I swear Blogger is being such an ass. It is just so hard to update when the interface is in an utter mess - everyone must and should know I HATE that. Haha!

Well anyway, I doubt that this is going to get fixed anytime soon so I figured I will just have to make do with what I have. Better than nothing right? The thought of switching from Blogger to somewhere is just too troublesome. It sucks even more to know that I can't blog randomly. Sometimes when I take a cup of water to quench my thirst, or showering, or while watching TV, or be it ANYTHING, I tend to have random thoughts and that sudden urges to pen it down somewhere is a must. Since Blogger kept throwing unexplainable fits this past week, some of those "precious" yet random thoughts might be gone.

Moving on to the objective of this entry.


Date watched: August 12, 2009

Been wanting to catch UP since it first released the show date. Initially it was somewhere during July and eventually got pushed earlier to August when it got scheduled in September <--- Took me a while to digest after typing it. Haha! ANYWAY, it was kinda a random thing to catch UP. Headed down to Cathay Orchard Cineleisure with Rene to meet her friend and Nina after class.

Short synopsis: A young Carl Fredrickson meets a young adventure spirited girl named Ellie. They both dreamed of going to a Lost Land in South America. 70 years later, Ellie has died. Carl remembers the promise he made to her. Then, when he inadvertently hits a construction worker, he is forced to go to a retirement home. But before they can take him, he and his house fly away. However he has a stowaway aboard. An 8-year old boy named Russell, whose trying to get an assisting the elderly badge. Together, they embark in an adventure, where they encounter talking dogs, an evil villain and a rare bird named Kevin.

My personal opinion of this movie?

Just one word to describe it - Awesome! Wait. In fact, it is more than awesome! The whole experience of watching this movie leaves me with an entire mix of emotions. Not forgetting the 3-D effect was incredible. I still have no idea why people kept saying 3-D is just not worth the money. So much contrast between what we usually see and it made us feel like we are in the movie too. I guess that is the whole point of 3-D movies. You don't expect things flying at you or the characters to start walking towards you like some high-tech hologram right?

This movie, not like any other movie, made me teared not once, not twice.... BUT THRICE! Why? It is just so sad and touching. A love of someone (Carl in this case) for his wife (Ellie) touched me deeply. Details I shall leave it to you to catch it (if it is still showing that is). It hit me so hard because I find the value of family oh-so important. No matter how alone you are in this world, there are always someone else looking over at you who will help you through your toughest time - even though they might not seem like the sort of person who will.

Of course the entire movie is just not all sad. No doubt that the cute and funny Russell was there to keep us entertained. His naivety was just too cute and I wished it never end. This would be the perfect family movie of the current era. Teaching young kids about being the first to offer unconditional love no matter who you are (younger or older). AND also the importance of friends - to stand by each other no matter what the circumstances is.

For those of you who have yet to catch this movie, I would personally recommend you to watch this fast! Definitely not to be missed. My rating? I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Posts are piling up.
GI Joe movie review is next.
That is all for now.

Cheers!

If you are thinking of watching....


Don't waste your money if you are thinking of watching this any time soon.

Moving on!
I have finally registered for my Year 3 Semester 1 modules. Gotten the timetable and here it is...

Yup, I have no school on Thursdays (probably gonna utilize that day for work). I will come up with a more rigid timetable consisting of school, work, tutoring and other involvements for me to follow when school resumes.

Looking at the other side of it, I am embarking my Year 3 soon. It felt only yesterday that I embarked my Year 1 in NAFA. All that is on my mind now is to get school over and done with, and then proceed on to serve my country. Hoping that while doing so, I am able to live my dreams and do what I love to do. Crossing my fingers that I will get "thrown" into the army and from there, audition for SAF Band. The rest I will let nature take its course. I really want this to be part of my life.

The late Michael Jackson once said, "They say the sky's the limit, and to me that's really true". And speaking of him, rest in peace dude. The greatest entertainer that ever walked on this face of the Earth, the King of Pop.

