Thursday, April 19, 2007

Cars and 300

Cars, it’s more of an adult movie. The kids will be captured for the first half hour due to the new concept where the cars can talk and have eyes and mouth and feelings….And there are a lot of different models of cars to make a very colourful screen. But the story is just too adult… and boring… about saving a city because they want to build a highway and thus taking away the traffic (and subsequently income) from an already dead small town. This kind of Sami Velu / Politician type of movie is too boring or too much for kids to digest… and after some time, they will get easily distracted and not want to continue watching…. That’s what happened to Bryan. He still likes to read the books on the Sally and McQueen, but when I asked him if he would like to watch Cars, he’d rather watch Power Rangers…. (even though Power rangers is in Japanese, he don’t care coz there’s lots of ACTION and dinosaurs!!)

Even I didn’t manage to finish the whole movie… so I can’t comment…

But I can comment on something else. On Friday I watched something that kept me glued to the screen till the end. 300. This is a gory movie about 300 brave Spartan soldiers, led by King Leonidas, making a last stand against all odds to set the path for Spartan victory against the Persians. Interesting story and somewhat a good movie as it invokes interest in the ancient Rome empire history and also induce some sort of patriotism, strength, brotherhood, friendship, pride and bravery which is so lacking nowadays.

The movie touches on the surface on how a Spartan soldier is made and also gives an insight on how heartbreaking and brutal “Agoge” is for the Spartan combat community. Agoge is the brutal training that a young Spartan has to go through to prove himself worthy of being a Spartan warrior. Also shows the structured and systematic fighting techniques that Spartans soldiers used. And best of all, this movie has lots of blood, lots of flesh (yes uncensored), lots of battle, and lots of limbs and body count. Not for children and not for the faint hearted… but definitely for Loke Wee. Hahaha…. Zack Synder, who previously did justice to Land of the Dead, is bringing his style of gory directorship into a combat movie and have successfully created an interesting movie that bridges the generation gap. It’s not as expensive as Gladiator, which was filmed in 5 countries, because most of the filming was done in the studio with plenty of CGI. It’s not as complicated as Troy, but still show off the strength of the Spartan army. Unlike Helen of Sparta, 300 reminds us that women counts too in modern civilization, instead of being just mere beauties that’s only good for sacrifice purposes. Also show men are capable of betrayal and return to their beasty nature when lost, or lured by greed.

All in all a good movie to watch. It’s a highly entertaining and thought provoking. It’s interesting to know that Greece which once produced the highest of human civilization and the most elite and feared army, have now reduced to an economic slum in Europe. Now how did that happen, go figure… meanwhile, try not to buy too much popcorn if you can’t eat at the sight of blood.

*Note: A friend of mine noticed that this movie is highly stereotyping. Asians are shown to be weak and small size and ugly beings, while, the Spartans are all good looking, fit and muscular beings. So try to keep an open mind to enjoy this partial animation (which is probably why it was sprared from the "chopping board").

Raising Helen and Count Olaf

18 July 2005 14:59

I would love to be able to hang out with my kids but no matter how cool or how hot you are, if you hang out with your kids, it's just plain silly when you come to their teenage years. They just want to live their own lives and want you OUT of their lives. And that leaves you wondering what you did wrong during their infant years. Well, I guess it's normal, and everyone just love to break the rules and not listen to adults.


I just watched Raising Helen y'day night and I cried my eyeballs out (gosh, my eyes are still swollen. Ppl might think I am a battered wife!!) Anyway, it's not that the show was soo good, but it's because the nail hits me so hard. Your kids grow up so fast and you don't know how to handle them. You're as new to adolescence years just as much as they are discovering puberty. And you have to manage it for them... gosh... Well, all we can do, really, is just TRY our best and leave the rest to God. That is why I am sooo afraid to have another child. It's so much pressure to be responsible for a live.



I also watched "A series of unfortunate events" y'day and what the little boy said when their parents died in a fire was so heart breaking. The well-learned little boy, Klaus, said, "I hate our parents. Didn't they have plans for us? How could they do this to us?" You see, the disappointed orphaned kids were left in the care of a cruel and greedy distance relative (Count Olaf played Jim Carrey) and they hated their parents for that.



It makes me realize how big the responsibility is. You CAN'T even die. It is your responsibility to keep yourself alive, healthy and wealthy to ensure the kids grow up well ad healthy. Both the shows have one thing in common. The kids' parents died in an accident and the kids are left in the care of a relative. It's a really scary thought... I am not pushing insurance nor will writing here, but just planning for the "future". Your dependents are depending on you to at least have some plans for them. Even I don't have much plans ... Talk about working for an insurance company and having a lawyer bro ahahaha.

Ok, sorry to have scare you. Having kids is not that scary. Only scary for scardy-cats like me (and Aunt Josephine)... fear of the unknown. I wonder who I am to leave Bryan to if anything happens...

Some thoughts for you: Have you made plans yet?

(note: all photos are courtesy of imdb.com)

King Kong - The 8th Wonder Of The World

I have watched King Kong since Friday but I am still speechless. How do I write a review that befits a King? Oh, incidentally, the King and I share the same surname. But that’s about all we have in common because the silly, lovesick and bad-tempered beast has totally opposite characteristics from this fair maiden. Peter Jackson really did justice to this 1933 remake and lived up to a standard which he himself has set. If you haven’t watched a single movie this year, then this is the ONE. In fact, I am not sure I’ll ever watch another movie with the same perspective again. Well worth watching in the theater and you will leave the cinema wanting more even after 3 hours. Plus, the THX will definitely blow you away!

