AngelstarChristy's Xanga

P2

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:07:32 GMT

The movie's synopsis was a thrilling read when I saw it on one of the posters advertising its due release last year. Unfortunately, I only managed to watch it a fortnight ago despite my enthusiasm and high anticipation for the movie last year because, well, I just missed it and it doesn't matter as I have finally watched it and what do I think?I find the movie really good; despite the 2-star cast which was probably the reason the lack of popularity of this movie. All the same, I find this movie really entertaining and really am amazed at how such a simple storyline could be turned into an exciting 2-hour roll.Christmas season; and it's the eve of Christmas, 24th December and everyone's looking forward to get home for the holiday season to celebrate the joyous occasion.Rachel Nichols is Angela Bridges; a businesswoman who also coincides with the word workaholic. She slaves her Christmas Eve away and was the last to leave the office to be home for dinner with her family.When she finally reaches the car park to her car, it was bad news that her car wouldn't start. It was even worse that the whole car park was deserted and she was unable to receive a signal on her cell phone.She was surprised and doubtful when Thomas (Wes Bentley) came to her aid and invited her for dinner at the guard's office and she politely declined his offer, stating that she has plans with her family.When Angela was unable to get help from the building's security, she had to make her way back to the car park and she was knocked out where she found herself tied to a chair in Thomas's office; and she was all dressed up in a dress in front of a dining table and Thomas, the security guard was proposing a toast.She pleads for her freedom and when her pleas fell on deaf ears, she screamed bloody murder and planned her own escape.She soon found out that this was all planned and that her car's breakdown was no accident. In fact, this Thomas guy has been observing her for months on what I should call an obsessive infatuation and he went to the extent of ramming the car into the guy whom he thought took advantage of her in the elevator months ago, and he did that in front of her very eyes!~The whole movie was a race against time to get out of the carpark and the guard's office on level P2 which proved to be futile since it's Christmas's Eve and no one's working!Even the cops who came over to check the place out left; much to her despair.Anyway, as how all things come to an end, the movie did have a rather pleasant and much anticipated ending which left a huge relief in the audience when Angela finally managed to outwit Thomas and even killed him in defense and left that horrifying car park in her long long journey home.I liked the suspense created in the movie and how the director and scriptwriter just kept building the intense moments and the muffled screams in me, as I bite into my pillow and wished that Thomas could never find her and kept on wishing for the sweet and happy start of the movie.Rachel Nichols did a brilliant job as a frustrated and distressed woman who was also terrified at the same time and Wes Bentley, gosh, if I had that same poker, I would knock his head out with it.And that dog....sorry to all the dog lovers, he was way too noisy and annoying in the movie. It's not his fault anyway, but he had a bad and lousy owner!If you are feeling bored and really wanna learn a trick or two about getting out of a car park and not staying late after work, give this movie a try:)Rating: 4 out of 5I still have the creeps of going down to the car park!And I love the white halter dress Rachel wore; she looked really hot in it too;)

The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 04:00:32 GMT

The third installation of The Mummy was very much anticipated by fans following the high success of the first 2 prequels. I am in a neutral position to provide my opinion on this movie since I did not watch the first 2 installations.(Yes, you didn't read that wrongly, I didn't watch Mummy 1 and 2)Anyway, I was neither receptive nor reluctant to watch this movie and sat through the whole time of this movie; okay, with certain looking away at some scenes.Guess you already predicted my verdict of this movie...The movie was again written with a simple concept; Brendan Fraser and wife (Maria Bello, in place of Rachel Weisz) has since retired from mummy hunting and archaeology expeditions. However, when approached to take on a mission to deliver a priceless gem to China, they took it up almost immediately and then they were faced with the prospect of fighting off the possibility of the resurrection of the China emperor.Jet Li played the tyrannical emperor Han in China who conquered many of his enemies and had them build the Great Wall of China; many of whom died and was buried along with the establishment of the structure. (I suspect that this was a mimic story of Shih Huang Ti).Emperor Han was so consumed by his authority but he was also bothered by the fact of death and aging and thus sought the help of a famous witch/healer, Zi Yuan (played by Michelle Yeoh) who possess the knowledge to immortality.He had eyes for Zi Yuan and planned to have her for himself; sending his best general; Ming to accompany her on the mission - and Ming and Zi Yuan fell deeply in love with each other; further enraging Han who ordered for Ming's death through the dragging of the horses.Out of hatred and spite, Zi Yuan cursed the spell of immortality and turned Han and his army into terracotta. Han vows to resurrects and rules over mankind.Brendan's son, Alex (played by Luke Ford) stumbles upon the emperor's tomb and was attacked by a Chinese woman (played by Isabella Leong). She was Lin, the daughter of Zi Yuan and the late General Ming. She led them to her mother and they revealed they were immortals. Together, they teamed up to fight against the evil tyrant king from resurrection. This film was banned from release in China; as it was believed to defame the grand first emperor of China. Han was a depiction of the famous Shih Huang Ti who instructed the construction of the Great Wall of China. Furthermore, the film documented the cruel act of slavery and burial of the workers on the Great Wall.I found the movie interesting in certain aspect but yet, in general, it was rather dull in the script and nothing to shout about.Jet Li was the wrong guy to play the tyrant emperor as he did not have that pair of wicked eyes or rather, the posture of a villain. Anthony Wong Chau Sang, who played General Yang was in my opinion a much better candidate to play the emperor.Michelle Yeoh (or Datuk Yeoh) was as usual at her calm and consistent performing posture and did not fail to impress viewers with her believable witch Zi Yuan who had the vast knowledge of immortality.Overall, I found it rather disappointing for such a highly-acclaimed movie and I heard the same from the previous Mummy fans.Rating: 3 out of 5

