Reviews
Man of Steel (2013)
Good Movie But.....
First I would like to say that I did like this movie. As a movie it is far better than Superman Returns.
HOWEVER for portraying Superman I much prefer Superman Returns as it is more accurate in its representation of who Superman is. What Superman represents and his spirit. He is not a dark character. He represents hope to everyone who sees him. I felt that in Superman Returns. In Man of Steel, Nolan made Superman a bit darker (10-15% Batman) so you never actually feel hope when you see Superman anytime on screen. You know what I mean chan chadaaaaaaan its Superman! you never feel that.
SECOND, it reminded me of Startrek where a world has been destroyed and the person from that world is out to get revenge or whatever. Is there no other plot that can be made? It's a good plot but its already been done in the movies. If this came before Star Trek I will have no complaints on the story.
The Croods (2013)
Good Dreamworks Movie
This was a fun movie to watch where you will not get bored from beginning until the end. It reminded me a lot of Land Before Time movie but less sophisticated.
The voice actors are perfect especially Nicholas Cage, his talents are really underutilized. He captured the character's internal struggle to evolve and change with the times. It's really great that not only did he in the end embrace change but also experimented with creating new things and not just depend on Guy to do everything. I think it was a great reminder to us that we have forgotten how to be curious and be amazed about how new things come to us. Instead we keep expecting more and get disappointed when Apple does deliver new techs as we expect them to. :)
Finally a great Dreamworks film with the exception of How to Train your Dragon, and no wonder the creators of Croods and How to Train are the same! hahahaa
Bee Movie (2007)
Huh?
I can not believe this was made into a movie. The concept I guess is good enough but the story. ugh. it reminded me of when we were kids and each kid will add a new line to the story. that's how this film is. it was slapped on together to make a movie that is so corny and has no sense whatsoever. first barry graduates and doesn't want to work in the the hive doing boring work. so he goes out to be a bum and found himself a project to sue humans for taking honey. and unbelievably they won. so all honey is returned to them. now all bees don't want to work. all flowers die. so barry goes to retrieve the last remaining flowers to revive the dead flowers. he does this through a plane which is carried by bees! so that's successful now the bees are back collecting honey. and all flowers live. now barry's job is to be a pollen/honey collector. which is what he wanted to be in the first place! so all the drama was for nothing. i mean if he wanted to be this pollen/honey collector, the story could have evolved to something more meaningful instead of this. this is a waste of time and money.
The Departed (2006)
Ripoff of a classic Chinese movie
**SPOILERS** I can't believe this movie won the best picture category and martin won as the director when he just copied the original infernal affairs. And an inferior remake at that. All the scenes are the same except for some of the over violent parts like when Mark Wahlberg kills Matt. When I watched Infernal Affairs, it was violent, real and really had heart. It's message was it was better to live your life righteously rather than live a long unrighteous life that was why Andy Lau (Matt in the Chinese version) lives. This was actually the only difference in the movie. Everything was the same! Even when the 2 criminals are discussing how they know who are the cops. This film winning the 2 categories means that American cinema has lost its creativity and needs to resort to copying the exact same movie except making it inferior.
The Contender (2005)
great series
i was pleasantly surprised when i saw this series. i didn't expect much except for some boxing, instead it was more than that. It has conflict, drama and action. It's really pretty exciting but most of all really is that this show has heart. You really see the spirit of how these fighters want to go beyond themselves and achieve something for themselves and their loved ones. I greatly admire them and even though I have a favorite which is Sergio, it's really hard seeing one of the players go even anthony. If you're watching the show, you'd know that he's the dad who wants to win at all costs. At first when he betrayed the east and west team, i really hated him. It was a done deal that he was going to fight Jimmy, instead he chose Brent. I felt that he was a coward and used his children as a scapegoat. But he was just eliminated and I felt so sad for him because he tried so hard and he really wanted to win for his children. he tried his best but sometimes that really isn't good enough. And all these players, not only anthony understand that the lost wasn't really a lost because they fought great. I really am looking forward to each episode. I can't remember any series right now that is this good. They really went all out on this. The quality of the show is really good. Well i guess it should be, i heard it costs 2 million each episode.
