G'day mate!

Glorious Perth!

It’s been a while since I last updated this blog. I could come up with dozens of different excuses, but as they say in my marketing books, honesty is sometimes far better. (Not that marketing is very honest to begin with, for example it defines itself as “building better customer relationships to the betterment of both seller and customer” rather than simply, “brainwashing”)

So, the honest truth: I’ve been lazy. I must apologize. You see, I’ve been having the time of my life in the most wonderful city of Perth, Australia, and as a result, have experienced a bit of writer’s block.

And make no doubt; Perth really is a wonderful place. From the cleanliness of the air and parks, to the beautiful architecture and environment, to the friendly people, it’s quite a joy to be here. It’s really impressive how the Australians conduct themselves, from keeping the city clean to being punctual for little things such as bus schedules. Besides that, everywhere you go, friendly cashiers and shop attendees greet you with a “G’day” or “Hello, how are you?” Their niceness is also probably the reason for the rapid decrease in my wallet’s weight at the shops.

People who turned up for the Symphony, Swan bells in the background

There are many attractions too, such as the Perth Zoo, in which any Kung Fu Panda fan will be running here and there to spot the animals featured in the movie, and the Swan Bell Tower, which stand tall like a strange alien structure of red and green. If that’s not enough, the Australians will “create” their own attractions, such as the fascinating Western Australia Symphony Orchestra performance, which was held in an open air field. The (free) concert was attended by a staggeringly large audience. You really have to admire the fun-loving and sporting spirit of the Australian people!

I call these weird things "facehugger plants". Google it.

My family and I were also invited to picnics and lunches by some Australians and they were all very nice and friendly people. They know how to make conversation very well, but perhaps a little too well because at times we just felt a little lost while talking to them. Still they were patient and not at all proud. We went around visiting the country’s little towns and dams and had a great time. Notice from my photos just how docile and domestic Australian animals are. We joked that it’s probably because the birds and critters don’t get hunted down for food unlike back home!

More cute, tame birds

Well, it’s been great, and I predict it’ll still continue to be great. To all my SAM friends who are flying next year, I envy you because you’ll have a fantastic experience!

After a walk in Kings Park

Tame and docile ducks

War memorials at the park

The picnic

Perth Zoo crocodile. This bloke's huge!

Horton hears a who?

Dental Terror

It was freaky. Upon entering the dentist's office, I saw in my mind fleeting images of pain and torment, with a few scenes from the Dentist horror movies thrown in. Nevertheless, I sat calmly as the dentist injected painkiller into my gum nerves. It didn't help when he said in an almost bored voice, "Now I have to tell you the risks involved..."

Supposedly there was a risk of getting a serious wound that would last for 6 months. Ouch.

The next few minutes were painless, but strange. I closed my eyes, and while the painkillers nullified the pain, I could still experience some pressure. So it really feels awkward as you can feel the scissors snipping away at your gum while death-drills grind your teeth down. I didn't even know it when the dentist began stitching my gums back.

Now, for the long week ahead where I'll be experiencing some pain and the inability to enjoy food (Darn it!). Friday's the day I get rid of the stitches, and it can't come sooner!

P.S. This was a wisdom tooth removal operation

This is called...farming!

I haven’t done this before, but I’ll advise you this time to please be wary of spoilers in this review. Plain put, every bit of this film oozes with charm and I’d hate to be the one to spoil the experience. You have been warned.


How does Pixar do these things? While film studios all around clank out cliché after cliché, Pixar seldom resorts to sequels, instead relying on simple novelty ideas which they turn into epic, entertaining movies. Who knew that toys, fish, cars, bugs and rats could make such wonderful characters? Still, their latest innovation might be their best yet, having resulted in a film that has cute robots, which, despite their lack of dialog, project a story with such endearing heart and soul. It’s a film dealing with dark, depressing and very real issues, but has enough optimism to make it fun.


And let there be no doubt, these robots are adorable. Wall-E, the main character, is the last remaining robot on Earth who goes through a daily schedule of compacting and cleaning up scrap and trash left over by humans. In fact, the Earth is so filthy that humans have evacuated on a giant spaceship leaving (literally) skyscrapers of garbage. Wall-e has been faithfully at his job for years, and the boredom and loneliness have helped him develop humanlike qualities and feelings. When another robot named Eve is deployed on Earth to search for signs of life, Wall-E falls in love and follows her across the galaxy on an adventure. The big bulk of the adventure takes place on the aforementioned giant spaceship, where Wall-E’s surprising humanity forever changes the lives of its inhabitants.


