My Movie Rating Guidelines
1 stars: Don't even bother.
2 stars: Quite bad.
3 stars: Not too bad.
4 stars: Must watch!
5 stars: Die die must watch!
I'm glad Mandy Moore did the voice over for Rapunzel. I think she did a great job and her singing was nice. This Rapunzel story is a spin-off from the classic fairy-tale. I thought, Magic Hair? What a stupid plot. It is actually much more entertaining than I thought and the story unfolded quite nicely which made the magic hair storyline sounds more acceptable. Plus, the Rapunzel in this story is so gorgeous. Definitely prettier than Snow White/Cinderella/Jasmine/Pocahontas??? Great animated film. Definitely a must-watch.
4 stars
This movie is about how a small, innocent lie became a rumour that was hugely blown out of proportion. The victim enjoys the new-found infamy, but soon realises that things are not quite going the way she expected. She sets out to set the record straight, and also found love along the way.
This is a very average movie. There was nothing particularly funny about it, and halfway through it gets really boring.
2.5 stars
Megamind is about a villain turned hero. I thought the start of the movie, which was featured in most part of the trailer, was quite funny and interesting. Then it got a bit boring from there. The whole show feels quite cliche. Boy likes girl, girl does not like boy, boy does something heroic, girl falls in love with boy, happily ever after.
3 stars
The first part of this movie was 2.5 hours long yet many details were not covered. More so for this movie than the first 6, you have to be a reader to understand it. To a non-reader, it's probably a very average movie. I read book 7 twice and I could only remember the gist and not the finer details as there was just so much content. The movie was a little bit confusing even for me. Also, it would have been nice if the air fight (after Harry left his home) was covered more in detail as it was a pretty exciting part of the book. Other than that, the scenes were pretty much similar to how I imagined it to be. Part 1 ends after Dobby's death.
3.5 stars
Red stands for "Retired: Extremely Dangerous". Lol. I love this movie. It's not everytime you come across an action movie that is acted by old folks. Fave quote:"Kordeski trained you? I trained Kordeski." Too often young people undermine old folks, and we disregard their wealth of experience. I think this movie says it all. I love the humor. It was really entertaining.
3.5 stars
Unstoppable is about a cargo train carrying hazardous chemicals, going at full throttle towards the heart of the city. The police and train operators race against time to try and stop this unmanned train which was irresponsibly left behind by one of the engineers. Before watching this movie, you probably know how it's going to end. Nevertheless, I thought it was a pretty exciting movie, with an early climax that never came down.
3.5 stars
The Social Network
Frankly speaking, I don't think Mark Zuckerberg was as bad as the movie portrayed him to be. First of all, he has a girlfriend of 7 years, and not some IT geek freak that completely doesn't get girls. Secondly, I didn't think what he did was completely wrong. If it weren't for him, certain people wouldn't even be getting millions for doing nothing. I think he was merely protecting his own interests. I feel that this movie was not very accurate or unbiased in its recount of the events, but nevertheless, it was worth watching, just to see how Facebook came about, how far it has come, and the amazing transformations it has brought to our lives.
3.5 stars
The Other Guys(The one with Will Ferrell) Will Ferrell cracks me up everytime. The Other Guys is a typical "underdogs win" movie. Stupid and timid cops triumphing over stupid and attention-seeking cops. The plot is pretty lame and stupid but the humour makes up for all the flaws.
3.5 stars
Takers
(The one with Hayden Christensen) When it comes to movies about bank robberies, I actually like to see the bad guys triumph. I'll want to see them break into a super high-profile bank and not get caught, and I'll want to be impressed by their complex strategies/techniques. Takers is another bank robbery story about a group of professional bank robbers who after a string of success, meet with trouble, and how their lives pretty much go downhill from there. How unfortunate. The starting scene on how they carry out a bank robbery wasn't impressive, and the ending equally dull. Everything else in between are what I call "fillers". They're just there to waste time.
3 stars
(The one with Ben Affleck) Another movie about bank robbery. Another bank robbery gone wrong. It feels kind of cliche already. In this movie, Ben Affleck's character falls for a hostage they took at a bank robbery. At least, this bit is unseen in Takers, which makes this movie more interesting. As the story unfolds, this hostage comes to realise the truth of her boyfriend's identity, and we, the audience, are left to wonder if she's on his side or not. I'll say the story is pretty exciting.
