jonnyfendi Reviews

Argo (2012)

When Great Script and Great Editing Are Perfectly Combined

[8/10 · 24 February 2013]

Generally, there are three themes that tend to be favored by award community and film critics, the winning themes are about humanity ("Schindler's List" {1993}, "The Shawshank Redemption {1994}, "Slumdog Millionaire" {2008}, etc.), patriotism ("Saving Private Ryan" {1998}, "Black Hawk Down" {2001}, "Lincoln" {2012}, etc.) and the world of cinema itself ("Cinema Paradiso" {1998}, "Hugo" {2011}, "The Artist" {2011}, etc.). Well, thiz movie has all three of them. Producer, Director and Actor Ben Affleck is smart enough to realize it and takes advantage of that. Ben Affleck is Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who is responsible for covert operation to extract six American embassy employees out of the rage of Iran revolutionary by pretending to be Canadian film crew. It seems that Ben Affleck has done a tremendous job as the Director. He starts with an effective prologue to provide sufficient information and every time the scene heats up, particularly when the scene of American embassy is invaded, he cleverly adds relaxing piano instrumental music to cool things down and doesn't try to provoke audience into infuriated reactions. Thiz is his third feature films behind the camera after "Gone Baby Gone" (2007) and "The Town" (2010). For the acting, Ben Afflecks looks cool, calm and confident. John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and Victor Garber give brief but consistent performances and the last but definitely not least, Alan Arkin creates a powerful and believable emotion as fearless Hollywood Producer. I also have to put some credit to the Production Designer Sharon Seymour who successfully makes everything look like 1980s such as costume, hairstyle, glasses, car, furniture, television, telephone, everything! How they put attention to detail is undoubtedly amazing. Personally, for me, the power of thiz movie is in the last half hour. Thiz is a good example of what you can get when great script and great editing are perfectly combined. My heart nearly stopped while watching thiz final scene which takes place in Iran airport. They use almost all aspects to create tensions from ticket, telephone, soldier, bus, you name it and they have done it. When it's over, there will be some satisfying and gratifying feelings. In the closing scene, when the camera pans over the toys of Star Wars, Planet of the Apes and other sci-fi movies one by one. It simply wants to remind us that they are not only inspirational icons in our pop culture, but also they have ever saved lives. Great movie, great story, great moviemaker!

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Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Roller Coaster Storyline and Interesting Characters

[7/10 · 6 February 2013]

"A person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behaviour." That's the definition of the word of psychopath from Oxford Dictionary. Thiz movie comes from the Directors of "In Bruges" (2008) Martin McDonagh. McDonagh is the kind of Director who can make an effective black comedy with roller coaster storyline and interesting characters. He also shows promising signs of becoming one of the cult movie Directors. The story revolves around a psychopathic screenwriter (Colin Farrell) whose seemingly nice girlfriend is a psychopath (Abbie Cornish), makes friends with a psychopathic dog kidnapper (Sam Rockwell) and his psychopathic assistant (Christopher Walken) who unfortunately stole a shih tzu which belongs to a psychopathic gangster (Woody Harrelson) whose unfaithful girlfriend is also a psychopath (Olga Kurylenko). Meanwhile it's also about a mysterious psychopath (Tom Waits) who carries a white bunny all the time. Well, I just used the word "psychopath" so many times. If you feel confused, it may be true. The first 30 minutes of the movie will probably make you confused. If you feel it's kind of weird, yes, the movie is very weird and comedic as well. The dialogue is interesting and alive. Everything just flows to the right direction. And I almost feel like there is a time when thiz movie criticizes itself. The three main characters are amazing. Let's start with Colin Farrell. Farrell depicts an alcoholic screenwriter who looks like a peace lover but sometimes looks more like a coward in many situations. It's great to see Colin Farrell can bring a different kind of character. And the next one is Sam Rockwell who rocks pretty well. Rockwell's character is the one who sets fire in thiz field of gasoline. He looks confident and believable. People can hate his character but surely will love his performance. Personally, Sam Rockwell's performance is the best performance in thiz movie. Last but not least, it's Christopher Walken. Walken goes back to his roots, bringing an eccentric character, it simply reminds me what he is good at, just like the old times when he triumphed in "True Romance" (1993), "Last Man Standing" (1996) or "Kill the Irishman" (2011). Thiz movie just made me realize that all thiz time, most of my favorite movies has psychopathic characters in them, such as "Pulp Fiction" (1994), "Fight Club" (1999), "Trainspotting" (1996), "True Romance" (1993), "Natural Born Killers" (1994) and many more. Just because we like movies about psychopaths doesn't mean we are also psychopaths, right? Or are we?

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Cloud Atlas (2012)

Universality of Mankind

[7/10 · 6 February 2013]

What you might feel after watching thiz movie? You may be confused, you may be disappointed or if you watch closely enough, you may find a hidden philosophy inside. Thiz movie has six stories with six different time periods, from little island in South Pacific to the post-apocalyptic Hawaiian Islands, from the primitive year 1849 to far in the future 2321. The stories come from any direction and finally meet at one point. The story is meant to be connected to one another, however, don't be surprised if you eventually find that the connection is very minor. In point of fact, you may miss the connection if you're not careful. "Cloud Atlas" is the latest project from Tom Tykwer and The Wachowskis, starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Jim Broadbent, Ben Winshaw, James D'Arcy, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Doona Bae and Xun Zhou. All Actors have more than one role during different time periods. As a matter of fact, some Actors are so buried underneath their makeup that we could hardly recognize them. To make things even worse, some of them are seemingly drawn into comical performances such as Hugo Weaving, James D'Arcy, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant. The better performances come from Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Ben Winshaw. And the scene stealer is definitely Doona Bae who depicts a genetically-engineered clone named Sonmi-451. Doona Bae delivers a complex and inspiring character. On the directorial side, Tom Tykwer carries out 1936's, 1973's and 2012's segment. On the other side, Andi and Lana (used to be Larry) Wachowski handle 1849's, 2144's and 2321's segment. Personally, I prefer Wachowskis' direction. They can keep up the pace of their stories and prevent it from being boring. It reminds us of how good The Wachowskis really are when depicting futuristic tales, just like what they did in "The Matrix" (1999). On the other hand, even though I love the previous Tom Tykwer's works such as "Run Lola Run" (1998), but thiz time, he seems to have put anything one-dimensional. In other words, Tom Tykwer's direction is boring. If it's not because of the intriguing futuristic tale of Sonmi-451 which is directed by The Wachowskis, thiz movie will undoubtedly become an unnecessary B-Class movie. In the end, thiz is something bigger than you think. It's all about a belief in the universality of mankind. Basically, there is no difference between countries, races and even genders, where white can become black, black can become white and white can become Asian. We are all one, we are all the same, learning and strive for a better condition.