It’s already expected of a Pixar film to have cute antics, stunning visuals, great music (with nice nods to oldies music), and of course, strong characters, and Pixar hasn’t failed. However, what really makes this film remarkable and outstanding is the underlying message. It was simply stunning when the spaceship’s inhabitants were revealed to be obese humans who, due to the comforts of technology, now travel in hoverchairs and have no need for walking. As a matter of fact, they have lost the ability to walk and every aspect of their lives, including entertainment, hygiene, communication and food (burger-flavored liquids?) can be done from the comfort of their hoverchairs.


While funny, it is a frightening look at what humanity might evolve into. The movie jolted me awake to the importance of appreciating one’s life and abilities. A scene showing the ship’s captain delighting in learning about simple pleasures such as dancing and farming really shows how beautiful life really is if we remove all the technological fog engulfing us. I was never one for environmental awareness but even I could appreciate the strong ecological message. One need only marvel at the bold panoramas of skyscrapers made of cube-shaped trash collected by Wall-E over the years to understand that our Earth is in serious danger unless we do something about it.


Yet, many critics have accused Wall-E of being hypocritical. A massive corporation such as Disney, who promotes consumerism (Wall-E’s so cute, buy the toys!), is trying to push forward an ecological message. Who are they to tell us what to do? Well, I for one, don’t agree with them. Just because it is a bad teacher who teaches moral values doesn’t mean that the moral values taught are any less relevant. Love the product, not the maker. Likewise, I love Wall-E, for its strong message, great characters and wonderful visuals even though I see the validity of the criticism directed at the producer.

There’s no doubt in my mind, Wall-E is the best animated film I’ve seen this year. In fact, it’s one of the best animated movies I’ve ever seen from Pixar and that’s saying a lot considering the studio produced marvels such as Ratatouille, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Monsters Inc. I heartily recommend this movie.



Images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios

"The wait is over"

Fantastic. Never a big fan of Star Trek, this has nevertheless gotten my attention. Will be looking to catch previous movies just to get a feel for this new, epic movie.

Hopefully, it'll be good because we (or rather I) need another space epic after Star Wars.

For quality junkies like me, go to Apple's Official Website to download high-resolution Quicktime versions of the trailer. I highly recommend doing so to enjoy the awesome detail.

"Do not want!"

So the backstroke begins?

Being Malaysian, we all have come across pirated DVD movies with weirdly translated subtitles. Here's an example of how pirates can unintentionally be so ridiculously funny with movies, such as the following Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. These photos were stolen taken from the blog, winterson.com.

"Master, may the Force be with you". The Force is now the "wish power"

Yes! Very big! Eww...

Wha-? The "Presbyterian Church" is supposed to be the Jedi Council...don't ask me!

A big what? I wonder...


Okay, Kenobi, you've confessed it.



It is as I predicted!


@@"

"NOOOOO!" is funny enough, now we get "Do not want!"

Really fantastic, the beauty of it all. For the rest of the screenshots, go to winterson.com to see the rest. Beware of the occasional expletive, but considering we all have bought encountered pirated DVDs, these words should come as nothing shocking.

New facelift!

Ok I couldn't find a movie quote this time. However I am proud to have finally redesigned some aspects of my blog. Fine, it was just a banner upgrade, but I'm still happy with it nevertheless.

This banner design parodies American comics of the 60s to the 70s. Pick up any copy of Amazing Spider-man or Batman and you'll see some similarities. And yes, my face strikes out like a grinning fool it is. Don't ask me why, it was just a spur of the moment thing.

Also, what exactly is the Comics Code Authority? The Comic Codes Authority was a regulatory (read: viciously dictatorial) body that censored comics back then. They were the ones that caused Batman to become the questionably flamboyant character he was in the sixties. (You know, BAM! POW! BIFF! Holy gee willickers, Batman!) Thank goodness Chris Nolan brought him back with the new Batman movies.

Anyway, I would like to take this opportunity say thank you to loyal readers, if there are any, for visiting my blog. Hope to see you again!

"There are no accidents."

They call me a “banana”. A banana is one whose skin is supposedly yellow on the outside but is white on the inside, much like a real banana. This derogatory term means that while I am Chinese (yellow), I often exhibit characteristics of a Caucasian (white). Case in point: I don’t speak Chinese, I prefer Western comics and entertainment and until recently, I didn’t even know how to write my Chinese name.