Disney's WALL-E

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:30:20 GMT

The latest accomplishment of Disney's Pixar studios, Wall-E was again on my list of must-watch; me being the typical Disney fan.Initially I was rather distracted by the notion of the movie which centered on the story of the recycling robot machine and it made me think of the interesting points which can make a 2-hour movie out of this.**Yeah, I am not exactly a big fan of sci-fi and robot-ralated stuffs**However, I still decide to watch it despite the ringing doubt in my mind and I can tell you, I was once again impressed by the whole movie.(Disney never disappoint me once!)I am not going to write a whole long review of the movie; it is boring to some and length to the rest. So I will put up a short review of the movie and what I thought of the movie (be prepared for a positive note though!;)It has a really simple storyline; and it started off with a view of the earth which was set in a yellow brownish atmosphere. There was no living being in sight; except for a running cockcroach and the magnetic sound of this working robot which collects trash and compresses them into a compact form to be used for recycling.Wall-E was the only one left in existence and he constantly needs to recharge himself using the strong solar energy.(Really realistic with a futuristic twist)He soon realized he was not alone when another robot arrived in a huge spaceship and was intent on destruction by shooting laser at everywhere it goes.Known as Eve, Wall-E soon made friends with this robot who seemed to be searching for something in particular with directive from her superior and was suspicious at almost everything.When Wall-E found a plant which he believed can cheer Eve, he was shocked to see the blinking excitement in robot Eve and she became motionless. Wall-E was depressed when he could not revive Eve. By the way, Wall-E had developed strong feelings for Eve and longed for a simple hold of her robotic hand.(This part did baffle me when robots can have feelings for each other...haha...but I accepted it since this is a Disney animation anyway)Anyway the story continues when Wall-E, in a desperate attempt to rescue Eve found himself transported to outer space in the spaceship and found that the planet there was inhabited by human beings.Correction: lazy and overweight human beings who indulged themselves in organized and pre-programmed activities everyday and also staring at a flat screen each day for communication.Futuristic idea!In fact, the human beings there were there due to the unlivable condition of planet Earth which was piled with trash.Eve's task was to search for a living being to ascertain whether the Earth is still livable. The plant was the sign and this created havoc among the robotic beings/outer beings with human when the humans revolt and wanted to return to earth which was disapproved by the robots.It was an interesting quest and how human beings started fighting for their own rights.Of course, being a Disney movie, it ended on a happy note!I loved the idea of this movie as it really was educational in the sense that the producers were trying to send across the message of the importance of recycling and the unity of people in protecting the planet earth in times of rapid development progress.I really liked it and I think children and adults alike should give this movie a go to educate themselves on the invasion of technology and development and the effects in the future.Again, a BIG applause to Disney and Pixar and thumbs up!!Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Devil Beside You

