LEGO WALL-E meets Junior WALL-E

For me, WALL-E is not just another movie. This actually has a sentimental value to me.  it was a highly anticipated film back in 2008.  Personally, I was excited for it also because it featured robots, and the lead character looked like Johnny 5!  I was equally looking forward to the merchandise as well.  Which makes me wonder why I only bought 1 action figure from the wide array of choices!

That's Junior WALL-E getting acquainted with other action figures.

The Silver Bullet and the case of selective amnesia

I had the good fortune of watching the movie adaptation of Stephen King's The Silver Bullet a couple of nights ago.  It's been a while since I first watched this film; in fact I was still in high school back then!  But I consider this as one of my favourite films so I was truly delighted to be able to watch this again after so many years.

I think that one of the more memorable parts of the film is the main character's wheelchair.  Marty (played by Corey Haim)  owns this souped up wheelchair that runs like a motorbike.  Motorised wheelchairs are a rate sight in my hometown back in the Philippines so I think this is why this image stuck.  I also remember the main plot (and who the killer was!), the scene at the abandoned bridge, the fireworks, and the action-packed ending.  How the story unravels itself is the hazy part.

As the movie progressed, I was mildly surprised at how much of the film I forgot (considering it's one of my favourites!).  I do not remember it being as blood-and-gore graphic as it was.  Selective amnesia?  It was like my mind decided to keep the parts which involved road chases and explosions.  Not sure where the bloody bits went off to.  It may very well be likely that I had my hands clasped tightly over my eyes at those times!

But what an enjoyable trip to memory lane it was!  I felt the same sense of wonder when Marty got his new 'motorbike' (aptly named the Silver Bullet), and elation when the killer was discovered.  It's good old storytelling without the CGI.  Admittedly, I've never read the book from which this movie was based on, but when I hear the name 'Stephen King' it's this movie that always comes to mind.

If you like watching werewolf movies, this one is an easy pick and fun to watch (not too serious with itself, and who doesn't love an 80s flick?!)  And the effects are not too shabby.

Now, to get my hands on another Stephen King movie adaptation, 'Christine'...

(image credit: movie poster from dvdactive.com, Marty on the Silver Bullet from disabilitymovies.com)

RPG Metanoia: the story of our life

RPG Metanoia is the Philippines' first ever 3D computer animation, and was shown in December 2010. I was aware of the existence of this movie because we were in the country at that time on holiday. A friend watched the movie and he totally loved it because it was all about stuff that we can relate to, particularly games that we used to play when we were kids. Unfortunately I was not able to watch this due to time constraints.

Michael Crichton's Congo: it's about the tent. And the gorilla.

In our camping trip last December, one of our friends propped a pop-up tent beside their main one, the kind which wasn't one of those flimsy things that kids play with at home.  The sight of the tent putting itself up reminded me of Congo, a movie I watched many years ago.  I was amazed at the pop-up tents they had and the image somehow stuck.  The other thing I remember about the movie is, of course, Amy the talking gorilla.
I figured it must have been a really good movie if I can remember bits of it.  I resolved then to find and read  the book it was adapted from, as I realized that the movie would be more difficult to find.

My Avengers review

We finally got to watch Avengers last weekend.  It is a highly-anticipated movie event ever since the first Iron Man movie came out a couple of years ago.   And what was initially a plan to just go out with a friend became a group of 7 guys, so watching the movie became quite an event by itself!

Secret Cinema: can you keep a secret?

The Secret Cinema is for people who love watching movies, anywhere except in the cinema.  You get notified on where a screening will happen, and it's free (most of the time).

What an interesting concept!  I've signed up.  Friends in Wellington, wouldn't you sign up too?  80s movies are in the offing!

Learn more and register at the Secret Cinema website.
(artwork credit: Secret Cinema website)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie trailer

Nearly 5 years after it was announced that The Hobbit was getting the silver screen treatment, we finally have a sneak preview through this movie trailer.