I better get going. Need some sleep.

Oh! I have finally got two of my cravings satisfied today.
First it was Tau Huey (w/ Nina and Rene).
Next was East Coast Park's BBQ Chicken Wing (w/ Fauzi, Idham and Nina) <-- FINALLY!

Ok, I'm really done.
Cheers!

Date watched: June 25th, 2009
Where? Cathay @ E!hub Downtown East
Movie-buds: Amina, Hakim, Nina, Syahmi, Su'aidah

Disclaimer: MAY contain spoilers

Wooohoo! Finally the movie that I have been anticipating all along made its debut in the theatres! I have one word to describe 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' - AWESOME! This 150 minutes movie is action-packed and tragicomical all in one!


STORY-LINE
The sequel to the first Transformers live action movie sets within the same era, two years later. The Autobots joined forces to protect the humans from the Decepticons. The Decepticons were still on the hunt for Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LeBouf) who has the map to the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix is the key used to power the Sun Harvester.

Soundwave, a Decepticon intelligence officer, hacks into the satellite to eavesdrop on the NEST forces, learning the location of the dead Decepticon leader, Megatron and another piece to the AllSpark - which is used to resurrect Megatron.


Sam Witwicky leaves for college and are forced to abandon his Autobot guardian, Bumblebee. It is kinda cute to see Bumblebee trying to hold his tears and ended up gushing out litres of vehicle-water. He also had to leave his hot girlfriend, Mikaela Banes (played by Megan Fox). While in college he met his roommate, Leo Spits, who runs an alien conspiracy website. Alice, a human pretender from the Decepticons was going after Sam because of the AllSpark knowledge Sam has.

>> FAST FORWARD >>


Sam finally got captured by Grindor. In a deserted warehouse, Sam came face-to-face with Megatron, together with the Decepticon doctor, Scalpel. Just as Scalpel was about the remove Sam's brains, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee came to the rescue. The fight was brought out into the forest and there is where Optimus Prime got stabbed and killed by Megatron.

Honestly, I felt so sad when Optimus Prime died. He was the leader of the Autobots and is known to be invincible. But his death proved otherwise.

Sector Seven agent Simmons reveals his hidden alien archive and explains that the Transformer have visited Earth before, as their language is written on the ruins all over the world. Wheelie, the tamed Decepticon who will only listen to what Mikaela says, identify the language as that of the Primes but only a Seeker can translate it. They find a Seeker stored in a museum, an aging Decepticon named Jetfire, who defected to the Autobots.


Jetfire teleports the group to Egypt via a space bridge and explains that the tomb of the Primes is located in the surrounding desert, and only a Prime can kill the Fallen - Optimus Prime that is.

During the full-assault from the Decepticons, Sam got killed when the airforce did a series of bombs to stop the Decepticons from advancing towards Sam. In a vision, Sam meets with the other Primes, who told him that the Matrix of Leadership must be earned, which Sam has done. Sam is brought back to life and the Matrix reforms from the dust. And finally, Optimus Prime is revived. The Matrix was then stolen by the Fallen, with the aid of Megatron and activated the Sun Harvester. Jetfire, who was mortally wounded gives up his life and parts to give Optimus Prime the strength he needs to defeat the Fallen.

Optimus Prime was like the hunkiest Autobot I have ever seen! With improved body parts, I went "WOH!" when he stood up. Optimus Prime then sets out to kill the Fallen and destroyed the Sun Harvester. Megatron was heavily wounded and Starscream convinces Megatron to retreat.


I am very impressed with this movie as a whole. The animation was wicked! I have never seen such animation so polised before. I meant when there is a mix of the things we can see, and the things that never existed. It felt like the Transformers was really in existance.

Therefore, my rating for this movie would be a solid 7 out of 5 stars! Haha! Angels and Demons now has dropped down to spot #2 in my "Favourite Movies in 2009". And Transformers 2 taking over the #1 spot! So hurry and catch this blockbuster. Never to be missed!

