TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART

It's somewhat like Harry Potter and Lord of the Ring.

You are either a fan, or dread the time of the year when the "Twilight Saga" season comes around because basically every corner of every store is filled with promotional posters and merchandises with the face of 2 pale looking couple and one brownish (but hot) werewolf.

While "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Ring" carry mystical and magical themes, which bring audiences to out of the world fantasy-lands, "The Twilight Saga" indulges in a sad, pathetic love story between two souls who have nothing better to do in life.

I remember writing a review on "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" for my job interview.

Oh well, I guess I didn't get the job because the editor loves Twilight hahaha....or perhaps, I'm just not objective enough. I was a bit too harsh in my comments and a bit too crazy about Lautner, highlighting a lot of him. Maybe the editor is a vampire....

But nothing is going to stop me from being real honest about "The Twilight Saga".

I admit that I once enjoyed it because I love the unity of the Cullen clan - I love the fight scenes and I love watching the Cullens as a family.

I hate watching Bella and Edward. I do not get why they look at each other awkwardly, although some might argue that they look at each other with love...Sadly, we clearly have a very different feeling about love.

Frankly speaking, Bella is one of the most painful character to watch and it makes me not really adore Kristen Stewart. Perhaps she is good because of her strong, accurate portrayal of an over-emo girl, who is different, truly different.

Many had said that the movie butchered the book, because the book is very much better than the movie. I believe that's true. I mean, Harry Potter movies did not live up to the books standards, so I think the same would apply to the Twilight Saga. I think to be fair to the author and the whole story, once has got to read the book and sadly, I have yet to do so. Thus, I can only comment on the story portrayed in the movie.

I know Twilight is mainly on the theme of forbidden love, but I find that part the killer of the movie. It is a bore to watch the love triangle between a vampire, a mortal and a werewolf. Thus, New Moon was a complete waste of time and money for me because it centered around just the three of them mainly.

I went into the cinema expecting the worst for Eclipse but it was surprisingly okay. 

This has definitely got to do with the fact that half the movie is more about the Cullens and the werewolves working together to protect Bella and defeat the army of Vampire.

The CGIs were amazing, one of the least fake ones I've seen so far. Technology has definitely gone a long way since those good old days where those created monsters look ridiculously stupid because of the weakly embedded images using not so advanced blue/green screen techniques. 

I particularly love the huge werewolves, they are lovely and beautiful.

They blend in in the movie as if they are real creatures. I also love the action scenes between the Cullens. The action scenes were enhanced by face-paced camera movements, which could be annoying but brilliant at the same time - really depends on how you look at it. The fast paced panning of the camera, shifting focus from the various characters during battle scenes do make audience kinda dizzy but at the same time, in my opinion, did manage to create hype and excitement.

The only reason Eclipse is to a certain extent entertaining is the fact the the other Cullens have more screen time and their history one how some of them became vampires were mentioned. That makes the whole movie more interesting, rather than just LOVE LOVE LOVE! By offering the background story of some of the other Cullens, we get to see some other character developments, rather than just Bella and Edward, whose character are as stagnant as the drain water behind any local hawker stalls. I mean, from the 1st movie until the 3rd, we are still looking at both of them look at each other...so tell me, besides the fact that they can't live without each other, what else is there?

Annoying to watch is how Bella can't seem to choose between Jacob and Edward. 

Oh well, it's just me because I really dislike watching girls being fickle-minded when it comes to love. As if in life there is nothing else more important than to choose between two guys. Like I've stressed over and over, I am not a fan of the character Bella. I think it is mainly because we think very differently - she would give up everything for the love of her life, including her parents...I mean, I can't imagine not seeing my parents for the rest of my life. It's funny that she is only 17 and all she can think about is spending the rest of her life with a guy when other normal teens would be thinking about which education path to follow. Again, like she said, she is different. 

Jacob is as hot as usual but I find his persistence in courting Bella a bit annoying. I am biased however since I am so madly into Taylor Lautner and therefore, I am less critical about his character. But if another dude was portraying Jacob's character, I'd really give him one tight slap in the face and say, "Aiyo, enough la! People got boyfriend already. You move on and find other hot girls lar!" But I believe some girls find Jacob's persistence and love for Bella admirable. 

As for Edward, I just don't get skinny vampires. However, one of my friend adores the way he looks at Bella - she claims that he looks at her as if he would give her the world. All I can say is, I failed to notice the sincerity in his eyes but if someone else felt it, I believe Robert Pattinson did a great job in portraying his character and love for Bella. 