Well, if you have watched the trailer (which I have watched more than 20 times now thanks to little Bryan), then you already have an idea what to look forward to. The story line is all there, a desperate director (Jack Black of Shallow Hal fame) cons his ignorant film crew to make a movie on an uncharted island, where King Kong and other huge strange creatures lives. The crew were “greeted” with extreme adventures when their lead actress was captured and presented to the giant ape as a sacrificial offering. How King Kong ended up on top of the Empire States building (the ever popular scene), fighting off what he thought was strange flying creatures, is what you need to find out yourself… :)

However, to really enjoy the show, you have to throw your logic out of the window. Seriously, I had a hard time accepting the illogical sequence of the movie that I wasn’t able to totally lose myself and enjoy the non-stop “monstrous” adventures. While I was kept on edge of my seat most of the time by the superb special effects (well, also partially because of a dilated bladder), I couldn’t really accept how these people manage to find each other let alone rescue Miss Ann Darrow (played nicely by Naomi Watts) in that massive Skull Island. I also couldn’t feel the love/romance between beauty and the beast which Peter Jackson said is the most touching scene he has ever made. Maybe it’s because I am not an animal lover (please don’t throw red paint at me). Or maybe Peter Jackson made comparison with his other films which were mostly horror flicks (The Frighteners) or adventure epics (LOTR). The fact that my movie partner was sobbing her eyeballs out right beside me didn’t move me. Even the droopy-eyed ever-so-kind Andrien Brody (of The Pianist, The Village and The Jacket fame), who played The screenwriter Jack Driscoll that Ann Darrow fell in love with before the interception of the huge mammal, didn’t manage to set even a tiny tug to my heartstrings.

Kudos to the Weta Workshop Team (who created special effects for Narnia – now that explains why King Kong cameo in Narnia) for generating screen-magic again in this mega-movie by making all the spectacular CGIs seamless. Of course Andy Serkis (Gollum in LOTR) made King Kong very much “alive” and projected King Kong’s character (childish, infatuated, playful, lonely and hot-tempered all in one big gigantic furry suit) very appropriately with “virtual reality” technology.

Oh, a funny thing happened after the movie. It really wasn’t a day for the Kongs. First King Kong died, and then later I couldn’t find my car in the midst of the hundreds who throng 1 Utama’s new wing for a glimpse of the “8th Wonder of the World”. I was so sure I parked near Parkson and it was my friend who was the panicky one as she thought she will never find her car after they closed all the shop entrances after 11pm. Ends up, Miss Fret found her car easily while Miss Confident had to go from floor to floor and had to summon Miss Fret (who was already out of the parking lot and happily driving to her next destination) back into the car park to help me find my car. Took me 45 minutes to find my car and by then, my car park ticket has already expired and I couldn’t get out. Later, I found out that all I needed to do was to reinsert the ticket back into the Autopay machine for a reprint (no extra charges) to reinstate the expired ticket. Oh well, at least I learnt something out of this. “It wasn’t the over-crowding of cars that camouflage my car, it was over-confidence” (as opposed to Jack Black's final line, “It wasn’t the airplane that killed the beast, it was Beauty!”) Ha ha. Incidentally, I just found out that Fay Wray (the original actress in King Kong 1933) was supposed to cameo in this movie and deliver that particular last line but she passed away before the negotiations were finalized.

Have a Merry Xmas & Happy New Year.



Kelly Rivers.

(note: all pictures are courtesy of imdb.com)

Narnia: Kingdom of Boredom

I never thought I would say this as I have been waiting to watch Narnia since June, but here goes, Narnia is a tat too slow moving…almost crossing the boundaries to the Kingdom of Boredom … Yes, I remember looking at my watch 3 times during the first hour. This is another 2.5 hour movie which is a Value-For-Money type of film. Lately, directors are fond of long winded shows (perhaps thinking LOTR’s success is measured by the length of film used) without realizing that paying too much to details is the major downfall of a great epic. Or maybe the price of film has dropped due to digital filming. Well, maybe New Zealand directors are long winded (Both Narnia’s director Andrew Adamson (also directed Shrek and Shrek2) and LOTR’s Peter Jackson are New Zealanders). King Kong is another 3 hour movie! More value for your money to go to the theater!

However, I must give fair compliments to Richard Taylor and his US Weta Workshop Team for his special effects work in creating 60 different species of Narnia inhabitants. The CGI effects are almost flawless as he breathes live into all the characters he produced. Perhaps film makers nowadays are willing to spend a bomb on making detailed film sets and real-life props and costumes with the realization that these film locations and items can be used as a tourist attraction after the movie release.

The casts are good too especially the child actor Georgie Henley as little Lucy Pevensie who is full of emotions in her face and Tilda Swinton (of Constantine fame) as the witch queen, Jadis. The creatures/animals (especial the lion) are also good in showing their emotions too….

The storyline is good too. I have never read the Narnia book series but as the title reveals, the story tells you about The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. In layman’s terms, The Good, The Bad and The Link. As it meant for children viewing (and as per the normal Disney deal), it’s full of good elements such as moral, friendship, family, love, respect, doing the right thing, good triumphs over evil, truth over lies, all the good stuffs. There are body counts (thus it is rated PG for battle scenes) but don’t expect gory blood splashing. Even the dead can come back to live (to encourage doing good and heroic deeds)…. Well, Narnia is indeed a large scale, Christmas movie to spread some magical spirit and cheer to warm our hearts.

The action of this movie starts after 1 hour of boring introduction. After that, the characters of Narnia make fun viewing. Try and see if you can spot King Kong in the set. Yes, King Kong made a cameo appearance in the movie. So more value for money ha ha…

Notice that I mentioned King Kong a lot in my reviews lately. I can’t help it as I am expecting a lot with all the hype about the remake of a 1933 classic. Let’s hope Peter, after spending USD207 million, would carefully paced the much anticipated film and not make the same mistake as Narnia (USD200 million) and Harry Potter(USD150 million).

I will stop here for fear that this will turn into a long-winded review….
Another "long-winded" week ahead?



Kelly Rivers

(note: all pictures are courtesy of imdb.com)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and Goblet of fire….

I remember last year I gave a stupendous review on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I remember being truly entertained by the cleverly directed and produced movie where Harry and friends manipulated time traveling in their adventures and magical quests to save everyone from evil. This time, however, I must say I wasn’t too impressed. Yes the graphics were great. Of course, getting to watch it in THX is even more breathtaking as the experience is truly different. I am not telling a lie when I say I can FEEL the movie. The THX effects were even greater during the King Kong trailer where I could feel the whole cinema shake when King Kong roared, thumped his chest and boy did the cinema rock when T-rex came charging. No kidding, King Kong rocks man…. I can particularly feel the difference as I have watched the trailer like more than 10 times through my 17 inch monitor (thanks to little Bryan who threatens to starve himself if I don’t give in to his request - “I want to watch King Kong again!”). So believe me when I say that it’s a totally different experience watching it in a THX theater.

