Movie Review by Ame =)

Hey everyone, good to write in a blog again after who knows how long. In this blog, I will probably be only contributing towards the movie section, because I guess thats the only stuff I know. Being an avid supporter of movies, I watch at least one every week, furthermore repeating some of them!

Contrary to Vic, I will probably be providing movie reviews, mostly with a personal touch (unless I have not watched the movie before, of course), so bear in mind, everything below is just MY opinion of the movies and not as what vic does, which is, analysing it in a more factual aspect.

So here's it for my scoop of the movies showing now, and some for quite a bit now: (If you have not watched the movie and are intending to watch the movie, be warned, spoilers ahead!)

Rated G:

10 Promises to My Dog - I have not watched it, and am not planning to watch it, but this japanese movie is about a girl's journey of growing up with her dog, and the pact of understanding that they form with each other. Although the tale is said to be utmost touching, I don't really watch this genre of movies, so this is a movie you'll have to catch to judge for yourself..

Kung Fu Panda - If you're someone who loves comedies, plus love to watch CG-animated movies, go ahead and watch this goofy movie. It portrays a panda Po, who yearns to be good at kungfu despite him having a umm I- don't-know-exactly-what-animal father who believes that he is supposed to continue with the tradition of selling noodles for in his (Po's father) mind, they are noodle folk (although his great great grandfather won the noodle shop in gambling *sweat-drops*). Anyway, the story kicks off as Po is accidentally (there are no coincidences in this world - Master Turtle) chosen as the Dragon Warrior to save the Valley of Peace (the whole village of people/animals) when Master Turtle forsees the future that evil snow leopard Tai Lung will come back to rage war on the people/animals in the village. The path to being a kungfu master for Po is tedious as he is faced with prejudices and discrimination by the other kungfu masters. So go along on the ride as this fun and hilarious movie leads you to find your self confidence in the end as one realises that it isn't what additional arsenal you possess that makes you who you are, but the plain old you that makes you unique. (It was quite useless to use so many star-studded actors and actresses for this as it didnt really matter. After all, you can't see them onscreen!! But on another note, their voices did perform the job well ^^) So go on ahead and look in the mirror today to rediscover yourself!

Rated PG:

Red Cliff - Some would say that this is THE chinese movie long awaited. I would say that the hype is overblown, unless one is a Takeshi Kaneshiro or a Tony Leung fan. Nonetheless, this is a movie I will probably tag along with my friends to watch, so await the next review when I have experienced the epic action. My guess though is that the movie's plot would be too complicated for me, a complete chinese history dummy, to understand, as was the movie "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon". Lets see how dramatic chinese history was..

Hellboy II - I have no faintest idea what the first movie was about, although I did watch it. Though I do recall that I had no appreciation for it. In contrast to Vic, I did not enjoy the movie Pan's Labyrinth and thought it was a waste of my movie money. However, that does not necessarily indicate anything. Perhaps I just don't appreciate the artistic value of the film. In any case, the movie trailer looks somewhat tempting, packed with queer creatures of another realm, hell breaking loose on earth, the good fighting evil, and the typical (my optimistic guess) good triumphs over evil ending. But whoever said that a common ending renders no good movies?

Hancock - Superhero movies never lack an audience. I believe that everyone has dreams where they can fly or do unimaginable stuff that sets them aside from the rest of society. Hence the former comment. This movie is about the forever drunk hero Hancock who seems to be a hopeless cause, according to the general public and the US government, because no matter how much lives he saves, he seems to leave a truckload of immeasureable damage behind him. When one day he happens to save a kind-hearted PR executive Ray, things take a 360 degree turn as Ray is determined to be a good samaritan and strip off the bad image of Hancock, giving him a "makeover". However, along the way, things get a little messy as Hancock falls for Ray's wife, Mary, who happens to be an angel just like him ("stronger. WAY stronger" - Mary). Technically Mary and Hancock are husband and wife, with both being like ancient beings all the way from the early BC. When they are together, their powers disappear, both becoming humans in order to enjoy the love and lifestyle of a normal human. Only when separated do their powers increase tenfold. Oh, and the reason Hancock didnt know all this? He had amnesia after a blow to his head when he tried to save the life of Mary previously. As the jumbled jigsaw falls into place, things get bloody as both almost die trying to save one another. In the end, Ray saved the day and well, got his pretty (ancient) wife back. Watch this movie only when you have money and time on your hands. If not, wait patiently for the tv premiere ^^.