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:44:29 GMT

Devil Beside You, may I say, is just a replica of the famous Meteor Garden. I am sure many of you Taiwanese drama lovers have noticed the countless similarities between the two comedy-romance categorized series in terms of the character casting, development and duh, even the way they speak.In this series, it was normal girl has a crush on nice boy and decide to confess her feelings to him. Then she made a mistake and ended up being blackmailed by bad boy. After a few incidents with bad boy, she decides she doesn't like good guy anymore and that she had fallen in love with bad boy. Problem is, she thinks bad boy may like her too but she is unsure. Then things become complicated when bad boy is supposed to be her new stepbrother (her mom re-marries and it's bad boy's father).Then bad boy and good girl decides to be together in a relationship where they need to hide it in secret as the family will disapprove of this "incest-like" relationship. Furthermore, girl is older than bad boy.Then create more plot where good girl told mum and stepdad and then mum got cross but gave her blessing because she doesn't think it's wrong after one night's consideration after the confession. And thicken the plot, mum gets pregnant with stepdad's child, which means either mum and stepdad should separate or girl and boy separate; to avoid real incest-relationships within family. However, they worked it out.Scriptwriter is not happy, and wants to add climax to the story before it ends.Bad boy's biological mother turns up and wants to see bad boy; then wants bad boy to return to Italy with her and his brother to live as a family as mother told him that she was forced to abandon him as a child due to the pressure exerted by his grandmother and father. Bad boy who hated his mother previously suddenly decides he wants to leave for Italy with his mum to try living with his mum and decides to leave good girl whom he professed he loved very much from Episode 1.Then good girl cries, friends slap bad boy and bad boy had one night stand with good girl. Then bad boy left. After few years, bad boy returns and the end.Now, what kind of storyline do you see that as?My comment, I found that rather garbage-like. Seriously!~ I mean, how corny can Taiwanese dramas get these days? (Forgive my rash and outright description which may be offensive)Okay, I am not blogging to trash it like anything, in fact, I do admit I finished watching the drama (it is my style to finish watching once I start anyway).However, I have to say, I am not watching for the leads; whom I clearly am not that fond of. I just stumbled upon the drama on TV and I looked it up and watched it online to see what it was all about.I was clearly disappointed with the entire drama; in fact I cannot understand the rooting for factor in this drama as there is clearly none.I found it really carbon-copied from Meteor Garden or any other Taiwanese dramas for that matter.Take for instance Mike He, who played Jiang Meng aka Devil in the drama. What a surprise...He acted cool throughout the series but I have to say he doesn't have any facial expressions except for that standard "I-am-cool" look on his face. And I hate to say it, it was really gross to see those black hair pins sticking at the sides of his head in an effort to pin his hair down in every scene.Why do they have to do that? It really looked so sissy and definitely stripped that cool factor off!Also, I was a little bored with the way he tried to mimic Dao Ming Si's character in the way he speaks and portrays himself as such a "Oh, I am Mr Cool Guy here".Ohhh....COME ON! Be original!~ Jiang Meng is not Dao Ming Si and even if the character is required to be cool, there should be some originality factor in it.Rainie Yang; I am starting to wonder at how she shot to popularity and stardom all of a sudden from nobody. She used to be in 4-in-Love (what happened to that group anyway?) and then she had a sort of supporting role in Meteor Garden and all of a sudden, bam, we see her appearing in almost every Taiwanese dramas acting cute and doe-eyed like.I have nothing against her, and her beauty and cuteness is certainly a subjective matter which I shall not comment on.However, I was also bewildered at her character here and her acting skills which clearly did not substantiate the character in the story. At times, I find her acting a little overboard and inconsistent. She showed clear signs of over-acting in most of the scenes. And then she goes acting like she is "oh-so-cute" like.Ahemm......isn't this just so yesterday?No.2: Rainie was also like Shan Cai in the sense when she tried to stand up to the bullies but at the same time, she lacked that determined and obstinate factor that Big S portrayed in Shan Cai.The supporting storylines all just are the same corny plots. Tsai Pei Lin was wasted in this role and I found it a little dramatic that she and Yuan Yi (Kingone Wan) who just attach themselves to each other in such a whirlwind romance. And she pursued him! I have nothing against girl goes after boy; despite it being out of the norm but that's a gender equality issue not to be discussed here. But I still found their romance a little too fast; faster than ordering an express pizza. It really lacked of development.But that being said, I kinda liked this pairing of Pei Lin and Kingone:)Overall, I find this series way below average and the romance between Rainie and Mike was rather gross and spine-tingling for me rather than sweet. Anything but sweet, not that I am against older girls with younger guys but the sibling factor plays a part and I just found that a little eerie! Oops...forgive me for being so objective again.I have given up on Taiwanese dramas which have been rather generic over the years.....since Meteor Garden.I just find most of them trying too hard to pursue that same popularity of the former and lost their sense of creativity in their drama scripts. Almost every drama has that same elements and even their dialogue scripts will absolutely and definitely have that "Are you stupid?", "Don't nag too much!", etc in their lines.Awwww......puhhhhh-leasseeeee....please be original....come up with more ideas..instead of adapting from same old Japanese manga and creating all those unrealistic drama icons.They are entertaining, yes, but too much of them can really intoxicate the audience!You guys can do much better than that! Please give us something to make us go back to Taiwanese dramas!Rating: 2 out of 5Anyway, straying apart from the storyline, Rainie and Mike make a rather decent combination.Mike had that boy-next-door look in him that made him probably a wrong choice for a devillish boy in this drama.