Harry Potter and the Costly Movie Ticket

Owing to the rather ridiculous price of a movie ticket here in New Zealand, we have not seen the big screen for many months now. We were, however, on the lookout for that movie that will finally tempt us to fork over some hard-earned cash for two hours of cinema fun. And it was a rather difficult past few months as sci-fi films kept rolling in. Wolverine, Star Trek, Terminator, Dragonball for Jo-Lo... still, we contented ourselves with other pursuits.

Until last weekend, that is, when we saw ourselves staring at the latest Harry Potter poster at Reading Cinemas in Porirua. We asked how much it will be for the three of us, paid via eftpos, and excitedly hurried on inside.

The seats here are wider than what we have in the Philippines but I am happy to report that other than that, our cinemas are just as comfy and stylish. Oh how I miss Wendy's iced tea and burgers and also Burger King at Glorietta 4!

Anyway, The cinema was only around 15% occupied when we entered (it was a 12:30PM screening) and only a few people were added to the crowd by the time the movie started. I'm not sure whether this is due to the cost of the ticket or simply because there just isnt a lot of people really in New Zealand, or we have already gone past the Harry Potter frenzy. Anyway, I guess it was enjoyable that way because at least we had a full view of the screen before us.

We thoroughly enjoyed the film! It looks like the franchise keeps getting improved as the film progresses through the books. I guess by this time most people have already seen the movie so I will no longer make a review but suffice to say that we enjoyed the film very much!

What is my favorite segment in this film? I'd say the part where Prof. Dumbledore drove off the ghouls back into their watery grave with a fire spell. That was awesome!

And my biggest letdown? I was expecting a big showdown at the latter part of the movie when the Death Eaters invaded Hogwarts. It was such an action-packed scene in the book that I was looking forward to seeing how this would be translated in film. Sadly, it was substantially toned down.

It was an enjoyable film nonetheless.

So what is my favorite Harry Potter film so far? Well, I would say it's still The Prisoner of Azkaban. I loved the cut scenes and the way the time travel treatment was done. Mr. Alfonso Cuarón did a wonderful job at it.

And the cost of the movie? 14+ for an adult and 10+ for a kid. Total: NZ$38.60. For a 30-peso exchange, this amounts to PhP1,158.00! In the Philippines, enjoying a movie for the three of us is easily 60% less. I guess this is why they say, avoid doing the forex calculation or else you won't be able to buy anything. I still haven't gotten over that phase, I guess. I think I'll take a look at this movie card the counter personnel suggested...

Wall-E: a movie review

At long last, Wall-E has finally arrived on Philippine shores. I have been eagerly waiting for this film because it received rave reviews and it reminds me so much of Short Circuit's Johnny 5. (By the way, if you know where to get the Short Circuit film locally, let me know! Not the part 2 please, and not the VHS version. Thanks!) But - I soon learn - it is so different from that 80s movie and the critics hit the nail right on the head when they praised it for entertainment value.

Wall-E (an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) is a robot model tasked to clean up the over-polluted Earth while the humans left for outer space in a pleasure cruise, expecting that the clean-up will be accomplished within their lifetime. Its function is primarily that of a trash compactor.

Wall-E is a product of the huge business conglomerate Buy n Large, which has basically taken control of almost all aspects of commerce on Earth. Since it was thus also responsible for the humongous trash generated by its end-user products, BnL resolved to clean up Earth and give comfort to the displaced humans as well by making them as comfortable as possible. Hence the pleasure cruise.

It's difficult to spill out spoilers for this movie but the trailer does show a robot that's generations ahead of Wall-E visiting Earth on an exploration mission. Suffice to say that the conical-shaped, levitating robot is Eve which becomes the love interest of Wall-E (and so we conclude that Wall-E has developed a male persona).

Like the other outputs of Pixar, Wall-E is a purely computer-generated animation. But what's truly outstanding with this movie is that it does not try to outdo itself, but rather it tells the story in the simplest way possible. It's about the most basic of human emotions - the feeling of belonging and be loved - in the context of modern technology. How Wall-E and Eve connects in the movie is truly engaging.

