The Lightning Thief

Movie of the moment: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief


credits:wikipedia

I've always have a thing for Greek mythologies. I love them. A rather simple storyline for this, but I enjoyed it thoroughly! You get to travel to hell and meet Hades and Persephone (definitely not how I imagined them to be but I think the director's intepretation is quite refreshing!), to Parthenon to meet Athena (albeit just a stature...), then there's Medusa... (Uma Thurman couldn't be more apt for the role!)...

The best part which I found highly amusing is the trip to Mt Olympus, which is actually the Empire State Building! Ha!

And and and, I LOVE the ending! What a wonderful way to end! This is a definite must watch!

New Moon

Movie of the moment: New Moon


credits:wikipedia

This is long overdue. Indeed, I might have been mesmerised by the romance between Edward and Bella... but it all dissipates in New Moon. I started to see Kristen Stewart as someone who can't act. In fact, she seemed to be in agony whether she's happy or not. Neither can Rob Pattinson act. Much less the hot cutie Taylor Lautner. But never mind they are just kids. I certainly hope their acting will mature as the saga progress.

There is so much not to like about New Moon. The novel itself had been pretty dull, the dullest of the whole saga, but not as bad as the movie was. I was very much disappointed. There were alot of thing taken for granted and left unsaid. If I haven't already read the book, I might be quite lost watching the film. Could it be something to do with the change in directors? How do we expect a guy to portray the Romeo & Juliet in New Moon?

Too straightforward, not enough melodrama (you've gotta give New Moon what it deserved as a soppy romance), not enough action (I was so looking forward to the wolves!)... It's just not good enough for me!

Shutter Island

Movie of the moment: Shutter Island

credits:wikipedia

When I first saw the trailer for Shutter Island I was pretty freaked out. I'm weak against horror and thrillers. But because the movie was Martin Scorsese, and Mr こいびと quite like his films, I decided to have a go.

In the end it was as scary as I thought. Most of the time the plot plays with your mind, that I thought I might also become one of the insane ones. It's mentally draining.

I think this is the kind of film where you'll probably have to watch a 2nd time before you can fully appreciate the plot.

Despite everything, I think this is one of the times where Leonardo DiCaprio really shines in a show. I mean his acting has certainly improved over the years, but this is one of his best works yet! I was pretty impressed.

Danger. Kill on Sight.

Movie of the moment: How to Train Your Dragon


credits:wikipedia

I love the plot! It might be just an animation, but the plot is so wonderfully written yet so simple that it doesn't just appeal to kids.

And who can not like Toothless? Just a squint of those big round pretty eyes at you and you'll be doing whatever he wants.

I'm still swooning over the whole show! And I think it's the best show I've watched this year! Can we have more of this kind of shows please?

Alice in Wonderland

Movie of the moment: Alice in Wonderland


credits:wikipedia

So many questions. Why is it that Alice is a 20 year-old girl? Isn't she supposed to be a little girl? Isn't a 20 year-old girl a little old to be playing make-believe and saying "this is all a dream..."?

Why is it that her clothes remain unchanged whereas her boots and the hanky tied around her wounds on her arm shrink/expand along with her? Was it a cinematography decision so that the lead character can have a variety of wardrobe change?
I might not remember the whole story of Alice in Wonderland which I've read when I was very young, but I'm fairly certain there was only ONE queen??

Also, why do I detect a hint of some romanticism going on between the Mad Hatter and Alice? Isn't that... sort of incestuous in a way???

I feel there's some "read between the lines" which I'm not getting. It's definitely more than just an entertaining show. After all, it's a Tim Burton show! Or am I giving it more credit than it deserve?

Johnny Depp is just so Johnny Depp-ish. It seems like the more weird characters he play, the more it seemed to all blend into one. When the Mad Hatter appeared, did you detect some hint of Willy Wonka and Captain Jack Sparrow?

I quite like Helena Bonham Carter's role and the way she portrayed the Red Queen. I must say she's a really versatile actress and the Red Queen was very well done.

The White Queen is interesting, but there wasn't much room for character development, hence Anne Hathaway didn't really shine through in this show.

On the overall, the show is pretty okay. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm disappointed, but I'm not very satisfied either. Something is definitely lacking...

Professor Layton

Movie of the moment: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva


credits:wikipedia

If you've been following my games review, you would know that I'm an absolute fan of the Professor Layton series of games. So far, I've covered the Professor Layton and the Curious Village and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. I'm currently waiting for the Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel's English version to be out.