Oh! I read somewhere that there will be Transformers 3 - shall anticipate for that!

That is all for now.
Cheers!

Date watched: June 17th, 2009
Where? Cathay @ E!hub Downtown East
Movie-buds: Fauzi, Idham, Nina & Syahmi

To yet another movie review. This American romantic comedy film is based on the plot in the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Honestly, I find this film a little disappointing. But with the injections of humour and lessons, I guess it would be just enough to compensate the disappointments. This film is definitely hilarious if you are looking for some laughs. This film too makes you wanna go up to the screen and just knock some sense onto Connor Mead's head (played by Matthew McConaughey).


The story line begins with Connor Mead attending his brother's wedding, Paul Mead (played by Breckin Meyer). Connor is forced to re-evaluate his behaviour as he comes face-to-face with the ghosts of girlfriends past, present, and future, along with his deceased uncle, Wayne Mead (played by Michael Douglas).


The experience of having to travel back and look at the obnoxious things he has done to women changes his attitude and that allows him to connect with his first love and only love, Jenny (played by Jennifer Garner).


Tell you the truth, I actually took my mobile phone out to type the things that I like during the movie. My first favourite scene (which is one of the scenes I love the most) is when Connor leaves Jenny on their first night in bed. All Jenny wanted was to see the same face the next morning, but Connor being brought up as "Mr Casanova" leaves her before Jenny knows it. The devastation on Jenny's face gripped my heart the most and I felt kinda sad for her. I mean, who wouldn't right?


The wine and cake scene is one out of the many funny scenes that were present in the film. The determination from Connor trying to save the cake from crashing down to the floor. But all else fails and that crushed the wedding cake big time! On top of the destroyed wedding cake, the sensitive and highly self-critical wife to be to Paul is not only appalled by the cake, but also when Connor indirectly calls her fat. It is one of THE classic moment.

Connor is being followed by three of his past girlfriends. One of her is Melanie (played by Nouree DeWulf). Quoted by what Melanie said when she travels into the present to show Connor what the others were saying about him, "It's the present you idiot. We're here" - in an Indian accent. No mean to mock their accent, but it seemed too "classic".

Also, there was a particular scene which she made drinks for her friends at her place. She made servings for Martinis and guess what she said? "I have apple martini, bumblegum martini and TANDOORI martini. I hope I did not gross you guys out" Hahaha! I think, if memory serves me right, I was the only one laughing in the theater. Hah!


Honestly, there are just too many good scenes for me to type it all down. So, to conclude this review. I have picked my most favourite scene. It is when Paul confesses his love for Connor. Saying that Connor is the bestest brother he ever had. Quoting from Paul himself "I wanna be like my kid brother". I just find this awesomely cool. Though it is not one of the most fantastic scenes in the entire movie, I could feel the connection. The wanting to be like someone who you look up to.

As for me, I try to be the best that I can, because I know there are people looking up to me. On the other hand, I do have people who I look up to. So one way or the other, it made me realise what it takes to be looked up upon and vice-versa. So when this particular scene was showing, I strongly felt the emotions that were set across. Connor wanting the best out of his Paul against all odds.

Quoting from Connor's toast during the wedding, "You and me, against the world".


And one of the reasons why I was looking forward to this movie is because of this...

Date watched: June 5th, 2009
Where? Cathay @ E!hub Downtown East
Movie-buds: Nina, Hakim and Syahmi

I was actually rather surprised that this film was enjoyable. After reading several scathing reviews, I was very worried going into this film. On the other hand, I have heard people saying that this installment of Terminator should not be missed. Hence, I entered the movie theater hoping for the best - trying to avoid any disappointments.


The fourth film in the Terminator series, this film revolves around two main characters. Resistance leader John Connor (played by Christian Bale) and Marcus Wright (played by Sam Worthington) as the cyborg. The truth is, I seriously have no idea what this film is all about. So, upon reading about it on the net after watching this, I soon learned that this movie traveled back in time before the first three films happened (correct me if I am wrong). It adapted the story like how George Lucas adapted it to Star Wars.