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The Impossible (2012)

Powerful and Heart-Shattering Performances

[7/10 · 6 February 2013]

Frankly, I had been experiencing some obvious pains while watching thiz movie. The movie gives you an actual situation of one of the deadliest natural disasters of the 21st century. It was the mega tsunami that hit most of Southeast Asia in 2004. To be more specific, it's based on the incredible true story of the Belon family consists of a father, a mother and three sons, which at that time were on vacation in Phuket, Thailand. The father Henry is played by Ewan McGregor. McGregor's character went through a lot of struggles to find his wife and son. It's a very complex character. However, he can translate thiz character pretty well. But personally, for me, it's the mother Maria who is played by Naomi Watts that delivers some powerful and heart-shattering performances. Watts can bring her character to life, with great emotional depth and effective improvisation. The other strong performance comes from the role of the eldest son Lucas which is played by Tom Holland. Holland creates a brilliant chemistry with Naomi Watts. The other two younger brother Thomas and Simon are played by Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast. Thiz movie is directed by young Spanish Director Juan Antonio Bayona who previously known for "The Orphanage" (2007). I can guarantee you will be in awe for the first 45 minutes of the movie, but after that, the storyline seems kind of lost. In addition to the impressive performances from the Cast members, thiz movie also provides breathtaking Visual Effects. It directly drags you into the middle of the situation. The giant tidal wave is frightening and believable. The sound of how tsunami debris hit and tear up the body is even more terrifying. There is always a meaning behind every tragedy. I appreciate the moral values in thiz movie. There is a scene, when the mother Maria tells her eldest son Lucas to help other victims though they themselves are in distress. It is praiseworthy deed and so amazing to see humanity is still alive. It's true, nothing is more powerful than the human spirit. That's the time when the impossible become possible.

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Les Misérables (2012)

It Fell Hard As A Musical But Heartfelt As A Movie

[8/10 · 21 January 2013]

As a huge fan of musical movies, I had been waiting for thiz. It's one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Soon after I walked out of the theater, I realized that thiz movie was very peculiar. Let me put it thiz way, as the musical, I can confidently say that the music is not at its best. If you listen to the song without seeing the movie, it will feel like half-baked. But if you see it as a movie experience as a whole, when you can see the Actors are singing with their expression and emotion, at that time, then you can feel that thiz is a very strong and breathtaking musical movie. In short, it fell hard as a musical but heartfelt as a movie. Tom Hooper is a film Director who is always able to capture his characters with totality without missing a single thing through his unique cinematography, as shown in "The Damned United" (2009) and "The King's Speech" (2010). In thiz famous classic tale, there are so many interesting characters to be explored. There is Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) an ex-convict who struggles to redeem his sin, Javert (Russel Crowe) who is a ruthless police inspector, Fantine (Anne Hathaway) a single mother who turned into streetwalker, Thénardier and his wife (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter) who are sophisticated gang of thieves, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) who is beautiful daughter of Fantine, Marius (Eddie Redmayne) who is a courageous revolutionary partisan, Éponine (Samantha Barks) who is spoiled daughter of Thénardier and everybody's favorite the brave little boy Gavroche (Daniel Huttlestone). I notice what Tom Hooper has done as the Director in order to build a strong impression for each of his characters. He simply gives everyone at least one chance to deepen their characters by singing in a special close-up segment. Each character, major role or small role, has thiz particular segment. And guess who is taking thiz opportunity well? It's Anne Hathaway who makes a convincing heartrending performance by giving up her pretty long hair and successfully bringing out all the emotions. The other Actor who surprises me is Hugh Jackman. Jackman also takes his role very seriously and it definitely pays off. His character as Jean Valjean has many up and down situations but he has no trouble at all playing it. And for the refreshing part (since the movie is extremely melancholy from the very beginning), the comical couple Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as Monsieur and Madame Thénardier have succeeded to cheer up the atmosphere by delivering some fresh humor. The first half of the movie is about suffering and the second half is more about love. Whatever it is, we are finally coming to the conclusion that suffering and love are the things that keep human learning. Anyway, I love the spirit! It's all about the spirit of a minority, the spirit of change and the resistance against absolute monarchy and oppression. In the end, I have to admit that thiz movie is not for everyone, particularly if you are not a fan of musicals. Nevertheless, thiz movie still conclude with a very good ending indeed. There is a gratifying feeling after watching the ending. In fact, if you are in the right mood, you might end up with a happy tear. Vive la France!

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Ted (2012)

Crazy in A Very Good Way

[8/10 · 21 January 2013]

What's wrong with a teddy bear that can talk and interact with the normal world? Welcome to Seth MacFarlane's world! He is the creator behind adult TV cartoons like "Family Guy", "American Dad" and "Cleveland" where dog can talk and an extraterrestrial alien as a family member. It all started when 8-year-old John Bennett made a wish that his beloved teddy bear Ted would come alive to be his best friend forever and it came true the very next day. Afterwards the scene shifts to the present day where Ted is now a bear who smoking pot and dating many girls. Meanwhile, John (Mark Wahlberg) has a job at the rental car agency and serious relationship with his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). Somehow, it's time for John, to choose between his best friend and his lover. My appreciation goes to Seth MacFarlane who made the script, directed the movie, voiced and motion-captured Ted. MacFarlane brings us to a whole new level of dimension that we never go before. It's sometimes weird and another time is funny. Macfarlane would do anything to create laughter, breaking all boundaries and mocking almost everyone in the industry. In short, his humor works pretty sick and well! Now, let's talk about Mark Wahlberg. All thiz time, I always think that Mark Wahlberg is always Mark Wahlberg in all of his movies. He seems only capable of delivering one same look, acting and character. But, in thiz movie, he gives me a different perspective. Eventually, Mark Wahlberg is one of the Actors who depend on his strong charisma and attractive personality. In fact, I also just realized that almost all his movies reach significant box office success. Thiz is an undeniable proof that people love him. The next in spotlight is Mila Kunis. Kunis is one true example of modern girls who can say anything she wants while still looking classy. She's not afraid to look silly. Quite the opposite, she gives the impression of smart, flexible and fun. There are also some cameo appearances involving the old aged movie star Tom Skerritt, the Jazz singer Norah Jones and Flash Gordon himself Sam J. Jones. Actually, it's quite refreshing to see a foul-mouthed teddy bear partying with 1980s sci-fi cult icon. Everything is just spiralling out of control and it seems that they are not afraid of being laughed at. Thiz is crazy in a very good way. In the end, what if I tell you that Seth MacFarlane initially intended to voice hi-tech Japanese robot cat, Mark Wahlberg was originally meant to play Nobita and the movie title should be "Doraemon". Well, if you believe that, then you can accept anything, including thiz movie. It's not as absurd as it sounds. Maybe sometimes the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy ^_^

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Thiz Is A Journey That You Want To Take

[8/10 · 1 January 2013]