TVB: The Seventh Day

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:22:36 GMT

An interesting epic of romance revolving around two men born on the same day (7th of August) but led different lives and also hold different perceptions of love.Yau Chi Weng (Kevin Cheng) plays a ruffian-looking guy who was often misunderstood by people around him except for his own buddies. He led a rather difficult life earning a living and forsaken his own studies. He was blamed for his ex-girlfriend's disappearance whereby he was believed to have murdered her on their joint trip to Japan. He lived a carefree and easy life; with an amazing loyalty and faith in his buddies. He met Ling Ka Yan(Niki Chow), a sassy and free-spirited girl who just adores animals and spends her full time working in a pet shop. She owns a cute little jock named Jack who was really faithful to her. The couple had a rough start and Niki had a bad impression of Weng; mistaking him as an impolite guy who "stole" her can of drink. However, after a few encounters, Niki developed feelings for Kevin whom she was frustrated with for showing his couldn't-care-less attitude towards her.Slowly and gradually, the duo realized their feelings for each other and began their relationship. It was then that more series of incidents crept in which created a barrier of doubt between the two as they strive to sustain their relationship. Kevin had to protect the truth behind his ex-girlfriend's disappearance and also maintaining Niki's faith in their relationship. Niki, on the other hand, had to fight an ongoing and everlasting battle with her hereditary illness which was starting to bog her down with the appearance of severe symptoms.On a different note, Hui Wai Yan aka Don (Bosco Wong) was an ambitious young man who believed in making it big through starting his own business. His first business failed due to his chance encounter with Wong Chi Kwan aka Sasa (Natalie Tong) unbeknownst to him and he treated her as his saviour. However, upon discovering the mishaps he encountered on several occasions were caused by Sasa, the duo had a huge argument and vowed not to cross path with each other. Don proceeded with his new business; to run an coffee shop using imported Italian coffee beans. He then decided to pursue Sasa following his own misled perception of her being a tycoon's daughter in his quest and get-rich-quick scheme. At the same time, Sasa also held something up her sleeve by using Don and her relationship as a concept for her new comic publication. However, unknown to the duo, they have both fallen in love with each other. When they found out about each other's intention, they broke up following a big argument. Upon breaking up, they realized their true feelings for each other but both were too proud to admit and at the same time, Sasa's best friend, Jessie (Charmaine Li) jumped in, professing her love for Don and offering him a irresistible offer to work in her father's corporation. The reluctant Don proceeded with Jessie but still harbored deep feelings for Sasa and was upset when she left for Japan to further her studies. Jumping at the chance to travel to Japan for business, he used the opportunity to hide it from Jessie and met up with Sasa. Jessie and Sasa had a huge argument when Jessie turned up at her apartment and found Don there. It was then that Don decided once and for all that the one he loved was Sasa who refused to forgive him. When Sasa was pregnant, Don was given a second chance when he mistook Sasa's boyfriend as the wretch who made her pregnant and later found he was the biological father.The twist of events between the two men were different; although they intertwined at certain points. For instance, Niki's cousin was one of Sasa's best friend and Kevin worked for Bosco in his coffee shop.It was like watching 2 different stories/drama in a same drama but yet, taking in the details of the entire plot totally.I found the storyline interesting but lacking in story development. At certain parts, it was rather draggy and the overall pace of the series was really slow.Besides the beautiful snow and scenery in Japan, there was nothing much to look forward to in the movie although I must give credit to the adorable coupling of Natalie and Bosco who have provided a marvellous point of entertainment in this whole series.I must admit I loved the animated scenes between the two. Kevin and Niki made a really good couple but I have to say their scenes were rather dull and not well-blended.Comparing the 2 couples, it is no surprise that I preferred the combination of Natalie and Bosco which was rather a refreshing blend compared to old-timer Kevin and Niki.There were a number of beauty pageants in this series as well; including Charmaine Li and Selena Li who I can't made head or tail of their baseless appearance in the movie except acting pitiful and "trying" to look pretty.No offense, but I have no idea how these two can become Miss HK as I found the two lead ladies much prettier and natural looking.Charmaine Li tried to play an adorable and sweet girl but I personally found her rather despicable (her character) and for acting, she lacked of natural expressions which made her a really dull and unnecessary icon in the series.Selena Li was another wood-like character who played her character to fish for sympathy votes in the series when I just find her another unnecessary and annoying factor to budge in to create a little climax point for Niki and Kevin. Selena and Charmaine seriously need to learn from Natalie or Charmaine Sheh who have improved tremendously in their acting.I must mention the likes of Elaine Yiu who was also a natural and she just has that confident look in her smile and expression. I really start to enjoy looking at her face on the screen nowadays:)I heard this series garnered a fair share of popularity particularly among the younger generation. Either it was due to the cast or the scenery or the Japan factor, I do not know.I also found that this series was supposedly a sequel to the popular Under the Canopy of Love which first casted Kevin and Niki as a couple.This is a romantic-like soap opera which is recommended if you are a lover enthusiast or in one of the cases, a great fan of Japan.And enjoy the theme song and the scenery depicted in the song as the opening to the drama!~** All photos are properties of TVB and are only used for this series review. No copying or unauthorized distribution*

