Sunday;: Another Owl Movie Day

I had a pleasant Sunday spending time with my siblings. That means two thousand pesos for a 3d movie and lunch. My wallet cringed and no matter how it held back, I knew my siblings deserve a break as much I do, But I admit they could be very demanding and expensive. But I know that I don't hold back with traveling and food and most certainly I don't hold back with these two.

We watched The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. A kick-ass animated movie loosely based on a novel and directed by Zack Snyder, the same director who created the envelop breaking movie 300. Again, I will stress that I'm not really a fan of movies with humanized animals in it, but since watching How to Train your Dragon, I've given these types of movies much thought. I've seen the The Legend of the Guardians in trailers even before I left for the States three months ago. I knew I wanted to watch it. It came across as an epic, not necessary childish. And knowing that Zack Snyder will direct it saves a lot of intrigue. I watched it with Mitch for the first time on Saturday and we both liked it. I wanted to share the experience to my siblings hence making it a second time for me on Sunday.




The movie is not sappy and childish at all. I wouldn't coin it as a light, but it wasn't depressing either. It's an animated movie with sense, kick-ass special effects both an adult and a kid would enjoy. It has impressive fight scenes, simple good vs. evil plot, a fresh perspective on the owl creatures and most especially the graphics were amazing. I wasn't bored one bit. It's a sort of animation that has sense. I honestly felt like watching something close to National Geographic. But of course the owls could talk, could wear arms and read. When I went home, I became a nerd and googled information about owls. I can't believe I don't know anything about them. I never thought they could be really interesting creatures.

A colleague of mine asked me yesterday if it's something worth watching with her 6 year old kid. It's 3D and paying for a 300 pesos ticket for a crappy 3D movie would be like a thief in the night. But I urged her to watch it. Fortunately, she got back to me and said they loved it.

This is a perfect date-family-sibling-friend movie. If you are a critic, go ahead, I think you'll like it too. And while you've decided, don't waste the opportunity of watching it in 3D.



pic ref:
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Going to be my last Exorcism after this

I was supposed to accept an invitation for an afternoon BBQ, but certain moods and circumstances made me decline. Instead, me and my colleague took a bus to downtown Cincinnati, ate at Chipotle for lunch and went to Newport on the Levee for possibly our last movie session for this trip. The choice was unanimous.

We've been seeing the trailer of The Last Exorcism for weeks. It was enough to make us relive the days we watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Which both of us are impressed of). The trailer was really interesting, a bit haunting and holds a lot of visual promises. We weren't really expecting a pristine plot, but what we wanted to get out of that movie was the genuine scare. So to the person who made the trailer, kudos. You totally fooled us.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

In fairness to the movie, it started raw and promising. It is done in documentary style. If you've seen Blair Witch the Movie, this is another version of it. A crew follows the life of Reverend Cotton in Baton Rouge Louisiana as he goes through his life as a devout preacher who is undergoing a midlife crisis of losing his faith in what he does, specifically exorcism. He shared his views about people thinking they need to be exorcised, when in fact he's proven through experience that most of them just had psychological problems. He is losing faith because of the backlash of exorcism by killing its subjects during the process. But in order to support his family and at the same time "help" psychologically challenged people by performing exorcism "successfully," he does it anyway. To prove his point he brought a media crew to one of the cases he took on about a girl Nell, who is apparently possessed. According to her father, she has been killing their livestock, be in constant catharsis and perform stuff only a possessed and psychologically incapacitated person would do. The Reverend does his show and comes out of the session successful only that Nell was really possessed. Together with his crew, he tried to unfold the problem and perform the real exorcism. Certain twists began to unfold until the end of the movie unfortunately spoiled everything. It turned out that the neighbors and the girl were part of a cult to worship a known demon and on the last scene the cult delivered the demon's offspring from Nell. It turned out the father was not supportive of it. Reverend Cotton, watching the ceremony began to believe, and went courageous by facing the devil in flames while his crew was killed by the cult members while they tried to escape through the woods. Then the screen goes black. Obviously all of them got killed.

Fine. The plot was very far from being foolproof and the ending with the 3G flames with the devilish offspring was hilarious, but at least there should be a scary torch somewhere. It is a horror movie, documentary, video...whatever...after all. They attempted to be scary, but they always fall short. The possession wasn't even impressive. It's a full flat failure in the face. Blair Witch was better. Exorcism of Emily Rose is way better. The best part about the movie is the setting. The house is old, dirty, isolated and scary to live in. Other than that, it was a waste of time and money.



I do not recommend watching it in the movie theaters. I also do not recommend watching it in DVD unless you're curious enough to know what I'm talking about and end up being disappointed. Take this post as a warning.

Movie Reviews: July 2010

I watch more movies here in the States than in Manila. I have made this a Sunday habit. Nothing special, it's just that it's the only relaxing thing that I could afford as a means of escape. Massages are expensive here, too much food will kill me. Movies are the answer. So, here are the quick reviews of the movies I watched here.


1. TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE

My colleagues and I crossed the bridge from our office one Friday afternoon to Newport on the Levee. While crossing, we took pictures and decided to support the vampire-werewolf-human flare. One of our colleagues, Michelle, is a certified Edward Cullen fanatic. Magazine, keychain, wallpapers, you name it. Though I have read all the books and saw the past two movies, I cannot call myself a fan, but I was interested enough to watch the 3rd installment since it's supposed to be more energized and action-intensive.