To be honest, at first I was a little reluctant to spend almost three hours to see thiz movie but I know I will go anyway, just for curiosity's sake. However, it ends up with "Wow!". Thiz movie serves as a prequel to Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy consists of "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), "The Two Towers" (2002) and "The Return of the King" (2003). The tale starts with a comfortable pace and very good peaceful feeling by showing the beautiful Hobbit Village. I'm surprised that some scenes are almost too simple and humble for epic like thiz. Don't get me wrong, I love thiz part very much! There is a cameo appearance from Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and it's also about how they introduce young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the uninvited thirteen dwarfs one by one. It's not quite as grand as the previous trilogy, it's merely simpler, but surely has heart in it. For me, Peter Jackson is another George Lucas with his Middle-earth universe. Jackson really knows for sure about how every single thing should look like. His attention to detail both visible and unseen is remarkable. Thiz movie is very neat and well-arranged. You almost can't find a single hole or mistake. Everyone takes their role proportionally. Martin Freeman delivers his central figure with depth as Bilbo Baggins. Richard Armitage shows a precise charisma as the dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield . Ian McKellen brings his presence with wisdom as the powerful wizard Gandalf. And plus the minor parts but memorable ones like Christopher Lee as the white wizard Saruman, Hugo Weaving as the mighty elf-lord Elrond and Cate Blanchett as the beauteous elf Galadriel. All three of them look younger and divine than ever. And last but certainly not least, the dirty creature Smeágol finally comes out and perhaps it would be the most awaited scene for the fans. Just like in the previous movies, thiz character is amazing! I almost can say, Smeágol (also known as Gollum) might have delivered the best acting for overall, not because the other Actors are bad, but you can see it yourself, the complex emotion and sound are very convincing. The man behind it is Andy Serkis. There are so many similar adventures have been made before, but only a few like thiz J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium that is definitely beyond imagination. Everything is bigger than anything. It's like creating a whole new world in a whole new way. It's a great basic material as a novel in the first place and it's even a greater presentation as a movie. In summary, thiz movie is worth watching even if you're not a fan. Thiz is a journey that you want to take.

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Life of Pi (2012)

Stunning Visual Portrayal of A Spiritual Journey

[8/10 · 16 December 2012]

Thiz is a simple movie with stunning visual portrayal of a spiritual journey. It starts like Tim Burton's "Big Fish" (2003) where everything is odd and magical, steps like Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008) with its compelling flashback in storytelling and it feels like Tom Hank's "Cast Away" (2000), only thiz time the survivor is not accompanied by Wilson the volleyball, but with something called Richard Parker. It is a courageous adventure story about a young boy named Piscine (Suraj Sharma), who unfortunately lost all his family in sinking ship. His survival effort along with all the animals, especially with a ferocious Bengal tiger, brings him to an understanding of life as a whole. The newcomer Suraj Sharma delivers a sufficient performance to describe a boy who has to survive nature. Adil Hussain and Tabu make brief but memorable appearances as Pi's father and mother. On the other hand, I think that Irrfan Khan could have been better as Adult Pi. His central role as the storyteller is just enough, not extraordinary, not even close, compared to Gloria Stuart as Old Rose in "Titanic" (1997). Ang Lee who is formerly known as the Director of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000), "Hulk" (2003) and the controversial drama "Brokeback Mountain" (2005), wrapping thiz movie with astonishing visual treat. "The Storm Scene" is one of the remarkable moments in thiz movie. I bet you won't get thiz experience before in any other movies. Thiz is something that you have never seen before, followed by other scenes like "The Giant Whale Scene", "The Flying Fish Scene" and my favorite "The Exotic Meerkat Island". I think thiz movie has lots of powerful philosophies all over the place. It's like metaphor in metaphor, there comes a point in everyone's life, thiz will be something that needs to be thought about. It's emotionally gratifying. Actually, the movie is not just about survival, it's not even about the sinking ship, and it's definitely not about the tiger. It's simply about your relationship with God. In the end, we know very well. In every spiritual journey, your greatest enemy is none other than yourself.

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The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

It's Not Bat At All!

[7/10 · 30 July 2012]

One of the smartest Directors of our generation is about to conclude his famous saga. Oh yes, you should anticipate what's he going to do next. Christopher Nolan has built a superb franchise through two successful prequels "Batman Begins" (2005) and "The Dark Knight" (2008). No wonder everyone is hyped about it and the excitement is rising high. The Batman character has changed a lot over the years. The two most important influences are Frank Miller's graphic novel "Batman: Year One" (1987) and Tim Burton's movie "Batman" (1989), not just changing the image entirely but also affecting today's superhero movies. What I'm trying to say is you will soon witness a historic event as well. We are going to see the next phase of Batman's transition. In thiz grand finale to an epic trilogy, Christopher Nolan definitely takes Batman to the whole new level. Christian Bale also deserves a credit for making Bruce Wayne character even more dynamic and attractive. Bale is certainly not just an ordinary Actor, he can play any character he wants, not just good, but great. I don't know why Nolan takes so many risks by changing the winning formula. Spoiler Alert! There are more day scenes than night scenes, Bruce Wayne becomes poor, firing Alfred and other radical changes. As a matter of fact, it's not Bat at all! I don't feel like I have been watching Batman movie, it's more like a typical Nolan's movie that happens to be Batman in it. There is no doubt that the Joker was portrayed amazingly by the late Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (2008). Christopher Nolan himself knows very well that he should find something new, something phenomenal enough to replace it. Well, at least he has done half of his homework. Although the merciless masked villain Bane (Tom Hardy) is very terrifying, especially through his monstrous voice and intimidating appearance, but it is lack of character. Catwoman doesn't leave any impression. Yes, she is still sexy but only physically. I can hardly remember anything besides Catwoman becomes Anne Hathaway, instead of the other way around. Better performances come from two Cast members of "Inception" (2010), Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It makes five of them, the others are Tom Hardy, Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy. The other regular Cast members are Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Luscious Fox. In fact, in the middle of the story, the movie loses its track, too many unnecessary scenes, sometimes too wordy and almost flat out boring. Even worse, it's compounded by one-dimensional fight choreography. Every time Batman and Bane fight, it looks like B-Class movie. But I still think "The Bike Chase Scene" is spectacular. In the end, hey it's Christopher Nolan! Of course, he saves something for the ending. Finally, I can say the epic concludes with a very classy way, typical Nolan's twists and turns. It's another ambiguous ending from him. Don't you ever discuss it or you will find yourself in the middle of never-ending debate about what really happened at the end of "The Dark Knight Rises". No more spoilers, find your own hints. Have a nice Bat!

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The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Spidey Is Spicy Than Ever!