Despite being a so-called banana, I am still proud of my Chinese heritage and enjoy entertainment based on Chinese culture, despite my inability to understand the dialog or speech in those entertainments. Therefore, I love watching kung-fu and while I try my best not to come across as a stereotypical kung-fu fan wannabe (seen in movies such as Karate Kid and the Forbidden Kingdom), I have to admit that martial arts gets me extremely excited. So what could be more exciting than an animated feature featuring kung-fu characters?

Kung Fu Panda tells of a lovable, fat panda named Po (Jack Black), who was, due to a series of unpredictable events, chosen as the legendary Dragon Warrior. But unlike the fabulous Furious Five, whose martial arts skills are renown throughout China, Po is just a normal, physically unfit (he can’t even climb stairs) noodle seller. The situation is all the more exasperating for Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) who has to train him because the powerful Tai Lung (Ian McShane), a villainous leopard, has escaped from prison. Tai Lung seeks the Dragon Scroll, a scroll that grants its reader limitless power, which was denied him. Po and Master Shifu will thus have to overcome impossible odds to face this threat.


I was impressed by how respectful this movie was to Chinese culture. Instead of simply parodying it, it is clear that the creators showed great care in researching various aspects of Chinese culture, from the costumes to the architecture to the varying kung-fu styles. This resulted in another beautiful movie, with charming scenery, colorful characters and intense battles.

Speaking of the battles, I thought it was a fantastic decision to use animal characters as the kung-fu masters. While it seemed like a gimmick in most animated movies, this movie utilized them in a way that showed us something we’ve never seen before. Sure, we may have seen Jackie Chan (who has a voice role, as Master Monkey) perform monkey kung-fu, but have you actually seen an actual monkey performing it? Which movie features a snake taking on a leopard in a heated battle? What about a tiny red panda taking on the same leopard? The closest parallel I’ve seen in any movie was in Star Wars where the diminutive Master Yoda took on much bigger foes and that was awesome, much like this movie was.

Also, the animation was breathtaking; the characters spar and attack each other with quick and graceful moves. Thanks to the beautiful choreography, the battles had great momentum and style. One could almost feel the rush of the wind as Tai Lung dashes up a vertical slope while battling hundreds of soldiers. Two scenes in particular, blew my mind. The first was when Tai Lung escaped from prison, leaping and dashing across wide chasms and knocking aside soldiers as if they were mere dolls. His punches and kicks could be felt when they landed on the poor soldiers’ cheeks with loud, convincing cracks. The second scene was when the Furious Five, consisting of varied animals such as a mantis and a crane, attacked Tai Lung at a wide suspension bridge that was literally high above the clouds.


From what I have said, you can clearly see that I do like Tai Lung, and Ian McShane did a good job portraying a heartless, ruthless and occasionally sarcastic villain. I guess that's because he's British, and the British make such wonderful villains. Actor Jack Black also did a great job as Po the Panda and so did Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu. Yet, I do wonder whether the star-studded cast was really necessary. Rival animator Pixar’s movies mostly used unknown actors and yet every single one of their performances was noteworthy. But here, I couldn’t really see the significant difference in hiring Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie or Lucy Liu over other professional voice actors. For example, I didn’t even realize that Jolie was playing the Tigress until the credits rolled out on the screen.

Nevertheless, Kung Fu Panda is by no means a bad movie. It’s fantastic and surprising because I never expected such quality from Dreamworks. This has been a great year with at least two English kung-fu movies (The other being the Forbidden Kingdom). Kung Fu Panda definitely has my nomination for best animated movie of the year, and until I watch Wall-E, it certainly gets my vote.


Images are copyrighted by Dreamworks Animation

"One of the surest signs of true maturity...is reaching the state where you no longer care whether or not what you're doing in private is mature."

Click here.

This blog post is profoundly beautiful, and I very much agree with it. I myself have a few confessions to make: I enjoy kid games, I love fantasy, I can't stand horror, I practically adore Star Wars and I collect action figures. Some jocks out there are already probably wincing in pain.

And like GabuEx, I ask myself, why not? Why should "the fact that the person has existed on Earth for an arbitrary number of years" account for what his hobbies should or should not be? As people mature, they try to conform to societal standards, because that is precisely what is expected of them. Yet, are these standards really logical in the first place?