This film also introduces a young Kyle Reese from the original 1984 film, played by Anton Yelchin, as well as depicting the origin of the T-800 Model 101 Terminator. Yup, Anton Yelchin - the Russian from the recent blockbuster, Star Trek.

STORY-LINE
In 2003, Dr. Serena Kogan (played by Helena Bonham Carter) of Cyberdyne Systems convinces death row inmate Marcus Wright to sign his body over for medical research following his execution. A year later, the Skynet system is activated, perceives humans as a threat to its own existence, and eradicates much of humanity in the event known as Judgement Day. This film brings us forward to the year 2018, showing John Connor leading an attack by the Resistance on a Skynet base. John discovers human prisoners and the plans for the development of a new type of Terminator incorporating the human tissue. Although Skynet's been destroyed, Marcus emerges from the wreckage of the base and proceeds on foot to Los Angeles (LA).


Passing through the famous Hollywood sign and having to see LA down to its rubble, Marcus got rather confused as to what had happened. Little did he know, he was a cyborg himself. Passing through the ruins of LA, he came across a cyborg whose mission was to kill any figures with a beating heart in it. Not knowing what to do, Kyle Reese came to the rescue and brought him somewhere safe. There, he met a mute girl, Star (Jadagrace Berry) who was trying to run away from the cyborgs.


Kyle relates to Marcus the events of Judgment Day and the ensuing war between humans and machines. Hearing John's radio broadcast, the three left LA in search of the Resistance. They survived an attack by the machines, but Kyle, Star, and several other humans were taken as prisoners.

I personally love the whole chunk of this film. It grips my attention and I was hoping the best for the characters. And before I could think the "grip" was over, I was taken aback and it starts all over again. The sound and visual effects were awesome. It was heartwrenching at the same time - with the large machines shooting deadly lasers at the innocent.

Unfortunately, a pair of Resistance A-10s got shot down. Marcus, who managed to escape the abduction, locates downed pilot Blair Williams (played by Moon Bloodgood) - knowing that Blair could bring him to John's base. A magnetic land mine along the way wounded Marcus.


Attempting to save his life, the Resistance fighters discover that he is in fact a cyborg with human organs. Marcus believes himself to be human, demanding to be released so that he can save Kyle from Skynet, but John orders his destruction.

However, Blair released him and helped escape from the base. During the resulting pursuit, Marcus saved John's life from Skynet Hydrobots, and the two formed alliance - Marcus will enter Skynet's HQ and attempt to disable its defenses so that John can rescue Kyle.






He busted out from a storage facility and attacked John Connor. From that part of the film onwards, I got rather confused. Was the "Arnold" Cyborg built to kill John Connor? Was that why when John Connor was in the building, it came attacking him? I tried putting the pieces together on my own. Well, it makes sense though! Haha!


The fight scene at the end was just awesome. Skipped a heartbeat here and there but that was pretty much it. I soon began to question the storyline because it became rather unrealistic. They were at Skynet's HQ, so why isn't there large numbers of Cyborg attacking the intruders? What happened to the other cyborgs? Hmmmm...

Anyway, while battling with the T-800 model 101 Terminator, John was mortally wounded, but succeeds in destroying Skynet's base by rigging several Terminator nuclear power cells as explosive, detonating them as he, Marcus, Kyle and Star were airlifted out. Kate Connor (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), John's wife, tries to save John's life, but his heart was too damaged. Marcus offers his heart for transplant, sacrificing himself to save John.

The quote Marcus gave left an impact on me even after the movie ended. He said something about everybody deserving a second chance, and that he already lived for the second time.

It was something like, "Everybody deserves a second chance to live. I've had mine".

John could have avoided the fatal attack and let Marcus live. But oh well, the ending was great, yet nothing spectacular.