[8/10 · 9 July 2012]

Spidey is spicy than ever! Ready or not, here he comes. They take Spider-Man to "The Dark Knight" (2008) level. Darker! More realistic! And more serious! But don't get me wrong, thiz rebooted version has its own original style and identity. I hate to compare thiz one to the previous Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007) but I have to say something here. I have been a comic fan since I was a little boy. I'm certainly not a fan of the previous version. In fact, I have lots of disappointments and even more tons of complaints about it. I remember when the movie came out, I said to everyone, "Why they made Peter Parker to be some kind of Clark Kent's character? The eye color should be hazel instead of blue. Peter Parker has thiz slang language thing, some kind of skateboard boy look-alike, and he is surely not geeky!". Well, they make up for it thiz time. "The Amazing Spider-Man" has better costume, better camera angles and even better hairstyle. Thiz is what Peter Parker should look like! Andrew Garfield is definitely a better Peter Parker, Garfield reveals the dark side of thiz character and it looks just amazing and humble at the same time. Emma Stone is solid as a rock, another perfect choice to represent Peter's first true love Gwen Stacy. The Director Marc Webb creatively spreads his web all over these two characters. You can see there is something there between the interaction of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. There is a beautiful chemistry and sincere love between them! Just exactly what he has shown us in "(500) Days of Summer" (2009). The supporting Cast members also look amazing, Sally Field and Charlie Sheen as Aunt May and Uncle Ben, Denis Leary as Gwen's father Captain George Stacy and Rhys Ifans as Dr.Curt Connors and his alter-ego The Lizard. And guess what? I think Marvel comic book creator Stan Lee finally makes his best cameo ever in thiz movie when he's just listening to music on his headphones in the library fight scene. I'm also fascinated by how they pay homage not only to comic version but also to previous Spider-Man's movies, Spoiler Alert! Only if you realize there's a scene when Uncle Ben advises Peter, there is kind of "With great power comes great responsibility" thing but in different words. And there is also a scene when Spider-Man has to choose to save a car from falling off a bridge or chase the bad guy. It simply makes everybody happy. I notice that they keep the Lizard's figure to remain mysterious for almost half the length of the film and suddenly boom! The full appearance of Lizard comes out and it's so frightening. Whether you realize it or not, most of the Spider-Man's action scenes take place at night. There are a lot of night scenes, more than ever. It makes thiz version even more mysterious. I love how they capture those famous Spider-Man swingings with roller-coasting camera angle, it looks wow! And those Spider-Man's cheesy lines just like in comics, "Hey, I'm swinging here, I'm swinging here!", "If you're going to steal cars, don't dress like a car thief" or "Please shut your mouth, reptile.. Upss!". That's the real Spider-Man! Well, One more thing to spoil. I just want to say, at the end Spider-Man makes one great pose.

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Men in Black³ (2012)

Will Smith in Wonderland

[7/10 · 9 July 2012]

There is something magnetic about Will Smith's charisma and there will always be fun atmosphere whenever he is around. If thiz guy had a nickname, it would be "Blockbuster". Almost all his films have reached at least $100-million mark, even in his early years, just like in "Bad Boys" (1995) and "Independence Day" (1996). And even more so, for me, Will Smith is Tom Cruise in black! You know what I mean. It's still about two MIB agents, one is strict and disciplined and the other one is the fun part. Yeah, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and agent J (Will Smith) are back! Thiz time, Agent J has to travel back to the 60s to save the life of young Agent K (Josh Brolin) from one of the most ugliest and notorious aliens that ever existed, Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement). My focus is on Josh Brolin who plays young Agent K proportionally. Josh Brolin has been a good character Actor. Thiz time, he can successfully mimic all the gestures which previously described by Tommy Lee Jones. Well, what do you expect? We're all just like Alice in Wonderland. In which we are about to see an unearthly world of freakish creatures. It follows almost exactly the same rules as its predecessors "Men in Black" (1997) and "Men in Black II" (2002), but only thiz time, it gets a big refresh with time-travel element. The film Producer personally requested Barry Sonnenfeld to continue directing thiz franchise and it seems they have made the right decision. Barry Sonnenfeld is the man! By the way, thiz is also the man who directed "The Addams family" (1991) and "Get Shorty" (1995). Once again, Sonnenfeld knows best how to play with these "Men in Black" things. The humor, the cool gadgets, Cast members, everything in its right place. What makes a movie good? One of them is the twist at the end of the movie. And in thiz case, they also put some twist endings. Yeah, it's another alien movie, a typical Special Effects exhibition and surely predictable storyline. But hey, we laugh and it keeps us curious until the end. That's more than enough to qualify for being an entertaining movie. Since I told you quite a lot about thiz movie, now I have to brainwash you. Please see thiz light and you will forget about all the spoilers. Blitz! LOL.

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Shame (2011)

Enlighten You About Sex

[8/10 · 25 June 2012]

Viewer discretion is advised. It's about sex. First of all, Michael Fassbender deserves extra credit for his involvement. I realize not everyone is willing to play in thiz kind of controversial subject. Just like me, at first I also had a reluctance to review thiz movie. But on second thought, thiz movie is too good to miss. Previously, Michael Fassbender made his presence known with a breakthrough role as Magneto in the blockbuster movie "X-Men: First Class" (2011). Thiz time, Michael Fassbender plays in thiz controversial erotic drama about a successful New Yorker who looks ordinary on the outside, but on the inside he's struggling to hold himself as sex addict. At the same time, he has personal responsibility to protect his sister (Carey Mulligan) from the harsh realities of the outside world. There are some full frontal nudity and explicit sex scenes, involving two main characters, Fassbender and Mulligan. But it's acceptable. Eventually you will come to understand that it's for the depth of storytelling. Michael Fassbender displays his acting versatility, just like he did in "Hunger" (2008). He can explore his complex character attractively. Carey Mulligan also shows a little bit of her singing talent here. The man behind thiz psychological movie is Steve Mc Queen. Nope, of course not the famous legendary Actor, just the same name. His directing is provocative and effective. Sometimes he adds some relaxing piano instrumentals to calm the situation. Thiz movie invites us to contemplate something that may enlighten us. Sex is a basic part of human nature. Even each of us sometimes has a tendency to direct sexual desire toward the opposite sex. But you have to see it thiz way, in your heart you know that no one deserves to be treated as a sex object. The explanation is simple, because they might also be someone's sister, daughter or mother, and vice versa. Once you realize that, then you will be able to see sex differently. It's just because we are all human.