When we got inside the theater, little did we know that most of the viewers were shrieking teenage girls who were close to losing their grip on reality. For the whole duration, every romantic scene was destroyed by their shrieks. I didn't even get to enjoy the movie to its full potential.

But the movie is better than the second one and it's the edgiest movie of all. It has more action and in-your-face dialogues. There's nothing extremely special about it except that after watching, I had finally decided which side I was on. I'm for Jacob. Lastly, I also realized how much I hated Bella Swan, the originator of this messy cosmic love triangle.



Rating: Just watch it in DVD.


2. INCEPTION

One lazy Sunday afternoon, my colleagues and I were at McDonald's near our apartment. Spontaneously, we found the urge to watch a movie, specifically a movie with resonating good reviews. Facebook and Review sites declared Inception great, but I had no idea what it was all about. All I know is that it's not drama and Leonardo Di Caprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Ellen Page will be there. Since Joseph Gordon Levitt is known to always star in artistic and indie movies, his choice to be included in a publicized major feature with Leonardo Di Caprio no less, is interesting enough. Plus, Ellen Page is there. Next to Zooey Deschanel, Ellen Page is my kind of actor.

To put it gently, we weren't actually prepared for the movie. My colleagues and I had no idea at all what Inception was all about. So for the first few scenes and a thrash of snappy dialogues that really mean rocket science, we were baffled. We saw characters fighting in someone else's dream, and there's Mal, played by Marion Cotillard, who we initially thought was a secret agent in the dream world. There are constant explosions and chase scenes in the first parts of the film; and to force that to reconcile to the scenes of people sleeping with attached apparatus, is weird. Then there's a dream within a dream, an agent's life, a sort of dream architect and then the next thing we knew is that they were on their next mission. The first few parts of the movie are fast and confusing, but I think it's done well in a way that it meant to engage viewers and let them TRY to figure things out at the same time. The plot and the concept slowly unfolded when they were already starting to plan for their new mission. We began to know how the team operates in someone elses' dream, which is to extract or plant information. Their expertise starts to make sense and the concept of their business got clearer. As they hire a new dream architect, Ellen Page's character Ariadne, she became the guide of the audience in figuring out the parameters of the mission and how Inception could become a success or failure. The team's target? A dying energy mogul's son Robert Fischer. He is the future competitor of Ken Watanabe's character, who hired the Inception Team to plant an idea for the the son to destroy the Fischer Empire. Aside from the breathtaking action sequences, the complications of having those scenes in the dream world blew my mind. It's not your normal suspense-action movie with a target. The answers to the complications aren't giveaways. The audience are taken to a visual and mental ride, which is a great combination in a movie. It's beyond eye candy with all the effects. The amazing plot, the production sets and the amazing cast pulled it all together.

When I got out of the theater, I was blown away. It was the same feeling I had when I watched the Butterfly Effect. I was amazed on the concept and it made me think of the possibilities. So far it is the best movie I've seen here. It was so good that I watched it twice. My colleagues and I watched it first in 2D. Yesterday, with nothing much to do, I went back to AMC alone and watched it in 3D. Glad thing I did.



Recommendation: Superb. Watch it in 3D. And don't be afraid if your nose bleeds at the beginning.


3. SALT

Angelina Jolie Movies are always glamour bad ass movies. So we expected to see her beating guys, firing guns, doing amazing stunts and still emerge hot and perfect. Exactly what we saw in Salt. Evelyn Salt, her character, works for CIA and was named as a Russian Spy out to kill the Russian president. Her security and life turned around as officials chase her and she becomes a fugitive looking for her civilian husband. We thought it was the usual frame-up movie,but the twist is that she's indeed a Russian Spy, but not exactly the Russian spy that we thought. She is a trained russian spy out to carry a mission, only that her mission became whatever her choice was. Evelyn Salt's loyalty became complex until we figure out who she is really fighting for in the end. One thing is for sure, she has unimaginable stunts that seemed unrealistic because she always comes out perfect after every scene.




Recommendation: Don't bother about the plot. This is clearly an eyecandy movie. If you're a guy, this is a turn on. If you're a girl, this is unrealistic. There was nothing really to look forward to. You can just watch it in DVD. PS: What's with the first name "Evelyn"? Unless this is a real story, the name Evelyn seems off.

4. CATS AND DOGS: REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE

Yesterday I feared for my screwed diet and budget if I go to Sam's Club, so I went to Newport on the Levee alone to watch this instead. I don't normally like humanized animal feature films. I probably missed Harvey so much that I didn't think this through.

The movie has the usual good vs. evil plot. Kitty Galore, a disgustingly bad hairless type of cat, is out to destroy the world. The protagonist, an underdog German shepherd Diggs, was recruited into a Dog World CIA complete with technology and headquarters. Their mission is to protect a bird informant and stop Kitty Galore. They teamed up with a cat agent from MEOW'S, the cat world version of CIA.

Well, the dogs are cute and it made me miss Harvey even more, but I got really bored. I felt like it was a waste of time. The plot was recycled. The action scenes weren't entertaining enough even for kids. The dialogues were flat. It was a total mess. Glad thing I didn't watch it in 3D.
Recommendation: DVD most definitely or not at all!!


Today is a Sunday and I'm out for lunch and a bit of shopping in Florence, Kentucky. After that, we plan to end the weekend with a movie night out. Dinner for the Schmucks is a great contender. With all the work and training that we're doing for the past few weeks, we definitely need a good laugh these days.

