Cicak Man (Preview)

Life is all about choices. 1st let me remind you that I am not paid to write reviews in this here blog...thus I at least am not forced to watch movies which I personally think would not arouse my mind. The truth is I have not watched this movie because for one I cant bare going alone watching it and second the audience appeal are to those I can never see eye to eye with.

After watching the trailer I am mighty impressed with the CG and effects used for this Super Hero effort. What I dare to say is technology wise it shows that we Malaysians are able to produce movies with special effects with good proficiency.

One of my friends happens to be one of the extras in this movie said on set the shooting is like any other movies he has had a brief appearence in (he was not involved in any of the "Green Screen" scenes). But he managed to watch the primier and I have to believe him for an effort in this movie genre it is a huge difference from XX Ray. Well, it should be mighty good then.

In my opinion the characters are typical parodies of famous American Comic adaptation movies we have seen. As to actually go to the movies and watch it... I know I won't be doint that. What I will do to justify myself is I would surely promise to get the original VCD. One sure thing is I bet Saiful Apek is super funny as ever....I was bursting with laughter while watching him "testing" the character's powers in the trailer.

What will sell is Saiful Apek and perhaps Yusry. As for the rest of the cast they were just following the directors orders. Everyone has to pay the bills right? As for me I am honestly looking forward to the next Afdlin Film "Sumolah" and Tentang Bulan some fairy tale of sorts whose main casts are all kids.

http://www.cicakman.com

Eragon (Review)

This is really a highly anticipated movie. Cineleisure is going all out to promote it...there is this whole magic, sci-fi, games and comics fare and the mainstage has to be...Yup, Eragon. Very good marketing effort. But seriously let get on with the movie shall we? (Groan~!)

Extremely good movie. I give it a 5 star rating.....if I was an 8 year old. But what a pity that I am not. As far as dragons go in movies its a good depiction of one. Dragon Heart had a male dragon with Sir Sean Connery's voice. Lots of character that one. This dragon in this here movie...Eragon("Era Gone" if I were to rename it)...has a female dragon. Cool....Saphira (thats the dragon's name voiced by Rachel Weisz) has a motherly touch and surely doesn't scare the wits out of babies.

Getting on now...John Malkovich is King Galbatorix, which in my personal opinion is fathomed by the writer of the novel who loves Asterix the comic does a pathetic job. C'mon...a highly accomplished actor with a movie named after himself surely he could have sensed of how completely wrong that he should be in a Childrens Television Workshop type of production.

The rest of the cast is not worth mentioning much since the most accomplished of actors failed as a Villain King. What really saved this movie is not the Peter and Jane script, or the sorceror that can conjour an evil equivalant of a dragon, nor the battle of Lego Land proportions....its yes the motherly mighty dragon herself. I can live with that.

If you are a parent and your kids are still in post diapers blues, this is a perfect movie to spend quality family time. The computer graphics animation will not astound you but catching the reaction of your kids reacting to the magical allure of a mystical creature will be priceless. Too bad my dad is nearing sixty and I could no longer fit in my kindergarten uniform because I bet I would have loved it.

http://www.eragonmovie.com/

Online Reservation.

We somehow realize that having a net connection enriches movie our experience. So to our readers, we feel it is only appropriate for us to provide links to the online reservation service that the local cinemas is offering. It just makes sense doesn't it?

Cineleisure Damansara
http://www.cathayholdings.com.my/cineplexes/cp_nowshowing.html

Golden Screen Cinemas
http://www.gsc.com.my/version2/default3.asp

Tanjong Golden Village
http://www.tgv.com.my/

Reminder:

These links you out of this blog thus the service is hosted by the respective management of the cinemas. We will not be responsible of the reservation service and users are bound to the terms and conditions of the ticket reservation portal of their respective owners.

Thank you...

Deja Vu (Review)

I could understand sometimes the same things keep happening. I could understand sometime we come across an incident that we think we might have experienced before. Deja Vu? I have a bout of flu and I decided to extend my medical leave and catch a movie. Honestly from the start its all about stuff repeating itself but in a slightly different way.

Danzel acts his usual authority outfit. But this here is a movie not about the acting or some hot and sexy upcoming star. Here is a movie where the storyline reigns in to you and grips you by the scuff and gets you thinking about what ifs. Its an action drama with a bit of sci-fi thrown in. Its not like Time-Cop or Total Recall its more down to earth... human behavior comes across ethics and faith. There are grey areas in the movie of course but its not to discuss about the consequences of time travelling. Its just a simple answer to what if you had the chance to change the past to make it better.