3.5 stars
The American
(The one with George Clooney) I would consider this a bit of an arty farty film. Though it involves guns, there isn't much action. Much of the tone is set in melancholy, much like that in The Pianist, as George Clooney (Jack) tries to retire as an assassin and start a new life, while still having to live with the heart-thumping memory of nearly being killed. George Clooney, not so cool as an assassin after all. Unlike The Pianist, which has historical value, The American is just a made up story which seriously bores me.
2.5 stars
Watched this movie at GV Vivocity and there was what seemed like a 3-min delay in screening. During that time, all of us were sitting there waiting patiently in total darkness. The great thing about it is, we were all given complimentary movie passes by GV management as a form of apology. And that's good because, I didn't think it was worth it to pay $7 to watch this movie at all. All I can say is, this movie is very average by standard. There was nothing particularly appealing about it. I probably wouldn't even watch it if it's free. Time is precious!
2.5 stars
Buried
I think most of us in the audience thought there was a technical fault at the beginning of the screening. Apparently, this is how the movie starts- in total darkness. After that, you start hearing some heavy breathing. And then you see a dim light which goes on and off. And it practically stays like that for the rest of the movie. I couldn't believe how budget this is. I thought they would at least do some flashbacks to show what happen etc. Coincidentally, about a week before watching this, I was watching an old episode of CSI where one of the leads was kidnapped and buried alive 6 feet underground in a glass coffin, and I have to say it was one of the best episodes of CSI. This movie here could have turned out much better. I think one person said it best,"This movie has no head and no tail."
2 stars
Legend of the Fist: Chen ZhenWhat a disappointment. I know now not to trust that every Donnie Yen movie is a good one. I was told that this is a true story. But looking at the way the story played out, I wasn't sure how much of it is actually true. Lousy script aside, too much of the action looks too similar to that in Ip Man. And in a few scenes, Donnie Yen actually made that Bruce Lee trademark shriek. I was shivering in disgust. Ew. More originality please.
2 stars
This movie is about how the HongKong Police uses Stool Pigeons (usually commoners/ex-criminals) to act as spies for them in triads/drug rings. This is an extremely dangerous job, where once caught, death is almost a certainty. However, these people, untrained and all, do it because they don't have a choice. The HongKong Police would resort to blackmailing them if they want to back out, and the Police don't always honour their cash agreement, which is essentially making these people risk their lives for nothing. This movie portrays the struggles of stool pigeons, and how a police officer who deals with them copes with his moral conscience.
I didn't like this movie very much to begin with. Why use commoners to do the job? Whatever happened to undercover agents, infiltrators, and high-tech spying gadgets? Not only is the HongKong Police (in this movie) inefficient, they also lack moral conscience and have a brain the size of a pea. Let Jack Bauer show them how to catch these amateur gangsters.
3 stars
I'm not a fan of Adam Sandler. Felt that his past few movies comedies are, ironically, not funny. However, Grown Ups kinda gave me a renewed perspective of an Adam Sandler comedy. It is light-hearted and hilarious, and has a pretty good plot backing it. I thought it was funny to see grown ups acting like kids as they reflected on their childhood. The act itself is funny, but it's something we can relate to as well. Loved the drama and the jokes.
4 stars
This movie is based on the Japanese TV series, Liar Game. Liar Game is a fictional game which involves the art of deception. In the game, participants tried to cheat their way to earning millions, and those failing to do so (aka got cheated), will have a debt equivalent to their losses, which they must pay, without failure, to the LGT (organisers of the game). Season 1 of the TV series shows participants competing in Round 1 to Round 3 of the game. Season 2, Round 4 and semifinal. The movie, final stage as the name suggests. Watching the first 2 seasons of Liar Game before watching the movie will certainly help you understand some little details, but it is not necessary to understand the movie. In fact, the movie is exactly like how the TV episodes are filmed- like a 2 hour special. Since the movie is just like another TV episode, I'd comment on Liar Game as a whole.