One may argue that the most striking thing about the vampires in the movie are their eyes. You should notice that throughout the movie, their paleness highlights the intensity of their eyes and thus, I believe that if you play the role of a vampire in the movie, you must at least be good in conveying messages using your eyes. If you are a werewolf however, you'll have to make sure you have a tonned body, which hot abs and hot chocolate coloured skin. That's about it haha.

But it is cool that they managed to include some humour into the movie. There are funny moments that got me laughing at little - my favourite was when Taylor Lautner said, "Besides, I am hotter than you". Watch it in the context of the movie, and you'll get why it's funny haha.

So basically the third installment of the Twilight Saga presents 2 main story: 

1. Vittoria trying to create an army of vampire to kill Bella and Bella sought protection from the 2 guys who love her like mad, and indirectly creating a pact between the disputing Vampire clan and the werewolf clan.

2. Bella trying to choose between the vampire or the werewolf, which metaphorically means choosing to be different or normal. While she do so, we see many moments where Jacob and Edward taunt each other and Bella standing in between...so...ya..

Basically that sums up what Eclipse is all about.

Whether you like it or not, it is still a phenomenon. But this 3rd movie is considered bearable (if you limit it to one-time watch only).

TC-My Ratings:

HUNTING FOR LOVE

Sometimes I forgot what feel good rom-coms (romantic comedies) are for.

When you are stressed like hell and you just need to watch something without the need to get your brain neurons to work, you select a romantic comedy for the purpose of catharsis.

Watching "Bounty Hunter" was a pleasure for me although one any other sane day, I'd not enjoyed it as much. For your information, this is the movie that united Jennifer Aniston and Gerrard Butler, and their love blossomed from reel-life to real-life. (I'm not sure if their love has withered yet though because it's been quite some time since I follow celebrity gossips.)

I squeezed "Bounty Hunter" into my life last weekend. I sort of promised myself that I must watch at least one movie just to keep the drought away from my blog.

Reading the synopsis of the movie, you really wouldn't expect much.

To wrap up the whole movie in one sentence, let's just say it's about a guy who's named after one of my favourite drinks, Milo who is paid to bring his ex-wife, Nikki to jail.

The movie is made interesting because it incorporated an element of crime solving, in which we see Nikki trying to solve a murder case. Although the main focus wasn't the case, but it did make the movie a more interesting watch, besides the dry humour presently reasonably well by Jennifer Aniston and Gerrard Butler. Perhaps I'm biased because I love both of them. Truth be told, I'm more awed by the gorgeousness of Jennifer Aniston's body and tan and Gerrard Butler's hunky manly looks that I wasn't really paying attention much to their acting per se. Then again, both of them are established actor/actress, so why do even bring up their acting skills.

Another fun part of watching the movie is seeing their funny antiques in trying to outwit one another. Though it is generally predictable since we all know that they will end up rejoicing in a happy fairytale ending, there were also moments that came across as quite fresh. I mean a bounty hunter hunting down his ex-wife...hmmm not bad for an idea...

It's hard to be analytical with romantic comedies because generally, the follow the same story structure that has to involve a guy and a girl. I have yet to watch a rom-com with 2 guys ending up together, and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" doesn't count since Chuck & Larry didn't really end up together. No matter how their play around with the guy and girl in the movie, the lead characters will eventually end up together...romantic comedies and I'm not talking about love stories ya. Love stories could take a drastic turn and try to make things painful by sometimes killing off one of the characters or purposely separating the two leads for one reason or another.

But Gerrard Butler's manly character made this movie a tad less girly for a rom-com. Added some X-man factor in it which I love. Personally, it toughen the movie and made it strike out more compare to other romantic comedies.

At the end of the day, I still think it is a good watch although I wouldn't classify it as my all-time favourite. Although the scene in which Jen Aniston described the tattoo she planned to get is friggin' hilarious and left an impression, generally the movie is kinda forgettable. Gerrard Butler is charming but his spells didn't work in making the movie one that gets me wanting an encore. So ya, I'm really watching "Bounty Hunter" for a one-time laugh.

I'll leave this post short and sweet, because that is basically what romantic comedies are like.

So I'll leave you with a K.I.S.S!

TC-My Rating:

With Lotsa Love,

TammyC

THE NEW KARATE KID WHO LEARNED KUNG FU

I had a bad feeling about "The Karate Kid" even before I watch it.

That is why I planned NOT to watch it but then was deceived and lured by 'kiasuness' (fear of losing out on something good and the mentality that you want everything, especially when it's free). Oh well, my bro said he will pay for the movie, just so I can watch it and then review it. 

I told him that I can just watch it at home and review it anyway but then he reasoned me out.