Movies Abroad

One of the relaxing things that we get to do here in Ohio is to watch movies. We watch more movies here in States than we do back home in Manila. We unconsciously made it a Sunday habit practically because there's nothing much to do here on the weekends except shopping, eating and movies.

We watch at Newport on the Levee in Kentucky, an entertainment hub full of classy restaurants, bookstores and bars with minor retail shops. It's a 15 minute scenic walk from the apartment. From the office, it's a 10 minute walk, we would just have to cross the bridge. Newport on the Levee can be seen from our apartment on the East and south from our office in Cincinnati, which is just across the river.

**Newport on the Levee, out for July 4th dinner at Claddagh Irish Pub.

Newport houses AMC Theaters. They have 20 cinemas there, not that it really matters, I haven't experienced falling in line even on prime weekends anyways. It's 10 Dollars per movie, 14 Dollars if you want to watch it on 3D. Since they have 20 cinemas, there is an average of 2 theaters per movie. So if you missed your target screening, there's probably another one coming up 30 minutes. They also have combos of humongous refillable popcorn and drink for another 10 dollars. But there are no sure seats. You just buy a ticket by telling them what you want to watch, they'll print it and you go to the cinema lobby. Once there, you submit your ticket and immediately be welcomed by a huge counter that sells the usual movie finger foods. You go to the hallway where cinemas are located and just enter the tunnel where your chosen movie is being shown. No one would check whether you are entering in the right theater just in case you change your mind on which movie to watch. No one even checks if you're just killing time by watching three different movies. You can even watch half of a crappy movie and transfer to the other one. Minor things adopt an honor system here, clearly not what we practice in the Philippines.**Walked from office to Newport on a Friday afternoon. We were about to watch Eclipse here.

So far so good. I already watched three movies since I got here. I watched Eclipse, Inception and just a few hours ago, Salt starred by Angelina Jolie. My movie experiences here have been relaxing and fulfilling so far. I guess my 10 dollars per movie was worth it. The sound and picture quality are top notch and the same back home. But I believe our cinemas back home are more compact and sophisticated in terms of the seats and layout. It's not that bad like your normal SM Cinemas, but just a minor thing I've noticed. One more thing I noticed was that theaters are hardly sold out even on the first weekend. Unlike in the Philippines, to watch a good movie on the first weekend you'd either reserve seats online or go to the movie house at least 4 hours before. I believe movie watching is not so much popular here.

Movie experience here is okay, not extraordinary, but okay. It helps curb the homesickness and occasional boredom. Movies almost always relieves the mind and strengthens imagination except when the movie is downright crappy. This is what I have been doing just to bring more life to a weekend charged of shopping. There must be some other things to do than eat and shop here, right? Well, this is it for me.

Movie 101: Eclipse

After work, my colleagues and I decided to catch a movie as a form of relaxation after a week's information overload work. From our office building, we took one of the industrial bridges from Ohio to cross to Newport on the Levee in Kentucky. The mall reminds me of Greenbelt, but a tad smaller and less flashy. It has lots of upscale restaurants of different cuisines, retail shops, huge Barnes and Noble and a movie house. With the list of movies to watch, I decided on watching Eclipse just because the book hinted a more interesting scenes of confrontation.

I'm not a HUGE fan of the Twilight Saga though I've read all the books. The first book was enough to get me interested. The second book is a teenager's diary from hell, which I had a constant urge to throw away. The third book gives more meat, confrontation and less cheesiness. The fourth book I have extremely mixed feeling for, it was bland. But I totally respect those who are fanatics especially when the movies came out. I have been in that phase once, but as for the Twilight Saga, it just wasn't for me.

Eclipse is indeed more entertaining, though I was not spared by some extremely cheesy scenes that don't necessarily happen in real life. Kirsten Stewart's acting has improved. Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattinson, still feels struggling and awkward. Jacob, played by Taylor Lautner, seems at home with his role. The action scenes were manageable, not spectacular. The wolves are like floating computer effects, I don't know how it's shown in 3d. The movie is entertaining enough, but could be easily seen in DVD. Nothing grand unless you're a fan of course, which I'm not.

Karate Kid

I promised my brother that I'll treat him to a sumptuous lunch and movie on my first payday. So I did. On a rainy Sunday afternoon, we went to Greenbelt to dine in his favorite restaurant, Mr. Jones, and I gave him the liberty to choose any movie. He picked Karate Kid.

It was an interesting choice. I didn't know what to expect in this year's Karate Kid. I've seen the three 1980's series version. It's definitely a part of my childhood, but I must admit I'm not a big fan. So when JD picked Karate Kid, I knew it would be either a win or lose situation.

First, I didn't know if this Karate Kid version would be an exact remake of the old one. In the old version, America was the primary setting, while in this season now, it's China. Also, the main character before is a teenager italian-american. Now it's slightly younger and black. While the mentor before was a bonsai-loving Japanese, now it's a Chinese Kung Fu expert slash building Maintenance personnel, Mr. Han played by Jackie Chan. Probably the aspects of kung-fu tournament finale and rivalry over a local girl will still be there, which is fairly predictable. But the thing that caught me off guard was Jaden Smith's performance, the same kid that broke your hearts in Will Smith's movie, In Pursuit of Happiness.