Ok back to Harry Potter. I am impressed, but 2.5 hours later (yes this movie is longggg), somehow I have forgotten its greatness. I can hardly remember what amazed me in the first place. When I think back, I remember being awed in the beginning. The stadium scenes where the Quidditch World Cup was held, was amazing. And the dragon. That was spectacular too. Don’t worry, I am not giving anything away as all these are already depicted in the trailer. And then the arrival of special guests from other parts of the world. Now all these are already in the trailer but still it was magical. What was not in the trailer is the fact that I somehow associate the Burly Bulgarians (representatives from other parts of the world in the TriWizard Tournament) with Russians coming in a “submarine”. And of course the French Girls (ala Madeline, the little girl in the French convent school) came from the skies in their “planes”. Of course, their transports are not just plane submarines or planes. They are magical. You have to watch the movie to know where the magic is.

Alright, notice that I deliberated on the special effects and diverted entirely from the real movie plot. In fact, I can’t really remember what the movie is really about after 2.5 hours. There are a lot of elements about growing up like friendship, love, helping others, and other morally right stuffs to do. This is a good movie for the youth. Parents should bring their children but note that the movie is rated PG13 in the United States.

Maybe because there are deaths and ghosts involved in this movie but it’s not morbid or bloody or gory. I just found out that Mike Newell is the first English director employed in this Harry Potter series, but that’s not the entire reason why this movie is so long winded. The actual book is long winded with 734 pages so the director actually did a good job in squeezing it into one movie instead of breaking into 2 parts.


Note that there are some parts which may have been censored in the Malaysian theaters. I can’t understand why Hermione cried and scolded Ron during the ball. It seems (I use the word seems as I am not sure) she was upset with Ron for not dating her but there was no love tension between them all along and if it was mentioned in the book, the director certainly did not dwell on that point.

Alright, enough of cheap wizardry talk about the movie. It’s time for you to go and feel the magical THX experience for yourself. It’s the experience that counts…



New Police Story and Resident Evil: The Apocalypse


The New Police Story and Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

As I write the reviews for these 2 movies, I realise that the people who does movies reviews for a living must really be very very passionate about movies and writing. I say this because I find it difficult to write about movies that I am not passionate about. Benny Chan’s The New Police Story and Alexander Witt’s Resident Evil: Apocalypse seems to fall into this category as they don’t seem to leave a deep impression in my mind. I have almost forgotten the plot even though I just watched them yesterday and the day before.


What comes to my mind is that the 2 directors seemed to have shared notes when they made these 2 movies. Both stories are similar in the sense that they are both:
1) sequels,
2) related to computer games,
3) have cops as the main characters,
4) engages in lots of gunshots and explosives and also bare-fist fighting,
5) have dramatic car accident scenes, and
6) displayed elements of the current fashionable vertical “catwalk” stunts where the actresses walk down vertically from the buildings!


Despite the similarities, I must say that both this movie have done a great job in keeping the viewers entertained from the beginning of the movie till the end.


As both are sequels, the leading cast have been retained, i.e. Jackie Chan and Milla Jovovich (can’t help but think she looked like Kylie Minogue). Some of the casts are pretty funny to me, especially in Police Story where I just can’t help but think that Jackie Chan made this movie as a charity towards his “unemployed” friends. The casts for Police Story are all made up of old “has-beens” who hasn’t appeared on the big silver screen for a long time or newbies who can’t land a contract due to various reasons. Having said this, I am not implying that their skills are compromised. Nicholas Tse and DanielWu gave one of their best performances. Cant say the same for Wang Chieh and Charlie Young though.

Nevertheless, it was a good production, with elements of love-hate relationships, friendships and good ethics and moral education (cops always win, so don’t be the bad guys). Of course, the good old fashion Jackie Chan funny fighting styles and jokes are still present but served in small portions. In fact, I think this is the best Jackie Chan movie since Shanghai Noon and perhaps the best Police Story among the 5 sequels (although it would be perfect if Maggie Cheung would make a comeback in this movie). Worthwhile watch at the movies. Definitely no regrets if you open up your mind to accept over-exaggeration (it seems that every Police Story have him stuck in the most impossible situation and yet he just cant die! In this edition, he’s not even hurt nor did he bleed when he ran out of an exploding building). Some may say that the ending is anti-climaxed, but I find the ending where he chatted with the little kid was extremely touching. Shall not reveal too much, go find it out yourself.

I would say that Resident Evil is also a good watch too. Perhaps my views are biased as I have not watched the predecessor. I have always associated Zombie movies with low budget B grade movies (due to bad experience with old zombie movies which was so bad that I can hardly remember their names). However, this movie has changed my perception. Well, yeah, the zombies are still low-tech and the fighting scenes are a bit blur. Nevertheless, the game-concept incorporated into a movie, where the humans have to shoot the zombies in the head to survive each stage, seems pretty new and entertaining to me.

This show gives a glimpse into the possibility of us living in a game-world where certain individuals possess extra powers to fight zombies and aliens that are all out to eat us alive! A very well choreographed movie, which is entertaining if you don’t mind exaggerated storyline. Well, zombies-based movies were never famous for their storylines anyway, it’s the number of zombies that matters and yes, body counts are high with this one. Very violent and not for the under-18s and the weak hearted.

Till the next edition, have a nice weekend at the movies,…

Kelly Rivers. (1 October 2004)

DVD Reviews

DVD reviews 21/9/2004

Anacondas: The Blood Orchid

Slithers in darkness, that’s all I can say about this movie. Totally B-grade. Despite all the signs (the trailer was so obvious that it was B-grade) and warnings (well meaning friends who accidentally watched it), I actually tried to stay impartial and gave this show a chance as Part 1 was quite impressive. This show has not improved one bit from its predecessor and the director, ,thought that he could use the same trick to con our money.