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:14:03 GMT

Based on the sci-fi and imaginative world created by Jules Vernes, this story was spun in reality encompassing Trevor Anderson’s life following his beloved brother, Max’s death. Trevor, a geology professor, adored his brother whom he believed was a man of intelligence and remarkable thoughts which have painted the title of innovation in his quest to prove his scientific theories. Following the trail Max left behind before he disappeared, Trevor had worked at his several research labs and was in despair when they were to be closed down due to the low productivity. Just when Trevor was in for a great disappointment, he forgot about his promise to babysit his nephew while his sister-in-law arranges for their immigration to Canada. In his last minute efforts to work things out with the obstinate and sullen boy, Trevor stumbled upon his brother’s obsession; the book by Jules Vernes titled The Journey to the Center of the Earth. Tracking the clues to what Trevor believed was the huge secret and major discovery which led to his brother’s disappearance, Trevor decided to embark on the journey based on the notes his brother made in the book to the center of the earth; bringing along Sean who was keen to explore his father’s identity and his pride. They made their way to Iceland where they encounter Hannah Asgeirsson (Anita Briem) who was the daughter of an old scientist who was linked to Max during their study. Hannah was a skeptic of her dad’s theories but volunteered her paid guidance up the mountains. Thus the trio embarked on their journey to the center of the earth and plunged themselves into several dangerous potholes (literally) upon being caved in following their first mishap at the mountain where it all started. This is one cool and adventure-packed movie which was entertaining to the end. Throw in a couple of good jokes and teeny weeny bit of romance and touching family relationships, it was an enjoyable watch. Oh, a pair of 3D glasses may be your aide during the movie which may sent you grappling the edge of your seat tightly as you cruise along with the movie although it was equally as good to do without. This is definitely one out-of the ordinary Terabithia, Narnia, or Eragon-like movie which sent you to an imaginary and yet realistically wonderful world of electric-blue birds, gigantic like carnivorous fish, prehistoric creatures like dinosaurs, man-eating plants and mammoth mushrooms! Brendan Fraser, as usual didn’t fail us with his solemn, somber expressions in those grave situations and putting on his straight and bewildered George-of-the-jungle expression in those funny moments. It was hilarious to listen to his lines and his expressive face throughout the whole movie. Anita Briem didn’t do too badly either with her fearless and natural looks and managed to maintain her cool even during those thrilling rides. Josh Hutcherson played the sullen boy to perfection and gradually melted into the divine reality of his relationship with his uncle and the father he never had. The only thing that didn’t get past me was the lack of promotion and publicity for an amazing movie like this! Probably the lack of a bombastic and star-studded cast? Rating: 4 out of 5 (entertaining factor)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Sat, 24 May 2008 05:51:37 GMT

Another book entailing the world of Narnia, this tale of Prince Caspian; the 10th heir of the Telmarines (the race which wiped out Narnia) and his quest to claim his throne from his wicked uncle; Miraz is definitely a thrilling and enjoyable watch.
In fact, this was much more exciting compared to the first book of the Narnian chronicles.