Whenever I see Jaden Smith, I see a new era of Will Smith. Jaden has a cute mix of charm and confidence. You could see that beneath his actor persona, he is beaming with energy and talent. Right after his character gets beaten up by his rivals, who are trained to be local kung-fu masters, Mr. Han rescues him and takes him in under his wing. It turns out that Mr. Han is this authentic Kung Fu master and you'll probably know what to expect after that.



What I loved about the movie is the genuine and heartbreaking performance of Jaden Smith and the calculated and strong performance of Jackie Chan. More than just the technical fighting sequences, is the story about an adolescent adjusting to his new life and how Kung Fu strengthens him and heals the broken Mr. Han.

There are basic attempts of comedy in the movie. It's nothing grand, but it's needed. Taraji P. Henson, who plays' Jaden's mother on screen, was a strong supporting actor while the Chinese counterparts are very endearing and interesting. I admit I was scared by the Chinese Kung Fu kids who despite of being actors, I believe, could really kick ass in actual life. They remind me one time in grade school we had a physical fitness soiree with pure Chinese students. We were grouped to play softball in their well-equipped, hardcore gymnasium. I don't want to go into details, but that softball turned out traumatic for me when softball was the "in" thing then. I got bruises and poker faces. Those Chinese students were tough. I think that's just how they are trained. I can't imagine for other major sports..what more for Kung Fu?

Karate Kid is not only a good and educational escape, but it is a good advertisement for China and it brings back childhood memories...even scary ones in my part.

A Persian Weekend

I just had a sumptuous free lunch, a treat from Mitch's mom for accompanying her to a supposed birthday lunch of her sister. It didn't turn out quite as expected so we ended up at Mister Kebab instead, which is not a bad choice either. In fact, it was a stomach-filling and satisfying experience. I have a staple thing for beef Kebabs, hot rice with margarine on top, sided with plump grilled tomatoes because for Persian dishes, I seldom explore. Ox brains and the like aren't my type. And truth is, it's hard to find affordable, authentic persian dishes that stick to the real taste. Now I know the reason why Mister Kebab echoes so far to the south, which is enough to stir southerners to make that journey to West Ave. The place serves a variety of Persian dishes at an affordable price. I'm a true blooded Southerner and I seldom ever go beyond Greenhills, but for a quick and cheap Persian variety fix, this is definitely worth it.

While I savored my beef kebab, I cannot help but automatically pull the most recent movie experience I had this weekend. The food and the movie have a direct connection. Yesterday I was able to watch Prince of Persia: Sands of Time with Mitch. Verdict? It was an..okay movie, not as bad as Clash of the Titans, but did not come close to the epic greats either. The 200 bucks a ticket was a bearable purchase for more comfortable theater chairs in Promenade, the digital projector system and the productions efforts of Walt Disney.



I am quite familiar the game Prince of Persia, though I have not finished it. I think I knew what to expect from the start. Great action scenes in an old Persian village for a playground, sword fights, acrobatic stunts, eye candies and sadly I expected good acting since I have always been impressed with Jake Gyllenhaal. But this is just a pure action-eye candy from the start. I don't even know if Jake Gyllenhaal was even the right fit. There's something odd from the neck up. Don't expect the female lead to save the movie either. Watching Princess Tamina in fake tan and luscious lips reminds me of Gemma Arterton in Clash of the Titans. But wait, it is Gemma Arterton! Can you believe it?! Sadly she didn't redeem herself from her Clash of the Titans role. Just bless her that she has a beautiful face. She plays again a rectified damsel in the distress slash eye candy that throws witty lines in a husky bedroom voice...again. But with forgettable acting...again.



The only character I felt for was the one played by Ben Kingsly. I felt the hatred and the subordination even if his lines were minimal. Superbly powerful, but sadly he's the bad guy so ideally you wouldn't root for him. You could also give thanks that Alfred Molina was there to provide a cute punch.

If you know the Prince of Persia game, you shouldn't expect anything more from what you see in the game. In fact you should expect a little less. Sure there are fight scenes, the eye candy, the acrobat scenes in a Persian village, but sadly there isn't anything new except for the vast temple deteriorating visuals, the profiles of the eerie Hassansins and an artistic sandstorm, which are clearly products of technological advances that usual movie goers had already seen. The ending was even a slight letdown if I might add. If you want to risk watching it in 3D, go ahead, maybe it would enhance something. But try at your own risk. For those who are not familiar with the Prince of Persia, the outcome will be the same I think since the movie's plot is a far off cry from the game.

Prince of Persia and Pirates of the Caribbean have the same producer. It almost has the same flavor in production and pacing, but my vote goes to the Pirates than than the Persian. You go see for yourself. But after that, if you get disappointed, go eat at Mister Kebab to give the Persian flavor another try. At least it's satisfying and a meal is less than 150 bucks.




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I confess to a new me

When I went to Boracay with my friends last week, someone noticed a change in me. She pointed out that my nails are colored in pastel, to be specific hot pink and apple green. She was so surprised and ecstatic that she easily assumed that I've crossed the feminine side. Any hint of cosmetic and relatively normal feminine beauty indulges, is the destruction of my known reputation. It's Parlor or death. I blushed and tried to defend my new found artistic expression...err cosmetic fix. But I realized that there is no point of explaining. I didn't even think of denying it. I would accept it for what it is and so should my friends and family.

Here goes.

