LAST SAMURAI
Watched Last Samurai yesterday and can’t 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!
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!
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