


Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) cameo role was no doubt a good surprise.. and a very funny scene, too!


PRESENTATION
Some scenes had good special effects,  other scenes were just so plain and computer-graphically obvious.


Honestly, I was actually glued to the movie from start to finish (well maybe it's with bias since I am a huge fan of the X-men series), which for me is a highly commendable movie feat for making my attention span longer than usual.  NOTE: I get bored easily, so yeah, this movie is not boring, so goes that high personal movie rating I gave.




Well there's another thing I hate about this movie.  The last Marvel movie I saw was Thor, and it infuriates me to remember that I walked out of the cinema, forgetting to wait for the bonus after-credits special scene.  This time watching X-Men, I patiently waited for the bonus scene, only to be disappointed that there was NONE.  Dammit.


Like any other childish geeks-at-heart, Kuya Ed and I firmly believe we have special powers.  The jeepney we rode home after watching the movie took so much time to drive off from the mall.  Kuya Ed wanted to use his telepathic ability to convince the driver to start the engine, but I told him I can freely move the metal-clad transportation -- even without the driver or the engine [Please excuse two morons talking].


But good citizens as we are, we weren't allowed to divulge our secret identities.  Too bad.





















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MOViE REViEW: THOR

Title: Thor (Paramount Pictures, Marvel Entertainment)
Genre:  Action/Fantasy
Personal Rating: 5/10


"Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor"  -- Odin, to the godly hammer, Mjolnir.


Powerful but arrogant, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the son of the god realm Asgard's king, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), ignites a war against Jotunheim realm's frost giants.  Dissapointed by his son's behavior, Odin strips Thor of his god power and his hammer Mjolnir, and banishes him into Midgard (Earth), the realm of the humans.  In the human world, Thor meets Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) whom he falls in love and made him change his ways.


In the absence of Thor, his brother Loki has dirty plans of his own -- to make sure Odin's throne would be his, and his brother Thor would never be able to return back to Asgard.


This Norse-mythology-inspired film would be one of the Marvel sets that would feature the Avenger superheroes in their upcoming Avengers film.  Iron Man already made an impact, was a great success that it had to have Iron Man 2.  Captain America would be next in line this year.



The Halls of Asgard
So how did Thor's impact go?  Not so much.  It was a so-so film.  A digital-effects eyecandy, nonetheless.  The story was bland.  The battle scenes were lame (I was so disappointed about the Earth battle, was expecting more Asgard armies or something like that, instead Loki sends a one-man giant robotic figure, and that's it, SHEESH!).  I would commend them though on their graphic depiction of the realms of Asgard and Jotunheim, and also Anthony Hopkin's Odin role was wonderfully portrayed.



Hawkeye Cameo
Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), another Avenger superhero, also made a cameo role on this film.  The usual MUST-SEE bonus clip at the end of the credits also featured Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and a supposed connection between the next Marvel film (which is Captain America, showing on July 22, 2011).


To consider this film at par with Iron Man would be heinous.  The producers are obviously doing such movies to make the most of $$$, and commercially prepare the masses in their upcoming Avengers film, which will star Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and the rest of the Marvel superhero Avengers gang.

Iron Man was an unexpected success.  Thor and the next batch of superhero movies are going to be sacrificial endorsers, because whether or not they make a great movie out of these characters, people will still flock the cinemas and watch them.  Superhero movies are the IN-thing, no doubt about that.  Look at all those superhero movies (Marvel or non-Marvel) lined up for this year and the year after -- they're dominating!



Mjolnir
I may be risking the wrath of Marvel Superheroes and Thor fans, but I am a Marvel fan, a Norse mythology geek, and film enthusiast myself.  Some of my friends loved the movie (So that somehow makes me a difficult-to-impress retard).  I still respect their view.

Overall, this movie is a good way to pass time.  Just don't keep your hopes too high.

That Mjolnir hammer would definitely come in handy if I get my hands on it.  A lot of idiots in my environment need some good whacking..
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MOViE REVIEW: HARRY POTTER and the DEATHLY HALLOWS PART1

Title: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows PART 1 (Warner Bros.)
Genre:  Adventure/Fantasy
Personal Rating: 8/10


These are dark times, there's no denying.." - Rufus Scrimgeour


Harry Potter's evil nemesis Lord Voldemort has risen to 'almost' full power, wrecking havoc to the wizarding world, as well as the clueless Muggle (a.k.a. human) world.  As the Ministry of Magic has fallen, it is up to Harry Potter and his loyal friends to search and destroy Lord Voldemort's remaining horcruxes (special artifacts which grant Voldemort immortality) with no clue whatsover except a bunch of seemingly ordinary heirloom objects given to them by the late great wizard Albus Dumbledore.  While Harry Potter manages to stay alive and findings ways to end Voldemort's reign, Lord Voldemort is on his way to finding the legendary weapons  of immense power, the Deathly Hallows, that will not only make him more powerful than ever, but will grant him the thing he has failed to do more than ever - kill Harry Potter.