Anyhow, this is a movie not to be missed for all Professor Layton's fans.

I was a little disappointed with the number of puzzles within the movie itself, and how quick Professor Layton solved the puzzles, since that means I didn't really have enough time to ponder over them.

The sword fight reminded me a little of the ending of the Diabolical Box which is actually quite exciting to watch.

The best part of the show has got to be the soundtrack though. When you have such a title as the Eternal Diva, you can expect lots of songs. I love them all!

Now I can't wait to lay my hands on the upcoming game to curb my puzzle itch.

Green Zone

Movie of the moment: Green Zone


credits:wikipedia

Seriously when I saw this poster way before they started screening Green Zone, I was thinking, poor Matt Damon... typecast in this kind of role since Bourne Identity.

After the show, I found that Matt Damon is probably one of the best guy to be play the role.

I was rather impressed at the execution of the plot, the many ironies of the war blatantly thrust in your face in the form of black humour, and the many exciting scenes which had me about fidgeting and readying to bite my nails to nothingness.

I wonder if the Big Brother would consider this treason.

Ponyo ponyo ponyo sakana no ko...

Movie of the moment: Ponyo


credits:wikipedia

I've been wanting to watch Ponyo for the longest of time but haven't got the chance to. Ever since I went to Japan and visited the Ghibli Museum, I'm even more determined to check out Ponyo.

I wasn't disappointed! The plot might have been very simple and straightforward, but the execution itself was beautifully done. I believed Hayao Miyazaki has outdone himself with Ponyo! There's nothing not to like about Ponyo!

Read English... Books?!

Movie of the moment: An Education


credits:wikipedia

I had wanted to watch the other film on John Keats but the timing just wasn't right.

The description from IMDB, "A coming-of-age story about a teenage girl in 1960s suburban London, and how her life changes with the arrival of a playboy nearly twice her age," certainly doesn't sound very interesting.

However, An Education turn out to be fairly amusing and intriguing to watch. Follow the bittersweet life of Jenny Mellor and be enchanted with classic concerto, jazz clubs, fine dining, and the beautiful Paris. Oh, and don't forget the famous English humour.

I also love the foil Helen provided versus Jenny. Puts alot of things into perspective.

This is the kind of film which I wouldn't mind watching again on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Scandal Makers

Movie of the moment: Scandal Makers


credits:AsianMediaWiki

A rather bizzare yet funny Korean movie. How often do you find a mid-30s with a teenage daughter and a toddler grandson?

Once you get over the bizzare relationships between the characters, the plot becomes more or less rather predictable.

This is the kind of movie where you can watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon and not feel like you've just wasted your time watching some crap drama.

In memory of Heath Ledger

Movie of the moment: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

credits:wikipedia

Heath Ledger's last film... I almost had a heart attack seeing him as the Hanged Man... as though it was a premonition. This film was filmed halfway when Heath Ledger passed away. I was glad the film made it and Heath Ledger was able to give the world his last show.

Admittedly, I wanted to watch this show because there's Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and even Colin Farrell. I had no idea what the show was about before.

The plot was interesting, the idea, refreshing. I'll even go so far as to say the show was rather uniquely-quirky. But at the end of the show, seriously, I don't know what to make of it. Hmmm...

No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti

Movie of the moment: 不能没有你


credits:blog.taiwan-guide.org

A Taiwanese art film, the whole show was shot in black and white. It basically tells the story of how a poor man survives in this cruel world with his daughter. Life starts to get difficult for them when the authorities found out about his daughter who wasn't registered to study in any school.

The film explores some of the common themes like red tape among government authorities, poverty, and love. Even though the love between father and daughter was not explicitly displayed, it was obvious. I cried about seeing how the father struggles for his daughter's future.

I came out of the show with a heavy heart, though it was more or less a sort-of happy ending. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Avatar

Movie of the moment: Avatar


credits:wikipedia

It's a looooooooong show! It's probably necessary, I guess. No point having a part 2 when you can just spend 1 hour more to finish up the story. Plus... if there's a part 2 I probably wouldn't want to sit through it.

So... what's all the hype about? I love the fantasy world created, the little details put into creating this world, this tribe. I love it how with every step you take, the ground kinda emits a bluish light. I love how you can connect to other beings with just a little flower-like thingy in your hair. I love the chants. I love the exotic new age songs.