Prince Caspian the 10th was made heir to the kingdom of the Telmarines following the death of his father; Caspian IX. Unknown to him, his uncle who cared for him, Miraz, who was responsible for his father's death; in his bid for the throne. Miraz had no son of his own and therefore, was willing to care for Caspian X and groom him to succeed the throne. However, the evil Miraz planned to rid his own nephew upon the birth of his own son.And Doctor Cornelius(Vincent Grass), Caspian's tutor, alerted the boy from his sleep to send him off to the woods before Miraz's men kill him. "They will not follow you into the woods" The woods was the enchanted forest in the lands of Narnia; whereby they have been dismissed as part of the myth. The creatures of Narnia were banished from openly living in their land by Caspian's ancestors, the Telmarines race and Narnians were only referred to as myths and no one was allowed to talk about them. It happened 1300 years; and Caspian heard the tales of Narnia from his nurse during his childhood and was greatly fascinated. When Miraz found out, the nurse was immediately dismissed and was replaced by Doctor Cornelius to tutor his nephew. Unknown to Miraz, Doctor Cornelius was also of dwarf and human blood and taught Caspian of history and sciences; but also secretly telling him stories of the land of Narnia. On the night of Prunaprismia (Miraz's wife)'s labor, Caspian learns of the real reason behind his own father's death (murdered by his uncle for the throne) and Doctor Cornelius assisted in his escape to flee his uncle's cruel hands once again. Before he fleed for his life, he was entrusted a magical horn; Queen Susan's horn which will bring help to the person who blows it (in very dire need of urgency) and he headed for the woods; with Miraz's men fast on his track. As he enter the woods, the soldiers were afraid but braved it out of their fear of their fate if they failed their mission for Miraz. Caspian stumbled upon dwarves and as the soldiers were close, he blew his horn out of emergency before he passed out. Back to the world of reality, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie were adapting themselves back at school and in England; after their extravagant adventures in Narnia. Peter and Edmund were involved in a fight and the brothers and sisters were arguing at the train station with Peter complaning about his too-ordinary life and they were suddenly transported out of the train station to a beautiful island.The beautiful island before their very eyes awed them and they were happy to be back in Narnia following their last choice to return to their own world. It did not take them long to realize that they were standing in the lost Narnia and found the spot where the magnificent castle used to stand. They found their belongings during their coronation and was bewildered at the fate which may have befell Narnia as they ventured out to seek the truth. At the same time, unbeknownst to Caspian, his action of blowing of Queen Susan's horn had summoned the Kings and queens of the past to his rescue though they were still searching for the truth. Caspian himself was dumbstruck when he found himself rescued by dwarves and cared by a talking badger, Truflehunter. The Kings and Queens (Pevensies) stumbled upon the men of Miraz in their act to drown dwarf Trumpkin and acted to save him. Trumpkin was not grateful and was grumpy towards their act. However, he was shocked upon knowing their true identities and yet blamed their departure as the cause of Narnia's fall. Upon request, Trumpkin led them back to the Narnians to revive their hope of reliving Narnia's lost kingdom At the same time, Caspian gained the confidence of Narnians to help them in their quest to convince his own race and revive Narnia after the long wait for the kings and queens. The arrival of the Pevensies surprised the Narnians and it was not long before they joined forces to attack the Telmarines at night. Peter's decision of the night attack was strongly objected by Susan but due to his authority, the battle ensued and the night ambush revived the hopes of the Narnians to return to their kingdom when all the brave warriors and knights of Narnia stood up against the evil Telmarines who have ripped them off their kingdom.The war proved to be disastrous and tragic when they lost the brave Narnians to the evil Telmarines due to miscalculation by Peter and a minor mistake by Edmund.I shed my tear at the brave Minotaur Asterius who stood up to hold the closing gate with all his might to enable his fellow Narnians to escape and in the end, he was killed out of his noble deed.It was really touching for me; a person who rarely watch battles and wars-based movies. The war went on; and Narnians were adamant to gain their kingdom back while Caspian vows revenge against his tyrant uncle who killed his father. In their quest to strengthen their army, Lucy believes that Aslan is somewhere and will be able to help. During this time, they were also faced with the almost rise of the White Witch where Peter and Caspian almost fell victim to revive her. They were soon planning the great final battle; to fight all against the Telmarines who marched with their counter attack following the ambush and it was during this final battle where the Narnians had their last hope. In their bid to stall time, Edmund presented a proposal to Miraz for a one-on-one battle with Peter while Lucy hunts for Aslan and bring him to the rescue of Narnia. It was a very exciting battle and time crunching as Peter battled with all his strength and might against the evil Miraz with hope that Aslan will be arriving to his rescue. Susan and Edmund provided their full support to their brother while preparing the Narnians for any needed battle in case of treachery by the Telmarines. Peter reserved the last blow for Caspian as Miraz knelt on his knees and true enough, Lord Sopespian and the General Glozelle plotted their treachery and took this opportunity to kill Miraz, shifting the blame to the Narnians and signalling for the Telmarines to march forward to wipe out the rest of Narnia. It was a huge relief when the Telmarines faced Aslan and were swept off by the forces of nature; the water after the calling from Aslan's roar. It was happy ending and I was very happy to see that; although the romance between Susan and Caspian was a little short-lived as Susan had to shoulder her responsibility back in reality. This was really an enjoyable watch; thrilling and suspenseful and I am looking forward to more Chronicles of Narnia. Do check it out at the local cinemas; and I must also add another bit of comment for the actors; especially the child actors and actresses who have improved tremendously from the first movie. Ben who played Caspian was a little inconsistent in the movie and I must say that he was overshadowed by the great performance by his other 4 peers which rather absurdly was not the main intention in the movie since he was the main character. The characters were memorable; I respected the centaurs and minotaurs who fought with all their might. Somehow, this movie and the character development led the audience to be closer to the understanding of the characters.I felt for each of them and the immense liking for their inner selves. They have certainly taught me something, it doesn't matter whether people believed in you or not, you are yourself to take pride in and protect.Reepicheep, the Chief Mouse was both hilarious and cute and yet, you will have that sense of respect for him due to his courage despite his own size. He truly believe in himself.Aslan's words of wisdom was really true, why hesitate when you believe in something? If you do what is right, nobody will ever doubt you.The black dwarf who lost his faith in humans and everyone else following the loss of Narnia; was also a pitiful figure and I did not even feel hate for him despite his betrayal and his pledge to the White Witch.I believe he was trying his best to revive his home; to the extent that he turned to evil sources for that.This is definitely a great movie to watch and definitely for the visual effects!:)**An interesting tidbit to chew on: the filming location was in Prague, Poland and the borders of Czech Republic and I must say the scenery was breathtaking!:)Cast of Narnia:

Ah Long Pte Ltd

Wed, 07 May 2008 09:51:50 GMT

The latest reality-comedy production by Jack Neo has charmed audiences from all walks of life and ages to walk in to the cinemas for a full-seating and also to grab the DVDs from night markets to re-watch the movie repeatedly.Was it that hilarious?Well, from my point of view, the movie had its ups and downs but naturally, it was not a bad comedy - I had a pretty few good laughs as well and the jokes in this movie were really authentic and bone-tickling.The story was centered on the current social issue plaguing our Asian society where triads are sort of ruling in the background. Ah Long is the local dialect translation to the local loan sharks or so-called financial institutions.Starting from the Shao He triad, the leader decided to retire and therefore appointed Li Hua (Fann Wong) to be his successor. Under the new female lead, Li Hua decided to implement changes to the way they have been operating and swerves to reducing violence among the members.Then Mark Lee comes into the picture as dance instructor, Jojo Fang who was frustrated by the fact everyone thinks he is a sissy and nicknamed him as Ah Gua (bi-sexual guy in Chinese)They've had several encounters and somehow, in a twist of fate, Li Hua married him due to the immense pressure by her mum to wed soon.The hilarious stories spurned on but then some serious drama came in when they were constantly disturbed and harassed by another gang and also their preceding leader who did not like the change of management of the triad.As trouble ensues, Li Hua soon found that they had no other choice but to go into hiding temporarily.It was then that they realized that the little girl whom they pushed her parents to death literally was back for revenge.After some twists, Li Hua ended up in jail and when she was released, she and her Shao He gang turned over a new leaf and embarked on their legal business journey.Really cool movie that promised a continuous wave of laughter and smiles....if you can be tickled by anything funny, you shall find yourself laughing throughout the movie.A light-hearted comedy with a line of jokes so original and real that finally put those corny jokes to shame and eternal burial!Enjoy the watch...recommended for a relaxing moment:)One note; I am definitely impressed by Fann Wong; as usual...she has never failed to disappoint me in all her movies. Hats off to this sweet lady willing to play such a ruffian and rough role that probably tarnished her good-girl image....but I must still say, Kudos to the brave lady!~