I confess that I like Manicure and Pedicure...now. Yeah yeah, I know I had nothing to do with my nails before. I just let them be. I didn't know exactly what a hangnail was and what to do with it.I always take out my own ingrown nail by hand until the side bleeds. I initially find it hard for strangers to touch or do anything aesthetic to me. When I go avail of their services, my instructions were always direct and endless. I'm sure they hated me. The only care I bestow upon my nails was borrowing a nail cutter from my brother from time to time or to actually visit my mom's manicurist when I had to go somewhere fancy.

Now, I like getting them cleaned twice a month. Actually I'm more interested with the nail polish. As expected, I would have always chose a natural color, but one day my sister nagged me to be courageous and I've never tried other colors before. So, I picked a velvety plum color, one of my favorite shades and I had it on for a week. I looked at my fingers all the time especially when typing. I always had that crazy urge to do something with my hands. After roughly one week and a half, I shifted to another color until some of my colleagues told me to stop and take a breather. Until of course I wanted a pastel candy like colors on my recent trip to Boracay. Now, I'm currently sporting a scarlet red shade.

And with that, I might as well confess that I like hanging out at Watsons now. Probably next to bookstores, there's groceries, then followed by Watsons or Rustans Body care. I specifically like to hang out at the body and hair care sections only. I still ignore the make-up and advanced beauty products sections because those really aren't my interest. It would take a gazillion years for me to be patient in applying an eyeshadow. Besides, I'm allergic to make-up unless it's Shiseido which costs a fortune.

Lastly, I now like to get massages and go to luxurious SPAs, which honestly tugs my food budget. I go to get a massage at least twice a month since February 2010. Personally, if I had all the money in the world, I think I'd go to luxurious spas out of town often.

Some of my friends would sue me for being a switcheroo. I know. Before, I used to condemn some of my colleagues who were constantly recruiting me to go to SPAs with them. Before I thought it was a waste of time and money. I ignored my dad's invitation to get a massage before. I realized, I missed out. I've joined the bandwagon a little bit late. My mom, who is not a fan of massages, asked me what made me cross the darker side? She never thought of me getting addicted to spas. Maybe she thought it was too much stress. I think she's right.

I am coming clean. I am confessing. I admit that I disliked or didn't pay much attention to these things before, but consider these as my newest discoveries and addiction. Blame it on work if you must since my weekends now are becoming extensions of my weekdays. I also don't spend as much fun time with friends and family anymore. I am so stressed that white hairs have made their presence known. Consider these regimens as options to eating out and reading. As long as the effects are good, then there is no harm to trying things out. As they say, don't knock it till you've really tried it.

Clash of the Titans

First of all, the trailer was fantastic. Second, it's about a classic Greek mythology, one of the most popular stories to date, with gods, battles, dirt, poetry and handsome men showing biceps and muscular legwork. Third, with the modern film making at its finest, the movie is reeking with jam packed entertainment. Fourth, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes play the gods. Since I loved the 1981 film version, I'm sure most people would agree with me that the expectation should be a little bit higher for the 2010 version.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

The movie was all over the place. They tossed in characters that were not essentially needed and pulled out scenes that should have been enhanced from the original film version. We were expecting the gods and goddesses to participate more and not be displayed like statues. The owl, Bubba, was made into a cameo. Even Pegasus didn't take my breath away. The whole timing, entrances and the graphic refinery flopped to deliver a cohesive and stellar movie.

The original plot is already interesting in itself, but for entertainment's sake someone wanted to twist the known legendary facts, put unimpressive action scenes for the heck of it. And for those with more dramatic pallet, certain poetic scenes turned out to be cheesy. I came out of the movie irritated and confused. Some of my friends who had no inkling of Perseus' story got even more confused that the graphics and action scenes couldn't make up for it.

Perseus is the son of Danae, a princess and daughter of King Acrisius, which makes Perseus a grandson to Acrisius. The king received a prophecy that he would be killed by his daughter's son. With Zeus impregnating Danae, the king cast his kin away in a floating casket where a fisherman saw and rescued them. Acrisius has nothing to do with the half monster-half beast that the 2010 movie portrayed. If they wanted to adapt and enhance the original film version, Calibos should be a different character all together and not be mistaken by using Acrisius. And Io? What's the need for Io when there is Andromeda, both exposures are wasted. Kraken is Poseidon't and not Hades'. But perhaps I cannot blame the variety. It may be that several versions are created to deliver art and entertainment rather than the accustomed truth, but I sure hope they did it in a much believable and cohesive fashion. The effort to twist the story could be understood if only it was not confusing and boring.

The actors are veering from cheesiness to a high school play except for Ralph Fiennes who stole the scenes. Liam Neeson's Zeus was not scary or mighty enough, though I still love him. Draco was a point of interest, but the other supporting characters were weak. Cassiopeia was believable, although her role in the movie is short. Acrisius could've been more scarier. Andromeda has sincerity, but her role in this movie is not given much weight. Io is an eye candy and Perseus lacked in the most salient parts that make him a demi-god and a rugged man. He was like an impulsive and punk teenager seeking revenge in fleeting accents of Australian and English. Perseus was not interesting enough.

Months back, this was one of those movies I would have watched in 3D, but thank god I didn't. The graphics were, if not unimpressive, unrefined. I cringed at the fight scenes and close up of Medusa. They could've done better. And frankly, I couldn't think if there were 3D worthy scenes that I missed there anyways.