The movie starts out with a sense of self-discovery, then opens to a bigger world. It's excitement, suspense, action, drama, love, and then happiness. Truly a unique adventure.

It likewise gives us a glimpse of what can happen to our future. We have a trash problem in our hands right now, and it takes into consideration the effects of zero gravity. But what we will not have is a Wall-E to help dig us out of our mountainloads of trash. It was an environmental message that I hope you, as a viewer, will take to heart as well.

Watch the movie with friends! You will surely love it.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor; a movie review

Whoa. Brendan Fraser is making a momentous comeback to the big screen! After "Journey to the Center of the Earth" which was a wild adventure ride, along comes the third installment to the Mummy Franchise. I loved the first movie, and when Mummy returned featuring the Scorpion King, it was time for more mayhem! So how did this year's Mummy fare in my book?

What a nice Mummy comeback. The series, which has gotten the reputation of high action and thrills, has made a screen comeback. This actually came as a surprise, because we caught trailers only a few weeks before it was going to be shown. But since it was The Mummy, of course we had to watch it!

The characters reprised their roles, all but the feisty Rachel Weisz. Where is she? She's terribly missed. Kudos to Maria Bello for filling in her shoes, but Rachel Weisz's absence was considerably felt in this movie.


--- SPOILERS ---

The power-greedy Chinese Emperor and his terra cotta soldiers (taken from real-life context), were a nice angle to the story. It was even cool to see Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh in it. But... I don't know. There was something missing. Because when the movie finished, we simply got up and left.

Too much computer animation?
I got confused actually when the Yetis appeared.
Jet Li becoming a three-headed dragon?

I thought there was an exaggeration in these sequences. It would have been better if Jet Li could not transform into other beings because since he was able to do this after all, he could have transformed into a giant or some hideous monster and detroyed the skeleton army in one swift blow. But nooo. He had to spar with the humans.

Also, the place where the diamond shows the direction to Shangri-La, they had so much firepower that they could have simply riddled the tower with bullets until it was no longer usable when the explosives didn't go off.

--- SPOILERS ---

The plot was was not strong, computer animation got in the way of the plot, a lot of exaggerations. It's sad, but the Mummy ought to have been left where it was buried.

The Dark Knight: a movie review

It was in the news: The Dark Knight broke box office records for first day ticket sales and weekend sales! Is it simply because of the late Heath Ledger that drove people to watch his performance? Well... I think that's one element. But the film is truly so much more.

The Dark Knight is not your comic-book BatMan; this film version is definitely not for the average kid. I would describe this film as intense. Disturbing even, to a point.

BatMan's "career" as a crimefighter was at its peak as organized crime finds its world getting cramped. As last ditch efforts are being made to salvage their fortune and lives, along comes the Joker whose solution to the problem was quite simple: kill the BatMan.

What follows is a bizarre twist of events orchestrated by the Joker. I am reminded of my comment for the movie Hancock, where every superhero has a supervillain. In the Dark Knight, the Joker personifies super villainy! His actions were deadly and precise, underlying his calm demeanor. I cannot personally believe that it was the late Heath Ledger under that makeup. I remember him best from A Knight's Tale. His persona as the Joker was a complete character altogether. Indeed, I can say that he even outshone BatMan in this movie.

The story of Harvey Dent was a delightful surprise. When we saw him flip a coin the first time, my friends and I gave knowing glances... that's Two-Face! Whoops... wait, is that a spoiler? Ummm... I actually didn't know Two-Face was going to be in this movie because he wasn't mentioned in the trailers at all, and the posters displayed in cinemas were just about BatMan and the Joker. It was really a surprise for me to see him played in the movie. His was a passion that overtook his sense of loss over his sense of justice.

For this second installment, the characters were complex and engaging. The Joker, most especially. And of course with a clown around, expect a few laughs. It was madness, that Joker. The audience laughs while he tries to bombard an armored truck to smithereens. Is that suppose to be funny? Maddening, isn't it?