Oh! I read somewhere that it costs $200 million to produce this film. Fu-yoh! Expensive or what?! They managed to cover the costs and spare around $14 million to go around. Haha!

Lastly, my personal rating of this movie would be 3 out of 5 stars.


Cheers!

Date watched: May 22nd, 2009
Where? Cathay @ E!hub Downtown East
Movie-buds: Finah, Nina, Ogy, Wayne & Syahmi

If you are into laughter from start till the end, this movie is exactly what you need. An elixir that will shake away all those misery you might have and just, well, LAUGH! I caught the prequel on the day I watched NATM 2; on the net of course! Haha! Honestly, I think I am the only one who has not watched the prequel. Halfway through the prequel, I was laughing out loud and I am convinced that I will have a hell lot of fun watching NATM 2 in the theaters.


Just in case any of you have not caught the prequel, here is a description of what the movie is all about. It is all about the tablet of Ahkmenrah bringing exhibits in a museum to life! Yes, that pretty much sums up the entire movie. Nope, I am not lying. Haha! And the same thing continues in NATM 2.

STORY LINE
Larry Daley (played by Ben Stiller), a successful inventor is now the head of Daley Devices, a company that he founded. So one fine day, he kinda missed being a night guard at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and decided to drop by. He then soon learned that the museum he used to work at is shutting down for renovations and upgrades - one of which was installing interactive holograms all over the museum. In order to make way for the new upgrades, the old ones (which he befriended when it comes to life) will be put away and stored in the Federal Archives at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. In a pursuit of making the what's-left exhibits like Theodore Roosevelt (played by Robin Williams) come back to life again (because the tablet is being brought to the Smithsonian), Larry heads over to Washington DC to bring back his friend-by-night, statue-by-day friends home, and also to prevent the stored exhibits at the Smithsonian from coming to life.

Short story short, (only because I do want this to sound draggy), with all the obstacles he faced in trying to save Jedidiah Smith (played by Owen Wilson) from the wrath of Kahmunrah (played by Hank Azaria), Larry managed to bring NMNH's exhibits back to where they belong.


Throughout the entire movie, it taught me more about the US history. Not in depth but it gave me impressions of the characters that were present in the movie. For example, learning that Amelia Earhart (played by Amy Adams) was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. This American sweetheart all of a sudden falls in love with Larry. From the proud accomplished pilot, Larry's charm toned Amelia down and she soon turns herself into this loving young woman.

As the movie brought itself from scene to scene, how interesting a particular exhibit is being portrayed fascinated me. Just when I thought it is a pleasant surprise to see a piece of art comes to life, another piece of art tops it off!


The many characters that was in the movie was just as awesome! Jedediah and Octavius (played by Steve Coogan) being the cute little pair that became best friends after a feud in the prequel of this movie. General George Armstrong Custer (played by Bill Hader) overcoming his fear of greeting failure again; with the help of Larry.

But out of all the characters that were in the movie, my personal favourite would be Kahmunrah (played by Hank Azaria). Without him in the movie would be like having fried rice without the seasonings - plain and just not satisfying. He was the only character that managed to make me laugh out loud from the moment he appeared in the movie till he got banished to the underworld via this large Egyptian gate.

Of course the other characters too made me laugh. Like Napoleon Bonaparte (played by Alain Chabat), one of the three followers of Kahmunrah. I remember reading that Napoleon was gay and that he had only one testicle (not sure how credible that reference was). I was hoping that he would get mocked at and hence, stir more laughter. I waited and waited but it never came. BUT his height got mocked though, and his reaction was classic and hilarious.

To pick a favourite scene in this movie, I would pick the scene where Larry met the Smithsonian security guard, Brandon (pronounced as Brundun and so he claimed). Played by Jonah Hill, and if you remember he appeared in the movie 'Superbad'. Brandon Brundun is this sharp yet firm and at the same time dumb security guard. The character he portrayed is just way too cute (referring to his character).