I won't recommend this for 3D. Heck, I won't recommend this at all lest you expect to be disappointed. If I knew this all along, I would've just bought a DVD. This is not like Lord of The Rings where there are "Aah and nail biting moments." This is not Avatar. This is not even the Odyssey tv-movie produced and shown by The Hallmark Channel, which I loved and lauded. The Clash of the Titaans 1981 film version may have used stopmotion effects at that time, but I suggest you just watch it instead of this year's version. Apparently, nothing could save this movie except for the trailer and marketing. The Gods would've frowned.

Prelude: CLASH OF THE TITANS

Would it be a sin to lambaste the review of this 2010 Clash of the Titans movie in full detail? I know it's Easter Sunday, but--

I am a fan of Greek Mythology and I am particularly a fan of the 1981 film version of Clash of the Titans. I think I wasn't overboard in expecting something more from the 2010 movie knowing that we are already capable with amazing effects and all. I think it should have enhanced the movie further, but I wasn't much impressed with the effects. In truth, I wasn't happy with the movie in its totality.

I think a part of me expected more because Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes are there. Their participation is enough to assure me in some way that the movie is somehow worth it. I'm sure with their credentials and experiences, they wouldn't want to just do a movie out of nothing. But sadly, I don't know what happened. It was a mess. Most fans of the story didn't like it. Those who have no idea what the movie is all about got more confused. And those who are looking for pure entertainment wished they just bought it in DVD. I just have to be honest.

But first I would have to go to Easter mass and pray for this because everytime I remember the 2010 movie, I just get irritated. Oh well...later.

How To Train your Dragon

Another delayed post...

Last Sunday morning I found myself awake in the office for more than 24 hours. On the moment in which I was supposed to be heading home and sleep, my siblings picked me up in my office. I was wearing work out clothes, when I haven’t visited the gym in more than 2 weeks straight. I did remember that I promised them a sumptuous lunch in Greenbelt and a movie treat for my brother who just graduated. So, like a zombie, we went to Mr. Jones’ a diner joint which serves authentic root beer floats, shakes, burgers and grease foods that are more comforting than they are healthy. Lack of sleep and a possible heart attack, may be a ruthless combination I wonder. I had to remind myself that I am scheduled to go to Boracay in 2 weeks and downing milkshakes and fried foods seem more like a death sentence. But I was tired, weak to my cravings and bound by a promise that I finally gave in, silencing any whispers of remorse.

After lunch, we went to watch a 3D animation of Dreamworks, How To Train Your Dragon. I’m beginning to like 3D movies and if the plot is a little bit predictable, I’m sure banking on the effects for the pricey tickets I had paid for. I’m sure the computer animation would be great, but I would be genuinely surprised if it would offer something new. Once you’ve seen Avatar, you’ve probably seen it all. In the theatres, I see families watching. There were no die hard looking critics there.

The plot is very simple. It’s cartoons, it shouldn’t be complicated. It’s a story about a young wimpy teenager, who feels left out in the society full of brave and powerful Vikings. Call it destiny and passion, he drew his strength and importance upon accidentally capturing and befriending one of the most elusive, powerful and dragon species, called Night Fury. With consistency and constant work, he was able to gain more knowledge, respect and expertise about dragons in a more positive but different perspective that dragon slayers share. He learns how to train dragons to good use to eliminate the feeling of threat his people feel towards them. Together with his new found friends, he was able to discover the deeper reason of the ongoing war of dragons and its dragon slayers. With trust, belief in oneself and courage, this one simple teenager was able to change the relationship of age long animosity to cooperation and harmony.

The effects are computer generated while the graphics are getting more refined than ever. What I amazingly liked about watching it in the big screen are the breathtaking flight scenes, chase scenes and the elemental scenes that maximized the power of 3D technology. Computer generated nature coupled with the breathtaking action and flight sequences made my day.

My brother liked it, which is important to me. My sister, who isn’t an advocate of cheap cartoon flicks and thrills, wept at the end of the movie. I liked it enough to forget that I paid 300 bucks for it, which means it’s worth it. This plot may be simple, but it has heart. If not for the lack of complexity of the story, just watch it for the effects and the fun side of it. No need for deep thinking here, this is pure kid entertainment.

Alice in Wonderland

This is a delayed post. Better late than never.

Alice in Wonderland is a big and glaring part of my childhood. Every weekend that stretches as far as college, I would find the time and the mood to watch the 1951 Disney cartoon version over and over again and the wonder and amusement never fail. Along with Fern Gully, Never ending story and The Last Unicorn, the story of Alice in Wonderland is etched in my mind. Every song, every absurd situation or every complex character is enjoyed whether I understood what they all meant for.

First of all, the story in itself is nonsense. Alice represents us, trapped in a dream world, where dreams might hold deep meaning, but seldom understood. This accounts for morphed characters where animals and flowers could talk and feel mighty. Beliefs and principles counter reality and the whole landscape is far different than ours. It is a dream after all, a wonderland where everything we are taught of not to believe, exists. Probably the non-sense and fantasy version of Alice’s Wonderland attracts children. I’m afraid they love and understand it more than adults do. But toss Tim Burton in that equation and it’s bound to get more psychedelic.