I loved it no doubt. From the beginning right till the end the scenes are riddled with clues to challenge a movie buff to figure out the ending. Humor? Its full of sarcasm in the most discreet way. I bet you not many will laugh watching it cause only those you have been payng attention will understand. You want a good movie to think about? Or you think that the term break is slowing down your brains? Go ahead and watch this....it wont win awards but it will get you to think how God works in mysterious ways.

http://dejavu.movies.go.com/

Cinta = Love Actually

Aku kena tipu~!!! Its a spin off~! Piracy~! Baik Punya Cilok~! Ok, ok, ok....I am not really pissed but its a great sad and touching local version of British movie Love Actually. Cinematography was good and the locations are around Kuala Lumpur which I can certainly relate to. The story really inter twine between the different kinds of love with happy and dramatically sad storylines. But hey....its not an original~! So that is that.

Que Haidar is a great young actor, Eizlan Yusoff makes a comeback but only so-so, Pierre Andre is certainly overrated, Rahim Razali as usual is simply magnificent, the other Kahar sister Baizura plays her role really well, there is this child actress but I cant get her name....she is certainly the brightest cutest star and Sharifah Amani can suddenly speak Malay~!

The movie is good no doubt... good direction, pace of story is almost perfect with emotions. If I didn't watch Love Actually I would have really dug deep into it. Although a spin off but to say its a step backward in the local movie industry it is not. Script was really good, real life depictions of love and more love...dah nama cerita pun Cinta kan?

I'll give it 4 stars for great cenimatography and script....acting, accept for a tiny few was beyond my expectations so that recieves a 4 as well. But because it hit me that its a local drama of Love Actually I am forced to give it a 3 and a half (lagi setengah tue kesian).
Next time, originality please~!

http://www.cintathemovie.com/

Red Kebaya

As planned I mentioned yesterday I went to watch Red Kebaya. Directed by Oliver Knott... some notable actors like Varnida Imran, Ramli Hassan and Samantha Schubert... even Patrick Teoh has a few scenes. I shall not say anything on their acting. There is not much to be said anyway.

The story line is interesting...how the story unfolds from the present and seeps slowly back to the past is really fresh in the local scene. The beginning was a bit dragging though...and at some parts it felt like a horror movie. I will not tell anything about the storyline in direct but instead make my point of references of how the expatriates and locals seem to live at the time.

Mat Sallehs are were really an awful lot of people. Well I bet not the whole lot of them but it gives us such an impression that we dispise them and their actions in that era. I dont blame the generations before me. But come to think of it we are not any less from their kind. Still there was something that hit me in the movie that opened my eyes to what Malays actually really-really own.
We dont have any culture of our own so to speak. All is borrowed from others...the Kebaya is from Baba Nyonya not really malay so to speak. The malay wedding takes a lot of cues from Indian traditions. Dont talk about our food...it a whole Asian mismatched buffet table. But what I can really-really say to my opinion to be truely a Malay heritage or culture is "Budi Bahasa"...

Its a shame today its not that much an emphasis. Not unlike the public campaigns during the 80's where I bet every pre-80's Malaysian can recall..."Orang berbudi kita berbahasa, Org memberi kita merasa". Its a sad thing these days really... only we are to blame of the young generation today being so foul mouthed to elders and peers. I admit I am very vulgar at times... victim of the new media and slew of foriegn cultures.

We have museums to preserve historical artifacts, we have the archives to keep records of legal and economic progress...but how are we going to preserve "Budi dan Adab"? Its practice....only thru practice. Its either that way or forever loose the only thing we Malays have.....and by then, we can no longer say we have anything.

Casino Royale

For some of us we just love exaggerated effects laden movies. Past Bond films are no exception... but finally the latest one is a real shocker for Bond fans. The famous Double O is certainly all suave, macho and very english. But let me state here that its the best and most human potrayals of Bond by Daniel Craig.

To appreciate this Craig's acting, one has to watch Layer Cake. A simple but thick enough action versus plot English gangster movie. And its critically acclaimed mind you....hugely successful at his "Kampung". Anyways, this particular Bond by Craig is a different animal compared to the double O's of yore. It has depth and darkness....all hero, villain and vigilante as well. Owh...and you dont even get to see the watch~! Still an Omega Duh~! No surprise when its more realistic the evergreen character Q has to go. But M~! Owh now the Dame should just change her name...she plays it flawlessly but this time with a touch of ironnails over Bond.

To those who loved Bond as it were "Shame on you".....this is how Bond should have been from the beginning. Realistic, human, sensitive and all hate with rage too. Fullmarks goes to the 1964 Aston Martin and the totalled DBS. I could be writing non stop about the new Bond...but lets get real shall we? As a Bond movie againts the older Bond its a 5 over 5. For a movie all on its own its a 3.... why? Coz other movies has beaten it to the realism game a long long time ago.

For Craig as Bond...super...better than the sissy Dalton and Brosnan. Bond Chicks? Beautiful as usual and the best part is that they all die~! Muuahahaha~! I left the cinema with me girl with slight cramps....it was 2 hours 15 minutes~! Still its money well spent if and only if you have watched the old Bond movies 1st. Hail to Craig as THE Bond of the new age~!