I thought there was way too much hype over it then it deserved. Liar Game is all about mind games and a foolish girl's dream for "world peace", or Utopia, whatever, a place where everybody can live happily ever after, no lies, no cheating, faith and trust. What I like about LG is that some of the tricks they used in the games are pretty cool and sometimes fun. What I did not like, is that the tricks are kind of predictable, sometimes too obvious to the point where I feel like they are constantly dropping hints. If I made the effort to think about those hints, it wouldn't be hard to pull off an Akiyama. What I really really hate, is Kanzaki Nao's pure stupidity. Seriously, she should wake up her idea. If not for "heavenly intervention" (aka scriptwriters), she would have lost long ago, carrying the burden of everyone's debt. Yet now suddenly she's like an angel who came down from heaven to save mankind. Kanzaki Nao annoys me. I wish this character is killed off. Just like Tweety Bird.
3 stars
This movie is based on the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. The event is real but the story is fictional. During the earthquake, a young girl and her twin brother were trapped under a huge concrete slab. Rescue workers told their mother that she can only choose to save one, as lifting the slab on one side would crush the other. The mother chose to save the boy and this conversation was overheard by the girl. Miraculously, the girl survived but suffers from the painful memory of her mother's decision. She left Tangshan to be under the care of her foster parents, who thought she was orphaned. 32 years later, Tangshan was met with another earthquake and the girl went back to help the rescue workers. Coincidentally, her twin brother was also there and she overheard his conversation about how their mother had suffered emotionally all these years from having to make that decision. She finds forgiveness in her mother and was reunited with her family.
I thought this movie was very touching and the performance by the leads was praise-worthy. However, I thought it lacked a certain oomph factor to be deserving of a 4 stars.
3.5 stars
One word: Huh? Yep. My reaction at the end of the movie. Although I didn't pay for the movie ticket, I feel like I've been robbed of 8 bucks. First of all, what is with the mysterious "Who Is Salt" tagline? It was pretty clear to me who she was from the start so I don't get the hoo-ha about that. Secondly, 100 mins for an action movie? Are you kidding me? Salt has a storyline that is generally acceptable for most people. But the action scenes are really fake. Unless she's spiderwoman or is wearing some suction pads, I don't think anyone can really scale a wall 15 storeys above ground without having anything to hold on to. Lastly, the movie ended so abruptly, I'm like, what, it's over already? Having said that, Angelina Jolie played her role brilliantly. I couldn't think of anyone else who can pull it off like she did.
3 stars
This is based on a true story about 8-year old Tyler who was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Tyler looks at life positively, believing that God sent him to be a spiritual warrior. Everyday, he writes a letter to God as a prayer for himself and for the people around him. These letters soon reached out to the people he wrote about. Word spread, and thousands of people came to know about Tyler and his letters to God. Tyler taught everyone that, in whatever circumstances you may find yourself in, you can always find strength and hope in God.
This is a truly inspiring story. I must admit a shed quite a bit of tears watching this, and there hasn't a movie which made me cry the way I did in a long while. Tyler makes me want to write a letter to God too!
5 stars
Repo Men is set in the future where people use artificial organs as a desperate means of survival, and these organs are charged at exorbitant prices, often unaffordable for most people. As a result, the Union (the company who runs this program) sends Repo Men to repossess these organs. What these men do is to chase after these "debtors" who are way past their due dates and cut them up to retrieve their organs. How is this even legal? And why does the movie make it look like it's legal? So you can break into people's house, cut them up, take their organs and leave them on their own to die?
I did not expect the movie to turn out the way it did. Certainly did not appreciate the gore and violence. Nor the twist at the end of the movie. What really puzzles me is the scene where Jude Law and his mate were cutting themselves up and scanning their organs when they had no way of escape at all. How does this even help to eliminate the system? May I also note that while they were cutting themselves up, they also found time to make out?!
This is an absolutely bizarre film. It's an interesting idea, but it lacks depth and realism. And it also left me wondering what's the whole point of it all.
2.5 stars
Another mind-boggling movie by Christopher Nolan (director of The Dark Knight), starring Leonardo Dicaprio as the lead. As always, Leonardo Dicaprio pulls off his role quite nicely. He's great with psycho films. Inception is about getting into people's dreams, planting or stealing an idea, to make the "victim" think that their dreams are actually a reality. It is an interesting concept, though very unrealistic. I like how the story unfolds, including Leonardo's mini-episode with his wife. Nice movie but try not to think too much about it because it will drive you crazy. haha.