Think about it, why does growing up mean you have to watch something more violent, read something more trashy, play something more "intellectually mature"? In my opinion, it's not as if this world and the news we get from television isn't enough to shake us up to the depressing reality of life. To be blunt, this world sucks, life is harsh and cruel, and people die everyday. We see this everyday, so why should we confront it in our entertainment?

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Let me tell you why fantasy and Star Wars appeals to me. When I want to entertain myself, I want to escape from this world, or I'd have a sensory overload. I want to experience something totally distinct from our world, to play a knight or an adventurer seeking glory and excitement. These are things not found or obtainable in my real life, and I believe the best way to live it out is through fantasy.

Of course, don't assume that I cannot appreciate the "darker" things in entertainment. I still enjoy movies such as Pan's Labyrinth, Walk the Line and other serious shows. I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong in indulging in "childish" fantasy. In fact, the only thing childish in life is picking up certain hobbies to prove to others that you are above Pokemon and fairy tales.

Images are copyrighted by Lucasfilm Animation.

Even if we're miles and miles and miles apaaarrt!

Exams are over! I know I am mercilessly unimaginative sometimes, so I have live up to my boring standards with another movie review! I watched this movie at GSC Times Square.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR

Call me skeptical, but again I wasn’t entirely sure how good this movie would turn out to be. Although I thought the first two made-for-television movies to be quite entertaining, the standards of cinema are indeed much higher than TV, as proven by Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which excelled better on TV than on the coveted silver screen. Besides that, there’s always the tricky question (at least for any Malaysian) as to whether it was worth watching something usually shown on TV in the cinema. (Homer Simpson: “I can’t believe we’re paying to see something we get on TV for free!”)

Well, rest your fears, for High School Musical 3 is certainly leaps and bounds ahead of the first two movies. In this movie, Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) and friends of East High School face the prospect of separation as college draws near. Troy’s father and friends have high expectations on him to join the University of Albuquerque where he can excel in his supposed talent, basketball. But besides being away from the love of his life, Gabriella, Troy also has to deal with whether to go for basketball, or to take up his passion, theater. All this happens as the students of East High School decide to have a final musical performance to honor their last year in school.

There’s no doubt that far more work was put into writing this movie as the plot feels many
layers thicker than that of its predecessors. It’s no Oscar winning script, but it’s great to see effort put into making this movie deeper and more engaging. I felt deeply touched by the relationship of Troy and Gabriella, and the decisions they were forced to make as the end of school drew near. Maybe I’m just overly sentimental, but nothing gets to my heart like a clean, romantic movie. With all the dark, gritty movies of today, it’s nice to see some simple Disney magic working its way into our lives once in a while.

It also helps that the actors have improved their craft, rising above average. While they are all decent, I found Zac Efron to be particularly good as Troy Bolton. When Ms. Darbus, Troy’s teacher, remarks how comfortable he looks on stage, I couldn’t help but agree more. Where he was slightly stiff and awkward in the first movie, he now flows like liquid, delivering his lines with utmost sincerity. His seemingly genuine passion (Zac and Vanessa are a real item) makes his love story with Vanessa’s Gabriella believable and true.

Besides that, this review isn’t complete with some praise for the fantastic sets and choreography prevalent in the movie. The sets are simply spellbinding; large and colorful, they looked like they just leapt out from New York’s Times Square or Broadway. In fact, the first thing that caught my eye about this movie was just how vivid and colorful it was, and it was really a treat for the eyes. The music remains fantastic, if not better than before. I in particular, fell in love with the song “Can I Have this Dance?” which I now hum to myself almost every waking moment. Great stuff; believe me, I bought the soundtrack!

How do I summarize the experience? High School Musical is bigger, better and brighter than the first two movies in the series and is worth watching for the simple fun you’d get out of it. Great movie, and when they finished the whole thing with a tear-inducing curtain call, I almost gave it a standing ovation.

Images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures

And with every step together,

Take my hand, take a breath
Pull me close and take one step
Keep your eyes locked on mine,
And let the music be your guide.

Won't you promise me (now won't you promise me, that you'll never forget)
We'll keep dancing (to keep dancing) wherever we go next

It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance...

Take my hand, I'll take the lead
And every turn will be safe with me
Don't be afraid, afraid to fall
You know I'll catch you through it all

And you can't keep us apart (even a thousand miles, can't keep us apart)
'Cause my heart is (cause my heart is) wherever you are

It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance...