Sahara (2005)
entertaining enough...
i was expecting it to be a bad action movie. When i did see this movie, i found that it was not a great movie but it was entertaining. a second rate action movie. it was entertaining enough with classic jokes made by the sidekick (Steve Zahn) and the hero (Matthew) being this all-American guy that always solves the problem. And throw in a sexy leading lady in Penelope Cruz. First of all the plot was just okay. It's hard to believe that they actually found the ship's location just based on a drawing on the cave. The connection between the diseases and the treasure was also sort of a stretch because of an underground water system. Hmm.... i don't know, that piece of the puzzle seems forced and does not fit that closely. Fortunately though the script does not emphasize any intellectuality. It doesn't provide solid proof to believe in this wild goose chase. It emphasizes more the adventure and the fun that you get when you do something exciting. The view and scenery of this film is amazing! action sequences are also pretty good. Now on to the actors. It was an okay cast. Matthew was believable as this sort of weirdo that is obsessed with this treasure. Then there's steve, the sidekick, actually for the first time a sidekick actually did some of the rescuing instead of just providing laughs. He was good and quirky. Oh and Matthew and Steve here are like invincible, they fight, stop bombs and do incredible stunts. the script says that they were SEALS, i guess that explains it all. Penelope on the other hand was sort of an awkward mix. First of all do you expect someone with that kind of aerobicized body to be in WHO. And how much money does she earn anyway? She had this great gown at the beginning of the film. One of the biggest problems however was Penelope's accent. She seems more conscious of her lines that actually acting.
All in all though it's a feel good movie. It sort of reminded me of National treasure only a bit better.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
classic
i just recently saw this movie, and despite not having the best of special effects, it's 1 of the best action adventure movies i've seen. it was funny, smart and witty. and even though the film is long, you'll get wrapped up on the different action sequences in the movie. although i did think that Harrison ford was a bit thin for the part. but all in all it was really good.
Indiana plays a boring professor but an exciting adventurer outside the classroom. he seeks treasures and sends it to museums where he thinks these artifacts belong. in this adventure he's after the lost ark, which holds a great power to destroy. The Nazis are there to get this power. and instead of gaining the power, they are destroyed by it.
Indiana the great man that he is, of course isn't destroyed, since he does not covet the power. Indiana in this movie is like superman. he does everything well and good and on top of that he's charming and smart. he's like the rugged James bond. he loves girls but he would never let anyone really come close to him.
i just have one complaint though. Indy is always the one who leads the bad guys to the thing that they are after. if he just sit tight, the enemies would never find the power. oh well if that happened then there wouldn't be any movie right.
Lucky 7 (2003)
feel good movie
i saw this movie mainly because of the 2 leads on the movie. i love both of them. they have such charm and sincerity on the screen. this movie has a lot of heart. when you watch this movie, nothing about it is really new, so don't expect anything mind blowing. it's not an Oscar contender.
but it's so real, the characters, the story, the human emotions, the friendship, the fear. just look at this movie as a realization of sorts. because Amy is just so afraid to live her life.
this story is about a girl that follows a planned out life of her mother. somehow she feels loyal and connected to her mother through this. she convinces herself that this is what's going to make her happy. ignoring everyone else's advice.
then she meets these 2 guys. peter and Daniel. Daniel is perfect for her. and in fact if peter wasn't in the picture, she surely would have ended up with him. fortunately the plan helped her out in this case. Daniel had to be the #7 boyfriend for her to end up with him. but he's just #6. so what to do? she has to follow the plan right.
so she goes to peter and pretends to be his girlfriend. which works out perfectly for both of them, since peter also needs a pretend girlfriend. except now they fall for each other. they're a perfect fit. a complement to each other. the problem is he's #6.
Amy then finally figures out that her mother's plan was just a guide. not something literal for her to follow. so in the end she follows her heart. peter really pushes her to do this. and yes they end up together.
all in all 8/10 for the great actors and the tingling feeling it leaves you.
White Chicks (2004)
surprised *spoilers*
i watched this movie and dodge ball on the same day. i was really surprised. i thought this film was going to stink. i was wrong. it was funny and light hearted. it's a comedy movie, although at times it tries to inject an actual plot. which only comes across as corny. nevertheless those scenes are few.
this is actually a good movie to watch. marlon wayans was really good. just looking at his face, you know that he's silly. and his character fit. while shawn on the other hand is more subdued than marlon. but still he was good also. they both were natural and didn't overreact.
i don't know why this movie wasn't more popular than dodge ball. but this one is way better
The Bourne Identity (2002)
great smart movie *spoilers*
i was really surprised by how good and smart this movie. it's been a long time that i've seen a movie that actually had a good plot.