Dobby the 'free' House Elf
While the previous Harry Potter film (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) made me doze off in the cinema and was actually pounded down with lots of bad review, it is safe to say that in this film, the Harry Potter franchise has finally regained it's lost glory among it's millions of fans around the world, including me of course.


While some famous characters only gave very short cameos, the film itself gave life to new characters and manages to stay true to J.K. Rowling's original story.  Well, the Harry Potter series has gone a long way, and the producers cutting the last part of the series into 2 films is but a good decision, not just because it will rake them a lot of money, but also because the last Harry Potter book would be very very difficult to condense in one 3-hour movie.  The result would be devastating, and being pounded down again by the crazy fans would be bad for their health.


Prepare to be moved by the scene wherein Dobby takes his last breath in the arms of Harry Potter.  Yes it was moving - so good is the CGI of Dobby (especially the humongous eyes) that it expresses very touching emotions - and he's just a computer image for crying out loud!  How's that part - real actors getting beaten by CGI's in the Best Actor category.



Bellatrix Lestrange
With stunning visual effects and an array of the best British actors and actresses (Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, Helena Bonham Carter as the wicked Bellatrix Lestrange, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape - to name some of my favorites), the film in it's entirety is a must-see, especially for Harry Potter fans.  I gave it a big review rating for doing it's best of making me awake and glued to the screen.

A warning for clueless moviegoers who don't even know what a Muggle is, or a horcrux: I must admit that the way the Harry Potter movies are screenplayed are so constricted that they give no optional benefit to people who haven't even read J.K. Rowling's book or have not seen the other 6 previous movies.  Just be prepared to be, umm.. heavily 'dumbfounded'.  Someone was actually dozing off near the seat where I was, and I bet he doesn't even have a clue what's happening.



Lord Vol.. aww.. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
Part Two of this film would be released in July 2011.  Fans are expecting so much, but however good or bad the last film would be, people will still watch it anyway for one reason - it's the end of Harry Potter's epic journey in the wide screen, and people want to be there to watch it unfold.
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MOViE REVIEW: MACHETE

Title: Machete (20th Century Fox)
Genre: Action
Personal Rating: 7/10


They just f**ked with the wrong Mexican.
He knows the score. He gets the women. And he kills the bad guys!



Story revolves around Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo), a skilled Mexican Federal Agent who was thought to have been killed after being double-crossed by his former boss.
Now in hiding as an illegal immigrant in Texas, Machete can't seem to get away from trouble.  He was hired to kill the "anti-Mexican" Senator McLaughlin (Robert de Niro), and for the second time double-crossed and is now a wanted criminal pursued by hot police babe Sartana (Jessica Alba).
Together with the help of She (Michelle Rodriguez), leader of an underground Mexican group disguised as a Taco shop owner, Padre (Cheech Marin), a gunning kickass priest, a whole lot of illegal Mexican immigrants, and his arsenal of machete knives, Machete leads to get revenge and finally show that they really messed up with the wrong Mexican.

 Well you bet.  The story is shallow and comical.  There's blood and gore and violence.   A lot of hacking and slashing with the overrated machete.  And I actually enjoyed watching it!  It was like watching a Quentin Tarantino film in Mexican theme.


See Michelle Rodriguez kick ass with a nice body and an eyepatch.  See Lindsay Lohan (yes her!) in 'frontal' splendor, and in another scene dressed as a nun with a heavy gun.  See Jessica Alba in the shower naked.  See sexy scantily-clad Mexican nurses shower ammo to enemies.  See (sorry to interrupt the flow of sexy ladies) a priest gun down church invaders with shotguns.  See Machete use someone's guts to rappel out of a building (yikes..). OH i almost forgot, see Steven Seagal come back on-screen with real hefty "getting-old" blubber attached to him and be macheted by Machete through the gut.