Oh no mountains too high enough, oceans too wide
'Cause together or not, our dance won't stop
Let it rain, let it pour
What we have is worth fighting for
You know I believe, that we were meant to be...

It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you (like you)
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do (way we do)
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance

Can I have this dance
Can I have this dance...


"Can I have this Dance", by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, High School Musical 3

"Music can name the unnameable and communicate the uncommunicable."

Ok, ignore the previous post about not posting for a long time. I have just found something that really touched me. If you have the time, it's really worth it to check this: The Composer.

A beautiful Flash, just simply beautiful. I have seen many good Flash movies before, but this one just suddenly tugged my emotional strings. Wonderful movie, and top scores to the creator.

To watch, click the link and click "Watch this Movie!" at the website. Enjoy!

"Never start with the head, the victim gets all fuzzy. "

This might be the first and only post in a long time. Exams are coming up and I've got my hands full at the moment. I just thought I'd want to rant it here to release stress and clear this aching head.

Life has been half good, half bad. Although I've been rather happy the past few weeks, school seems determined to put me down to dust. I've scored the worst mark in my entire history of INTI-UC in my accounts midterm. Also, JPA (for the uninitiated, that's the Public Services Department which funds my scholarship) says that although I'm a social science major, I'm unallowed to take up economics as a major. Double-kill.

However, sometimes two wrongs do make up a right, it seems. I've been doubting my choice in economics for a while now, especially since last semester when both microeconomics and statistics gave me headaches. What really drove the nail in the proverbial coffin was this semester's accounts, a truly vexing subject that has taken a great toll on me. It's not the lecturer's fault though, as Miss Kiran is a good lecturer, but it's rather my rusting brain that is unable to comprehend the easiest of debits and credits.

Let's see, accounts and statistics, two difficult subjects that are crucial for success in economics. If I can't master them, I'll be facing hell the next few years.

Therefore, considering the two blows I've faced, namely the economics no-no and the poor accounts midterm, I believe God might be telling me to change to another major, more suited to my skills (like I have any). Recently I've been thinking of a plan B, that is, Mass Communication. I'll look into it, and with luck, it might just be the right choice.

That's because you're not listening!

Here's another movie review, for one of the most fun movies I've seen in some time.

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM

Since fighting legends Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris first sparred in Way of the Dragon, (Sometimes titled Return of the Dragon), martial arts fans have been salivating for more pair-ups of their favorite heroes. So what better film to satisfy moviegoers than a movie that brings together two of the most prominent martial artists in the modern world? That's right, in this movie, Jackie Chan and Jet Li duel in a fanboy's dream come true.

In a cool twist on the wuxia genre, the story tells of a young boy, Jason Tripitakas (what a name!), played by Michael Angarano, who gets transported back in time to Ancient China. Legend tells of a Monkey King who was turned to stone through trickery by the evil Jade Warlord (Colin Chou). The Jade Warlord has proceeded to enslave the kingdom with his mighty armies. Only the Monkey King has the power to restore peace and order, but he requires the "Seeker" to return to him his magical staff in order to awaken. This is where Jason comes in and with the help of Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), the Silent Monk (Jet Li) and Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei), he attempts to fulfill his destiny as the Seeker.

The story's simple enough and is welcomed in an age where movies keep getting darker and more melodramatic. We've had plenty of Kung Fu movies of the Zhang Yimou type and I for one am tired of tragic storylines where all the good people die. Humor is rampant throughout this film and it really spices the experience. Jackie Chan and Jet Li in particular, interact on-screen with hilarious results, due to a bit of fun dialogue. The two characters are foils to each other, with Jackie Chan's Lu Yan as an unkempt drunkard and Jet Li's Silent Monk as the stoic, righteous warrior with the occasional sense of humor.

Besides that, the story's endearing enough to not be dismissed as cheap comedy, as you do care for the characters and how they develop along the course of the plot. Along the way, Jason matures from a typical loser who frequently gets bullied to a seasoned martial artist (after many torturous but comical training sessions by both Lu Yan and the Silent Monk). He learns patience, diligence and selflessness along his quest and I feel it does relate to us all, as the audience. You'll finish the film with a nice sense of satisfaction.