So there I was, sitting just 5 rows away from the huge cinema screen, craning my neck due to the lousy seats we got (That is another story; let's just say that that particular cinema has a weird ticketing system which indicates the wrong seats), and watching a movie that got even its title wrong. Why is the movie "Karate Kid" when the kid is obviously learning Kung Fu? Enlighten me...

I predicted that this movie will be a blueprint of many other Kung Fu, boxing, street-fighting, you-name-it kinda movies. It takes on the "underdogs-will-prevail-in-the-end" format. 

If you haven't already know, the movie would start with a boy/girl who at first is bullied or knocked down by the antagonist of the movie. Meanwhile, there'll be someone, who usually is an outcast of the society, bittered by something bad that has happened in his/her life and this person would be the one with experience in that particular field. And the underdog would then learn from this expert and continue on succeeding at the end. Hooray!! Happy ending. 

No matter how we dislike such recycled storyline, we still can't help but want to watch them and witness again and again that moment of victory because, who are we kidding, seeing the underdog's victory does makes one feel better about life. It is therapeutic as it kinda helps us forget the reality that the chances of an average joe or juliet succeeding is sometimes impossible. Oh excuse me for being negative. In the movie's defense, I guess it is movies like these that lifts people's spirits up again and get people to start believing again. 

"Karate Kid" sees the more grown up Jaden Smith (son of Will Smith) taking on the role of Dre, a Detroit kid who was forced to move to China. China sees him struggling with the new cultures and people. He got off the wrong foot with Cheng, a bully in school, resulting in him being constantly bullied until Mr. Han saved him from Cheng's gang. Mr. Han later trained Dre for the Kung Fu tournament in order to challenge Cheng and his merciless coach.

For such a simple movie, with such simple storyline, it's amazing that it can be dragged across 2 and a half hours of my life. 

Half of the movie can be chopped off and the films can be saved for other more noble causes. The beginning of the movie whereby Dre was beaten up over and over again is redundant. We get it - he is going through living hell because he was being beaten up by a Chinese kid and his gang who knows Kung Fu. And we know you are going to learn Kung Fu later so please proceed to the part where you actually learn Kung Fu and start fighting already. 

I'm not a fan of the character Mei Ling, although she seems to be a sweet girl. I would actually erase her character and develop Cheng's character further. I mean there is always an interesting story behind the antagonist and it would be even better to see the friendship develop between Cheng and Dre, rather than another cute puppy love story, which is quite plain. In my humblest opinion, a story about two rivals learning about each other's culture is definitely better than another love story between two souls of different culture. The latter has been shot over and over before, albeit different couples showcasing different cultural background.

Jackie Chan's character, Mr. Han, on the other hand, was not well developed. The few minutes in which he cried in the car, regretting the fact that his negligent driving led to the deaths of two people he loved just wasn't good enough to accentuate his character. It was just a few teary minutes, and though very touching and sad, didn't make him intriguing enough as a character, so it fell back to being predictable, if not boring.

And just so you know, there were no surprise during the tournament. Again it all turned out as expected. A little drama before the end, you know, how Dre got seriously injured but then managed to fight back, that sort of thing. Yep...all there.

However, I would credit how the punches and kicks, through sound effects and certain camera movements (slow motion techniques mainly) emphasizes pain and anguish, and effectively created something pretty surreal. The facial expression of Jaden Smith also deserved a point, as he made the scenes believable. I felt his pain just by watching and I find myself squirming with every hit targeted on the face and the stomach. The last part in which the boy crunched Dre's knee...I felt my own knee breaking man.  

On top of that, there were certain moments in which I believed that they played with colours and music to create certain moods, which described the character of that particular group of society. For example, the first bunch of Kung Fu students were dressed in red, backed by strong music, symbolizing vigour, strength and power.

But they are so cute

Cheng's character was clad in black - representing evil, but during the tournament, he wore red to symbolize domination and power and a force to be reckoned with.

Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) however told Dre that Cheng is not practicing real Kung Fu as the real martial art is about generating peace and harmony, and not hurting others. Mr. Han brought Dre to this place high above the mountains and we spot people dressed in gentle colours of grey and whites - depicting harmony. The music used as background is peaceful in contrast to the earlier scenes of Kung Fu that was full of energy.


I guess it also helped that there were one or two quite funny moments in the movie that did get one or two of my funny nerves tickling me.

In a nutshell, 3 things that made this movie weak - the drrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaggggggyyyyyyyyyyy introduction which somehow killed the climax because the agonizing wait drained off whatever it has to offer, the weak characters whose characteristics were mostly predictable and lastly a storyline that doesn't make one go shouting "freaking awesome!!!!" in the end.