I would love to go on but this review is getting longer. But no worries, I have typed most of my review on this movie down. And finally, for this fun-filled blockbuster that managed to earn gross revenue of over US$210 million, I would rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I was not expecting anything more than to watch something that is unrealistic. Seeing things that were not clicking to each other, I forgive. Maybe the main objective of this movie is to let everyone loosen his or her ties and just laugh. Well, it was sure entertaining! I recommend this movie for those who are in for a good laugh.

Gonna watch more movies in the next couple of days and hope that I can get the review done one or two days after watching it, not like a week later. Haha!

Cheers!

Date watched: May 15th, 2009
Where? Cathay @ E!hub Downtown East
Movie-buds: Nina and Syahmi

A film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel, I highly recommend you to catch this! This film is simply phenomenal! Set in Rome, but do not let that fool you because not all of the footage is entirely shot in Rome. Surprisingly, after doing a little bit of reading up on the net, I soon found out that many parts of the movie was shot in Los Angeles (LA). What is so incredible is that they had to build the entire Vatican City at Sony Pictures Studios in LA, with the exact details - AMAZING!


STORY LINE
In Rome, the Vatican mourns the passing of the Pope. Until the conclave selects a new Pope, Patrick Mackenna, the Camerlengo (played by Ewan McGregor) assumes day-to-day control of the Vatican. During the process of waiting for the new Pope to be selected unanimously, there was a physical threat by the Illuminati. Illuminati, a 400-year-old underground secret society, kidnapped the four most likely candidates after the conclave goes into seclusion. Demanding fifty million dollars, the Illuminati threatened to destroy the Vatican using the highly explosive anti-matter.

If there is one person that could break the code and understand the movements of the Illuminati, it would be Professor Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks). A professor in Symbology at Harvard University, Prof. Langdon was summoned by the Vatican to help solve the Illuminati threat. Prof. Langdon listened to his instincts, deducing that the four cardinals will die at four different altars of the Path of Illumination. Mr. Gray (played by Nikolaj Lie Kaas) is the assassin who believes to be working for the Illuminati.

Assist by Vittoria Vetra (played by Ayelet Zurer), both sets out to track down the Illuminati, bringing justice before the entire Vatican is wiped off.


The elements present in the film are very strong indeed and I must say it was well portrayed. I simply love the story line and how it unfolds itself. Most of the time during the film, I kept going "Oh shit". Not because I was in the mood to say that but because the film captured and engaged me, having full grasp of my emotions.

Throughout the movie, you would feel that something is going to happen, but turns out to be just a false assumption. That explains the repetitive "Oh shit" phrase. Haha! Of course there are many scenes in the movie, but particularly when the last cardinal that was set to be killed by the Illuminati. It was so intense to see Prof. Langdon struggling to save the cardinal's life. You wished you could have helped but being thrown back into reality, it is just impossible but to watch helplessly.

The ending of the film was what kept me in awe even after it has ended. The bad guy turns out to be a different guy and seriously, you will not see it coming.

There were quite a number of flaws in the film but trust me, if you watch it loosely and not pay too much attention to the minute details, it would be spotless! Rest assured, I did not at all noticed till someone pointed it out to me.

Similar to the previous movie (The Da Vinci Code) prior to this sequel, it has stirred many controversies. This film deals with issues pertaining to Christianity; particularly the Catholics. I am open towards subject pertaining to religion as long as it does not get through me in a negative way. I believe it is best if you would watch it with an open mind. I did receive comments like "How would you feel if it was your religion being exploited and portrayed negatively?". I fully understand but even if it was relating to my own religion, I am fine with it. Like I have said, as long as I do not let it get through me.

To conclude this review, I am classifying this movie as the BEST MOVIE ever! Out of 5 stars, I would give it a solid 6! Being the best movie, I guess the rating does not matter huh? Hahaha! I strongly urge you to catch this movie while it is still in the cinemas. If it is no longer showing, search it online or anticipate the DVD. IT IS A MUST-WATCH!