first of all i love matt and franka in this. they both seem so anti-action heroish. meaning that they are not your typical action figures. yet that is the reason that they both come off as actual people with vulnerabilities which both make them so enduring. this movie explores the underground dealings and killings of politics. bourne is the one who actually does the assassins. however it catches up with him psychologically and he then has amnesia. emotionally he is so confused, yet that survival instinct and skill still remains with him. he is obviously very smart and is made to be this assassin. because he is very good. in fact as was revealed he initiated the assassination for treadstone.
then comes marie. who is this confident woman who is confident and an equal to jason. it was so great that she was the one who initiated sex to jason. in fact she's the comic relief in this movie. which makes you kind of actually breath. because this movie is intense. the chemistry between both of them and the story. this movie is pretty much perfect.
The Incredibles (2004)
good enough *spoilers*
the latest from Disney and pixar is good enough. but i was expecting more especially after producing great movies such as finding nemo and monsters inc. it was a little disappointing. it still had the comedic touch here and there. the story is interesting enough. with the father wanting to reclaim his old glory. he goes back to being a super hero blinded by his ambition that his family needs him and the bad guy is out to get him. finally he is caught and his family tries to save him. a great big family reunion with each one having realized their worth and the importance of their family.
good enough story. however this movie fails to keep up the excitement. fight scenes are few and far apart. the bad guy here in the movie is not given his proper due. he was only there for about 20% of the movie. the scenes mostly gives scene after scene of how miserable mr. incredible's life was before and how he worked out to be this new man again. this is not an action movie but of self-discovery. but in the end mr. incredible just realized he has a good family and he still wants to be a hero.
this is a good movie. pretty interesting and lovable characters. it was just not as good as the previous Disney pixar movies. but it is better than the shrek movies.
Ying xiong (2002)
technically good *spoilers*
i just saw this movie after 2 yrs of its release. the reason was that i was afraid to be disappointed. the Chinese people i knew thought it was so so. while those that were not thought it was great.
i saw this movie and i was surprised and yes disappointed. Surprised because as Jet Li said this was not a typical Chinese movie. the good guy (Jet Li) sacrificed himself for the greater good that chin shi huang ti should live. all the leads in this movie died. And most of the time in Chinese movies the emperor is the bad guy but this time, he's not. he is the savior, the one who will unite china and finally bring peace and end the war.
it was technically and maybe it's robotically good. i mean that it was perfect, the story, the execution of the plot ... it was all done well. no mistakes. it was quite imaginative in fact. with the different story versions and the colors used in each version. those colors could be analyzed endlessly in a paper.
yet what was disappointing about it was that in Chinese movies that i've seen especially that of Jet Li and the once upon a time series, there was always a heart in the story. something that connected you to the story and the character itself. the character was always the main point ... i think. the main character always connects the audience to him. and as the audience we share in his story and his development and goals.
this movie lacked that heart. that connection with the characters. although the actress who played flying was very good in acting out her character, she had very little role and the audience can't really connect to her steadily throughout the movie.
in summary technically perfect but ... lacks heart.
Shi mian mai fu (2004)
slightly better than crouching...still not good *spoilers*
i saw this movie because people told me that it was good. unfortunately... i did see it. i don't know what's the hype about. the story and the characters are poorly developed. let's start with the story, explanations about what is actually happening are thrown all over the script. there is no resemblance of organization in this film. what was this story about really. i can't understand if it's a love story or about honor or about gratitude. if it is a love story, i can't believe both jinn and mei actually fall in love. how did they fall in love. it was more like lust. this part was poorly developed.
if it is about honor then mei did not prove herself. i don't even understand why the leader of the house of flying daggers even ordered mei to kill jinn. wasn't it obvious that she wouldn't kill him? and if they wanted her to prove her loyalty why didn't they follow her and see if she actually do her duty? the leader here is kind of STUPID. she knew that andy lau's character loves mei yet she ordered mei to flirt with another guy in front of him. the war was coming and they could not afford one of their best soldiers(andy lau) to even be slightly distracted. yet that's what the leader did.
another wonder is the leader is actually a woman? this in itself is doubtful. considering the traditional view of women at this period.
mei here was selfish really. a war was going on. the country was at stake. yet i think her character is really selfish. i think that she agreed to seduce guys on her missions because she was a flirt. and then jinn comes and supposedly he is her match.
the only good comment i have is that mei proved herself to be grateful. he didn't kil andy lau's character thus proving her love for him too. another plus is the fight scenes. but hello you can see this in all Chinese kung fu movies with better scripts.
finally i like to comment about andy lau. what happened to him? his drug addictions finally took a toll on his face. he looked so old. i mean chow yun fat is older yet andy looks so haggard. well at least andy isn't as thin as he used to be. i had to wonder why he took this role. it was the worse possible role for him. it made him look pathetic and weak. and he wasn't even the lead in this movie. what happened to him. this is not a good way to end his career.