There's action, there's fantasy, there's romance, all mesh into one. I wouldn't say it's a must-watch though. It was nice enough entertainment.

Elementary, My Dear Watson...

Movie of the moment: Sherlock Holmes


credits:wikipedia

Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams... a very strong cast... and very well-casted too! Plot is amazingly well paced, you'll never be bored for a moment. I love that Robert Downey Jr is the one playing Sherlock Holmes, and he certainly exudes the right kind of charm. I love the boxing scene where Sherlock was calculating how much to retaliate and everything goes slow-mo. And then when he actually did do it, the whole scene changes to action.

Jude Law is one of my fav guys to watch out for. I love his image in this show with the moustache and all. I love how he plays Watson as a cool guy, as though nothing fazes him. I love it the Watsons character basically. Though I'm not too sure what his love affair has got to do with the plot.

I've been looking out for Rachel McAdams since The Notebook. Her sweet looks is very suitable for this role since it becomes very deceiving that a sweet girl like her can be so scheming. It becomes believable that she was able to outsmart someone as sharp as Sherlock Holmes.

Definitely a must-watch. And why do I get this feeling that there may be a part 2 coming up?

Italian Mafia

Movie of the moment: Gomorrah


credits:wikipedia

Crime crosses all barrier. You don't need to understand Italian to be able to sense the tension throughout this film. Of course it helps that there are subtitles in English.

An eye-opener for someone holed up in safe, cozy little Singapore like me, I cannot even being to fathom having to lead a life as such, always having to check your back, always looking around you before dashing out of the house, always double locking your door and not let anyone you don't know it. And of course, statistics have already proven people are usually murdered by someone they know, not random strangers, which is even scarier.

I spent the whole film sitting on the edge of my chair, biting my nails and silently screaming "NOOOooooooo...."

2.0

Movie of the moment: Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance

credits:wikipedia

If you've watched Evangelion: 1.0, you would probably still be lost watching 2.0. If you've watched the anime series itself, I don't know... you might have a better idea.

Evangelion is one of the oldest mecha anime around, after Patlabor, before Gundam.

If you're watching for action, there are tons of them. More so than 1.0. But I've got a feeling, everything is not as straightforward as it seemed. There are some pretty existential stuff going on there which you'll have to read between the lines. Definitely not for the general audience, unless you're a die hard Evangelion fan, or an anime fan, or a Maaya Sakamoto fan (yes, she's one of the seiyuu~♥).

Surrogates

Movie of the moment: Surrogates


credits:wikipedia

See Bruce Willis in his younger, digitally enhanced form., in Surrogates. A typical sci-fi film, it actually has quite an interesting plot. I also like th idea of having an alternate self where people can actually lost themselves in.

If you think about it, it's very much like the present. Everyone walking around the streets with a mask on. Just that many years down the road, when technology actually allows it, people get to walk around the streets with literal masks bodies on. Nothing else has changed.

Though typical, I quite enjoyed the show. I may be bias but anything film with Bruce Willis in it, can't really be too bad!

Claire de Lune

Movie of the moment: Tokyo Sonata


credits:wikipedia

A film about a dsyfunctional Japanese family, the execution was creative and sometimes, WTF. The film was full of contradictions. It was funny, yet not so funny, serious, but yet not so serious, amusing, yet empathetic.
My fav part was Claire de Lune. Somehow, the music bring out the whole mood of the film and you feel all the different feelings all at once. It was magnificent beyond words and it touched my heart. And of course, I cried...

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8... 9~!

Movie of the moment: 9


credits:wikipedia

Interesting, fun and very thought provoking, 9 brings you on an adventure. There's really nothing not to like about 9.

I like it that each of the "doll" has their individual characteristics, and also how each doll is made different from the other. You can see how technology, trial and error, enhancements, have evolved the dolls from 1 all the way to 9. What worked, is kept, while what didn't worked, has been improved on, or changed. Quite the attention to details.

Out of the 9, I'm not too sure who is my fav! Probably, 8, who is a little himbo-ish, a little cute, and a little not too bright. Too bad he didn't hang around long enough. =X

District 9

Movie of the moment: District 9


credits:wikipedia

One word. Disturbing! Okay, maybe two words. Ultra Disturbing!!

For one, it feels pretty realistic. For another, some of the scenes are not exactly... nice. I like the execution at the start where it feels like a documentary, and the host goes around interviewing different people, getting their views.

I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy the film, but I felt rather disturbed and unsettled after watching.

Horror too close to heart?