It was rated #1 film in Singapore's box office last week and I am not at all surprised.
Awesome movie!

I am suppose to get this done days ago (in fact, a week ago) but just could not find the time to get it done. Either I am too tired at the end of the day doing something outside, or the desktop is just not available for use. So, now that I can finally get to use to computer, might as well try my best to complete at least one review.

And if you are still wondering what happened to my blogskin, it is still in the making. That will take a little longer because right now I have just too many things to update about. Perhaps by the end of the week if I can spend a little longer using the desktop. I am deprived of using the desktop lately, oh well! Getting to use it very late at night is not helping at all.

Lets get the review going shall we?


Date watched: May 13th, 2009
Where?: Golden Village Tampines
Movie-buds: Nina and Syahmi

I had no intentions of watching this film because I was never a Star Trek fan and let say it did not seem appealing to me when I first heard of it. But after much persuasion from Syahmi and doing a little "research" (by watching the trailer and reading up a little bit on it), I was pretty much convinced that it is one of those movies I might enjoy watching.

Produced and Co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Trek is one of those movies that I would recommend watching. Being an absolute virgin (with Star Trek), this installment filled most of the gaps that I soon learned what Star Trek is basically all about.

The film follows James Tiberius Kirk (played by Chris Pine) from when he was born. Kirk grew up as this intelligent tough man who always wanted things to go his way. Upon an unexpected meet with Captain Christopher Pike (played by Bruce Greenwood), he soon found out about his late father, the captain of USS Kelvin - A hero who sacrificed his own life to save millions. Captain Pike convinces Kirk to join Starfleet Academy and that embraced his potential and the flaming spirit, which was seemingly recognisable.


Kirk is constantly confronted with bumps throughout the film. Having conflicts with the half-human half-Vulcan heritage, Spock (played by Zachary Quinto). Being evicted from the shuttlecraft because he was trying to do what is right. Being chased by large creatures from a land so white that it would probably froze him to death - where Kirk met the elder Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy).

Both Kirk's and Spock's ultimate challenge was the confrontation of the revenge-seeking Captain Nero (played by Eric Bana). The Romulan villain who travels through time back and forth to give his piece of his mind to the people who destroyed Romulus, together with his wife and unborn child. Driven in a murderous rage, he attempts to destroy the Federation and eliminate the human race through a black hole - turning Earth into dusts. Kidnapping Captain Pike was a way to "lure" them towards him.

With Kirk's direction, he led to a successful victory and from an acting-commander of USS Enterprise he was promoted to captain - once belonged to his father.


Of course this film does not entirely revolve around Kirk. The other actors and actresses were great too! I personally love Pavel Chekov (played by Anton Yelchin) because he is just plain hilarious. The 17-year-old genius from Russia had the v's replaced with w's and that made his speech funny.

I must say that this movie is definitely not a disappointment. Although the issues faced are serious despite the fiction, there were many parts of the movie where humour is present. What is so great about this film is how it unfolds itself, although it was predictable especially towards the ending. I loved how I managed to put all the pieces together and seeing it fall into place right in front of my very eyes. There was a particular scene towards the end that had me reciting the exact same line. All I did was to go "Whoa, this is actually pretty cool" and had me smiling to myself.

The effects, graphics and set deserve two thumbs up because everything seemed too real! A little comment on the soundtrack - it was awesome! I am an incredible fan when it comes to movie soundtracks; hence Star Trek had one of the best. Michael Giacchino's music was engaging and I felt he did an awesome job trying to capture every single present mood that was in the film. So, another two thumbs up for soundtrack!

All in all, like I have mentioned, this movie is not at all a disappointment. I am not at all surprised that this sci-fi blockbuster deserves the #2 spot in box office! And finally, my rating for this movie would be 4 out of 5 stars!

Catch it in cinemas to enjoy the full blast of effects and sound while you still can!