Family Law (1999)
one of the great series
i just started watching htis series and each time it sucks me into the lives of this characters. this series has the drama and the comedy. it has everything that one could ask for. i love how real, human and quirky the characters are. it's so easy to relate to each one of them. everday they wrestle with choices. tough choices on what it is to be human. what it is to interact with others and to find each of their places in what they do. it's a vocation for them. it's not something they do for money. i love this series. the casting is great. each one of them contributing something to make the show great. i can't believe they cancelled this!
A Cinderella Story (2004)
pathetic
*spoilers*
i can't believe this movie was actually made. this movie did not need a script. there's no plot or anything resembling a story. this film depended on duff's star power to attract audiences with her again lizzie-like character but failed. Why? because this film was useless and stupid. i mean chad why don't you call the people on sam's cell phone to know who she is? and sam, you're cell phone is missing and you don't even care.
and suddenly they fell in love. right? when did that happen? through the e-mails? you really can't believe by the way they're both acting that they're in love. their dilemma is just who's the mystery girl(which is so obvious) and how do i tell him? there's nothing there to indicate that they actually care for each other.
the sisters here try to be the comic relief but instead you feel sorry for them as actresses because they actually sank this low to look stupid without any reason.
both chad and hilary act minimally here since that is what's needed. no one shines through here. it's just a waste of time to watch. btw, hilary here is very thin.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
female version of "BIG"
*spoilers*
actually there isn't any real need for spoilers here, it's obvious what this story is about. anyway it tries to be a female version of BIG that is about a whiney and spoiled 13 year old who i don't understand how mattie can even stand. this is a very corny movie. it tries every possible way to be cute but instead just seems forced and sickening. i mean i love michael jackson but hello how can anyone remember the steps after 17 years?
Jennifer Garner here is not at her best. Unlike Tom Hanks who's so believable as a kid. Jennifer Garner here comes out as a 30 year old trying unsuccessfully to be a 13 year old. there are times here in the movie that she seems to be mentally challenged.
the only saving grace of this movie is the quiet presence of mark ruffalo. which is the main reason why jennifer went back to the past and tried to save her relationship with him.
Vanilla Sky (2001)
great story *spoilers*
this film was very good. i hope i could see the original. the story was absolutely solid, there were no wholes in it. everything was explained. What i really liked about it is cruise was a man who was unable to face reality because of the consequence of his actions. he tries to blame everyone for his troubles. Even when he gets the perfect dream life, his fears and guilty subconscious gets to him and disturbs his life. it really is all on his mind. i love the last scene. it was very powerful. he finally knows what he wants. he know the consequences of his actions and is able to choose wisely. to finally face the unknown where it won't be easy anymore because he's 100 years into the future, but that's reality and finally he can face it again. a second chance to do it right.
this film was very real. the only problem might be that in some scenes it was kind of awkward and boring. but all in all one of the most real and powerful movies.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
one of the great movies
What can you say about this movie? It's one of the great movies. It's about discovery, love and adventure. What more can you really ask for? The movie really is simple yet is so inspiring and touches you to the core.
Sen here used to be a self-absorbed girl yet this world that she finds herself in opens her eyes to so many things and finally giving her the strength to fight for what she wants and freeing her parents. She also finally does things for others. What an inspiring story. Good, really good. This is what a movie should be. it should inspire and touch people with the sincerity of the story. most movies now want to manipulate people's feelings but this one doesn't.