CJ7

Wed, 07 May 2008 05:46:46 GMT

During CNY, I managed to find time to watch the latest release by Stephen Chow. Being a true Sing-yeh's fan, I was up for the idea to spend an afternoon in the cinema for this latest sci-fi flick by Chow.I did not have an enormous expectation nor any idea of the movie and was just looking forward for a relaxing time; after all, it's CNY break, right?Stephen Chow has been taking a short break from movies as well; and therefore, this release was definitely catching on all his fans' expectations. What more can you expect from the King of Comedy if not more hilarious and tickling scenes?Well, this time, we are in for a different scenario as Chow seems to have a change of style - it is an interesting combination of sci-fi, social, moral and also light-hearted comedy. To me, it was a nice combination for a soft type of drama on the big screen.I am not going to waste a lot of time detailing the entire story; but just to provide a gist of the story.A simple storyline of a father and son; who had to endure really tough lifestyle; roughing it out with the father's meagre income as a site labourer to support his only son's education in a luxurious private school.It was really heart-wrenching to see the realistic depiction of poor lifestyle; and the endearing relationship of the father struggling to make ends meet and yet at the same time, shower his son with the best education he can afford. I can even feel tears when I looked at how the father searched in garbage dump sites for wearable items or usable items for their living. Even the son had to endure wearing old clothes and mended shoes to a private school full of snobbish and arrogant kids who picked on him. He even had to be punished for each P.E class as he do not own a pair of sports shoes. His form teacher even picked on him due to his snooty appearance.So sad...but yet, we do know this happens in our materialistic society.I'd thought that their lives would change with the discovery of the unique furry ball which turned out to be a foreign being from space and the son named him CJ7; to follow up with the trend of a line of famous tech- toys by his schoolmates.However, the storyline still maintained its simplicity and wavered out of our normal prediction of something extraordinary and steered our human minds back to the basics; that we should depend only on ourselves to succeed.I am definitely touched by the storyline and I must admit that I enjoyed the movie; despite it steering away from the routine comedy by Stephen Chow. I fought back my tears during scenes of the movie when I find myself emphatizing with the situation the characters were in and also realizing how realistic and fortunate we are today.Dicky; played by newcomer Xu Jiao was actually a girl in real life. She made a really convincing appearance in the movie and I was really amazed and touched by her scenes; in behaving like an obstinate little boy when arguing with his father and also in sulking when his father refused to buy him a toy. It was natural and it was really down-to-earth to watch the scene that depicts true human nature; whether a kid is rich or poor, they will still have their basic instincts and temperaments.In short, I really enjoyed this movie and I do recommend this for a watch; at least to remind ourselves on how fortunate we are and to be down-to-earth when it comes to our future.Realistic and moderation is the key message and I am really happy to have watched this new style of genre by Stephen Chow....I don't know about the rest of his fans; but I feel that his new style definitely is successful - at least, I enjoyed it:)Kudos to Stephen and Xu Jiao:)And I must mention that their little product in the movie is making it big in the merchandise market as well!~

Enchanted

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:11:54 GMT

This Disney production captured my attention when they started their promotion trailers and I was definitely set on watching this animated movie

Directed by Kevin Lima and boasting of the scores from one of my favourite Disney composers; Alan Menken (Little Mermaid and most Disney movies), this story dwells on the world of animation and reality. Focusing on the elements and fairytale and the intertwining into the real world, it was really an interesting concept.

Giselle (played by newcomer Amy Adams) was a surprisingly cheery and optimistic typical Disney princess who lived in the wonderful world of Andalasia and often dreams of marrying the prince of her dreams. In her world, animals and humans communicate and they dwell in each other's world freely and in a very friendly environment where nothing seems to be bad to them. Magical beings exist among them and dreams are often a part of their lives. (This is a familiar scene adaptation from both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty). Giselle was so enticed by her vision of her prince that she even builds a statue of him with the help of her chipmunk friend, Pip and the other cute little creatures. She dreams and often sings in her sweet voice of her prince and the beauty of true love's kiss in her little cottage and also in the forest which happened to be overheard by the handsome young Prince Edward (James Marsden) who was enchanted by her voice and beauty. He then proceeded to rescue his damsel in distress from a big troll and they fell in love at first sight and made haste plans to marry the next day.