Quick synopsis: A group of scientist discovered that a certain species of orchid (Blood Orchid) from Borneo possess the ingredients for eternal youth and immortality. They went in search of the sacred flower (of course with much difficulty and obstacles) only to find that the Anacondas have discovered it before them. There is some logic to the show where they explained that the Anacondas grew to that size as they just couldn’t die after feeding on the flower (possibly accidentally swallowed the flowers while drinking water or devouring crocodiles), so they continue to grow and grow…. Hmmm… one would wonder why the other animals don’t grow just as big, or why WWF are not worried about the declining animals in Borneo due to increasing Anacondas appetite. Well, I guess we can’t expect much of an answer from a B-Grade movie.

AVP – Alien Vs Predator

Another B-grade movie in my books. Hmm.. possibly due to the low quality DVD that I got for this one. Totally didn’t understand the movie as I expected mega-action. First hour nothing. Second hour… well, a bit of action but I don’t feel it is enough to make up for the 1 hour boredom we went thru. With 2 galactic super-power villains fighting, one would expect fireworks. The only fireworks we saw came from the couple who sat in front of the pirated DVD cameraman. Yes, we could see 2 heads moving while Alien was busy hunting Predators to prove their coming of age. Wait for a clearer DVD before getting this one.

Quick Synopsis: 3 young Predators sets out to kill all the aliens to proof their hunting prowess. which are bred on earth especially for this activity.

Flying Daggers

Impressive Cinematography. Outstanding cast. Excellent dance and martial arts stance. Brilliant animal training and wonderful stunts (just notice how they are able to make horses fall clumsily and yet the stuntmen fall from them gracefully). Watch it only when you have a lot of time to kill.

Mean Girls

Your typical Chick Flick


13 going 30

Better than the average chick flicks. Hmm… at least better than Mean Girls in terms of the storyline. Probably because this is more adult. However, as with every teen movie, it carries a message. Don’t try to grow up beyond your age.

Catwoman

Catwoman for men who fancies feline and panty-lines….



Catwoman is done especially for men. Or for women who likes cat-fights. This is not the high-tech, logical, futuristic, CAT-astrophic type of movie. This may be refreshing as there are already so many of such comic-movies around. I have never read this feline-superheroin comic before so I really don’t know whether they have followed closely to the comic book. It does explain why Catwoman uses a whip though. Ha ha.



This movie highlights catwoman’s purr-fect, voluptuous body - her curvy silhouette, her flat tummy, her firm butt (especially this) and her special sexy wriggle as she walks in her kinky tight leather suit. Also highlights her extremely white teeth. I think most men came out thinking this movie is really value-for-money as you get 2 for the price of one, Sharon Stone and Halle Berry. Sharon Stone still looks gorgeous at 50, and somehow the storyline seems to be made just for her. She carries her character as an aging, bitter, forsaken, has-been model-cum-wife of Beau-line Conglomerate President (played by Lambert Wilson – The Frenchman in Matrix). She becomes hard (both physically and emotionally) after years of loneliness and dealing with her husband’s philandering ways.



Interestingly funny but some parts (either due to censorship or Pitof’s bad directing) were not explained and left us guessing. Like the part where Wilson tries to slap Stone and the next scene you see is a smiling, painless, "stoney" face while the Wilson was holding his hand, whimpering in pain. No explanation to why and I thought she was an alien with special powers that can telekinetically stop him from slapping her! Only later did I found out from my friends in US that he actually did slap her.



The guys in the movie play supporting roles, so you know this is a girl-power movie. I cannot help but feel that this is a mild X-rated movie, especially with the basketball scene. How could they do a mating-dance-ritual right in front of kindergarten kids? Well, maybe it’s trying to show what cats usually do when in heat (no not play basketball, I meant tease each other in public!). The scenes of how she always land on her feet is pretty good but somehow some of the scenes reflects some jerky CGI combination. Well, maybe it’s not that noticeable as my movie partner could not spot it (probably distracted by Halle Berry’s firm butt! They show this quite a lot!). There’s a couple of scenes which gives you a glimpse of what a cat sees when running and jumping in high speed which is a different cinematography style that I like. It also provides some insights to cat’s senses and reflexes. Watch out for CAT-chy taglines and witty one-liners such as, "What’s the matter, cat’s got your tongue?"



Well, to me this show is nothing much to "caterwaul" about. Still it’s a fun-to-watch movie as it let you decide whether this feline hero is a friend or a foe (Batman thinks she’s a foe but her policeman boyfriend definitely thinks she’s more than a friend!!!). Leave logic behind when you CAT-ch this movie. I am "SORRY", but excuse me now while I go down to Beach Club to order "



White Russian, no ice, no vodka... and hold the Kahlua." [For those who didn’t catch this feline joke, it means I am ordering MILK]. MEOW….!!! (that’s ciao in Cat Language)



Movie Reviews

LAST SAMURAI

Watched Last Samurai yesterday and cant help comparing it to Patriot, Braveheart and Lord of the rings all at the same time... It's really good tho... probably due to the fact that I didn’t expect much from this show but it gave me more than my money's worth of entertainment and knowledge...

This show gives a glimpse of Japanese culture which I have always took interest in... and the fact that the fighting scenes are similar (but not obvious to the naked eye) to that of Lord of the Rings, (Did I tell u that I have been bitten by the LOTR bug?) makes it worth watching... There's one scene where a Japanese kid was shooting arrows much like Legolas in LOTR. His style, the cinematography, his actions, his character... so like Legolas... And of course the elves and their arrows are being copied in this show but it's not obvious until someone tells you of the similarity ahahaha... Not to mention the battle field scenes (Forth Eorlingas!) which may have been copied from Braveheart and The Patriot…

Ken Watanabe carries his character well. Of course Tom Cruise is as good looking and stylish as he always has been... :) He's just so good looking... gosh cant get enough of him!! And the lead actress (Japanese, Yuki, I think), possess features similar to Penelope Cruz... hmmm and you wonder why, huh? Hahahah..