Ok Ok... I really can't skip out the spoilers but I'll make a couple more in this paragraph. It was a surprise as well that the BatMan left Gotham City on a mission. Well, I have grown accustomed to having BatMan stay always in Gotham City that it was really a surprise that this fictional city received a "reality treatment". And the BatMan fan club! That was a riot. My only gripe is that BatMan's hoarse voice made me want to clear my throat, and we were actually speaking like him already when we left the cinema! Also I wonder if Two-Face always had Eye-Mo handy.


If you're going to watch the movie, take your wiwi break early on; it's about two and a half hours long and the story moves along quickly; you can get lost if you miss out on a couple of minutes. Engaging story with lots of human drama, lots of action, cool car and bike! This movie is well worth the wait.

Journey to the Center of the Earth - a movie review

Jules Verne is truly a visionary. He lived in 1828-1905 way before "modern travel and transportation" was available, and yet he told stories way ahead of his time. In "20,000 Leagues under the Sea", he narrated the exploits of Captain Ahab in his submarine and diving equipment to explore the ocean depths... but these were yet to be invented! His other works include Around the World in Eighty Days, and the latest movie adaptation, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Indeed, he pioneered the science-fiction genre.

I have not yet read the book actually (though I'm inclined to buy one because I enjoyed 20,000 Leagues), but I read in other reviews of this movie that it is a loose adaptation of the book. It is an adventure created by following the clues in Jules Verne's book on how to go to the Center of the Earth.

Plot Summary (consider this a SPOILER)
Professor Trevor Anderson taught Earth Sciences in a university and headed the Center of Volcanic Activity. Prior to Trevor's leadership of the center (of which he only had one assistant, his older brother Max took charge and placed monitoring systems in strategic places in the world ten years before. At the lowest point of Trevor's career, the Center was on the verge of getting closed down and only three of the many monitors were functional. But one day, while Max's son Sean was on vacation with uncle Trevor, they noticed a fourth monitoring device spring to life. The instances of that time were the same as the circumstances ten years back when Max disappeared. Determined to know what happened to Max, Trevor and Sean embarks on a journey to Iceland and hires mountain guide Hannah (Anita Briem) to check on the monitor.

A thunderstorm forces them into a cavern and subsequently gets trapped. Their adventure to the center of the earth begins.

SPOILER OFF


Brendan Fraser is one actor whose movie career I was able to follow principally because he starred in adventure / fun films. Think Encino/California Man, George of the Jungle, a movie where they live underground (forgot the title), The Mummy, etc. Fun movies all. He disappeared from the big screen for quite a while and is now making a big comeback through this film and a third installment of The Mummy.

As the professor character Trevor, Fraser did his part well although his acting and humor is what you would expect from watching too many of his films. I don't know about Anita Briem, though. As the love interest of Brendan, I did not see any spark, and did not click with the audience overall (unlike the chemistry with Rachel Weisz in the Mummy series) but she did fine as an outdoorsy lass who knows the ropes of trekking. (Speaking of which, we sorely missed doing our own trekking and spelunking adventures while watching this movie). As a kid who has never read the book and now finds himself in it, I find that Josh Hutcherson as Sean did not truly bring to the screen a sense of wonderment and surprise at being in such an otherwordly environment.

Other than these, the plot was simple enough. But it's the adventure that made the grade. From the start the trio gets trapped in the cave up to the last part, it was an awesome trip!

I noticed that the manner by which it was filmed was suggestive that it was done for a 3D movie, with things flying about and action scenes in the first person perspective. My hunch was justified when I learned that there is indeed a 3D version of this movie. It would have even been more wonderful to watch it on 3D! Too bad The Block and iMax is too far from us.

I loved the movie because it was fun and a nice adventure overall. And it makes me want to pick up the Jules Verne book the next time I visit the bookstore.