Anybody entering the cinema to catch this undoubtedly knows that there's going to be choreographed duels and this movie doesn't disappoint. Props to choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping who has created stunning and graceful action scenes and fights that keep you glued to the screen. The fights in this movie are more reminiscent of those early Hong Kong dramas as compared to recent fare by Zhang Yimou, and as such, is fast-paced rather than graceful. Yet, the choreography never loses its beauty and like clockwork, every attack and move flows smoothly from one hit to the next. This is particularly evident in the spectacular fight between Jet Li's and Jackie Chan's characters, who duke it out in a charming battle of wits and skill.

Another thing worth mentioning is the beauty of the art direction. Ancient China and all of its colorful inhabitants are depicted beautifully, with the mountaintops and fortresses looking like they've just leaped out of a Chinese novel. The scenic landscapes sprawl over each panorama making you feel a satisfying warmth deep inside. Costumes for the characters are colorful and intricately designed and match the dashing set pieces that were featured throughout the film. Every scene is gorgeous to look at and it's eye candy throughout.

Otherwise, this film is like any other typical Kung Fu action film, just that it's more light-hearted than the rest. The story doesn't take itself too seriously and there's plenty of slapstick humor and dialogue sprinkled throughout the movie. In conclusion, all I can say is that while it isn't the deepest film, it is a film with heart, what I would call a "feel-good" film. Rest assured, the first pairing of Jackie Chan and Jet Li was a spectacular and enjoyable show.


Images are copyrighted by Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company

And the award goes to...

IGN.com, the famous online entertainment magazine, has just released their list of summer movie awards. I being a geek on (almost) all things movies and awards, thought it would be nice to report it on this humble little blog. Full link here!

Note that IGN is probably one of those chauvinistic websites out there, and is therefore very (stereotypically) male-oriented. As such some of the "awards" seemed to have popped up from the minds of those high school jock-geek hybrids you see on TV.

Nevertheless, it is still a fun list and some of the awards actually surprised me, in a good way. One was Favorite Hero, as I thought Batman was to be the clear winner, but IGN convinced me that Iron Man was more deserving of the title. Another was Best Effects Sequence, which proved me right about how cool the Troll Market was in Hellboy II.

So, here's the list in full:

1. Best Summer Movie - The Dark Knight
2. Best Animated Movie - Wall-E
3. Favorite Fizzle - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4. Favorite Hero - Tony Stark/Iron Man (Iron Man)
5. Favorite Villain - The Joker (The Dark Knight)
6. Best Cameo - Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury (Iron Man)
7. Babe of the Summer - Natalie Martinez in Death Race
8. Best Effects Sequence - Troll Market Scene (Hellboy II: The Golden Army)
9. Greatest Explosion - The Hospital Explosion (The Dark Knight)
10. Gunfight to End All Gunfights - Supermarket/Car Chase Gunfight (Wanted)
11. Craziest Car Chase - Speed Racer
12. Best All-Out Brawl - Red vs. Saul and Dale (Pineapple Express)
13. Best Kill - The Joker's "Pencil Trick" (The Dark Knight)
14. Coolest Creature - Angel of Death (Hellboy II: The Golden Army)
15. Funniest Line - "You don't ever go full retard." (Tropic Thunder)
16. Niftiest Gadget - Mark III Armor (Iron Man)
17. Hottest Trailer - Watchmen
18. Best DVD of the Summer - Spaced - The Complete Series
19. Best Blu-Ray of the Summer - Batman Begins

Whew, that was a lot of typing. So, to tally up, and if my statistics skills still match up, the following movies are the biggest winners:

1. The Dark Knight - 4 awards
2. Iron Man - 3 awards
3. Hellboy II: The Golden Army - 2 awards

I couldn't agree more with IGN about the greatness of these three.

Well I may be dreamin'...

What if I told you it was all meant to be
Would you believe me
Would you agree
It's almost that feelin'
We've met before
So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy
When I tell you love has come here now

A moment like this
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this
Some people search forever
For that one special kiss
Ohh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this

Everything changes
But beauty remains
Something so tender
I can't explain
Well I maybe dreamin'
But 'till I awake
Can we make this dream last forever
And I'll cherish all the love we share

A moment like this
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this
Some people search forever
For that one special kiss
Ohh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this

Could this be the greatest love of all
I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall
So let me tell you this

Some people wait a lifetime

For a moment like this
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this
Some people search forever
For that one special kiss
Ohh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this

"A Moment Like This", by Kelly Clarkson.