So perhaps one would only enjoy Jackie Chan's hilarious signature Kung Fu moves and also the little cute tyke Jaden Smith's funny facial expressions. Besides that.....I think it failed to live up to expectations...but wait, I wasn't really expecting anything anyway and yet, was let down.

All I can say is, this movie is overrated. 

I've never seen Leisure Mall's cinema this pack and it was packed when Karate Kid is on. But then again, if a film is generating ka-chings, who am I to say that it is lousy.

But looking at the positive, it is a feel good movie which reminds us to stand up when things knock us down. Now that is good advice and that, we shall bring home.

This movie is like a family project. I say so because it is basically a film Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith funded to provide his son an avenue to act. So they flew everyone to China and got Jackie Chan, every child's super hero to star in the movie and then Jackie taught Jaden some Kung Fu, pads up a 12-year-old with muscles.... and "BAMMMM!!!!"...Karate Kid was produced....


I don't know why, although the name of this movie is Karate Kid, I do not feel it related to the previous Karate Kid. Now I have really vague memory of the previous Karate Kid movies but the feel those films gave me is definitely different from this one. This movie is like...oh well, a stand-alone Western mixed Chinese Kung Fu movie (or you might say comedy) that was wrongly categorized under the "Karate Kid" family. 

Whatever I say doesn't matter because you already know if you are going to watch it.

But perhaps with World Cup fever, many of you will be too ill to pay attention to a 12-year-old practicing Kung Fu on the Great Wall of China. I mean, obviously 20 men chasing 1 ball is much more entertaining...;P

TC-My Rating:

With Lotsa Love

TammyC

SHUDDER ISLAND

It has taken me forever to write this but I'll start this piece by complimenting Leo DiCaprio again for his versatility in portraying the various characters he sets out to carry.

His playing Jack in Titanic wasn't what got me gaga over him. I mean, I wasn't crazy over his then Nick Carter boyish hairstyle and the cheeky charms and I certainly wasn't thrilled about him spitting in the sea, although in the movie, it seemed oh-so-romantic (to a certain level) for some. Although an adventurous artist who draws nude pictures of women around the world certainly sounds attractive, but no, I wasn't in Leo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson. 

The once-upon-a-time boyish charms that failed to infatuate me...

Or perhaps I just grew out of the Jack-Rose thing...

Leo DiCaprio secured himself as one of my favourite actors ever since his portrayal as a mercenary in "Blood Diamond". He then made me realize how excellent he is again by blowing me away when he played Roger Ferris in "Body of Lies", with his super awesome Middle East accent. By the way, I also really love the film because it keeps the romance element sweet and innocent.

The two acclaimed movies responsible for making me crazy over Leo DiCaprio's acting...

Naturally, I'm now crazy over any films of substance that star Leo DiCaprio.

When Shutter Island's trailer flashed by in front of me in the cinema, I knew that movie has gained top spot on my must-watch list  of movies.

I could be wrong, but in my own humble opinion, Shutter Island takes on the style of Secret Window, which stars Johnny Depp.

There were mixed reviews on this movie.

Some said it is good but there were some who deemed it lousy. I however, have to agree with the former.

I think Leo DiCaprio did great as usual, captivating audiences with his glaring stares, portraying the sense of anxiety and mystery which encapsulates the movie's mood. But I'll have to admit that this is not one of his best films.

Shutter Island gives audiences a weird sense of fear. It is a thriller that really gives one the creeps. I do not know why films always have to present mental institutions as a freaky and  scary place, but ya, they always do. But Shutter Island gives mental institutions a double dose of creepiness. The mood is set that way although towards the end, you'd realize that it is not really that scary.

The mood is also cleverly created through the music, flashbacks and weird characters.

There is a quite creative twist to the film, in which different people had interpreted differently. Some argue that he is sane while some thinks that he is still cuckoo in the head. I'm going with the former. 

The film is basically about a bunch of shrinks who played along with the fantasy of Teddy in hopes of curing his insanity. Teddy was stricken with insanity as he tries to escape the harsh reality of himself  killing his wife after she murdered their 3 children due to her mental illness.

I do not want to give away too much but I personally think that the film is very creative. The twist in the story is quite unique, though arguably, it can be deemed as forced and ridiculous. 

But true, this wasn't Leo DiCaprio's best like I said. You see, there just wasn't a 'moment' for him in this movie, unlike 'Blood Diamond' (the ending when he died and called the girl) and 'Body of Lies' (the part where is hand was almost chopped off).  But with "Shutter Island", I can't really name an exceptional moment for him.