Related link: Jules Verne on Wikipedia

Hancock: a movie review

The story is about Hancock, a "bum" who craves for alcohol morning, noon and night, and does not care much about life in general because he's an immortal and has been in the planet for the longest time (although he can only recall the last 80 years). But when crime is afoot, off he flies to save to the day. Problem is, his intoxicated body causes so much destruction than a "regular" crime solving method would have done that the millions of dollars lost stood out more glaringly than the "heroic" act that the people of Los Angeles pretty much doesn't want him around.

Life makes a turn for Hancock as a PR agent whose life he saves decides that he can turn things around for Hancock by being his PR agent and coaching him on the do's and dont's of public relations. Problem is, Hancock has become attracted to the PR agent's wife, and things take a turn for the worse...

My thoughts about this movie
The first half hour of the movie successfully introduces Hancock as a "professional bum" who doesn't really care about anything at all but since he has these superpowers and he has a teeny weeny bit of a conscience as he tries to understand why he was that way, he helps out resolve crime in his... well, unique way. He does it whether they like it or not.



SPOILER MODE ON
However, the movie's strong plot somehow decelerates when the concept of immortality is revealed. I know this is supposed to be fiction and anything can happen in fiction, right? but still... immortals meeting and speedily losing their powers and eternal life because of this contact? I don't buy it. So there were a lot of immortals in the distant past but they all started to die off because they are eternally attracted to each other... if this is so, where did they come from in the first place? Sketchy, that part of the plot is.

Also in superhero stories, there is a supervillain that is just as memorable, if not even more popular than the superhero itself. Superman has Lex Luthor, Batman has the Joker (among others), Hancock has... see? I forgot the name. It was just some regular bank robber who wanted revenge.
SPOILER MODE OFF



Given this rather blurry concept of Hancock's origins and concepts about their race, I enjoyed the first hour, but left me thinking it could have been better by the second hour.

Wanted: a movie review

Can you bend bullets? If so, you're one of the lucky few in the planet who can do so, and you can become a member of the Fraternity!

The movie centers on the humdrum life of Wesley Gibson: an office employee whose existence is tormented by constant stress from life and work. And just as he thinks that this is all there is to his life, he learns that he is the son of an assassin, and that his father was recently killed and he was being recruited to avenge his father's death. It turns out that the stress symptoms he was experiencing was actually a manifestation of a rare ability: the blood rush enables him to be more alert, quick, and sensitive to his surroundings, performing extraordinary feats that are close to being superhuman.

What follows after he leaves office life with a bang is a life of violence and brutality as he is trained to harness and control his power, and he learns to kill without regret.

The Fraternity is a group of assassins that has survived for centuries, killing indiscriminately as dictated by Fate itself. Kill one, save thousands. That's their motto. Although I don't exactly feel like getting orders from a weaving machine. Oops, one spoiler out.

So how easy is it to bend a bullet? Easy. Shoot your blood pressure to an unbelievable high that it zaps through your brain, enabling you to see things in slo-mo, and with designer bullets and a signature move that defies physics, the bullet will hit the mark in a trajectory. And while you’re at it, why not do ravishing stunts with your car? They’d call it bullet time, I call it surreal. There are a lot of things in this movie at are not at all possible in real life. It’s impossible! It’s surreal!

And I love it! I went in the cinema a bit skeptical (the trailer was too much I think, but Angelina Jolie was in it so what the heck) and we came out with an adrenaline rush! Never a dull moment. A couple of laughs, a lot of jaw-dropping action scenes, and with a nice twist to the story.


PS. I learned that this is a loose adaptation from a comic book. Save for 300, I think loose adaptations are becoming a trend. I wonder to what extent do the creators agree to having their work revised?

The Incredible Hulk: a movie review

This year is undeniably one of the busiest summer movie seasons that has found its way to the Philippines. There are really great movies left and right! Well, for my taste anyway, I can't seem to get enough of the films coming out one after the other.