3.5 stars
I see that there are 2 extremes to general opinions of this movie. Either you love it, or you hate it. Well, for me, I'm leaning more on the 'like' side. Despicable Me is fun and cute. The initial part of the story could be a bit boring to some, but as the story develops further, it becomes somewhat funny and heartwarming. Unfortunately, it is also very cliche and predictable. Great animation. Just need a bit more creativity.
3.5 stars
I would never have guessed that this is a thriller, and the story revolves around an accidental murder. Based on the title, I thought it would be something like Mean Girls. Couldn't be more wrong! The murders were gory, the plot unrealistic and boring. The acting was bad, and there was little to look forward to. This is one movie you don't wanna waste your time watching.
1.5 stars
Once again, a movie from the Twilight Saga left me wondering what's the hype about it. Kristen Stewart's acting is as bad as usual. And Robert Pattinson was just plain awful. The only people probably worth looking out for are Taylor Lautner and Dakota Fanning. Maybe Kristen and Robert should pick up some acting tips from their juniors.
I can't complain about the story, because apparently, this movie did not do the book any justice. What I can say though, is that, the movie was so boring that I nearly fell asleep. Probably the most exciting part of the movie (if I can call it exciting), is when the werewolves and vampires team up to fight against the evil newborns. But even that is too short-lived.
2.5 stars
2 main characters in this movie portrayed different roles in the other 2 Ip Man movies, hence their characters are not to be confused! Initially, I wasn't quite keen on the idea that the producers are not using Donnie Yen for this prequel. After watching, I'm like, hey this guy (his replacement) is good too (whoever he is, apparently some martial art champion). The action scenes are great but I can't help feeling that the story is a little too made-up.
3.5 stars
Yet another movie about a highly specialised team of combat soldiers with superhuman abilities to avoid death. This movie has TOO much action packed into it. Too much stuff going on, too many unrealistic moments (ever heard of tank-flying?). I did enjoy some bits of it, but I guess the highlight of it was that there was an Indian man in our theater snoring REALLY loudly. LOL.
3.5 stars
(Watched this at GV @ KLCC for only RM9. Woot!)
Kh reckons this is better than Ip Man. I love Ip Man and Ip Man 2, but I think I'll have to agree. The difference is this movie is set in a modern setting, meaning we get to see current and fantastic scenery of China- love the old-looking neighbourhood, the temple-like school architecture, kungfu on the top of the Great Wall of China- and most of all, all of the great action scenes are done by KIDS. I'm glad Jackie Chan has learned to step aside and let the younger generation take over. And also this is probably the first movie which wasn't about him, and didn't show him getting involve with a young and pretty woman. +20 points for him- he's earned some of my respect back. Look at all that muscle packed on that kid Jaden. Impressive kid. Great acting, great kungfu. Will Smith must have taught his son well.
4 stars
As many times as I saw the trailer, I said I wouldn't watch this movie. Because. It looked really stupid and boring. Kh and I changed our minds after reading many favourable reviews about it. Prince of Persia is more deep than I thought- despite the unrealistic plot. The actions scenes were exciting- they constantly keep you on your toes. It was a midnight movie for us, and I was getting really tired. Was trying to take mini naps during commercials. I'm pleased to say that the movie kept me well awake throughout. You know how most movies have only 1 climax and that's it? This movie climbs quickly to a climax from the start and pretty much stays there. Excellent.
4 stars
This movie is about how the United States is put in a dilemma when faced with a terrorist threat-- to be exact, 3 nukes at 3 different undisclosed locations. To "face his enemies" in this "holy war" the terrorist behind all this deliberately let himself be caught by the FBI, obviously all prepared for a full-on interrogation. And you know how terrorists being terrorists, they are extremely hard to break, hence the need to bring in specialist interrogator, H (Samuel L. Jackson).