The Last Castle (2001)
one of the good movies *spoilers*
i just saw this movie because there was nothing else to do. i was however very surprised to find that it was good. it presented intense characters that have different feelings and agendas. the movie has an interesting plot with robert redford wanting to change a system he sees to be unjust. Prisoners immediately cling to him because he presents them with hope and for them to feel pride again.
one thing that bothers me though is was the system that dysfunctional? was it worth lives? hmmm... have to wonder really. all of them after all will get out of that prison after some time. But then i think if you ask each one of those prisoners if they could have done it differently none of them would say yes. it was a chance for them to do something great.
although i wish that aguilar didn't die. somewhat should have just wrestled him to the ground
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
useless movie *spoilers*
this is a useless movie. the plot was lame, there was really no story behind it. it fails to inspire someone to actually care on what is going on in the environment. one of the reasons might be that the script is half baked. it doesn't concentrate on one single aspect. it tries to show too many sides, the effects, father-son relationship, global warming, politics. you really have to ask: what is this film doing? there's really no build up to the disaster that is going to happen. It just happened. And really how can that many people survive in the end? it seems impossible especially when they were building it up as this huge tidal wave of a disaster. for me it's a shame because the idea is good, the actors are all good, but the execution... one thing that bothers me too is the mom, doesn't she care for her son? it seems she doesn't even care or worry about him. it's lame. after the movie, you'll think: what a waste of time.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Interesting... *spoilers*
I just saw this movie a few days ago. It was funny and interesting. It presented a lot of facts that has been in the background for quite some time. This film is not based on the whole of reality, it's Moore's opinion. He attacks and makes fun of Bush at almost every turn. And although it is one sided it's interesting to see someone like Moore who is a proud American to reveal things that are shameful to America. So it's a different path to the usual American movies wherein the Americans are the heroes who defeat the evil terrorists. America and its bureaucracy here is the enemy.
However I was surprised that i wasn't surprised by this politicking and hidden agendas that Moore revealed. America throughout its history has always been one that looked after itself and colonized or said they will conquer and attack a country for their benefit. I'm from the Philippines and President McKinley at that time announced it as benevolent assimilation but in reality it was to exploit the country and gain military bases. Moore did not explore this aspect in the film. Hopefully this film would lead others to better pursue the subject. i have to also wonder whether this film was created to discredit Bush, Moore is afterall a dedicated Democrat.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
better development of characters *spoilers*
i saw this movie and was surprised to find that it concentrated more on letting the audience get to know peter and may jane in this movie. This time mj doesn't just keep screaming, we actually see how conflicted her character is. What surprised me most is the revealing of spiderman as peter, i would have expected it to be on latter movies. overall though this movie is entertaining although less action than one would expect from a spiderman movie.
this is already the second movie but i'm still not sure of the casting of peter, mh and harry. tobey seems too nerdish as peter. and harry seems too cool and handsome to be the more nerdish friend of peter. and mj here i'd glad to see finally uses "tiger" to call peter, but kirsten is not that hot and more fun than she should be. but it'll do
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
best cartoon show
i love this show when i was a child and i still love it now. i almost forgot about tmnt, but i'm glad it was brought back. i saw that they have brought the show back and im still watching it.
this was the show that was always fun, cheerful, witty and always made me want to eat pizza.
ive only seen 3 episodes of the new show but i see that the camaraderie and the witty banter is still there. although i don't remember raphael's voice being that smug. and april now dresses in belly flashing shirts. well i guess that's keeping up with tthe times. i just hope that the show will still be good. i really love the turtle's interaction. i hope that they'll be able to bring the same fun and action that it did when i was young and be able to bring in new fans.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
spectacular
i just watched this movie. and i just felt so ashamed because Jesus suffered all this and yet he was still able to see good? this movie made me realize what's more important in life and just forget or let go of the small stuff.
but what really affected me was the people there. if jesus was here today. what would happen? i won't be surprised if he'll be crucified again. times have not changed. people are blind to the truth and if Jesus was here, he would again be prosecuted and the gov't would do whtever the people want because their afraid of losing power.
what made me really afraid was wondering who i would be in the movie. i'm afraid that i'll just be a bystander. afraid to do anything. allowing this crime to happen to Jesus.
the message to me was really after all these centuries, can we say things have changed? i don't think so. and we have to ask ourselves what would we have done if we were there?
Monk (2002)
Funny series
This is one of the best series i think. Not only is monk funny but all the characters are likeable. i really like sherona, she portrays the reaction of the audience. I wish she has more projects. Hopefully she'll try to change her hairstyle. She looked great at the golden globes with her hair not in those curls. Also i think we can relate to monk in about 5% of the time, because we all have neurotic moments. Its funny how monk can be so irritating and so sweet at the same time. And that really endears me to him, that's why i always watch it. I wish it was one of the top tv series. Its great and hope it lasts for a long time.