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Titanic (1997)

Be A Part of Historical Moment by Experiencing Titanic

[9/10 · 25 June 2012]

A friend asked me, "Will the movie look exactly the same as 1997s version? ". I spontaneously told him, "Well, the ship will still be sinking.". Ha ha… But seriously, it's an unforgettable experience and definitely worth seeing! James Cameron invites us to revisit the RMS Titanic and thiz time in 3D. And you know what? I still get goosebumps ever since the first 10 minutes I saw thiz movie. I admit that everyone can make a review on "Titanic", surely everyone has something to say about thiz movie. It's not just that the ship is gigantic but also literally big as a movie. The Director James Cameron did explore almost everything. The real tragic event with the latest forensic science and one of the most beautiful stories ever told. Thiz is the man who brought you "Aliens" (1986), "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) and "Avatar" (2009). A simple adventurer Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) won a ticket in a lucky hand at poker for the journey of a lifetime, where he meets a desperate aristocrat Rose (Kate Winslet) who suffers anguish after being forced to marry a rich steel tycoon Cal Hockley (Billy Zane). The journey is going to change their lives forever. The other Cast members are Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton, Frances Fisher, Victor Garber and Bernard Hill as Captain Edward James Smith. The cinematography is splendid. What I do remember is the dynamic camera movements, the afternoon sunshine, the wind, the wave, everything! I'm always impressed by how they capture the moment of "I'm Flying Scene", when Jack teaches Rose how to step over the big ship's prow and spread her arms wide. The chemistry seems so natural and sincere. The love story is compelling in every possible way. It's like "Romeo and Juliet" kind of thing. "You Jump, I jump" is also one of my absolute favorite moments. Yes, we do care about Jack and Rose. The elderly Rose who is played by Gloria Stuart also deserves mention for her memorable performance. Stuart successfully brings the story alive with her powerful storytelling. The song from Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On" is not just great, but it's legendary! Once again, it is worth watching in 3D. Although thiz re-release version is the conversion result from 2D standard material to 3D, but it's your best chance to experience the magical wonder which feels like you're actually standing on the deck of Titanic. One day you can proudly tell your kids or even grandchildren that you saw "Titanic" in the theater. Yes, thiz will be a historic moment! I have to say, I love the ending. It's one of the greatest ending scenes in cinematic history. Spoiler Alert! After the elderly Rose passes away, in afterlife somehow she's young again and meets the love of her life Jack at staircase in the main lobby of the Titanic. Then they're just kissing. It's so sweet and overwhelming. The movie reminds us that nothing is eternal, but still a specific moment can be eternal in our hearts. So are you ready to go back to Titanic?

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Be Proud To Be Harry Potter's Generation!

[7/10 · 25 June 2012]

We have finally come to the last page of J.K. Rowling's epic saga. Thiz is the final adventure of wonder boy wizard Harry Potter. The seventh and last book split into two separate movies. To be honest, it's very hard to criticize since the movies were shot back-to-back. In other words, these movies are actually one movie. The opening sequence has a very slow pace of storytelling which allows every detail can be described better. There is no need for further explanation. The story starts right away, showing the preparation of dark lord to hunt Harry Potter and the dark atmosphere surrounding Hogwarts which is now ruled by Professor Snape (Alan Rickman). Meanwhile, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) continue on their journey to find the last Horcruxes. The story eventually has some twists to throw at the end of the movie, but for most of the fans it will not be a twist anymore since they had already read the series books before thiz movie. The final battle between Harry Potter and the dark lord himself is one of the most highly anticipated scenes. The long awaited climax event is perfectly told, it looks like Daniel Radcliffe has done his best, but I think what makes that final scene so intense is also a splendid acting improvisation by Ralph Fiennes as You-Know-Who. Thiz movie is still directed by David Yates who has been the Director of thiz epic since "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007), "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009) and, of course, "Harry Potter and the Deathly hallows: Part 1" (2010). Once again, thiz franchise has already become a part of each and every one of us. You will easily agree thiz statement (Spoiler Alert!), especially when we come to the end of the movie which tells Harry Potter, his wife Ginny (Bonnie Wright), Ron and Hermione send their children off to Hogwarts school from platform 3 ¾. In that very moment, we realize what we've just seen is not just Harry Potter, but it is all of us who have become older and mature during thiz franchise. Be proud to be Harry Potter's generation!

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

A Rousing New Adventure

[7/10 · 31 May 2012]

Johnny Depp is back with the most iconic role of his career, Captain Jack Sparrow. It's time to fly the pirate flag again. Thiz time, he is on a quest for the Fountain of Youth without two other main characters, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). But don't worry, it doesn't mean that thiz sequel will be less fun than the previous trilogy. They sail at almost full speed, the infamous pirates like Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and my favorite Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) are about to make a rousing new adventure. Thiz sequel is directed by Rob Marshall who is formerly known for his successful musicals like "Chicago" (2002) and "Nine" (2009). For the first half hour, Captain Jack's adventure is still exciting to follow, when he is captured by King George II and manages to escape. His comedy routine is still so fresh. I have to add something regarding the performance of Richard Griffiths as King George II, I love his funny face expression so much! His goofy and indolent expression is really fun to watch. The rest of the movie is pretty similar to its predecessor "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003), "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006) and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007). They insert unrevealed love context between Captain Jack and his seductive ex-girlfriend Angelica Teach (Penélope Cruz). Surprisingly, Cruz can fill her role quite well among these pirates. If we compare to the previous films, there is a decrease in dark and mysterious nuances that have been the characteristic of thiz franchise. Yes, we still feel thiz atmosphere when Captain Jack in Blackbeard's ship the Queen Anne's Revenge or when they are surrounded by extremely exotic and beautiful mermaids. Beside that, we won't find any more. Just like its predecessor, the story contains several subplots which may not be easy to understand. You have to put some extra efforts to comprehend the core of the story. Why they need Mermaid? What are the motives behind the involvement of Barbossa, Blackbeard and the third party Spain? Well, don't ask me. I find myself still thinking… How The Black Pearl ends up in a bottle in the first place?!

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Dark Shadows (2012)

Gothic, Epic, Classic, Mystic, Magic, Comic, Slapstick, Frantic, Scenic, Antique, Not Yet Tragic, But With No Garlic!

[7/10 · 31 May 2012]

Who else could be the better choice to direct thiz movie other than Tim Burton. The description is Gothic, epic, classic, mystic, magic, comic, slapstick, frantic, scenic, antique, not yet tragic, but with no garlic! Just like his previous masterpieces such as "Beetle Juice" (1988), "Edward Scissorhands" (1990), "Big Fish" (2003) and "Alice in Wonderland" (2010). Thiz time, Tim Burton tries to bring back classic vampire tale based on the original TV series in 1970s-era. The story takes place in the year 1972, when 196-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins has just awakened in his coffin after being cursed by a cold hearted witch Angelique Bouchard who previously fell for him. Now, he arrives back in his grandiose mansion to restore his family to its former glory, what he doesn't know later, the world has changed a lot since his last departure. The original version looked more like a soap opera, but in Tim Burton's hand it turns out to be a fresh family drama with some mysterious elements and sometimes cynical good humor. It's certainly acceptable, considering Tim Burton has done his homework for compiling 1.225 TV episodes into two-hour movie. On thiz occasion, the Director Tim Burton has also successfully gathered together all his favorite performers. Thiz is his eighth collaboration with Johnny Depp, his seventh with his real-life partner Helena Bonham Carter, his fifth with Christopher Lee and his second with Michelle Pfeiffer after her role as Catwoman in "Batman Returns" (1992). Have you ever seen the original Barnabas Collins which played by Jonathan Frid? If you are old enough to have a chance to see his performance previously, you probably would have realized that Johnny Depp has done a lot of efforts to portray that character through his tone of voice, his facial expression and even his gestures. Beside that, there are some other performances which have got my attention. For the umpteenth time, Chloë Grace Moretz has shown her maturity in acting, thiz time to become a rebel teen daughter. Bella Heathcote also makes a special impression as a mysterious new nanny. And Eva Green is obviously very attractive and sensual even as a ruthless witch. The rest of the Cast members are Johnny Lee Miller, Jackie Earle Haley and Gulliver McGrath, plus a special guest appearance by the legendary rock star Alice Cooper. In fact, the gang of 1970s version also make cameo appearances as the guests in the ballroom party scene, including the late Jonatahan Frid, Lara Parker, David Selby and Kathryn Leigh Scott. Thiz movie really brings us back in time to 1970s. Everything is so authentic, including the clothes, the hairstyles, the cars and even the songs. My favorite moment is when they play the song "Top of the World" by The Carpenters. Somehow, the song sounds so fresh and uplifting. It sounds pretty much like thiz, "Such a feeling's coming over me. There is wonder in most everything I see…". It can also be precise words to describe thiz movie. Get ready for nostalgia ^_^