It's a good watch. Give this show a chance if you can. A long show, 2.5 hours, so prepare yourself. Don’t let the washroom trips spoil it.




A weekend at the movies – HellBoy aka Super Sapien.

I write this with my heart full of guilt and remorse. I am taking time off from my hectic schedules of work and assignments to do this. Yet I just had to compliment what director, Guillermo del Toro (Blade 2), have done with Hellboy. Well, although the ending was pretty weak, it was, all in all a very good show.

Well, do I hear someone saying, “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” I must agree that somehow one would relate this movie with other comic flicks such as X-men and Spawn but this one is different as it does not give much explanation or story behind each character they presented. It is action and more action right from the start. Unlike the rest of those comic movies which kills the movie with too much story and too little action (The Hulk). This movie is definitely for the action-flick fans. There is a bit of romance but do not expect fireworks.

Hmmm… notice I didn’t make any comparison with Spiderman. I have special sentimental inclinations toward that arachnid hero so my opinions may be biased. Spidey’s stories (esp the love story) and villains will win this show hands down. I can almost confirm that by just watching the trailer alone. So my Spidey comparisons are not counted.

Hellboy kept me on the edge of my seat right from the start… no not because someone tall sat in front of me… haha but because of the action and fighting scenes right from the start. Me being an action sci-fi movie fan, did not want to miss out on any of the action! Talk about being Kiasu ahahah.

And the villains are just as supernormal and powerful, which makes it a good watch. Don’t bat your eyelids during the fancy swords play. The battle is much more reasonable when you fight supernatural powers with supernatural powers. Don’t you hate it when you watch Ultraman and you keep seeing the Japanese police firing normal bullets at the “Raksaksa”, well knowing that it does not and will not even hurt the monster a bit.

The stars are all new (well to me they are… don’t know any of them except for the girl “sapien”, Liz Sherman whom I have seen in another ghost movie) but did a great job in bringing out the characters that they play as there wasn’t much avenue in the movie for them to build each character.

Well, to conclude, this show is not inspiring, not romantic, not touching, not new… but offers good entertainment with superb action scenes. The ending is pretty anti-climax given the actions right from the beginning gave so much impact to the audience. Definitely not a let-down for action-movie and comic-movie lovers. Hmm… but if you missed this one, there’ll be more to come this year, like Van Helsing, Day after Tomorrow, Riddick, X-men 3 and of course Spiderman 2. Spoilt for choice huh… ?? J Well, I’ll leave it to you to choose.



Day After Tomorrow Movie Review - Where will you be?.

Ok, they've got a pretty catchy title… "Day After Tomorrow… where will you be?" In fact, this catchy line allowed my movie partner to get away with silly decisions! I forgave him for insisting on getting side seats instead of the strategic middle seats which the ticket attendant had offered us. He reasoned that we must plan ahead in the event of any disaster… thus getting side seats will allow us easy escape. He said, “In case of fire, ‘where will you be’???” hahahaha…

Well, I guess most of us had been waiting eagerly for this movie in view of all the commercials. Furthermore, cinemas has taken this opportunity to increase the ticket price in anticipation of high demand (it’s a whopping RM13 for GSC and RM11 for TGV – even more expensive than LOTR!). As such, you really can’t blame me for having high expectations for this movie. Hey, after LOTR and all the other disaster movies, you really can’t churn out a B grade movie and expect to have a runaway success with it! Hmmm…. The movie makers of this movie were probably praying for such miracle when they produced it.


In my opinion, this movie is the kind of movie that the Hallmark channel would broadcast or probably HBO in two years time (if they get a good bargain for it!). The action which was promised by the trailer is really exactly as promised… nothing more than that! The trailer has already shown all the disaster scenes from the movie itself, so don’t expect more! The additional “footages” are really too short to make any impact. They would’ve done much better if they had “elaborated” on the disasters that happened around the world. For example, the hail scene in Japan gave an impression that this show was done in a hurry, where the whole disaster didn’t leave much impact on the viewers. Comparing to other disaster movies such as “Deep Impact” or “Dante’s Peak”, where the fear and the anxiety of the disaster victims were clearly expressed, you can almost feel their terror and pain.

Well, to be fair, it definitely has some good points.. (There really isn’t much actually). It’s an informative documentary which serves to remind ppl not to wait till the day after tomorrow to save the environment. Also provide some eye-opening insights on weather forecasting (now you know that it’s scientific and not just dependent on the weatherman’s arthritis or rheumatism!). The show also teaches you a trick or two on how to keep warm if you’re out in the streets (by insulating with newspapers! haha!). Another interesting thing is the fact that you need special shoes to walk on snow/ice. I remember my cousin tying badminton rackets onto his legs to show me how he was trying to walk on snow after watching some cartoons on TV! Amazing what kids learn from TV and movies ahahah.

Casting is ok considering this kind of disaster movie must definitely have some scenes to tug your heartstring a little with pictures stranded loved ones, helpless little children and lost lives (not elaborate enough in this area to really make an impact). Dennis Quaid and wife did a good job in bringing out some realistic feelings about being parents but it didn’t really make a deep impression. Their son, Sam (Jake Cyllenhaal) and friends also did a good job in trying to simulate fear and anxiety among children. Other than that, not much character building.

This movie makes you leave the cinema feeling inadequate. Definitely lack the Ompphh which everyone had been looking forward to. Furthermore, you may find some familiar scenes borrowed from other movies such as Vertical Limits (falling into Wal-Mart) and Jurassic Park(the kids with the wolves in the kitchen). The director didn’t make any effort in improving these scenes, making you feel that this show had been running on a low budget. I am sure they know that ppl would make comparison especially when the similarity is so obvious!

If you are thinking of wrestling the crowd for a ticket, I suggest you spend your time and effort on other movies (Harry Potter, van Helsing, Troy, Spiderman etc). Or maybe you can wait for the sequel call "Week After Next?" haha.





Troy - a review better late than never....