6 days was all they had to meet his demands, and H increased the intensity of his interrogation (aka torture) with each passing day. Still the terrorist refused to break. Finally, at the last 3 hours, H says,"What I'm about to do is.... UNTHINKABLE." (hence the title) I think I kind of laughed at that bit. Oh please. After 8 seasons of 24, I would consider these torture tactics mild and weak. After 6 days, all you can think of is to bring in his family for torture? Jack Bauer would've shot his wife's leg at the very beginning WITHOUT HESITATION. Mix some stupid cops with "high moral values" in -rather save his 2 children then save 20million people in America- you have a nuke all ready to explode. Obviously, these cops aren't very good in math as well.
Pretty weak twist- quite predictable, pretty boring as well- long movie revolving around something so trivial, don't waste your time.
2.5 stars
Kh and I caught this movie in Kuching. Wanted to watch a movie before we catch our flight back to SG. At that time, the cinema in Kuching didn't even have advertising posters so we didn't know what this movie is about at all. We thought maybe it's a stupid movie like Dumb and Dumber. Who would have expect it to turn out this good? These losers aren't losers at all. They're professional marksmen fighting against the corrupted CIA. No famous name in the movie but they're all pretty good actors. I especially like the one who looks like Johnny Depp. The oh-so-cool sniper. Loved the plot, loved the action scenes.
4 stars
Seriously this is so not interesting that I couldn't be bothered to blog about it until now. Iron Man 1 was okay, somewhat interesting as it builds up the story. Iron Man 2 is pure boredom. Very little substance in the story. Maybe they try to impress with some nice graphics and all, but that's about it. How unfortunate cos' now everyone will remember it for being bad. Stay tune for the closing credits. According to Kh, it is a trailer for the WarHammer movie.
3 stars
Woot! Love this movie to bits despite the highly predictable storyline. Ip Man's class act, sheer modesty and witty remarks make him the no. 1 kungfu master to look out for. I like what they call "a volley of punches". Lol. Donnie Yen's punches are so fast that his hands are a blur. He's so incredibly talented. He always has this serious face on, like he's trying to act like everything is okay but it's not, and he's feeling sad but doesn't want to show it. When you see that face you just feel so sad for him. And when he laughs you KNOW he's really happy. And then you'll feel happy for him too. I know I've said this before, but I'll say this again. WHY wasn't this guy discovered earlier? This is truly one of the best kungfu movie ever filmed. Way to go Ip Man!
4.5 stars
Another heartwarming animated film by Dreamworks. I like it that the story is kept simple and it uses an interesting storyline to remind us to be kind to animals. Animals only attack when they feel threatened. It kinda reminds me of Steve Irwin's work when he's around. If he were in the movie, he would surely say dragons are beautiful and gentle creatures. And that they are not dangerous at all. haha. Enjoyed every bit of this movie. 2 thumbs up for this movie in 3D.
4 stars
This was so boring... I don't even know how to begin. Well let's just say I thought the actors' acting really sucks. Sean Bean, actor of Boromir in Lord of the Rings had this flat face on him all the time. Just looking at him makes me feel like punching the life out of him. For those who want to know the story, it's about a couple who found a briefcase of more than half a million dollars worth of cash belonging to a drug runner. Sean Bean's character goes chasing after the money, every single bit of it, right down to the cents, even forcing the couple to commit robbery in order to get back what they had spent. There isn't a really strong point to this movie, but I'm guessing it's telling us that people will do anything for money. Like duh.
2.5 stars
Clash of the Titans
On Thursday morning (movie premier), I went online to check the movie timings for this movie, and I was thoroughly surprised to see that 3/4 of the seats for the night timings are already booked. I was thinking, this movie must be really good! As usual, Kh and I were too stingy to do online booking cuz of the extra charge, so we went to Shaw Balestier opposite his house where the theatres are never full. Sad to say, we thought the movie was utter rubbish. It was boring and extremely unrealistic. Other than the graphics itself, there was absolutely nothing to look forward to. I'd have to say the whole movie itself is just an excuse to make a good 3D movie. So yeah, if ya going to watch it at all, do it in 3D, else don't watch.
On Thursday morning (movie premier), I went online to check the movie timings for this movie, and I was thoroughly surprised to see that 3/4 of the seats for the night timings are already booked. I was thinking, this movie must be really good! As usual, Kh and I were too stingy to do online booking cuz of the extra charge, so we went to Shaw Balestier opposite his house where the theatres are never full. Sad to say, we thought the movie was utter rubbish. It was boring and extremely unrealistic. Other than the graphics itself, there was absolutely nothing to look forward to. I'd have to say the whole movie itself is just an excuse to make a good 3D movie. So yeah, if ya going to watch it at all, do it in 3D, else don't watch.