The movie is filled with puzzling maze of queries and thus, some claims that the film is a bore since it drags people through 2 hour headache figuring out what's going on and why. But personally, I think it is not as bad as Benjamin Button. For Benjamin Button, it's like, you know what's going but you're just begging for it to end. Brad Pitt's good-looks also failed to make the movie bearable. No offense, I know many appreciates the meaning of Benjamin Button. Sorry that I only judge it on the surface.

But as the story unravel and you know the explanation to certain flashbacks and scenes, you will find the walls of the maze slowly shattering, revealing a clear path, although some find the end of that path most ridiculous. Some people just doesn't like the fact that the 120-minute worth of footages they have been watching are a whole load of psychotic fantasy. I mean, I agree, which mental institution would act to play along with a patient's illusions? But arguably, it's quite a creative twist.

Generally, not a bad movie. However, the fact that I'm finding it hard to write about it is an indication that I'm not exactly feeling the movie much. 

I anticipated it and I wouldn't say I was let down but I don't love it to bits either. However, I'd actually recommend it to everyone actually because it is a very interesting movie. It's a kinda movie that freaks you out and sends chill to your spine although it is has no mutated ghostly figures. And I think if you are studying film, you would appreciate the fact that you could use this movie to study its mood, the costumes, setting and characters. Oh and if Mr. Alan is here, he would be able to tell you also the hidden meaning behind each scenes - the positioning of the characters, the lighting etc. I mean, this is a Martin Scorsese film, it has got to contain some crafty cinematography. And if you are multimedia/graphic student, you'd also witness some awesome graphical elements in the movie.

TC-Rating:

With Lotsa Love

TammyC

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

What makes a good parent?

Seriously, I bet there is no one single definition for a good parent.

But I think most importantly, the only parent that is right for the child are the ones who are able to give them the love they need. 

Those who are completely clueless would wish that their parents give them monetary gifts and all (oh well, to a certain extend, who doesn't want money, right?) but I think the greatest thing a parent can give is love.

"I Am Sam" highlights the theme of parenting.

First of all, this is my first Sean Penn movie...can you even believe it? I haven't watch "Milk" yet but I'm thinking it'll be good.

Anyway, Sean Penn was brilliant as Sam, duh! HE DID WON AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR HIS ROLE!

This is one movie that didn't let me down after all the greatness I've heard about it. Okay...I know I know...after SO MANY YEARS, I have finally watched "I Am Sam" in year 2010. 

I've heard that many people cried while watching this movie. Oh well, I had my moments but it really wasn't really like all tissues and crappy mucus for me haha. Thank God!

There are 2 things I really like about the movie.

First of all, of course, it is its meaningful storyline.

The movie brings to attention few things:

1. Being a good parent doesn't mean that you need to be more intelligent than your child.

So what if Sam is lower in terms of IQ and intelligence due to underdevelopment of his brains. I think most people cast mentally retarded people as generally abnormal, and thus not fit mentally to raise a kid. I mean, I wouldn't disregard the fact that in certain cases, yes, it could be dangerous to have an underdeveloped person raising a kid if he/she is really not demonstrating good parenting skills. However, perhaps there are also many cases in which mentally underdeveloped people, with the necessary training, are also able to be caring and good parents, but they are just not given the opportunities to learn to be parents.

There was a part in the movie in which the 'shrink' quoted that Sam is unfit to be a good parent because he feels that he did a lot of mistakes and that he feel lost and clueless. I love how Michelle Pfeiffer's countered that statement.

She brought in the fact that even as normal parents, they feel at certain points in life that mistakes were made with regards to the children's welfare and well-being. If a "normal" human feel that pressure, why ain't it normal for someone with lower mental capabilities to also feel the same. 

2. All you need in order to be a good parent is the ability to teach your child good values and of course, provide the love and care a child needs.

3. Normal or if you are slower in terms of mental development, we all have our problems and challenges in life - so we are in many ways no different than one another.

Everyone has problems no matter how perfect or flawless they seem. That much is true I guess. I mean, there's this Chinese saying that has a similar meaning to "the grass is always greener on the other side"...and if the Chinese proverb is directly translated to English, it'll be "You see me good, I see you good". Lolx...

I believe that is very true and I guess in many ways we should never try to condescend other people's problem by thinking that their problem is not as big as ours or etc. Oh well, it's not that I can do so myself, there were many times I really can't understand other people who seem to make a huge deal out of the smallest problems. Oh well, I really try my best to think from their perspective (TRY MY BEST) but sometimes we will never know what others feel unless we are in their shoes. 

In "I Am Sam", Sam feels that his lawyer, Rita (portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer) is perfect but the truth is she is suffering from the pain of a broken family. She loves her son but she doesn't know how to show it.

So what is seemingly a successful career woman on the outside, who portrays so much confidence is actually so lonely and sad on the inside, with her own sets of problems as well as weaknesses.