Last night, we watched the Incredible Hulk. I did not get to watch the Ang Lee version on the big screen but despite its lackluster performance in the box office, it was an enjoyable version, depicting the Hulk as a very powerful and agile character. The current version, however, makes the Hulk a more believable character in that it does not dwell so much on the Hulk's angst but the Bruce Banner's continuing battle with his inner demon and his search for a cure is given equal screen time as the famous green giant. In the previous version, a lot of time was spent as well on telling the story of how Banner came to be the Hulk, and that part was over and done with in the introductory sequence in the new movie and more time was thus available for plot development.

THIS PARAGRAPH HAS SPOILERS IN IT.
I also like how they are trying to link the movies together. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr. a.k.a. Ironman) appears in the movie to talk about the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s initiative to form a band of super heroes. Another fun part is the appearance of no other than Lou Ferrigno, the Incredible Hulk of the hit TV series in the 80s! And the years has been kind to him; it looks like he did not age much! Edward Norton likewise fits the Dr. Bruce Banner persona, although being an 80s kid, I still like the TV version of Bruce Banner, Mr. Bill Bixby :-). However, I rather thought the pre-Abomination soldier's acting was a bit bland.
SPOILER STOPS HERE

Overall, I loved the movie. I actually thought Liv Tyler will suddenly mutter something in Elvish and have some water horses come rushing down any time in the movie (she's quite the Elf personified) but she's quite a beauty, isn't she? The plot, character development, and how everything is being fit together into one HUGE production (read: AVENGERS!) makes the movie even more interesting and engaging. After watching, I can almost feel the electricity from the comic book enthusiasts in the audience as they discussed what will happen in this franchise. Yep, comic book people are having a field day with Marvel movies these days.

Kung Fu Panda: a movie review

What makes something special "special"? Is it an added ingredient to a recipe? A signature move to a skill? Putting in a lot of flowery words to a speech?

This question was eloquently answered in the movie, and this ultimately decided the fate of the Valley as their powerful enemy Tai Lung escapes the heavily-fortified prison and plans to get the Dragon Scroll - which keeps the secret to becoming the all-powerful Dragon Warrior - by force.


Unnervingly placed in the predicament is Po, a happy-go-lucky Panda Bear that loves martial arts and dreams for adventures while helping out his father run the noodle shop, a family business. Such is fate, for you should be careful of what you wish for or you just might get it. Po got his wish, but not the approval of the five Martial Arts Masters who trained hard to protect the village and ultimately, each desiring to be chosen as the Dragon Warrior.

Excellent animation, action, and lots of humor make this a family favorite. At first I thought only Jack Black was the only actor lending his voice to the movie, but was surprised to learn that other famous people were behind the other voices as well: Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane, David Cross, Seth Rogen, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Hong, Randall Duk Kim. And here's another trivia: our very own Sam Concepcion sang the song "Kung Fu Fighting" for the movie! Isn't that grand?

(The toys from Mcdonald's are real nice too!)

Never a dull moment. This is the epiphany of awesomeness. Go watch it!

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

I have just finished watching The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Today is the first day of showing and I simply cannot pass this one by, even if I had to watch it alone.

The scriptwriter and director took some liberties at telling the story and adapting it to the big screen. But I must say, they did a pretty good job at it. Not like the Harry Potter movies where some elements just have to go away for lack of time, Prince Caspian somehow managed to keep the essence of the book intact.

But of course, having read the books for quite a number of times now, I can't help but compare it with the movie. So here are my observations, without trying to divulge too much:

- Aslan comes much later in the movie. I think this is for dramatic effect. In the book, the kids meet Aslan even before they head to Aslan's How.
- The book spends a considerable number of pages narrating the merriment that happens after the battle. That is changed in the book.
- The River God is grander and so much more dramatic in the movie
- There were more fight scenes in the movie than in the book
- I don't recall the Minotaurs making an alliance with the Narnians in the book, though the twist they did in the movie was a nice touch indeed.