Do you?

I hung up the phone tonight
Something happened for the first time deep inside
It was a rush, what a rush

'Cause the possibility
That you would ever feel the same way about me
It's just too much, just too much

Why do I keep running from the truth?
All I ever think about is you
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized
And I've just got to know

Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy

Has it ever crossed your mind
When we're hanging, spending time girl, are we just friends?
Is there more, is there more?

See it's a chance we've gotta take
'Cause I believe that we can make this into something that will last
Last forever, forever

Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy

Why do I keep running from the truth?
All I ever think about is you
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized
And I've just got to know

Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
This crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy

"Crush", by David Archuleta

Believe it or not, he's the good guy

New movie review today folks!

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

It truly is marvelous what one can do with computers these days. From the Lord of the Rings, to Star Wars to Transformers, cinema has proven time and time again its wonderful ability to bring imagination to life. The latest movie to offer such wonders is Hellboy II: The Golden Army, a beautiful movie to behold.


The Golden Army tells the story of a centuries-old elven prince who wishes to overthrow humanity. To do this, he will need to utilize the mythical (and titular) Golden Army, but legend has it that the Golden Army should never awaken or all humanity is doomed. However, to achieve this, the prince, Nuada, needs to collect three pieces of a magical crown that grants its wearer the ability to command the army. He claims two, but one piece is held by his sister, Princess Nuala. As Nuada strives to reach his goal, the mighty demon Hellboy and friends step in his path to do what other superheroes do best: save the day!

There are many reasons that make me gladly recommend this excellent film, but if I were to state one only, it would be that the special effects and art direction. The special effects are simply spell-bounding. The computer generated characters are all realistically done and the fights are intensive and captivating. Yet special effects alone do not guarantee the beauty of a movie, as films such as Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within have proven. This is where the art direction comes in, and indeed the characters and fantasy creatures all seemed to have leaped from those expensive artbooks that one loves to browse through but can seldom buy. Director Guillermo del Toro and his design team have crafted exquisite looking creatures that amaze and horrify at the same time. Prince Nuada and his sister, for example, look nothing like typical Tolkien elves, but rather have pale tattooed faces that portray nobility and terror equally well. Another fascinating creature is the Angel of Death, whose oddly positioned eyes and inhuman teeth give it a slight resemblance to a particular monster in del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. Creepy and forboding, this creature was a strange beauty. The scene of the Troll market itself offers so many treats for the eyes, it would be worth buying a visual guide book to examine each monster or critter individually. Indeed, this movie's creatures are hallmarks of imagination, able to stand out in amongst a sea of other creatures offered by lesser movies.

Then there are the splendid action scenes as well. Beautifully choreographed fight scenes adorn the movie, with enough impact and momentum to keep one glued to the seats. Prince Nuada in particular somersaults and duels like a shaolin monk on steroids, slashing and killing anyone that steps in his path. The acting isn’t half-bad as well, and Ron Perlman still does an excellent job as wisecracking Hellboy. All the actors and actresses portray their respective parts well enough.

However not all is perfect, at least in my opinion. If there was a complaint about the movie, I would say that the characters and plot lines aren’t fleshed out as well as they should be. All of the characters have immense potential but they sometimes fall flat because they aren’t given enough time to develop. Take for example, Prince Nuada (again), who could potentially be a lethal murderer and noble assassin, but actually comes across as just another simple, common bad guy. The movie also explores some themes such as discrimination (against Hellboy and his peers for their freakish powers and appearances) much like the X-men series does, but it only touches the surface, without fully delving into the issues. The idea pops up but just stays there, floating on emptiness without any evolution. Besides that, some side stories such as a love story between two central characters are left hanging, lacking enough emotion or feeling.

Still, this is little to no way detracts from the movie, which at its core is still excellent and breathtaking. It is an truly an epic movie, beautiful and marvelous to watch and I cannot recommend it enough. With news that director Guillermo del Toro will be directing the upcoming Hobbit films, I say that fantasy films are far from dead.




Pictures are Copyrighted by Universal Pictures.

Look in the sky!

Check this out: http://www.superherohype.com/news/supermannews.php?id=7609.

This is really good news! It’s about time that Warner realized the potential of their massive superhero franchise and got their feet together. This reminds me of The Incredible Hulk, which was quite a refreshing reboot for the series and a great movie.