Sam, who feels useless and has lower self-esteem is actually admired by Rita for his ability to be so closed to his daughter and the fact that he is his daughter's best friend.

The next best thing about this movie is the use of the Beatles songs as soundtrack and how all the lyrics from the songs are incorporated into the story. Very nice.

So needless to say, "I Am Sam" is a must-watched, heart-warming film suitable for all ages.

With Lotsa Love,

TammyC

WATCHING THE TITANS CLASH

If you really don't have a good enough reason to watch "Clash of the Titans", oh well, let me tell you this to persuade you - the hot Sam Worthington in skirts. Excited yet?

Okay that has nothing to do with the movie.

Haha.

Now I'm sure most of you have heard about this movie and might have plans to watch it. I mean, it did claim a spot at the top of the box office before being knocked off the throne by "Date Night" starring Steve Carrell and Tina Fey (have yet to watch this one though).

So how was "The Clash of the Titans" for me? 

Oh so that's the Medusa's head he's got there..

I didn't know that.

To be honest, it wasn't bad but it wasn't phenomenal. One would expect such an epic to be huge and big, making you gag with awe but I don't find "Clash of the Titans" as big as it was set out to be. 

I love ancient Greek mythology and has always been fascinated by the tales and legends of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. So the main reason I was so excited about this movie is the fact that it involves the Olympians.

Well, the movie was definitely not enough to quench my thirst for knowledge on Greek Mythology but I admit that it did try its best to stick to parts of the myths. And I expected it to be more about gregarious fight scenes and all (something like 300) but surprisingly, it wasn't. Well at least in my opinion, the fight scenes weren't "power" enough haha.

I'm pretty surprised that more emphasis were on the Grecian myth itself, so it was actually much to my pleasure. I thought the Grecian element is a sub-theme incorporated to a war movie but it is in some ways the other way round.

The movie discusses God-human relationship in a subtle way, presenting the idea where human had had enough of the unfairness and injustice of the Gods and so, fought against the Gods. 

We've been fed the belief that God is almighty and that their presence are intangible and so it is practically IMPOSSIBLE to actually go to war against the Gods.

But in Greek mythology, Gods sometimes visit Earth as humans, (which is a super cool idea by the way) and so they can actually conduct sexual relationships with normal humans and thus, the existence of Demi-Gods. Again super cool right? That's why I love Grecian legends and stories...they are just super mystical and just brilliant, just knowledge sake.

Okay what I'm saying is, in some ways, Greek Gods are more 'humanized' and so we can actually fight them to a certain extent. I actually love the idea that Gods are in some ways flawless, just like us. I think in some ways it is good because then, we will be able to relate to them better.

I don't see the movie as preaching Christianity, but perhaps indirectly it does. In Christianity, there is only one God but in this movie, we see polytheism.  I think what the movie challenge is the idea that God is fair and poses the questions - To what extend should we have faith in our Gods? To what extend do we say "it's enough"...I keep praying for things but only S%^# befalls. (But then again, praying is not about getting things...forgive me for being shallow, but I don't really understand the true definition of praying or prayers, but I treat it as a way of talking to God and just thanking God for the blessings).

One theme that keep circling the movie is "faith towards Gods". God created us (in the movie, Zeus = God) and so we need to be thankful though we are going through practically hell on Earth? We suffer and God still expects us to love Him, so to many, it ain't fair.

But like Zeus summarized in the end, the fear and hatred feeds Hades and make him powerful, making us human suffer more. To a certain extent, it is kinda true. I mean if you don't want to relate it to Gods, it's more like attracting the positive and when we are negative, more bad things seems to happen to us. Though at times, it's not easy at all to think positive.

After discussing the more subtle themes, I guess it's also good to look at the surface. 

There are many versions of Perseus and honestly, who knows which one is the right one. It is then again, a legend and a myth that could holds no truth...could be just stories told by ancient folks.

Perceus is famous for killing Medusa and rescuing Princess Andromeda  (who later became his wife) from a sea monster.

"The Clash of Titan" also see Perceus killing Medusa and rescuing Princess Andromeda.

In the movie, Perseus is the offspring of Zeus and a human lady, Danae - so that portrayal is also according to common legend.  However Danae according to Wikipedia is the daughter of King Acrisius, while in the movie, she is the wife of King Acrisius who was murdered by the King just so he can get rid of the Baby Perseus, who was of Zeus's blood.

What else contradicts legend?

The character, Io, who in the end, if I'm not mistaken, ended up with Perseus.