The Strangers - Have resolved NOT to watch this genre, so you'll get no good reviews from me on this category, so as not to scare myself and freak out all the time every night when the sky goes dark. Storyline makes out to be a young couple facing psychological terror by a bunch of masked strangers. Sounds like a gory movie to me. Enjoy, and live to tell the tale..

Get Smart - Adapted from the popular TV series, this movie proves to be a good laugh. Cheesy lines are best delivered by Steve Carell, who brings the house down by his ability to tell a joke with a straight face. His earnesty to perform his job well touches a string in my heart, and it makes the audience want to want him to succeed. When CONTROL (the good guys) computers get hacked into and every secret agent's identity known, who else is left but Maxwell Smart, a guy who wasn't going to get the promotion to field agent because he was too good at his current job. Paired up with (in my opinion, too young) Agent 99 played by Anne Hathaway, they try their darnded best to defeat the evil KAOS (the bad guys). With an unexpected twist at the end, this movie is full of good old gadgets coupled with new surprises. A refreshing breath of air after the endless production of secret agent movies like James Bond (though I do enjoy them hehe).

Shaolin Girl - A girl (Rin) returning to Japan after training in the art of shaolin kungfu for 9 years, she finds that everything has changed, and no one seems to be interested in her passion to spread the art of shaolin kungfu. After Rin befriends a girl (Kitty Zhang) who plays lacrosse, they exchange hobbies as Rin learns lacrosse while Kitty learns shaolin kungfu. Rin is introduced to the concept of teamwork after she is shunned by the team after trying to outshine them in a friendly competition with a neighbouring school. As she puts down her selfishness and realise her mistake, she is let back into the team and they soar to greater heights. She is then spotted by the principal of the school, who happens to be someone from her dojo in the past. Apparently some power had been sealed in Rin a long time ago and she was sent to China to learn to control it, but the principal (the bad guy) is determined to unleash it. They fight, and well, it ends with a cliche, violence dispelled with compassion. For those who did not watch the movie, decipher that yourself while you cancel your reservation of tickets for the movie.

The Incredible Hulk - Compared to the first movie (which I vaguely recall as lousy and with very fake graphics), this movie is a complete surprise when i realise that this movie IS incredible!! With the enhancement in computer generated graphics, you'll have to watch this movie yourself to taste the thrilling adrenaline as the fast-paced action will leave your mouths dry. Still in love with co-scientist Betty (played by Liv Tyler, whom i think is gorgeous), Bruce (the HULK) races against time desperately to find a cure to his "disease". An accidental mistake results in the surfacing of his blood sample leading to a massive manhunt which turns his life upheaval. A soldier (Tim Roth) desperate for more power to defeat the hulk is injected with some chemical substances which makes him a superhuman in various ways. Unsatisfied, he seeks out the hulk and discovers the lab where there are countless blood samples of Bruce which was replicated by a scientist trying to help Bruce. There, he injects this blood into himself and turns into an enormous ugly creature akin to the hulk. Bruce, being kindhearted, forced himself to turn back into the Hulk to save the city from being destroyed by Tim, who has no control over his own violent streak. One has no need to guess the ending of the movie (Clue: look what i said in the review of Hancock). If you have no time to watch this movie, make the time to, for you won't want to miss it.

Thats it for G and PG movies this wk. More oncoming tomorrow: NC16, M18, R21 and new movies coming soon...