The theme itself is controversial and racist.  The popular cast also made controversies themselves.  And they casted an unknown goon-faced guy in a leading role who gets all the pretty women in this film!


Well actually, I have spotted Mister Machete in many random action movies as the bad guy.    We might see more of him in upcoming action films, but for me he will be forever tagged as Machete, the Mexican guy you don't want to mess with.


This film gets a decent rating from me for pure entertainment.


So why does this film kick ass even if it was this kind of old-school shallow B-movie? 


Because it was meant to be an old-school shallow B-movie.




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MOViE REVIEW: SALT

Title: Salt (Columbia Pictures)
Genre: Action
Personal Rating: 6/10

Who is Salt?

Evelyn Salt (played by Angelina Jolie) is a CIA agent who, one day, was accused for being a Russian sleeper spy designated to assassinate the Russian president and ignite a deadly conspiracy to start another world war.  Now on the run, Salt must evade capture from her CIA comrades to be able to prove that she is innocent.

Or is she?

A very nice and intriguing plot, but  unluckily very bluntly delivered.  There was something missing amidst all the great action  scenes and the superb twists.  Still, Angelina Jolie  definitely kicked ass, and the role fits her perfectly, the spy agent thingy.  Although compared to some of her previous action movies WANTED and MR. AND MRS. SMITH, this was a little sloppy (and damn, Sabertooth Liv Schreiber sounded like crap while speaking Russian!).  If you are just after Angelina's stunts and her uber-sexy pout, you bet this movie's for you.

The film's ending also suggested a sequel.  Part Two or no Part Two, I hope they deliver better justice to the nice story and Angelina's stunt acting prowess.  And don't you just love to see those lips again!

So who is Salt?

I know!  She is Tony Stark's assistant's distant relative, weee..





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MOViE REVIEW: INCEPTION

Title: Inception (WARNER Bros.)
Genre: Action, Suspense
Personal Rating: 8/10


You're waiting for a train, a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't be sure. But it doesn't matter - because we'll be together..


Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a special kind of thief - he steals valuable information and ideas stored inside the victim's mind though their dreams, making his illegal skill one of the most sought-after talent by the notorious and the powerful.  Caught in a tangled disposition, Cobb's next mission requires him to organize a team to do one very difficult task - instead of stealing an idea, they are to force and permanently implant one instead, unknowingly making it the victim's very own.  That is Inception.  As he leads his team deeper into the perilous 'dreamworld', the stakes of not being able to come back to reality becomes greater, and Cobb's disturbing secret that will endanger his team becomes more powerful than ever...



Very Matrix-ish right?  Well, sort of.  This is one of those movies that actually make the audience glue themselves onto their seats.  Pacing is so fast, one will miss so much by just even going to the toilet.  The first ten minutes of the film rolled and my head was already aching from thinking too much.  Can't blame me for trying to understand.  System overload in a matter of minutes. What just happened? Who's dream are they in now? In what level of dream are they in again? Is he still dreaming or what? This movie calls for a nice, handy PAUSE-REWIND button.  The Dark Knight's director Christopher Nolan must have anticipated this.  I so hate him, well in a good way, hahaha!  And Oscar best actress Marion Cotillard really played her 'deep and disturbed' role very well.


If you want a brain-wrecking movie, then this one's for you.  If you're just in for the jaw-dropping special effects, go watch Matrix all over again instead.  The effects were good, but the movie was not made for that.


I already forgave the 4-cinema mall where I watched this for having this film share it's theater with another film, and making the remaining 3 cinemas exclusive for the vampiric fad ECLIPSE.  They should be considerate next time -  not all of us moviegoers are die-hard fans of glittering vampires.


I gave it a very high review score because it succeeded in retaining my very short attention span.  And the great film's concept.  And the unforgivable headache.  And the hanging ending.  And the very catchy tag line.


Your mind is the scene of the crime..


(Wicked!)



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MOViE REVIEW: THE KARATE KiD (2010)

Title: The Karate Kid (COLUMBIA Pictures)
Genre: Action, Drama
Personal Rating: 7/10


Martial Arts Rule: You hit him. Don't let him hit you.


This remake of the 1984 hit of the same title became a whopping success in the US on it's first release.  Although martial arts fans would be totally pissed with the producers mixing the karate kid title with kung fu moves.  Yes, in the film, the kid was actually an accidental kung fu student.