3 stars
ConfuciusWhen I first heard that Chow Yun Fat will be starring as Confucius, I was like O_O.... him of all people...I just couldn't imagine. After watching, I think he has proven to me that he can actually pull off this role quite well. That said, Kh and I felt that the movie didn't do Confucius justice. Confucius is after all, known to be the most highly regarded philosopher of all time, rather than a military strategist, and the movie didn't bring that point out quite well. The movie spends much portraying his days in politics and his life in exile. While I think these are important to include as they are majoring turning points in his life, I felt that there was too much focus on them. I'd like it better if they tell us more about Confucius' philosophies and how they came about.
3.5stars
Shutter IslandI'm not a fan of Leonardo Dicarpio but I always felt that he is a very talented actor, very versatile, like Johnny Depp. I think the trailer was very well cut. It was good enough to capture attention and invoke curiousity and yet it didn't reveal too much such that you feel like you've watched the entire movie (see Sherlock Holmes). I got freaked out everytime I watch the trailer but still I really wanted to know about this "mystery" that they were talking about all the time. So having watched this, I can safely say that it is NOT horror or mystery, rather, more like a psychological thriller. I'm not gonna give spoilers here because I think this movie is absolutely worth watching. Warning: You can go insane from watching this.
4 stars
Green Zone
Matt Damon... one of my fave Hollywood actors of all time. This movie is another collaboration between him and the Bourne movies director. I was really curious as to how true the story is to the real Iraqi War. Did a quick search, and apparently, it's completely fictional, probably just an adaption of one of the conspiracy theories that tries to justify American presence on Iraqi soil. Had I not done that I would've believed this story to be true simply because the movie was so convincing. That said, I was also slightly disappointed with the ending. I felt that it ended too abruptly and it didn't make a strong enough point as to the purpose of the whole movie.
3.5 stars
Hachiko: A Dog's Story
Based on a true story in Japan, this movie is about how a loyal dog, Hachi, goes to the train station to wait for its master to come back from work everyday, and continues doing so for the next 9 years (until it dies of old age) after the master passes away. Even today, a bronze statue of Hachi still sits at its usual waiting spot in honour of it.
I found this movie really touching and heartwarming. It says something about the relationship between humans and dogs and how even a dog is able to teach humans the meaning of love and loyalty. That aside, it also amazes me how good an actor the dog is (even better than some people in fact!). How does it learn when to fetch a ball and when not to? And how does it learn to act old and dying? This dog is indeed a true talent. A side note: Richard Gere still looks really good!
4.5 stars
From Paris With Love
This movie is about how a rookie secret agent (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) partners with the pro (John Travolta) and learns from him in his first assignment to stop a terrorist attack.
I've never watched an action movie with so much humour packed into it. Would say I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, except that I wished it wasn't so predictable.
4 stars
True Legend
Well, Beggar Su, creator of the famous "Drunken Fist", is indeed a true legend, but the story is neither true nor a legend. Too much exaggeration of gongfu skills. Poor CGI--it's so obvious that much of the acting is done in front of a green screen.
I must admit I have a certain bias against unrealistic movies. I have a tendency to favour movies which are based on true stories, because these are the movies that can it be truly inspirational/horrific/whatever. Between this and "14 Blades", I'll say I like "14 Blades" more.
2 stars
14 Blades1) Donnie Yen's nemesis' name is 脱脱. Everytime someone in the movie says her name, there will be a roar of laughter coming from the audience. I also had the feeling that even the actors themselves are trying to stifle a laughter.
2) 脱脱 seems to have a demonic presence about her. Her abilities and fighting style are so unrealistic.
3) The movie ended with Zhao Wei looking far beyond and imagine seeing Donnie Yen and she says,"人是要有希望才是幸福的。" Oh please.
