Revenge of the Fallen

Have been apprehensively waiting for this movie since the first one came out two years ago.Now that Michael Bay has the budget needed to make it a really full blown robot-fest, I wantedto see what he could do with it. I was still blown away with all the slick looking CGI robots and the actions scenes were definately eye catching.

However, as a big 80's Transformers fan, i was utterly disappointed by the lack of developement of the Transformer's metallic co-stars. This was an opportunity to delve into the characters which we all knew and loved from the cartoon and the comics, but it seems like the robots were just there mostly during the action scenes to be cannon fodder. Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron and Starscreamhad more screen time than most but it was still abysmal. I wished they had given more thought to the plot and at leastallowed the Transformers (both Autobots and Decepticons) their time on screen to allow us to catch a glimpse of them in a morepersonable level. However, Jetfire was good addition to the plot and it was a smart idea on how they brought him in, although I never knew Cybertronians had Scottish brogues. Is there such a thing as too much action? In this case, probably yes. Put in less10 mins of action and add in 10 minutes more of plot development and change of pace would be nice.

As a wrapup, I would still say this is one of the best movies to come out this year. The action was fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The plot had a few holes and misgivings which i didnt like but overall, it was well done. The 2hr 30minsin the cinema just flew by without you realising it and this is a hallmark of a well scripted movie. I never really likedthe idea of the Allspark but i'm glad that they finally brought in the Matrix of Leadership. The mythology of the matrix, Primus and Unicron has always fascinated me and i would like it explored more in the future. And finally, this movie highlights why Optimus Prime is STILL the coolest robot EVER! Here's hoping to the hopeful appearance of the Dinobots in the next movie!

Summer Movie Rants

I always enjoyed summer season. Lots of blockbuster movies and awesome box-office breaking shows. However, as much as i enjoyed 'Indiana Jones:Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' thoroughly, Robert Downey as 'Ironman' was excellent! and the fact that 'The Dark Knight' removed the myth that sequels aren't as good as its predecessor (Loved the Bats and Two face but joker stole the show!!). I guess after the last few summers of 'Transformers' , 'X-Men' , 'Spiderman' , '300' , 'Live Free or Die Hard' , 'Pirates of Caribbean' ....the list goes on and on and on, you can see why i feel like something has been missing this summer season. Not that im knocking the movies of summer 2008, i just feel like there arent ENOUGH of those types of 'blow you out of your mind' and 'stuck to your chair' kind of movies this year.

However, some movies have caught my attention and these future shows will hopefully wet my appetite in the months to come.

1) 'GI Joe' tops my list! Can't wait til Snake Eyes appears in his full black ninja armour glory. Just hope the story matches up to the characters to do them justice.

2) 'Watchmen'. Alan Moore's amazingly written comicbook comes to life. 3) 'Quantum of Solace'. Bond is back and the trailer looks great.
4) 'Terminator Salvation' Christian Bale as John Connor kicking cyborg @ss. Alright, that's it for now. I can't wait for my week off. Going to use it to plan for my next vacation :)

The Return of the Dark Knight

I haven't been current in my movie updates due to my busy training schedule the past month. Ive only recently come back home and got the chance to update this blog now. Its been a hectic but fun June and July which saw me going on training to East Malaysia and taking a short trip to Kuala Lumpur for a bit of shopping and partying! Going back to the daily grind of work wasn't something i was looking forward to. Alright, on to the movie review.

Managed to only catch 'Get Smart' last month but i made sure i wouldn't miss the 2nd instalmentof Batman helmed by Christopher Nolan. 'The Dark Knight' has been one of the movies i have been waiting for this summer and it did not disappoint. Creepy, dark and at times a tad psychotic, whatwith the Joker running amok, it proved to be an excellent sequel for Christian Bale's reprise as the world's greatest superhero detective.

The story proved to be a strong one, bringing to light the elements of what made Batman great in the comics. An ordinary man (billionaire in this case) haunted by his past striving to bring justice in a world gone mad, that even in the worst of times, the best in people can still arise from the darkness. The regular supporting cast of Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) was excellent but what surprised me was Aaron Eckharts's turn as Harvey Dent. I always liked Eckhart's work and his turn as Two face proved to be even better than i would have expected.

Last but not least is the late, great Heath Ledger's role as the Joker. He portrayed the Joker as madman lunatic with more than a hint of genuis that proved more than a match at times for Batman. Good vs evil. Morals and decency versus anarchy and chaos. The 2.5hrs movie flew by without me realising the time. Strong acting on all fronts, together with a smart and thought provoking story is making the Dark Knight the frontrunner for best movie this summer.

The Dark Knight Official Movie Site

Treasure Hunters Rock!

'National Treasure Book of Secrets' was amazing. The concept was nothing new but i liked how pieces of the puzzle fit together. Very entertaining movie and the script was smart and well thought out. Makes you wonder if all these things hidden throughout the show do exist in history. I'm also glad to see all the main cast back this time around as well. Gives it a feel of continuity. Recommended for all to watch. (I'd rate it 4 stars/5)

TV Shows...'Writers on Strike'

Its probably old news by now but it really sucks that the Writer's Guild in America are still on strike. Why can't they sort it out? By now, most of you all have realised that Heroes, Prison Break, How I Met Your Mother, Chuck, etc..etc have all stopped for the season due to this. And one of my all time favs : '24' hasnt even started its seventh season yet (and might not if this goes on). Here's hoping that the new year of 2008 will see this issue resolved so we can resume our weekly scheduled dose of good old fashioned television.

Time does seem to fly by when you having fun. Can't believe its nearly 2008 already...man...im getting old...haha

I AM LEGEND!

Went to watch the largest grossing film worldwide this month and I have to admit, it was pretty good. Although without Will Smith, it would have been pretty draggy. His screen presence and charisma managed to pull audiences along with his comedic timing and dramatic pace. Nice take on the future apocalytic zombie genre. (3.5 stars/5)

Started watching 'Lord of the Rings : Fellowship of the Ring' again on DVD. Its been a good 6 years since I last saw it on cinema. I guess since the LOTR movies were always released during Christmas that it makes me nostalgic to watch em again :) It still looks awesome even on the small screen. lols. Makes me wonder if a movie of such magnitude and scale will ever be done again. A part of me fears that there won't be any such like in the future. A story which has endured and accumulated fans since the mid 1900s will probably wont find any rival to match it, more's the pity. Next up, 'The Two Towers' ;) should be time to finish up 'Return of the King' by Christmas..haha..

National Treasure 2

Woo hoo!...just found out that there's public holiday here in Brunei tommorow. Another excuse to sleep in and relax ;p

Ok..anyway, back to the movie..Book of Secrets seems to be the only movie left this year which intrigues me (I still havent watched 'I am Legend' yet but more on that after i've seen it.) Loved the first one with Nic Cage back in his geeky glory. Trailer looks good plus the beautiful Diane Kruger is back too..so that's added incentive as well. If the story holds up, it should be a good watch. Hopefully it'll be better than 'The Da Vinci Code' crap which was released this year.

More info at : National Treasure Book of Secrets