At the same time, as in any fairy tale would permit, the prince had a evil stepmother queen unbeknownst to him (of course), the Queen Narissa(Susan Sarandon) who hid her intentions of becoming the ruler of the kingdom and thus would resort to anything to ensure her son is still single as his singlehood will deter him from inheriting the throne. This is different from Snow White's Queen who only wanted to remain the fairest of all in the kingdom but this Queen was more interested in the strength of power and authority. When she found out about Prince Edward's first love and his wish to marry the maiden, she was anxious and sent her henchman, Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) to prevent this and when all fails, the Queen had to act herself. She disguised herself as an old witch on the wedding day when the unsuspecting and elated Giselle entered the palace and the evil Queen led her to a well to make a wedding wish and then pushed her into the well. Now this well was actually a magic portal connected to a world of misery and pain; unlike their kingdom of Andalasia. Giselle found herself in the middle of the busy and noisy New York City.

This bizarre and strange new world appear mystical to the innocent and naive Giselle who was shocked with the predators lurking as she lost her wedding tiara to a beggar on the streets. She was lost and forlorn and was searching high and low for her magical castle which she found on top of a casino (it was a billboard). She climbed her way up to the billboard and knocked against it, begging for entry and this caught the attention of little Morgan and her father, Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey) who were on their way to meet his fiance, Nancy (Idina Menzel). Robert saved her and brought her home; however, he was determined to send her to a hotel for the night in fear for his daughter's safety. Subsequently, he felt pity for the homeless and clueless girl and left her sweetly sleeping on his couch.

The next morning, he was awakened by little Morgan who found Giselle in the living room, singing to all the animal and insects (pretty gross scene to me, with the appearances of the pigeons, rats!, cockcroaches, yikes!!) summoned by her singing voice. And all of them were enchanted by her voice and driven to help her with the household chores as those magical creatures in her kingdom. What turned to be a beautifully perfect picture for Giselle was frowned upon by Robert who was furious with the pests in the living room of his expensive suite in New York City. He was also bewildered by Giselle who made herself dresses out of the curtains. However, the worst came when he was trying to help Giselle and ended up in an awkward situation with her on the floor right when his fiance, Nancy turned up.

Giselle felt guilty over the misunderstanding and offered her help to amend things which Robert brushed her off. He sent her off at the park but emphatized with her condition and then to his surprise, he was brought on to a tour of songs and dancing along the park in public by the ever- optimistic Giselle which he found embarassing. He talked to her about true love and getting to know each other in reality which Giselle found baffling compared to her magical world. He was even more surprised when she sent a message/flower through a dove at the park to Nancy.

Time went on and soon Robert found himself more and more drawn to the cheerful Giselle and also sorting out his true feelings for Nancy. Then Prince Edward, in an attempt to rescue his bride, also threw himself into the magic portal (well) and ended up in the heart of New York with the Queen's henchman, Nathaniel on his trail to ensure he fails in his quest to reunite with Giselle. Pip, the little chipmunk was also on the trail and also ended up in New York with the former to foil his evil intention.

With the magical beings from Andalasia in the city, what can we expect except more drama? Robert starts to sway from his love for Nancy and starts to care more for Giselle who was at the same time also confused and afraid of her sudden change of interest from Prince Edward to Robert. Then Queen Narissa, sensing the failure of her trusted helper, decided to appear in the human world and foil the reunion of the prince and his bride.

The final scene of the duel between the Queen and her Prince in their attempt to save Giselle who was conned into eating the poisonous apple by the Queen was adapted from both Snow White and also Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid. Giselle was unconscious even when Prince Edward kissed her on the lips. Nancy allowed Robert to make the move and true to her suspicions, Robert's kiss revived our beloved protagonist.

As in all Disney fairytales, it was a Happy Ending for all; Robert, Giselle and Morgan lived happily ever after, Prince Edward and Nancy found true love in each other and he married her in Andalasia, and Nathaniel, well, he became a famous writer.

My comment: I truly loved this light-hearted romance cum comedy cum animation!! And what's more, it's from my all-time favourite Disney production Words can simply express my enthusiasm and excitement when I watched this movie and I definitely love every bit of it (no boring moment at all)

Rating: 9 out of 10! (Need I say more?)

Favourite characters:

Robert (Patrick Dempsey): Really suave and down-to-earth. He was really funny and cool when it came to the singing and dancing scene in the park. The most touching was when he kissed her!

Giselle (Amy Adams): I must admit I was a little doubtful when I first saw her as the transformation from the Ariel-like(my fave Disney princess) to Amy Adams in flesh. They looked so different and the real person failed my expectations of the pretty princess painted in the animation. However, I found myself liking her more and more when sings and appears in all the scenes.

Morgan: This little girl is just so cute and adorable!! Though not much of a significance, she is just such a cutesie!

Favourite scenes:

1. When Giselle searched for her castle and mistook the casino's billboard as her Andalasia castle

2. When Giselle's dress couldn't enter Robert's apartment door

3. When she started singing and summoned all the creatures in New York city!! (It was gross too!!)

4. When Robert saw the dress figures cut from his curtains and upholstery items

5. When Giselle sang in the park and Robert looking publicly embarassed

Robert:I don't really sing...

Robert: I don't dance...

6. When Prince Edward appeared from the man-made hole in the city

7. When Prince Edward started singing in Robert's apartment

Robert: Oh, he sings too?

8. When Giselle asked Prince Edward to go on a date

9. When Giselle and Robert realized they were in love with each other

Recommendation: Yes, go for it if you are Disney and a hard-core romance fan!! You'll love it!!