First I need to apologize to those whom I have led to believe that Troy was based on a true story. Well, it isn’t. After finally catching hold of my walking history book (my brother – difficult to locate him without my Marauder’s Map) and clarifying the myth and legends of ancient Greece, I found that the great Epic Troy was based on a great Greek legend and poem (The Illiad by blind poet, Homer). It’s worthy to note that archaeologists did manage to find the remains of Troy but no real historic proof was found to back this legend.

Nevertheless, this show has all the elements of a great blockbuster movie. Unconditional family love, passionate romance, anger, jealousy, betrayal, revenge, fiery fighting, unforgettable scenery, talented director, coveted superstars, heroic plot based on a great legend, appropriate moral, you name it, they’ve got it… Just wonder why they are still not making much profit from the show. Probably Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom’s pay took a big cut off the marketing budget.

Wolfgang Peterson made a pretty good movie in the sense that every character was developed accordingly. Each and every cast have their roles, each equally important (although their screen time may be short but they are important). Without any of them, the show would have been incomplete. It goes to show that “Every dog will have his day, every kelefe will get his pay” ahahahah.. No, the moral of the story is that no matter how insignificant you think you are in this world, you actually hold an important role without realizing it.

For example, Hector (Eric Bana) may seem the stronger brother but it is the weak but passionate Paris (Bloom) who finally killed the strongest greek, Achilles (Brad Pitt). Another example would be Briseis, who seemed like a weak prayer girl, but she is the one who finally stopped the evil Greek ruler, Argamemnon. Furthermore, King Priam, who seemed to have made all the wrong decisions based on God signs (gosh, I dare not mock the the powerful Greek Gods) but it is he who fearlessly face Achilles to bring Hector back for a noble Greek burial ceremony.

Oh, in case you wonder why the 2 gold coins are placed on the dead greek’s eyes during burial, they serve as the ferryman fees to allow them to cross the River Styx (river of the dead). Intimidating “ferrymen” (called Charon) will bring the “newly dead” souls across river Styx for a fee, to bring them to Hades (the god of Underworld). The Charon will not bring anyone to Hades without the fee, and the poor soul will be doomed to wander around that side of the riverbank for eternity (or until they found the Pauper’s entrance to Hades or unless you have a manacing glance of Heracles).

Ok, sorry for sidetracking…. Anyway Troy is a very good show, too good to miss. Although much was censored in the movies (like gory scenes when Achilles brutally killed the Trojan soldiers, or when he undress – (drool… heehehheh)), it is still a really good 3 hour movie. Apt for Father’s day as it depict the heavy burden that men have to carry in order to defend their country, their family, their woman, their dignity. (Female viewers please bring along lots of tissues). Also show how men can sacrifice anything for the love of their children.

Troy reminds us of the meaning of love and HONOUR, which is almost lost in our modern world. It also asks us not to underestimate the power of God (but not to overdo it either).

This great epic tends to remind us not to underestimate our enemies and not to be over arrogant when you are powerful. This is true considering Greece was one of the most powerful and feared civilizations of the world but has since become one of the poorest nations. Nevertheless, Greece remains as one the richest country with its countless myths and legends – something which we may want to pass on to our children and grandchildren in order not to lose the lessons and moral that each legends brings.

One of the greatest feedback that I have heard is that this show is one of the best movie ever made in the last 3 years. Well, this person doesn’t really like LOTR, so I guess a more appropriate remark will be best movie made after LOTR. (cant help it, I am a LOTR fan)… J Give this a try before they stop screening this show.

Oh, before I go, you may think Achilles death as a bit too fake and too unspectacular so to speak, considering his great powers. Let me explain. He is supposed to be immortal as he was soaked in River Styx to wash away his mortality. However, his heel, which was held by Achilles mother during the soak, did not get to touch the water and thus, is his only weak point. Thus, when Paris’ arrow strike Achilles heel, his fate was sealed.

Have a good movie weekend, Sa Gar Bo… J (Greek for I love you.. )

Harry Potter 3– Prisoner of Azkaban

With the assignments all done, I have some time to indulge with my current 2 favourite hobbies-movies and writing. (boring u more like it eh??) haha. Well, if you think my masterpiece is hogging up your mailbox space and boring you to your wits, kindly tell me so. I will dejectedly remove you from my mailing list.

Ok, this week has been a movie marathon week. Watched 2 great shows so far (it’s only Wednesday!) and about to catch another tomorrow night if time permits. Let’s start off with `Harry Potter 3 – Prisoner of Azkaban. Really good movie. A bit spooky for the kids though especially with the night bus and the talking head. Still, I am sure adults will enjoy this as much as the kids.

I thought that this is a very very good improvement from the second installment. Perhaps Chris Columbus passing the baton to the new director Alfonso Cuaron was a brilliant idea. Very good story line. Kudos to JK Rowling for churning out wonderful adventures and stimulating stories for kids and adults. Very good graphics, very good sceneries (Scotland is such a beautiful serene place), very good actions (kept me at the edge of my seat), very good adventures within adventures, very good plot. Yes, I love every magical feel good moment that it brings. I found myself smiling while watching the show, probably coz it helps realize our childhood fantasies. Amazing what the big screen can do to our emotions!


However, I still receive some bad reviews about this movie. Mostly to do with the speedy explanation of each new term that they introduce like Hippogriffs, Boggart, Marauder’s map, Shrieking Shack, animagus, Patronus Charms, Dementors etc…. Well, if you are the type who scrutinize every word they say and insist on logic to every bit of the plot, then you won’t enjoy this movie very much. Children (including those who refuse to grow up) learns fast and thus will enjoy the movie as they wont be too bothered with all the technicalities.

Hmmm… Telling you anymore will be giving the surprise away. Go watch this movie, it’s worth every penny. Watch out for the various “interactive” scenes where you can see many things happening (in the background) to many people, all in just one scene. Till the next installment, Mischief Managed!

Spiderman 2

The Amazing Spiderman, My Hero.