I mean, don't get me wrong, she is so darn mesmerizing in the movie but what the hell is her character doing in the movie? I have no idea. If I were the writer, I might just write off her character. If she is meant to be the storyteller, I'd rather use a boom-mega voice over - you know that sort of voice from heaven mighty male voice sorta V.O., ya, that. I thought using that would be cooler and make the whole movie more mystical like. Plus I'm sorry but I just don't feel the chemistry between Perseus and Io. Are they in-love are they not? Sorry not feeling it.

I mean, thank God though that the director didn't make it too lovey-dovey. It would be a pain to watch. I mean, I think the character of Princess Andromeda should be enhanced and developed further. If I were to write the story, I'd maintain most parts but I'll combine Andromeda and Io's character into one.

By the way, speaking about Io...she is supposed to be immortal, right? So how the hell did she die in the end? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you are suffering for over a thousand years (or more) seeing your loved ones die, I'm sure you'd have tried various ways to kill yourself and failed. But then suddenly, it's just so easy to die? Seriously...not making any sense. Oh alright, you can argue that the Gods have finally want to take her away. But still her character is pretty stupid right?

There were many scenes that don't make any sense. I think the better way to put it is that the continuity of the movie is quite bad. There were many times in the movie in which certain characters just disappeared out of thin-air - meaning, they just ain't in the next scene and you don't know where they went. For example, (my friend JT also mentioned this in his blog) the spiders and those weird looking blue-eyed robot-like wig-sorcerers were suddenly all gone after one particular scene (I forgot which one), without any explanation. 

I mean I get it when some of the soldiers died off after getting killed or literally stoned by Medusa, but the spiders and the Blue-eyed robots?...am I missing some action here and there because I dozed off? Perhaps not. I remember being wide awake admiring Sam Worthington's hotness. 

Perhaps they actually shot what happened to these characters but since it's too friggin' long, the editor just had to chop off the parts, leaving us dazed in confusion. 

For such a huge production (I'm assuming it is, which all the major props and CGI), they really should take into account all these details to make it like almost flawless. I mean, at least be criticized for something with more substance and subjective like camera technique used or lighting etc., but the discontinuity aspect is really amateurish for such a huge box-office movie.

And talking about camera movements, one thing about Hollywood movies like these is their fight scenes. I don't know if you notice this but most of their fight scenes uses Close-up shots, or Medium shots and fast cuts to enhanced action but I find it super annoying because you don't get to see the fight scene as a whole, using full shots of the actors' whole body movement. 

I mean, the choreography of the fight movements in itself is an art but what happens is that our famous Hollywood directors love to play with camera movements to sort of create the emotions, but by doing so, sacrificed the artistic strokes that fight scenes bring to the screen. I believe that martial art scenes can be made as interesting using full-shots, especially if the actors are good with their fighting scenes and movements. I mean if the actors are not good then perhaps camera tricks are necessary, but if the actors are trained prior to the shoot, why not feature those swift fight scenes as a whole instead of just their upper torso and face?

I noticed the same camera movements in "The Clash of Titans" and so the actions were again, some what similar to what normal huge action flicks like these offer.

The resolution in which Perseus kills the huge monster is also a tad too, oh well, un-climatic. In some ways, it failed to create that climax for me. I just don't know if it's only me but I guess that sorta hero saving heroine scene from huge monsters is a bit too cliche and predictable for me.

As for the acting, most people think Ralph Fiennes did fabulous. Liam Neeson was also credited. If you ask me though, there were nothing really striking about the actings per se. I mean they were generally good, some really only so-so. Io for example, was a bit too wooden for me...hmm...I mean, I'm awed by her beauty but untouched by her acting. Princess Andromeda is a tad better but I could judge better if she had more scenes.

Generally, the movie is okay.

Nothing fantastic about but it wasn't a bore. Thanks to the mythical storyline that kinda draws me to it.

Watch it so that you are part of the pack but if you really dislike weak action movies then perhaps you can pass this one.

TC-My Rating:

With Lotsa Love,

TammyC

MY VISIT TO WONDERLAND

Alice in Wonderland rocks it no matter what some of you might say.

There were definitely some really high expectations for this movie. And after the movie's release, there were mixed reviews regarding the film. Some had said that the movie has been a disappointment, but there were also some who loved it.

Bagging these comments, I went in the cinema with low expectations and I actually think that it is not bad at all. 

I watched "Alice in Wonderland" almost 2 weeks back. I just didn't manage to find any time to blog about it and right now, I'm just hoping that my memory will serve me for this post.

The most amazing thing about the film is really not the storyline because the main structure of the Alice in Wonderland story has been used before.  But one can't deny the fact that we are also anticipating the scene where Alice shrink and then enlarged again. 