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Confessions (2010)

One Jaw-Dropping Psychological Thriller

[8/10 · 31 May 2012]

The movie begins with a woman teacher speaks in front of her class, "Today, I want to make a confession. My daughter has recently passed away but it was no accident. She was killed by students from thiz class!". One thing is for sure, the movie starts with a very interesting premise. I went to see thiz movie without any expectation and then boom! In the end, I found that thiz movie is one jaw-dropping psychological thriller. The movie is divided into several chapters, each of which tells from perspective of different character, like the teacher, student's mother, murderer A, murderer B and so on. We are able to see into the mind of each character, what is the motive, the secret and finally the shocking twist. The woman teacher is played by Takako Matsu. Takako Matsu can deliver a strong cold-blooded impression. The two suspects are played by Yukito Nishii and Kaoru Fujiwara. Although, both are still very young, they can create believable figures and definitely not corny or shallow. The other Cast members are Ai Hashimoto, Yoshiteru Terada and Yoshino Kimura. The movie is directed by one of today's respectable Japanese Directors Tetsuya Nakashima. He is widely recognized for "Kamikaze Girls" (2004), "Memories of Matsuko" (2006) and "Paco and the Magical Book" (2008). Something surely gets my attention. Thiz movie has a peculiar approach to storytelling. The Director Tetsuya Nakashima definitely has his own style. Sometimes he gives a bit of flashback image. Another time, he describes an event with a very strange slow motion sequence. The slow motion sequence looks so elegant yet realistic. Substantively, thiz is a movie with most of the scenes takes place in a school, there's really nothing special about the venue. But in the hand of Tetsuya Nakashima, everything looks completely different. The cinematography is gorgeous and beautiful. It surely leaves a very deep mark. Apparently, thiz movie also intends to teach us a lesson about life. When we can see what the motive behind every action and consequence, at that time we come to realize that no one should be labeled suspect. In fact, everybody is just a victim.

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The Avengers (2012)

The Earth's Mightiest Blockbuster Movie

[8/10 · 24 May 2012]

Why "The Avengers" could easily become a huge success? I think even some of you could answer thiz question. Thiz movie is the culmination of Marvel's hard work over the past couple of years. The lucky guy who was appointed to direct thiz movie is Joss Whedon. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) initiates the Avengers initiative by assembling all the super humans to save the world from the powerful evil Loki (Tom Hiddleston). The storyline isn't as dynamic as I think it is, there's a time when the story is stuck and filled with unnecessary dialogue. The power of thiz movie obviously lies in its character interactions. Nick Fury is originally written as a white guy in the comic book but Samuel L. Jackson confidently steps in to play thiz character. Thiz isn't the first time thiz has happened. It reminds me when Michael Clarke Duncan portrayed the overweight crime boss Kingpin in Ben Affleck's "Daredevil" (2003) and I'm also so excited to see Laurence Fishburne as Clark Kent's boss Perry White in upcoming Superman's "Man of Steel" (2013). However, in thiz case, I didn't see Samuel L. Jackson became Nick Fury, instead it was Nick Fury became Samuel L. Jackson. But in the end, it's totally acceptable. Samuel L. Jackson is able to present a precise leadership aura to his Nick Fury's character. Once again, I have to remind you, what made thiz movie so interesting is when these superheroes gather around and interact with each other. We can see "The Duo Chris", Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth who successfully demonstrate their muscular bodies, just like in "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) and "Thor" (2011). Thiz is how superheroes should look like! The brand new figures in thiz movie are the master archer Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and the elegant Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders who is widely known in "How I Met Your Mother" {2005-present}). The other figures who have been introduced since "Iron Man 2" are the loyal Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and the sexy heroine Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Surprisingly, Scarlett Johansson has a fairly large part in thiz movie. Wait a minute, on second thought, if you have Scar Jo in tight sexy latex suit, of course you will exploit it more. If we're talking about Iron Man, thiz is also one of the most interesting parts. It looks like Robert Downey Jr. have already fused into thiz Tony Stark's character so deep, he can represent thiz self-centered character very well without any problem. But in thiz movie, the one who really becomes a scene stealer is the giant green rage monster named Hulk! Once again, it's the Hulk's character, not exactly Dr. Bruce Banner or Mark Ruffalo but it's all of them in one. Some fresh and funny moments are obviously when Hulk is around. The most unfortunate thing is that they didn't bring up the original founding team such as Ant-Man and The Wasp into the movie. In the end, I confidently can say Marvel Comics seems to be one step ahead from its competitor DC Comics so far. Recently, thiz movie has ruled the box office chart and it turns out to be the earth's mightiest blockbuster movie. You know what that means, right? Oh yeah, the next Avengers movie will be coming soon. Maybe next time Marvel Studios will enrich their universe with the presence of other superheroes like Quicksilver, Black Panther, Vision, Doctor Strange, She-Hulk, Wolverine, even Spider-Man. Are you ready for another one?

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Battleship (2012)

MIchael Bay's Typical Mega Action Brainless Movie, But Without Michael Bay!