4th July 2004





I love him… I LOVE HIM… I LOOOVEEE HImmmm wheeoooooo…….. Who is he??? No, not Jerry McGuire… He’s SPIDERMAN!!! Yes, he didn’t disappoint me just as he never meant to disappoint MJ… no not Michael Jackson (who’s innocent by the way) but Mary Jane Watson! This show is superb - out of this world! Amazing! Forget the rest of the shows if you haven’t got the time to watch them all. This is a must watch!





Sam Raimi (director of Evil Dead) have done an excellent job in bringing out the best of Spidey (observe his movement and his poses) and his capabilities (spider-sense, strength, reflex and speed). And Raimi has also depicted Peter Parker’s turbulent life very well. Also developed all the characters very well, especially Aunt May to show that she’s a non-greedy (bank scene), fair (note the Spidey vs. Dr. Octopus with Aunt May fighting scene), kind-hearted, but lonely old lady. The cast were all great except for Kristen Dunst. Yes, no doubt she’s a great actress, but she’s just not suited for the role! The Mary Jane that I know had a thin oval face and perfect red hair that flows in soft bouncy curls (much like Nicole Kidman’s in Batman Returns but it is red instead of blond). Well, they could’ve made her hair red as in the first episode!!

















The Marvel Comic



Mary Jane

Kristen Dunst in Spidey 1

Kristen Dunst in Spidey 2

















Ok, my reviews may be a little biased as I read a lot of his comics in my adolescence years. I will recommend this Marvel Comic to kids anytime as it promotes all the good moral stuffs (with parent guidance for kids below 18 as it contains some violence). It tells you to be kind and do the right thing even though it doesn’t bring any rewards and may even land you in trouble or kill you (as you can see in Uncle Ben’s death in Spidey 1). Kind of apt especially in this time and day when crimes have become so rampant that villains have become so bold due to the lack of a Superhero!





Actually, the show made me realize that we are indeed living in a selfish and cruel world with crimes happening even now as you read this! Where have all the Superheroes gone??? Perhaps they have all “chosen not to give up their dreams and not to do the right thing”? Well, Spiderman creates hope especially for those who think that they are “losers” or “wimps”. Hopefully it rekindles the unselfish superhero in all of us so that we don’t turn a blind eye to the needy. As Aunt May said, “I believe there's a hero in all of us. Gives us strength, makes us noble. Even though sometimes, we have to give up the thing we want the most.





Despite all of the good points of the film, some die-hard fans will find a few changes and flaws with the characters and story as compared to the comics. For one thing, the story revolves around Parker's obsession with Mary-Jane who in the comics he does not encounter until long after Gwen Stacy is gone. Mary-Jane's character has also changed and is not portrayed as the hot-chic-with-attitude from the comic books. Instead, what the writers decided to do was combine Gwen-Stacy and Mary-Jane's characters together to make the storyline work. Spiderman also shoots webbing directly from his wrists instead of from a web shooter. This is more convenient for the writers and still believable given the rest of his powers.





Well, all in all, it’s a really good movie made. Almost perfect CGI (Computer Graphics Interface). Can’t have enough of it – I think I will have to catch it again in THX (due to the difficulty in getting tickets, I make do with Dolby Sound System). The soundtrack is worth checking out too! Go catch him, before he gives up being Spider-Man.













Star Wars: Episode 3.

Star Wars – Episode 3.





Hmmm… it’s 12:43am now and the Star Wars effect still hasn’t worn off (watched the 8:45pm movie courtesy of Computer Associates). Not to say that it was a great movie, but somehow it leaves an impression in my feeble mind. “Oh I pledge my soul to you Master Chancellor… Bestow upon me your powers to control death, and I shall control my fear, (and you) and rule the world!…” haha… This is the part that wasn’t developed too well. It was like Anakin’s so weak and the Ugly Palpatine need not do anything to control him. Maybe Lucas was trying to give the impression that Anakin is evil within and it doesn’t takes much to turn him into the “dark side” as he was a willing victim. Just as Padme was “willing to give up her life”. Well, who wouldn’t feel like dying right after giving birth to twins… haha… Imagine having to do all the hard work with a robot and a 200-year-old man and while you’re pushing, you have to think of appropriate names for the babies. Amazingly, she could still calmly name her babies one by one as they were brought out from her womb. It was like,





Obi Wan: “It’s a girl.”



Padme: “Leia.” And continue to scream to bring the other twin into the world.



Obi Wan: “This one’s a boy.”



Padme: “Luke.” And then proceed to die, of course after enriching Obi-Wan with some important parting wise words.





Well, Lucas tries to appeal to both sexes by making it an extremely tragic love story for the girls and extremely great gadget/sci-fi/robots movies for the boys. However, I really can’t feel the love or passion in this movie. Nor do I feel disturbed when the Jedis were brutally slaughtered. Maybe it was horrible to watch the carnage of the “Younglings”, but luckily it wasn’t shown nor was there any bloodshed like that of Kill Bill.





Anyway, as I watched the show, I can’t help but analyse what kind of message is Lucas trying to send. The obvious one is the good vs evil; where no matter how much good training you’ve undergone, power, lust, fear, can make you weak and send you towards evil.





It also seems to project that love is the root of all evil! This is clearly shown where Anakin sold his soul mainly out of love for Padme and not wanting her to die like his beloved mother. Even the Jedi Masters train their Young Padawan (in a dialogue between Yoda and Anakin) not to have feelings as this will make the Jedi weak. This is equivalent to monks/priests in our world. So now you know where all the good men have gone… to Shaolin Monastery everyone. Ha ha just joking.





Well, let’s not overanalyze here. Let’s just sit back, pop the popcorns, sip the coke and enjoy Lucas’s lifetime masterpiece. I really admire Lucas’s vision for he thought of this during the 70s where robots, lasers, space exploration was really “Beyond 2000”. Now that we’ve already gone beyond year 2000, some of these robots have been actually been built and used to serve humans, i.e. robots that can help fix spaceships or other robots, or robots that can help with the housework etc.





In this concluding episode, the final piece of jigsaw puzzle in the whole Hex-logy, Lucas has cleverly bridge all the gaps from this current trilogy to the next trilogy, like how Anakin became Darth Vader, how Luke and Leia got separated, and why the Emperor has such an ugly face etc… Ah… now we feel complete… May the force be with us all!