Dre Parker, played by co-producer Will Smith's son Jaden Smith, and his mother moves to China.  He is then bullied by Chinese kung fu kids.  Ordinary maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) helps him and teaches him the true art of kung fu to master his fears, earn respect, and not be bullied anymore.  They enter a kung fu tournament with the bullies as his opponents, kicks their sorry asses, and wins the tourney.  The end.



Simple story, right?  The visuals aren't that stunning, but lo, the sound effects and scoring are audio treats!  Mr. Jackie Chan is a must-see here, as you never get to see Mr. Chan in a very serious role this often, and his story is heartwarming by itself.


Jaden Smith's acting is actually quite good for someone new like him in the film industry.  Well, he's got good genes from dad.


Overall, a wonderful family film!  Just don't mind the karate and kung fu mix-up.  Marketing strategy I guess.  The Karate Kid sounds more appealing than if titled The Kung Fu Kid.  Also to attract old fans of the original Karate Kid movie way back.


Also good for waking up those lost childhood dreams of becoming a martial arts genius at an early age.  Honestly, it actually waked mine! Hahaha..

Seriously.










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MOViE REViEW: ALiCE iN WONDERLAND

Title: Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Personal Rating: 5/10

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"


That is the famous riddle of the funny farm escapee known as The Mad Hatter, one of the film's popular characters played by Pirates of the Caribbean superstar Johnny Depp.

The film revolves around the story of Alice, now a grown up, and her return to Wonderland to fulfill a prophesy that will overthrow the cruel reign of the big-headed Red Queen (played by Helena Bonham Carter). The film also features popular characters of the classic children's book written by Lewis Carroll, such as twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee and the infamous white rabbit with a pocketwatch - the culprit who started it all.

In the classic animated Disney cartoon and the original book, the Red Queen always commanded to execute people who offend or irritate her, but nobody gets killed anyway. In the story, the Red Queen actually was starting to cut off heads for real. And eyeballs fly like sushi out of a lunchbox, I am beginning to wonder if this film would actually fit for children's viewing.

I highly commend Bonham Carter and Depp's superb acting performances, which by the way is the only reason why I wanted to see the movie. I didn't expect Anne Hathaway to also give a very good impression on her funny but classy character as the White Queen.

Why not talk about Mia Wasikowska, the girl who played Alice? Hmm.. she was good, though her performance didn't mark a permanent impression on my memory. I was more excited to see the Jabberwocky, a dragon-like creature she was suppose to kill to end up the Red Queen's reign of terror (did you know that the dance crew sensation Jabbawockeez go their name from that Wonderland monster?). Also, Harry Potter fans would definitely recognize Alan Rickman a.k.a. Severus Snape as the voice of the smoking caterpillar.

To cut this short - nice visuals, great acting performances, lame story! That's why I gave it a 5 out of 10. And people who are not familiar with the Wonderland character bunch will definitely not appreciate the movie, unless they are a bunch of kids who don't mind watching the gory scenes.

Worth watching? Well, it was entertaining nonetheless (and for killing weekend spare time).

So why is a raven like a writing desk? Well, it's a Mad Hatter's mad question, so the answer is as mad as he is.

"I haven't the slightest idea," said the Hatter.
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MOViE REVIEW: PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPiANS: THE LiGHTNiNG THIEF

Title: Percy Jackson and the Oympians: The Lightning Thief (20th Century Fox)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Personal Rating: 6/10

It's Greek Mythology living in New York City!

Ordinary boy Peter Jackson finds out that he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and is being accused as the primary suspect of stealing the lightning bolt of the Highest greek god, Zeus. Now all dangerous mythical creatures are after him, including the dreaded god of the underworld, Hades -- all aiming for the missing ultimate weapon of Zeus. Peter Jackson, together with the help of his friends, must face unknown danger and find a way to seek for the lightning thief's true identity and pacify Zeus' anger before the gods start a war that will end all life on Earth.

The film is based on the first book from the series of four by Rick Riordan. And the book-to-film rule says that if it hits the market, the 2nd book will be given a movie next (which, in a domino effect, will get Percy Jackson actor Logan Lerman the same famous spotlight as Daniel Radcliffe of the Harry Potter series).