Tim Burton is known for directing movies which plots are essentially off-based from reality. He does his brand of tweaking and interpretation that makes the already twisted material into an eerie adult alternative of a fairytale that might be too gothic to someone’s taste. He is known to transform stories and exploit its twisted side which is evident in all the film’s aspects from make-up, lights and sounds. For example, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory are films that I’ve also watched when I was a child. I would invite friends over every summer and rent out Laser Discs of Gene Wilder playing as Willy Wonka. Tim Burton’s take with Johnny Depp at the helm is a bit eerie, but something to be expected. Barber on Fleet Street, Big Fish and even clay-fairy tales of the Corpse’s Bride and Nightmare before Christmas holds the same experience. And of course, who could ever forget Edward Scissorhands? An odd character in a suburban setting could be as complicated and strange as it could ever be, but Tim Burton takes comfort in showing his directorial styles and interpretation in stories that no other director might hold imagination and courage for. It’s no surprise that Alice in Wonderland, a material veering towards an adult dream like fantasy, is expected to be added to his directorial feats with no less than Johnny Depp as one of the main characters. And with their tandem, it’s bound to be entertaining.

Watching Alice in Wonderland is a visual treat. Colors, CGI, visual effects and make-up complement and enhance the characters and settings. Other scenes cast a colour of gloom and pale, a signature Tim Burton’s known for. The music is hauntingly naughty, the type of music you’ve already heard in Edward Scissorhands and Willy Wonka.

The choice of characters is familiar and expected. Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter, a type of role he is esteemed to play along with the list of off-beat and crazy characters he brought to life. Though strange and expected as he might be, there are certain times wherein I see Captain Jack impersonating Carrot top. Probably I just needed to see him in jeans and shirt in a movie soon, while Helena Bonham Carter made me laugh. A regular in Tim Burton’s films, she still delivers a genuine performance. She could play a caring mother, a scorned and deranged lover or a bratty queen with a mind of a 5 year old. In Alice in Wonderland, she interpreted the Red Queen to be an adult brat who holds no moral obligation to make the world a happy and safe place. She interpreted the Red Queen as a bratty toddler or a grade school queen bee, trapped in a woman’s body and an enormously big head. I appreciate her version, but I was more inkling to see a nastier version, someone who is big, whose power reeks in scorned look, someone who would bring you to your knees by just a look like the principal in Matilda. The King of Spades, played by Crispin Glover, is fantastically eerie. He sits alongside Johnny Depp in playing off-beat characters effectively from time to time. But he' s mostly the villain. Actually, he could be the next Riddler. Anne Hathaway’s White Queen is forgettable, but provides an annoying contrast to the Red Queen’s aggressive personality. Alice, played by Australian Mia Wasikowska, portrays extreme awkwardness and stubbornness for an adolescent Alice trapped in both worlds. Sometimes her acting for me falls short, but her magnificent dresses and rawness somehow make up for it.

This movie is a visual treat than a cerebral one. When the movie ended, people in the theatres were just stunned and caught off guard not knowing what to do. They can’t exactly pinpoint if they like dthe movie or not. Mitch just enjoyed the visuals and as he gave up on finding the plot’s meaning. I wouldn’t recommend it for those who expect the plot served on a plate. They may be at lost. For multimedia enthusiasts, this is a movie worth watching in the big screen. For Tim Burton and Johnny Depp enthusiasts, this adds up to the collection. For those who are looking for entertainment without too much of reality in the equation, this might prove useful.

Movies now and Movies before

I just finished watching Jack, a 1996 drama-comedy, starred by Robin Williams in Star Movies. I watched it while I was having my breakfast, Swiss Chocolate Cake, brought by a guest from last night's party. I believe the movie and the cake meshed well. It's not the first time I've watched the movie though. I think I've watched the full length more than five times already, but the movie still stands out. The story is simple, yet original. It's heartfelt and very truthful. The movie bursts with meaning and not of euphemisms. Why movies aren't like that anymore?

I love movies done in the 80's and the 90's. I even love movies done a couple of decades before that. Probably even as time goes by, the stories still stand out. It's classically relative. They don't focus on glitz, they focus on real stories and great performances. Even Filipino movies had more meat to it than love-team led titles that we see now. Though the modernity of film making at this age has an edge through special effects, graphics and other advanced cinematography features, but the stories do not really pierce the soul. It's either the story is somewhat recycled or pointless. Stories done before are still being very much appreciated now because the story and the performances were stellar. It's not riding in constant commercial hype nor did it rely on technology. Movies done now battle on special effects and technology. That may be true, but most movies lack on the backbone, the story. It's either rehashed with different characters, but having the same lessons, same endings and same emotions. What's bad about how movies rely on technology now is that once you've seen a sample, you've seen it all.

I am an 80's and 90's kid in movies at heart. Though I do have a couple of favorites in 2000, but those I could only count with my fingers. We desperately need new stories. We need new ways on how to tell them. We need to bring the good actors back and not just some mainstream hot item in tabloids now. If we have to remake movies, may it be more empowered and incomparable than before. I don't know the specific answers. But I think Film makers need to take passionate risks sometimes and not stick with the formula. Movies shouldn't be a trend. It's an art.

Film Opinion: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Work's been keeping me. It sucks that I don't have much time to notice life's details. I haven't had an ultimate relaxation for the past couple of days, but I'm taking it in stride. I'm not alarmed though, this stuff happens and it makes life more colorful. Being able to lose time for everything is exciting at some extent. Challenges make life worth living and work stress makes me look forward to upcoming vacations.

So before I get warped and have my last remaining minutes stolen by work again, I will just share my views on Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, which I watched in very surprising circumstances.