How long was it since the first movie? A couple of years? But how they have grown! Especially Lucy. There was a theory that they did this movie after the first one because they were trying to catch up with the kids' growing up, and I think that's it.

The movie was grander than the book and had more action in it. I am quite dismayed by a couple of things, though.
- When Aslan joined the fight only later on, all he could say as the reason was "It doesn't happen the same way." A better explanation could have been better. So many Narnians died!
- I didn't like Prince Caspian's accent. It sounded forced.
- Also, Prince Caspian looked utterly bewildered when he first sets sight on a couple of Narnians. He was so much wiser in the book.
- I was kinda hoping I'd see the dance of the naiads and draiads and Pan, but I guess drinking-induced dancing would have been a no-no for a PG movie?

But there are sweet highlights as well.
- Ripeechip's a delight! I swear, if an action figure of him comes out, I'll buy one.
- It's great seeing the White Witch again, even for a moment (this is no spoiler; this was revealed in the trailers).
- I loved the battles with the hippogriffs, centaurs, minotaurs, fauns.

I enjoyed the movie. There were dramatic moments, humor, and lots of action. It's sooo good to return to Narnia again.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: a movie review

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is one of the highly-anticipated movies in my list ever since I heard that this movie was being produced a couple of years ago. And how time flies! Today is the first day of showing and I just had to watch it tonight.

Well... what can I say? This movie brought me back to the good old days when sleuthing was the coolest thing thanks to Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and the Bobsy Twins. And Indiana Jones was the ultimate detective, solving riddles that tested man for centuries.

Like always, I will not divulge much in terms of plot in this review and keep it spoiler-free. But the good old Indiana Jones goes out once again for ancient artifacts and legends in adrenaline-rush action sequences this movie franchise is known for.

This adventure is centered on a mystical crystal skull, said to have been taken from El Dorado, the lost city of gold. The setting of the film is in the cold war era, and right behind Indy's every move are the Russians trying to get hold of power to rule the world.

There are the action scenes with cars and guns in them. Great show! And of course, there's the exploration bit in jungles and solving ancient puzzles and slipping through traps. It's what I expected an Indiana Jones movie to be!

I really, really want to touch on the storyline right now so I'll just stop and say that I enjoyed the movie. Now begs the question: which of the four films is my favorite?

I'd still say that Raiders of the Lost Ark is still be best Indy movie, principally because it centered on something we can relate to (the Ark of the Covenant), and it had just the right magic touch to spurn the imagination of the kid that was me all those years ago that I still feel the adventure whenever I watch the DVD. Second is the Last Crusade, followed by this latest installment, and then Temple of Doom would be the fourth. But that's not to say that this film is a measly third. In fact, if Raiders of the Lost Ark were a 99%, then the Last Crusade would be a 98, and Crystal Skull a 97, and Temple of Doom a 96.

It's sooo good to watch an Indiana Jones movie on the big screen once again! Hats off to Steven Spielberg!

Iron Man: a movie review

Ok, I admit it. I'm a sucker for superhero movies. Save for Punisher and Elektra, I have watched the Batmans , Supermans and X-Men and eagerly anticipate whatever Marvel or DC Comics will pull from its hat in the future. And though Iron Man isn't exactly one of my favorite heroes, the teasers were enough to get me reeled in, hook, line and sinker.

Well... I have watched the movie twice and I must say that I really like how the story of Iron Man was told. It wasn't all eye candy, although I should give credit to the cinematic crew for creating such a hi-tech environment that's not at all impossible, what with the recent developments in AI and virtual reality.

I must say, I am indeed impressed at how these two technologies have been fused together to allow for full human interaction with system design and analysis. Tony Stark, a certified genius for creating electronic marvels, accomplishes his feats with his robotic arm assistants and virtual reality, 3D interface. I am awed enough to have my interest sparked once again in robotics and AI. Yes, I'm a frustrated computer engineer (that course was not yet offered when I was in college - don't ask what year that was).