I've never read or watched "Alice in Wonderland" before but I generally know its story and I believe that Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" is actually something super creative that rides on the original version of "Alice In Wonderland". He brings to life a more grown up Alice - he presents us a story whereby imagination comes to life. I thought the movie is brilliant because it is colourful and very imaginative. It brings you outta this world - another true Tim Burton masterpiece - fun & quirky with a mysterious touch.

One of my favourite Tim Burton movies is "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory". I love how Tim Burton paints with so many colours and creates lively atmospheres with sounds and music, making the book by Roald Dahl even livelier and, I must say, better. I love that Tim Burton had added some moral values towards the end of the movie, something the book doesn't carry. 

Tim Burton did the same for "Alice in Wonderland", creating vibrant and interesting characters that can alone keep you entertained. I found myself constantly wondering what will happen next in the movie; I guess you can say that it is ironic that such a predictable storyline ended up being so unpredictable, but Burton did so!

If you ask me what makes the film brilliant, it is the characters and the creativity of the concept and production design of the underworld. The whole setting of the movie is colourful and vibrant, and it attracts us to it. The story, though simple, has some sort of magical element that gets one glued and anticipating the adventures that awaits. Colours always help!

Every element in the movie comes as a surprise, but still in many ways faithful to the classic storyline. But I love how Burton had enhanced the story with more than just senseless jabberwocky (nonsense, meaningless and of no value), although, 'Jabberwocky' is part of the theme. Burton incorporated a few good values/messages in the film. 

"Believe in the impossible"

Alice never thought that it's possible to kill the Jabberwocky monster but then she remembers what her father told her that he thinks of 6 impossible things before breakfast. Sometimes, nothing is impossible.

"Do not let others decide who you are & just be yourself"

Alice is different from other girls because she has bigger dreams. Later we see her stepping up and taking over her father's business and continue on to believe in achieving what is claimed impossible.

After watching Alice In Wonderland, I am even more amazed with Tim Burton's creativity - how he brought in the Jabberwocky element into the story is brilliant!

On top of that, I think credits have definitely got to be given to Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway for brilliantly portraying in their own ways those magnificent characters in the film. 

Johnny Depp is made for the role Mad Hatter, or rather, he made Mad Hatter his. Johnny Depp playing Mad Hatter is just another testament of his ability to take on different roles in films. He was amazing as this weird, almost lunatic character - somewhat like Willy Wonka but a tad more colourful, literally. He also perfectly delivered his last scene, persuading Alice to stay because that scene melted my heart. If I were Alice, I could have stayed because of that.

Helena Bonham Carter was also excellent as the Red Queen. The Red Queen is evil but she has her own insecurities, because of her big head. And in Alice in Wonderland, even the evil characters have to be to a certain extent endearing because it is a feel good story. I think Helena Bonham Carter managed to make the character lovable, despite evil. 

And Anne Hathaway was fantastic as the White Queen. I didn't know she was in the movie so it was a surprise seeing her. But I really love her portrayal as the White Queen - she's bouncy and elegant at the same time. She is cheeky in some ways - though a protagonist, she managed to slit in a bit of mischievous characteristic in her character. For example, she has that childishness in her where she still laughs about her sisters big head - so I find her super cute. I mean, one would imagine Queen as someone who is super serious and powerful but Anne made White Queen one that has a child-like character, but yet, has that quality of an elegant queen.

The new girl who plays Alice was a disappointment for me because I find her actually quite wooden in her acting. Hmmm...but I got some feedback saying that it is her character to be looking disturbed and weird like that, because she is Alice, a little girl who is different from the rest. Oh well, I can't really judge her from her first performance but I still find her acting not up to par. Perhaps she'll be able to convince me the next time in her next film, if she actually stars in any more films.

If you are a person into graphics and colours and art, you'll be amazed by the wonders of Alice in Wonderland. You'll be mesmerized by Red Queen's castle and all the heart shaped decorations that fill the place; you'll be awed by the glitters of the White Queen's residence; you'll be tickled by the cute rabbits and other worldly animals that are creatively engineered to look magically.

But if you dislike colours and happy magical tales that takes you outta this world, you might then really hate Alice in Wonderland. You cannot judge "Alice in Wonderland" in terms of storyline because it is a story that most of us are familiar with. When watching this movie, I think it's best to judge how creative Burton can be by bringing these characters into life and how he colours them with his own touch.

Children will definitely enjoy this one because it is very magical and imaginative. If your life is all serious, I think you really should watch this one to release tension and you know, colour your life with imaginations. Because at the end of the day, the core message of the movie is to "belief in the impossible".

TC-My Rating:

With Lotsa Love,

TammyC