Being a fan of Greek mythology even when I was young (I read every Greek myth book my hands could lay upon, hell I even memorized the 12 Muses way back!), I got very curious and interested, so I watched it obviously. Let's just say I expected too much -- Chris Columbus (Harry Potter) directed it; the film is star-studded with a powerhouse cast in cameo roles (Uma Thurman as Medusa and Pierce Brosnan as Chiron to name a few); and add the fact that I am a certified Greek mythology literature geek. The bottomline is -- let's say I was a bit disappointed. Maybe I was looking for more cinematic special effects, or maybe I didn't like the idea that Greek myth heroes end up all in New York City.

I could have given this movie less than 6 out of 10 points, but I highly commend the Medusa scene of Uma Thurman, where she portrayed the snake-haired woman who turns people who gaze at him into stone. She was definitely good in that cameo role.

I must say this series is promising. I may be a bit biased because I want to see more of my favorite mythical heroes and creatures in action, but I hope the movie franchise does not end up like Eragon (also a book series turned into a movie that went down to ashes before it got the chance to make the sequel).



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MOViE REViEW: AVATAR

Title: AVATAR (Lightstorm Entertainment)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction

Personal Rating: 9/10

"I see you..."

James Cameron, director of Titanic, the Highest Box Office Grossing Film of all time, has bet down all his cards into his latest and his most ambitious masterpiece yet.


Ex-marine and paraplegic Jake Sully was sent to a human settlement on a distant planet, given another chance to prove his worth by piloting a genetically-bred alien body known as an avatar. His mission was to keep a close relationship with the planet's indigenous alien tribe known as the Na'vi, as well as spy on them. While on a mission, he becomes lost, and was taken by the Na'vi people. He was taught their ways and beliefs, but was still spying as to how the race can be annihilated to be able to collect a vast mine of expensive ores right below the alien's village. When time came for the mission to proceed to its planned drastic measures, he had already found his place in the Na'vis and fell in love with a spirited Na'vi woman. Caught between a fierce battle of his own human kind and the Na'vi alien tribe, Jake must make a difficult decision as to what race his heart really belongs to.

The film teaches us the valuable lesson of searching for one's true identity and for our right place in this world. Where your heart is, that's where you belong, and finding it is what's going to make you truly happy.

Honestly, it never occurred into my mind that there was such a film like Avatar that was going to be shown. When Avatar was mentioned, I always thought of Avatar, the Last Airbender (which has it's own film by the way, showing this year 2010). The film's plot was quite simple and predictable, yet it envelopes everything with stunning visual effects, great cinematography, and wonderful acting from the cast -- and that includes the computer-generated cast by the way, which reminded me of Gollum, the CGI character in The Lord of The Rings Trilogy. CGI characters in both films have unbelievable lifelike emotions on their facial gestures.

This was my first IMAX 3D movie by the way, the one where you get to wear those funny plastic eyeglasses to make everything look 3-dimensional (else if you don't wear them, the screen will look blurry and make your head ache). The movie ended with a standing ovation and a cheering applause from the audience, the loudest from me.

It is quite difficult to make an ordinary story into an extraordinary film, and yet Avatar succeeded. Avatar the Movie has started a brand new era in the world of filmmaking -- a must-see movie not because it is the best, but because it made a difference.

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MOViE REVIEW: UP

Title: UP (Disney/Pixar)
Genre: Adventure, Animation
Personal Rating: 7/10

What do you get when an old man, an insistent boy, and a talking dog travel to South America on a house flown by balloons? You get Walt Disney/Pixars 2009 new heartwarming family movie UP -- a sure hit to kids and a feel-good movie for adults.

When grumpy old man Mr. Fredericksen lost his childhood sweetheart and dear wife, he finally decided to fulfill her late wife's ultimate dream -- to travel to Paradise Falls in South America and live an adventure of a lifetime in there. The catch is, he brought his house with him ingeniously flown by balloons. Together with an adventure boy scout (eager to help the old man in any way he can to obtain a merit for helping the elderly), and a dog robotically wired to be able to talk human language, they embark on a journey to fulfill each others dream. As they live the South American adventure, they will learn that fulfilling one's dream does not necessarily mean that one should live for that dream alone. People get so focused on the future, they forget to live in the present, forgetting far more impotant things in life.

The joy we will have when we get to touch our life's goals is not enough to compensate for the joys we had on the way to get it. We should learn to appreciate the little joys we encounter everyday, and learn that living life with the ones you love is an adventure by itself.


A nice movie to watch even for the not-so-young. Just be prepared to be in the middle of a toodler-overpopulated moviehouse (Me and my workmates felt we were in a nursery school).

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