I found myself in Fort Bonifacio last Friday attending to a sort of "career change" and was made to stay until 6:30 pm. Instead of going back to work and cook up a massive excuse upfront, I decided to call a few people and just kill time there. I had lunch at Fridays and with my laptop, intended to surf the day away until my head began spinning and my stomach churning. I didn't even finish my lunch. I had it packed and quickly moved to the mall to rest. Clearly, I can not lie down and close my eyes n the restaurant.

I took the advise of a friend to watch a movie since I have more than 4 hours to spare. I walked towards Market Market Cinema and was faced with fair choices. The movie list wasn't entirely hopeless. There were couple of romantic cheesy movies that would be perfect for DVDs and there was Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

I'm quite familiar with the title and the premise. I've seen it displayed in Fully Booked for couple of months. From the cover and the summary it greatly targets young adults who are always hungry to learn new adventures and glorious explorations. It's cool that after a lot of wizardry, sorcery and medieval thing going on, someone is imaginative enough to reintroduce Greek Mythology to modern readers with modern taste. At least it's something covered by literature or history that somehow we've learned in school. I admit I am a mythology geek. I am so attuned and in love with Edith Hamilton or Bulfinch's accredited mythology interpretations for me to still give more importance and attention to mythology told in a mild and sugarcoated way just to tickle young readers' imagination. Not yet being able to read the book, I've survived the Harry Potter and Twilight series to know what to expect. I know Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief would have something to do with a normal human, a specifically with an initial loser type quality, with ties to the Mythological Gods and Goddesses at the beginning of the movie is unknown to him. He would come to face his fate due to some drastic circumstance, embrace it and in the end, come out with a banner of importance and a new purpose in life. At least that's what I thought I would expect when I bought the movie ticket. Other cinematic effects and action sequences were still left to speculation. With a throbbing head and sore feet, I went in, got the best seat in the house, and surrendered myself to entertainment.


After almost two hours, I was able to get my much needed rest and luckily had myself entertained for a bit. All I can say is that the movie didn't entirely fail nor did it break lousy expectations. If the Gods and Goddesses were watching, they might have reserved a couple of nods. If the viewer was gravely disappointed, I believe the fault lies with him because he should know better than to expect something grandiose, authentic and performance shattering. For instance, I didn't expect too much and maybe that's the reason why writing this post isn't a pain in the ass. I don't have passionate hatred up on my sleeves either.

The movie is bursting with special effects. That is a thumbs up sign that even the likes of Hephaestus or Zeus would approve. As Hydra and Medusa attack the protagonists, we expect imagination and effects to coincide. Visual effects are the great strengths of the movie, but not necessarily the best you've seen so far. The effects may be required and entertaining, but not entirely new especially on a more cultured movie discretion.

The actors delivered what they're supposed to deliver. But no Oscar moment here. Even the sidekick is fun, but forgettable. What struck me as interesting are the mentoring scenes of Chiron played by the old, but still appealing Pierce Brosnan, short-lived screen time of Hades, a cool post-Rockstar era enterpretation, which makes you want to say happily "Whatever Happened to the cool, English dude Steven Coogan?" And of course the tantalizing eyes of Alexandra Daddario who played Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Pallas Athena, goddess of Wisdom, War and Strategy. Alexandra Daddario steals the scenes from time to time. Her eyes are simply magnificent, her stature so commendable for the role and her performance is forceful. Forget about who would play Athena, Alexandra Daddario is Athena. While Percy Jackson, played by Logan Lerman is predictable. He clearly reminds me of Sam Huntington though. There is a lack of rawness on how he interpreted his character. Being the son of the powerful Poseidon didn't make him interesting either. Probably in the book he is given more depth, but in the movie, it seems the time was crunched for Percy Jackson to develop and react odd circumstances. Luke, the son of Hermes, who served as the antagonist is more recognizable.



Now what about the plot? Well, I don't know if I like it or not, but I'm sure reading the book is a better experience. Even though I haven't read the material, I know the book is better. The movie obviously had a time constraint on their necks, which affected how the characters developed. Some scenes were badly edited and there is still a feeling of a low-budget quality. The transition of emotions was missing. It was like seeing the movie in a flash card and if the scene gets too cheesy or pointless, they move it to the next as if the characters were just pulled out of their trailers with lines to deliver. Even the killing of Medusa was horrible. And being a fan of Mythology, no matter how unrealistically godly the situations may be, there must be an explanation on why things are happening. A connection should always be present. No monster could just appear out of nowhere with no particular reason. Even mythologies have a point, which should not be made into a collage to support sequences in the movie. And I just have to mention the existence of Camp Half-blood for demigods. It cracked me up. Clearly that's imagination right there. Hogwarts to Camp Half Blood.

But I say this movie is okay, fair enough, A+ for creation and effort. It's enough to entertain you and relive whatever knowledge you have about the glorious Greek Mythology. It tickled my interest on how I once wished to be up there in Mt. Olympus sharing the audience with the powerful 12 Olympians. But the story is tamed. Even Gods and Goddesses have to go with the sophistication of the 21st century in the eyes of young readers. If you want a clean, young-adult and entertaining movie, go watch Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. This is not for people who want action and authenticity. If you want a die-hard, authentic Mythology with in-depth interpretation for a more mature audience, go watch the upcoming Clash of the Titans, which I'm more excited about. But of course that is a different story.


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