[8/10 · 18 May 2012]

Thiz "Battleship" is loaded with lots of missiles, it means that thiz movie is full of explosive action scenes. I notice that most of today's movies have shown too much of its elements of surprise on the trailer to attract more audience. Oftentimes, it even happens like I have said before, "Sometimes what we saw in movie-trailer is what we saw in entire movie". But don't worry about that, it doesn't apply to thiz movie. Thiz movie saves many super actions to make you stay put in your seat for two hours duration. The story revolves around the encounter of the US Navy's warships and its allies with the mysterious alien mothership on the high seas of the Pacific Ocean. The biggest naval battle in history is about to begin. The sound effects are superb. Every boom and every bang from the ship's cannon is just like dragging us into the middle of battle. Practically, thiz movie doesn't even leave us a single breathing space since the first appearance of the alien. The next thing I know, the suspense is taut and it moves forward at a steady pace. The diversity of the Cast members is fascinating. I can undoubtedly say that Taylor Kitsch is on his way to becoming a massive star. Definitely, there's something attractive behind his charismatic presence. Thiz is his second big-budget movie after "John Carter" (2012). Other performers worth mentioning are Brooklyn Decker who can be sexy and tough at the same time, Liam Neeson who delivers a brief but memorable performance, the famous pop singer Rihanna who makes a surprising debut, and not to be forgotten, an outstanding appearance from a real-life veteran Lieutenant Colonel Gregory D. Gadson as the Mike Tyson look-alike legless soldier named Mick Canales. In the middle of the movie, I almost thought that thiz movie was directed by Michael Bay, but plus more freshness. Mr. Bay, I think you've finally got the perfect successor for your mega action brainless movies, the name is Peter Berg. Peter Berg is an Actor-Director who directed other fun action movies like "The Rundown" (2003), "The Kingdom" (2007) and Will Smith's vigilante superhero "Hancock" (2008). The two dominant characters which are Hopper and Nagata quickly remind me of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock's figures in "Star Trek" (1966-1969). Nagata which is played by Tadanobu Asano made a perfect tandem role with Hopper. I have to say, it's very nice to see America and Japan side by side in a battlefield. But something philosophical tickles me. If you have the greatest weapon on earth and you feel obligated to seize other potential lethal weapons from the other sides in the name of peace. That seems like a good idea. Now, what if… What if there is a new weapon more powerful than yours. Do you still think that is a good idea?

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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

Enjoyable Pure Action Movie

[7/10 · 15 May 2012]

Light the fuse! Ethan Hunt was the one who ignited the fuse. What I remember most from Ethan Hunt's character is that he was the man who killed Jim Phelps! Yes, "Mission: Impossible" (1966-1973) was a successful intelligent TV show, Jim Phelps (originally played by Peter Graves) was the leader of thiz highly sophisticated covert team, his charismatic presence had already become a trademark for thiz franchise. Then suddenly, in 1996, Tom Cruise who coming from nowhere, bought thiz franchise and killed Jim Phelps and replaced it with himself as the invincible super whiz named Ethan hunt. At that time, I was very mad and I thought all the fans would do the same. But now, after three previous movies "Mission: Impossible" (1996), "Mission: Impossible II" (2000), "Mission: Impossible III" (2006), including thiz last one, they seem to gradually transform thiz franchise to be a pure action movie, even though still with ultra-cool high tech gadgets. Not just the attractive gadgets, but also high-octane adrenaline stunts, just like thiz time Tom Cruise attempts to climb the world's tallest building ever made so far, Burj Khalifa in Dubai. I heard that most of the dangerous stunts were done by Cruise himself. Thiz time, Ethan Hunt forms a smaller team comprising sexy, seductive and extremely lethal Jane Carter (Paula Patton), humorous computer genius Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and the mysterious co-agent William Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Its mission is to retrieve the nuclear launch codes before it gets into the wrong hands of international terrorists. In the process, instead, they are accused of masterminding the Kremlin bombing. Now the IMF is disavowed and they are forced to invoke Ghost Protocol, which means they are all alone with the limited resources they have. The Director is Brad Bird who is most renowned as one of the fathers of Pixar animation studios. Thiz is his first live-action movie after successful animations like "The Incredibles" (2004) and "Ratatouille" (2007). By the way, in 2012, Brad Bird's other colleague Andrew Stanton also will be directing another live-action movie entitled "John Carter". Coincidence? Maybe. I have to admit that thiz movie has consistent paces since the first minute. I note that Tom Cruise repeats at least three specific actions that he has done in previous movies. The first is running from an explosion behind him, the second is climbing the iconic skyscrapers and the last one is taking cover when he is almost crushed by a car! Although it's a kind of repetition, but oh yeah we still enjoy so much.As time goes by, it seems to be "Mission: Impossible" has transformed into pure action movie! The only thing left now is its famous instrumental theme song, or maybe the latex face mask, you must know what I mean. Other than that, thiz movie has always been Tom Cruise's playground. Personally, I'm just OK with that, as long as thiz franchise can maintain its winning formula which is non-stop explosive action scenes. That's all from me. Thiz review will self-destruct in five seconds. Goodluck, Ethan.

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Limitless (I) (2011)

Bradley Cooper and His Awesomeness

[8/10 · 15 May 2012]

Thiz movie is definitely my personal favorite from 2011. What if one pill could create the perfect version of you? Yes, Thiz one pill could raise the hidden potential of our brain. We become aware of every single detail, creativity and problem-solving will eventually burst out and certainly math becomes useful. It happens to Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), a desperate writer who facing a dead end in his career. The unexpected event introduces him to the magic pill which allows him to access 100% of his brain. The next thing he knows, he is able to complete his writing in just one night. In fact, his mind also becomes super smart and an effective analyzer. Now all things are easy, He can fix his fractured relationship with his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish), having a lifetime opportunity to work with successful tycoon investor like Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro). It becomes worse when other people try to take advantage of him and his magic pill. One word for Bradley Cooper, he is awesome! All thiz time, I always thought that Bradley Cooper can be successful as is now just because he is good-looking, thiz time he has proved me wrong. Cooper definitely can describe highs and lows of his complex character. On the other hand, Robert De Niro delivers his typical persona as a charismatic and influential figure. And even though in brief performance, Abbie Cornish can bring out her sex appeal attractively. Neil Burger is the man behind thiz interesting thriller. Burger is formerly known for "The Illusionist" (2006) and "The Lucky Ones" (2008).Burger has successfully provided a dynamic storytelling with compelling narrative. The instrumental song that sounds "Da da da da… Da da da" will be one of the memorable characteristics of thiz movie, in addition to "Infinite Zoom Sequence" that appears in the opening credits. Everything is grand, except one thing, the ending! The storyline is very nicely built since the very beginning but I can obviously see that they run out of ideas to conclude thiz story. The ending could have been better. Anyway, As far as I know, the only way to reach thiz kind of state is by mediation, not medication. If everyone is perfect then no one will learn anything.