Kelly Rivers



1:45am (9 June 2005)

Fantastic 4

I watched F4 on Discount Wednesday (27 July 2005), it was a fun movie to watch especially Torch and Ben! The cast are nothing to shout about esp Mr Fantastic as his acting is too "stiff" - he should be more "flexible" hahahaha. The love-hate tension between Reed Richards (Ian Gruffudd) and Susan Storm (Jessica Alba) is totally unfelt.. somewhat "invisible" hahahaha. However, the action is superb. I like this show because it doesn't have much dialogue. Mostly witty one liners, which brings at least a smile. Some of the scenes are really funny especially when Mr. Fantastic goes into action with his plastic body.



Of course, Human Torch (Chris Evans) steals the show with his youthful innocence and buoyancy. This is a nicely paced movie that carefully develop each of the characters; the most powerful being the villain, Dr.Victor von Doom (Julian McMahon). Action is abundance to show-off each of their new found super powers. It's comical to watch how they learn to use their super strength - esp when Susan says, "Look at Me!" but she goes invisible. It's sooo apt to depict those "old" couples where they don't "see" each other anymore.... Hahaha...



Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) is the best actor here where his "grim" future is clearly shown through those rocky undulations on his "The Thing" face. I liked how they show that he has only 3 fingers and point out that he doesn't have any ears. Director Tim Story really follow closely to the comics and makes the whole show feels like you're reading one...it's an extremely enjoyable show and I highly recommend it.



Oh oh, I find that the show is extremely similar to Incredibles. Ben being Mr. Incredible, Invisible Girl is Violet, and Mr. Fantastic is mimicked by Elasticgirl. Human Torch would be similar to Jack Jack who can turn himself into anything including fire. Of course this is real life while that's just a cartoon but I can’t help but compare.. J Nowadays movies are all made by computer graphics anyway..


War of The Worlds

Hmmm… How do you write the review of a movie that you shouldn’t reveal too much for you to truly enjoy the show? This is exactly what Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise had in mind when they market the movie. Notice that there aren’t much advertisements for this movie. The trailer is kept short and simple, and they show their 2 most important assets: Spielberg’s name and Tom Cruise face. And a catchy title sure helps.





Well, I hate movies with little or no emphasis on logic and directors who do not pay attention to details. However, I love Spielberg and Tom. They have never failed to entertain me. I received bad reviews before I watched this movie. But then I thought Spielberg cannot be that bad. Well, let’s just say the story sucks. Big time. It seems like the world died except for Tom Cruise and his family. Wherever they were going, it seems like they were the only people around.





How come no one else when that way? Not one single person in the whole catastrophic town goes/swim/walk that way?” you’ll find yourself asking questions like this. How come cameras still work when everything else is broken down? How the hell did the son survived? These are only some questions that Spielberg care not to answer. There are tons of them along the way… from the beginning till the end. And some of the people left the theater without understanding what Morgan Freeman was narrating about. Well, as my movie partner says, “Why do they always use him as the narrator? He has such a boring voice.” Ha ha.





But that’s about the only boring parts of the movie, the narration. Besides that and the illogical storyline, the effects are really superb. In fact it kept me at the edge of my seat and my adrenalin pumping the whole 2 hours of the show. I risk having prostate problems just for this show as I don’t want to miss a single second of the special effects. Yes it was the CGI that I didn’t want to miss. It’s like every other second, a new effect was coming. I really lost myself in the movie and there are some scenes which are quite disturbing and warrant some self reflection. Scenes like how humans can become overwhelmed by fear and is capable of killing each other just to protect their own/families’ lives really hits hard on me. The casts, especially the little girl (Dakota Fanning) are good, but has no serious impact on the show. It’s the effects that should make it successful.





Well, the only explanation I have for Spielberg’s not letting Robbie (Tom is NOT Robbie... who is he? Well, you have to watch to find out) die is because he wants to make it a U-rated family movie. And they don’t show gory killing scenes but be prepared for a lot of blood… hahaha… But watch it for the special effects. My RM10 is well spent. Just forget logic and assume that everyone else is hiding in their basement for 2 hours… Well, I didn’t mind missing 5 minutes of Star wars to go to the ladies, but I risked a urinary tract infection for WOTW. Hmm.. the title of the movie is just to lure you to watch the movie. It’s not really a war, more of an invasion… of what?? Well, go watch the movie to find out. Wont be fun if I told you.. J

















Mr. & Mrs Smith

I have not watched a good, hilarious, star-studded, action-packed and meaningful movie in a lonngggg while. Movies nowadays are either this or that. But Mr. and Mrs. Smith seems to be the exactly the kind of movie that I would describe as TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT. It is THE kind of movie that I like. And the cast could not have been better. You can actually feel what’s going on in their minds by just looking at their expression/actions. They really didn’t waste their millions in hiring these 2 sexy artistes.



The storyline is simple and it revolves around a married couple who are having trouble with their marriage as they realized that each have kept secrets from each other. Yet the director can make it to be sooo amusing and entertaining, I can’t help but give it a Perfect 10. I usually am very reserve in giving a Perfect 10… but this show takes the cake. Perfect storyboarding, the director takes the show nicely from start till the end. Perfect timing too as there was never a boring moment in the show. Each scene was important in bringing out the emotions and tension that the moment requires and it carries over to the next scene perfectly. The first thing my movie partner asked me when we went into the cinema was, “Do you think Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are a good match?” Well, I couldn’t answer but I thought they were both sexy enough for each other. During the show though, I realized that that is exactly what the show wants us to see and feel. That this two are not entirely a perfect match (although Mrs. Smith aspire the marriage to be perfect), but are together nonetheless (because of love?). And the show also tells us that all marriages have problems, be it big or small, as 2 persons can never be the same no matter how similar they are. Marriages need some working out and communication, truthfulness and sex are the recipe to a good marriage – well at least that’s what the show tells us.



I shall not reveal more as that will just kill the surprise… just sit in and enjoy the movie. TOTALLY ENTERTAINING…It’s just PERFECT.