Initially, I thought of titling this post, “Best. News. Ever.”, but with much thought I realized it wouldn’t be fair. I’ll explain this in a bit, if you’ll kindly spare the time. The last Superman movie to be released was Superman Returns in 2006, directed by Bryan Singer. Many people dismissed it as boring and clichéd and it didn’t help that it didn’t scrape enough bucks for the big tycoons at Warner. So, a sequel was a no-no for the bosses, that is, until they discovered the huge gold mine they had through the immense success of The Dark Knight. (Which was really an excellent film, read my review.)

Now this is just unfair to the talented Bryan Singer, who obviously put in immense effort into “Returns”. The movie clearly had high production values, fantastic art direction and set pieces , a quality cast, beautiful special effects and a fantastic soundtrack. If it were released in the 70s, along with the Christopher Reeve films, it would have struck gold. No, I think the main problem with “Returns” was that Singer tried too hard. Superman Returns was a good film, just not in line with contemporary standards.

Take for example, Brandon Routh, who plays the titular character. I believe Routh is a good actor from the way he portrayed himself in the movie, but Singer drained of much of his potential by forcing him to emulate the late Christopher Reeve. In fact, Brandon Routh had to apply a lot of visible makeup just to make his face look more like Mr. Reeve. Face it, Mr. Singer, Christopher Reeve was a fantastic Superman, but you need to be original and step out from the shell of the previous movies.

“Returns” is riddled with jokes and homages to the old movies that would make fans laugh but puzzle many younger viewers. The movie tries too hard to fit in with the old series when in fact it should be promoted as a new film with a rebooted storyline. Director Christopher Nolan did the right thing with Batman Begins by starting anew, something Bryan Singer should have done.

Another problem was that while it tried to be old-fashioned, it threw in some very weird, supposedly “contemporary” themes into the mix. People be warned, spoilers ahead! In “Returns”, Superman has a son with Lois Lane, who is currently together with another man. While I’d appreciate some drama in superhero movies (done so excellently in Spider-man 2), one does not humanize Superman by making him an illegitimate father!

As such, I am very pleased that Warner is attempting a reboot with Superman. No doubt Returns was good movie, which I would still recommend. You can clearly see how well done and polished the whole movie was and I enjoyed it very much. However, this doesn’t mean that everyone will, because not everyone is a fan. So, I sincerely hope that Warner will prove to the world that Superman is a hero for modern times, and also one of its greatest!

That cute little town...Sibu

On Sunday, my mother told me we were going back to Sibu. I was shocked. Going for a long trip on such short notice? But what the heck, I'm always up for an adventure!

We went back to visit my grandparents and other relatives as well as to enjoy the peace and quiet of small-town life. However, Sibu isn't quite that small anymore and changes faster than a traffic light changes colors. Another (negative) example of how Sibu has changed is that some of the people, especially the younger generation, aren't as friendly as before. Although this may be generalizing, we bumped into enough unfriendly salespeople to convince us. Nevertheless, know that Sibu is still as decent a town as any and most people are still friendly, so don't think I'm badmouthing it.

Instead of describing the trip chronologically and ever so boringly, I would like to instead highlight the main points of my trip. On the first day, we went to have a walk after dinner at Taman Jubilee, this nice little park that beats most of the attempts at parks that Kuching has made. It truly was a beautiful place and the climb to the top was immensely refreshing!

We also went around Sibu town the next day, hunting for cheap bargains and prices. It was at some of the shops that we met some unfriendly "sales promoters". That night, my grandfather treated us to a nice, fancy dinner at the restaurant known as Sheraton Restaurant. It was a multi-course meal, but the dishes were great and delicious. There was seafood, yam, chicken, pork and all sorts of beautiful things to savor and behold. I must have put on a few pounds that night; time to burn it all off in Kuching!

I was never really good at describing trips, so I'll let the pictures speak for me. All in all, it was a fun and enjoyable experience going back to Sibu.

A view of Taman Jubilee

Reached the top! And...

...We can see the beautiful sunset.

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, anyone?

Now, it's Pirates of the Caribbean...ok this is lame...
People feeding the fish.

My family decided to join in.

Look at all the fishies!

Wisma Sanyan, the tallest building in Sarawak.

The extended family gathered together at the restaurant.

Scrumptious, seafood mixed-dish.

Shark's fin with egg. No soup!

My sister and I. Cute, isn't she?