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gambit99
Reviews
Star Trek: Voyager (1995)
Star Trek Voyager is great!
Star Trek Voyager is my favorite Trek series out of all of them and I would put it equal to "Next Generation". It had a great cast, some pretty good storylines, and was generally a good sci-fi TV show. If you take it for what it is, then you'll enjoy it. Those who post negative comments are just nit-picking everything to death.
This show can really be divided between "pre" and "post" Seven of Nine. In the first 3 seasons, they established the premise, had an ongoing sub-plot with the Kazons but it was lacking that "X"-factor that made Voyager unique among the Trek series.
When Jeri Ryan joined the show in Season 4, Voyager finally came into its own. Very much as Spock was to Kirk, and Data was to Picard, Seven of Nine became that person for Capt. Janeway. Often times brash, Capt. Janeway was more like a female Kirk, taking many more risks than the cerebral Picard. Perhaps no other Captain has divided the Star Trek community like Janeway has. Those who dislike her loathe her and those who love her hold her in high regard. The one reason I can see why people would dislike her is Janeway is sometimes too righteous for her own good but I believe this made her character all the more interesting as no one is perfect. Being stranded 70,000 light years from home and determined to hold onto her Starfleet principles, Kate Mulgrew potrayed Janeway as a brave, smart, nurturing Captain who was fiercely loyal to her crew. It would be great to see Picard and Janeway go head to head if they ever do a crossover movie someday.
Jeri Ryan generated much buzz when she joined the show due to her, ahem, ample "assets", but for those who can look past the tight catsuit, Seven of Nine is one of the great characters in the Star Trek pantheon. As a Borg drone liberated from the collective, Seven of Nine's journey of redemption of her Borg past and reclaiming her humanity provided for many great stories and credit goes to Jeri Ryan for her making this character so real and such a fan favorite. Let's hope we'll get to see Seven of Nine on the big screen someday.
When Seven of Nine joined the show, it also opened the Borg to become a constant nemesis for Capt. Janeway and her crew. Like a good thing, they were overused (the Borg children? c'mon, please...), they did provide Voyager with a worthy adversary especially in the episodes "Dark Frontier" and series finale "Endgame".
Dark Frontier is one of the best Voyager episodes. Serving unofficially as the sequel to First Contact, it marked the first appearance of the Borg Queen in the TV series and the intense struggle between the Borg Queen and Capt. Janeway over Seven of Nine's soul made for one of the most dramatic hours in television history ever.
For those who want more info on the show, I'd suggest picking up the Star Trek Voyager Companion book (just released), which provides detailed synopsis on every episode and includes interesting tidbits on behind the scenes filming.
Paramount will probably be releasing the series on DVD sometime in 2004 but I hope they will release a condensed "Best of" collection and not every single episode season by season. Although I am a great fan of this show, we don't need to see every episode again. That's what cable is for =) And besides, who has the money and time to buy and watch all 176 episodes. Also be sure to pick up the Voyager Homecoming novel which picks up where the series finale left off. Fans can finally find out what happened to the crew when they returned home to Earth. Hallelujah!
Pa-la Pa-la ying ji fa (2001)
Para Para - a good romance/musical movie.
The story goes like this: Aaron plays the role of a color-blind dance teacher who gradually sees and "feels" the color of the world after meeting and feeling in love with Cecilia, who, however, is engaged. The question is, would they be together in the end?
Cecilia, the "It" girl of HK films, is practically in every movie these days. At first I didn't like her but she grows on you. Not only is she beautiful, she seems like a very sweet girl. This movie has some great musical numbers and Aaron really gets to show off his dancing prowess. He can even do breakdancing, very well, I might add.
Another great thing about this movie is that it takes place in Shanghai and it really gets to show off the city. I went there 5 years ago and now it is completely different. Shanghai has really progressed and become a modern city.
Overall, Para Para Sakura is an enjoyable movie.
Tung gui mat yau (2001)
Cute movie!
It seems like Sammi has been in every movie that's come out this year. Unlike Love on a Diet, this movie uses no special effects, just a good story. The story is about Sammi and Tony (Leung Chiu Wai) who have a car accident. After settling the dispute, both get drunk and have a one night stand. Soon after, Sammi loses her job, her savings, and her dad's dog! She moves in with Tony but the only problem is that Tony already has a girlfriend! Anybody who has seen romantic comedies can guess what happens next. I thought this was a sweet romantic comedy. Sammi, again does a wonderful job and is very natural on the screen. Although Tony is looking a little older these days, he is still a good actor and creates nice chemistry with Sammi.
Siu chan chan (2000)
A love-hate relationship
This is a pretty good spin on the romantic comedy genre. The feisty Kelly happens upon a thrift shop and finds the record she gave to her first boyfriend in the bargain bin! Although furious, she wants it back but it's already been bought by a DJ, Aaron. He didn't have enough money and is putting it on hold. She begs him to sell it back to her and he refuses. To add insult to injury, he tells everyone about this on his radio show. And the fighting begins..
The story is pretty good, especially the dialogue between Aaron and Kelly and both actors seem to have good chemistry. Overall, I would recommend this movie.