2.5 stars
Invictus This is a true story about how newly elected President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) united the post-apartheid South Africa through rugby. Invictus (Latin for "unconquered") is a poem which Nelson Mandela gave to the captain of the South African rugby team (Matt Damon) which inspired him to lead the team to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
I found this movie very inspiring and touching, pretty much similar to movies like "Hotel Rwanda", "Tears of the Sun", "Blood Diamond", movies which touch on real-life issues and show how people arise victorious, despite all the setbacks and sufferings placed before them. In the movie, Nelson Mandela wrote this poem in his prison cell, where he had spent 30 years of his life in, as a result of engaging in anti-apartheid activities.
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate
I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul.
4 stars
Planet 51 I love how cute the storyline is. An astronaut landed on the planet and the aliens thought the astronaut is an alien. LOL. Interesting perspective. Other than that, it was pretty boring in the middle. I would've liked it to be more funny and slightly more touching (for the ending). Suddenly I'm reminded of "Up" and my fave tagline from it "I do not like the cone of shame!", and I'm thinking to myself, yes that's exactly the kind of movie I wanna watch. =)
3 stars
Law Abiding Citizen This is a pretty interesting story about a failed justice system, and how the victim (Gerard Butler) forces his prosecutor (Jamie Foxx) to fix the justice system by putting him in the same shoes. The story has an early climax, but it steadily goes downhill from then. I did not like how the movie ended. I felt that this being a movie about morals and social justice, should have a more conclusive ending. Overall, if comparing similar prison films, “The Shawshank Redemption” is much better.
P/s: There was a scene where Gerard Butler took off his clothes before the police arrested him. WHY? I don't know. Maybe to increase ratings? Nothing compromising though, other than his glorious butt crack. And yes, he still has his washboard abs from "300".
P/s: There was a scene where Gerard Butler took off his clothes before the police arrested him. WHY? I don't know. Maybe to increase ratings? Nothing compromising though, other than his glorious butt crack. And yes, he still has his washboard abs from "300".
3.5 stars
Couples Retreat It was not as funny as I hoped. Nevertheless, I did enjoy a few laughs.
-Jason's "overefficiency" with his powerpoint presentation on the 5 steps to depression.
-"The code is ASSTASTIC."
-"Please excuse my nudity!" (said in an unembarrassed manner)
-Jason's "overefficiency" with his powerpoint presentation on the 5 steps to depression.
-"The code is ASSTASTIC."
-"Please excuse my nudity!" (said in an unembarrassed manner)
3.5 stars
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant This was quite boring as well. Spoiler alert: I'm very sure there will be a sequel.
Steve has a very very lame reason to want to become a vampire. Darren also became a vampire because of a very very lame reason. Hmm, I think the producers have got to try harder than that! That said, it isn't bad enough to make me NOT wanna watch part 2.
Steve has a very very lame reason to want to become a vampire. Darren also became a vampire because of a very very lame reason. Hmm, I think the producers have got to try harder than that! That said, it isn't bad enough to make me NOT wanna watch part 2.
2.5 stars
Bodyguards and Assassins December is a good movie season. Unfortunately, I was not in Singapore for most of December. And definitely, you don't expect places like Laos and Cambodia to have cinemas. In fact, seeing a shopping mall, even that of the size of our good old Heartland Mall is enough to make you scream in excitement. It's times like these that Kh and I realise we're not cut out for rural living, whether we care to admit it or not.
Fret not, there's always JB if you miss any movies in Singapore. I caught this movie very recently at Cathay City Square for only 10RM. Watched it in Cantonese with English, Chinese and Malay subtitles--something you won't find in Singapore. I believe it's always good to watch movies in the native language. Some of the vibes just get lost when you translate them to another language.
Anyhow, I thought the movie was rather boring at first, but that's probably how it is for most historical films. History bores people. I'd probably put it in the ranks of "The Warlords" and "The Nanjing Massacre", which are comparatively not as good as "Red Cliff", "Red Cliff 2", and also "Ip Man" which also stars Donnie Yen. Interestingly, Donnie Yen has been getting quite a number of major roles of late. It's only recently that it came to my attention that he started out as a young star, and was actually quite good. Probably the place where I least expected, I caught a very very old movie of him on the "VIP" bus in Cambodia--something about some dance off. Even then when he was a young boy, I could already see a lot of potential in him. Wonder what took him so long to make it big?
3.5 stars