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Another Earth (2011)

Large-Scale Metaphor of Life

[6/10 · 3 May 2012]

What if there is another you on another earth? Thiz question will generate other hundreds or maybe thousands of new questions. On the eve of the discovery of a second earth, Rhoda's car accidentally crashed into john's and killed his wife and his little boy. Now after four-year sentence, Rhoda with her guilt tries to approach the frustrated John to ask for forgiveness. I won't tell you where the rest will lead us. The story centers on two main characters, Rhoda (Brit Marling) and john (William Mapother). Brit Marling made her acting debut through thiz movie. She can show her vulnerable emotion convincingly. William Mapother also made a good balance on their interaction. Even though first-time feature Director Mike Cahill has very limited resources, he seems so successful to raise a debate among the audience with his unique story. I realize that thiz movie has an ambiguous ending. It means the ending could mean anything depends on how the content is interpreted by the viewers. Thiz kind of art house movie reminds me of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman's strange smart movies like in "Being John Malkovich" (1999), "Adaptation" (2002), "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), "Synecdoche, New York" (2008) or "Where the Wild Things Are" (2009). I think thiz movie is a large-scale metaphor of life. It's straightly about how to redeem a guilty feeling. Certainly, we cannot change the past. So the movie reminds us of the importance of forgiveness. To put it simply, if you want to make people around you to feel happiness then you have to make yourself happy first. Otherwise, if you want to make yourself to be happy, then you have to make other people happy. We're all in the same boat. It's a good contemplation.

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

One Step Back for the Actors and One Giant Leap for the Robots

[5/10 · 30 April 2012]

If most of the girls go crazy about "The Twilight Saga" (2008-2012), I think it's totally OK if the boys have their own toys as well! All the boys need is insanely super cool robots and sexy girls. Thiz one is the third movie following "Transformers" (2007) and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009). The story still revolves around Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and his new super sexy girlfriend Carly Spencer (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley). Thiz time, they have to uncover the mysterious origins of Autobots and Decepticons which later take them to a hidden fact when Apollo 11 landed on dark side of the moon 42 years ago. The movie featuring a real hero, the second person ever to walk on the moon, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. The Director is still Michael Bay. I aware that Michael Bay always has a young spirit in all of his movies, even in his war movie like "Pearl Harbor" (2001). But I also have to say most of his movies are always filled with exaggerated brainless actions and comically overacted characters like in "Bad Boys" (1995), "The Rock" (1996) and "Armageddon" (1998). If it's not because of Steven Spielberg's involvement as Executive Producer that contributes lots of technical elements, I think that thiz movie would have been easily forgotten. Yes, the detail of Special Effects is incredible. It's very clear that the main attraction is on its robots. The Autobots consists of Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Dino, Brains, Wheelie and the leader Optimus Prime. They are back in action to fight for freedom. And the villainous side named Decepticon consists of Starscream, Shockwave, Soundwave, Laserbeak and the leader Megatron. All of them still dream of tyranny. The robots are voiced by some well-known Actors such as Hugo Weaving as Megatron and Star Trek's Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy as Sentinel Prime. Thiz is one of the very rare cases which the robots have better performances than the human Actors. All actors are drawn to be unnecessary comical characters without exception, including John Malkovich, Patrick Dempsey, John Turturro, Frances McDormand, Ken Jeong and Tyrese Gibson. The model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has the same color of lipstick and hair, it doesn't mean that she can instantly replace Megan Fox's character. As you can see, she is there only to provide the visual pleasure, not acting. Julie White repeats her overacted performance as Sam's mother, thiz is one of the ugliest actings you will ever see. Sam's character is not lovable at all. I don't know what Shia LaBeouf thinks when he delivers such a character. Sam is just a jerk with amazingly gorgeous girlfriend beside him. He looks so cocky and egoistic by always yelling and swearing during the entire film. It comes to my mind, maybe they need to get rid all of the human characters in next films, and let the robots deal with their own conflicts, just like what we had in original animated TV series "The Transformers" in 1984 to 1987. Thiz movie has shown that's one step back for the Actors and one giant leap for the robots.

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John Carter (2012)

Conan the Barbarian Meets Avatar With Star Wars's Background

[8/10 · 24 April 2012]

To be honest, I really didn't anticipate thiz movie until about three months ago, the trailer came out and had shown a whole new world of upcoming adventure. "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) meets "Avatar" (2009) with "Star Wars" (1977-2005) background. Wow! And apparently thiz movie has filled the great expectations. His name is Virginia… Errr, I mean John Carter! John Carter (Taylor Kitsch ) is a most wanted soldier in Civil War era who has found himself being transported to planet Mars in which he suddenly emerges in the midst of battle between the two warring clans and later falls in love with Princess of Helium, Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). It's exactly 100 years after the novel was first published, "John Carter of Mars" has finally brought up to the silver screen. The novel was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs who is best known for his original creation of the jungle hero Tarzan. For the first half hour, the movie tells how John Carter settles his conflicts on earth. But after that, how he finds himself waking up in Barsoom (or better known as Mars), where he can jump so high and exciting adventure is awaiting ahead. The two hours duration has gone pretty quick when you are glued since the first scene. The storyline flows confidently without any obstacles. I think it's more because of thiz movie is directed by Andrew Stanton who has a bunch of experience as a screenwriter. Andrew Stanton is also known as one of the fathers of animation studio Pixar. In fact, thiz movie is his first live-action directing after "Finding Nemo" (2003) and "WALL-E" (2008). I don't know what is really going on here, but recently some of those Pixar's Directors have been come out to do the live action movies. Just like last year, Stanton's colleague Brad Bird had directed Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (2011). There's kind of excitement by watching thiz adventure in which we don't know where the story will lead us. Taylor Kitsch is a perfect choice for John Carter. He has some kind of aura and charisma to represent thiz hero figure. Thiz movie definitely will be a crucial stepping stone for Kitsch. Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris can do both, she can be elegant like a lady and next she can be tough like a warrior. The 12-foot-tall creatures are voiced by many famous Actors such as Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church and Mark Strong. I heard that thiz saga has thirteen books in total. Thiz means there is a possibility thiz adventure will be extended again. In that case, I can be sure that I'll be there when JC saves the mars again!

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Rot fai faa... Maha na ter (2009)

From Thailand With Love

[6/10 · 23 April 2012]

A simple love story is brought from Thailand. It's easy-watching and close to most Asian viewers. Mei li (Sirin Horwang) is a thirty-something woman who suddenly feels so lonely in her life after her friend's marriage. In that brief moment, coincidentally she finds someone who later becomes so special. We know Thailand is one of the productive horror makers. The reason we watch thiz movie, if we want to feel different kind of atmospheres. The movie is directed by Adisorn Tresirikasem. Actually thiz movie is kind of girly but it's entertaining enough for all viewers. The drama is light and funny. Some of the scenes are hilarious because they makes it so comical, even in some parts are too comical. I'm not saying thiz romantic comedy is special. The chemistry between two main characters is sufficient enough to bring some romantic moods. The man character, Theeradej Wongpuapan is cold and stiff. It's not the best performance. The girl character by Sirin Horwang is way better. Occasionally, she can act comical very well. There is an exciting cat and mouse game which is played by both of them and quite interesting. In one of the ending scenes (Spoiler Alert!), the girl receives a box from the man character. When she opens the box, it consists of memorable things that the girl had accidentally broken from their early experiences. Each of those broken things (like camera, sunglasses, etc.) reminds her of every moment they had ever spent together. It's just so true, I think how we can appreciate our true love, if our heart have never been broken? ^_^

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