Iron Man gives us a glimpse of how man exerts his power of technology to bring either productivity, or destruction. Tony Stark makes a 360-degree turn on his outlook of life as he becomes entrenched in a trap which he inadvertently helped create: a trap of demise and cruelty. And using the skills that he possess, he creates a force to combat that evil.

This is a feel-good movie, and the action scenes do not disappoint. No mutants or space people this time, just humans and their hi-tech toys, making this film truly believable. I have not read any Iron Man comic title, but I believe that Robert Downey, Jr. did an exceptional job at depicting the complex character that's Tony Stark. It was a pleasure seeing Gwyneth Paltrow as well as the faithful assistant Pepper Potts. And Jeff Bridges! My, has he grown old! Or was his character simply meant to be that way?

Overall I love the plot, the eye candy, the characters, the cars, the computers, the robots. The war scenes where the people hide in houses and the enemy throws bombs inside or riddles it with bullets even reminded me of the book I read about World War II in Manila. I wish there was an Iron Man back then.

Forbidden Kingdom - a review

Like most boys growing up in Baguio City in the late 70s to the 80s, we watched a lot of Martial Arts films. Foremost of these is Jacky Chan's movies. The fight scenes are meticulously thought out and performed like it can be done by everybody else. And as can be seen in the outtakes (which is a trademark ending of his films), you can see the dedication Jacky Chan pours into his movies. It is a passion that shows in his performance.

And then came Wong Fei Hung of the "Once Upon a Time in China" series. Jet Li wowed us with his moves. While Jackie Chan loves injecting humor into his performance, Jet Li exudes a calculating and serious mood. I wondered if there will come a time when these two will face each other in a single movie. In my wildest dreams.

Lo and behold. My wildest dream came true! The ironic part is, I have never even seen a trailer of this movie. Just the posters at which I stared in disbelief. It's for real!

And so last weekend, my wife, Jo-Lo, and I trooped to the cinema to watch Forbidden Kingdom. I knew early on that there has to be a confrontation between these two stars and eagerly anticipated this. I was not disappointed. It's one of the best martial arts sequences I have seen.

An added bonus is Jackie Chan reprising his role as a drunken master. Some of his earlier films portrayed him as a character who was taught the art of the Drunken Fist, whereby the martial arts technique required drinking copious amounts of alcohol while fighting and getting drunk in the process while at the same time becoming more invincible! And Jet Li maintained his composure as a Monk; his Wong Fei Hung persona really suits him.

Hmmm... I really do not want to give away spoilers at this point because the movie is still relatively new and you might not have watched it yet, but if you have, I would like to hear your take on the immortality concept of the movie. That part was confusing to me.

As for the overall plot of the movie, it actually reminds me of another movie called Warriors of Virtue where an American kid loves going to this Chinese food shop. He had braces on his legs, but this did not stop him from dreaming of becoming a football player. An accidental drop into a whirling water storage of sorts (he was cajoled into crossing a narrow plank by kids who need a really good spanking) transported him to the mystical land of Tau where he met these Runes possessing powers of the five elements.

Hmmm... I do see the resemblance with Forbidden Kingdom. There's also this dude who loves frequenting a Chinese store - this time a pawnshop - and is forced by a gang to do something bad and he falls.... into the magical land of Ancient China where there is a prophecy that the Monkey King will rise again and defeat the oppressive regime.

Yes, dear boys and girls. The spotlight is shared by this lanky kid who grows in strength and willpower as the story progresses. I have read some reviews that said the movie needed a touch of American for it to sell in the US and give it an international appeal. I disagree. In my point of view, these critics are misguided. I believe the story did call for an "outsider" entering the mystical, ancient China, and who to better personify it than somebody of a different skin and hair color? It wouldn't be as effective if an Asian dude played the part.

The fourth character in the team is played by a lady called Golden Sparrow. She's quite attractive, and lethal.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The theme - a fantasy and action flick is very appropriate as I remember their films of old, when Jackie Chan and Jet Li were known only to our side of the world.