To conclude both papers, I shall say that it was doable. Being able to do the papers with ease is satisfying! All I have to do now is to wait for results, which will be out first week of June. Till then, I have all the time to take life much slower and do the things I like to do. Oh, my vacation is till mid-July and that means I have plenty of time! Some might roll their eyes at me but too bad. You had your time and now it's mine! Nyeahahahaha!

And so finally, the anticipation is now over. Holidays have finally sinked in and I am enjoying it already. At times, I tend to constantly remind myself whether I have completed all of my assignments or projects but in actual fact, I am already done with Year 2! Haha! I was too caught up with the routine prior to exams that it developed into a habit.

With that, I engaged my first day of holiday with Nina and Syahmi. Headed to Marina Square in the afternoon to watch 'X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE'.

I must say that this movie is pretty impressive. It reminds me of how Star Wars rewind its story one by one, revealing the origins of a particular character. I am always a huge fan of X-MEN since the first movie came out. In fact, it travels way back when I was a small kid. But back then, I liked Cyclops because of the mutant powers he possessed.

As each new movie is created, I started to like Wolverine because he appears to be the main character of this whole generation of incredible fiction! Trust me, I loved every mutant in every movie. It is like you have a whole range of your favourite ice-cream flavour right in front of you, but only given the choice of choosing only one.

Overall, I liked how every single detail unfolds itself and that created a much clearer picture of how Wolverine came about. The very first generation of X-MEN got featured at the very start of the movie. Little did I know that Sabretooth and Wolverine are brothers! Call me slow, but I guess that is the whole purpose of this movie right? Heh. I have always wondered why some of the mutants were not featured in the other movies (Eg. Deadpool, The Blob, Gambit, Sabretooth) but I was quite happy that they got featured in this movie, so that is a plus point; definitely!

This movie is filled with angst which could lead to an emotional distress. Haha! Ok, maybe not. A series of unfortunate events that happened right in front of Logan would leave you with nothing but to feel sorry for him. The strong elements that were present brought up the whole movie a notch higher.

As the movie reaches the end, I could finally put the pieces together. I am always curious as to how Wolverine lost his memory and this installment enlightened me greatly!

There are several thumbs down to the movie. Some (one or two scenes in the movie) of the digital effects/graphics are not realistic at all! It is evident that you can tell the editing was badly done. Oh well!

I will dismiss the idea of elaborating the movie further so that should you want to catch this movie while it is still in the cinemas, you will have full experience of enlightenment.

All in all, I would give this installment of X-MEN 4.5 out of 5 stars!


After the movie, had dinner at Pizza Hut and that is when I realised I am no longer socially deprived. The funny things that Syahmi cracked me up with got my laughter (and Nina's) echoing in the restaurant! It has been long since I laughed so hard.

After dinner, met up with the guys at Kembangan and droved to Siglap's Starbucks. There, I can finally feel the true essence of my holidays because nothing beats their company. The laughters we shared was priceless. It's been 3 weeks since I last met them, and being able to meet up with them was simply great. I missed them too much, really! Hahaha! Headed to Punggol End for fun, watched people fish and headed home soon after.

And I realised it is getting longer. Fret not, I am going to set up a movie review blog soon so that future entries with movie reviews will be shortened! So do look out for that in the coming days!

Cheers!

Saturday is here again and yes, you have guessed it, I will probably rot at home the whole entire day. I was in the mood to get my study notes done for my final assessment moments ago, but I shall save it for later. Now, there are even more things to worry about. I have tonnes of school work piling and trust me, I will lose some of my hair in the next few weeks (or if I am lucky, it will just turn into streaks of depressing Grey). I was on the bus making my way home from the Peranakan Museum at Armenian Street yesterday and since the journey was rather long, I flipped my phone out and started listing the assignments/quizzes/presentations that will due in the coming week (if not, next).

23rd April 2009
Business Finance Assignment 2
P&P Presentation
P&P Quiz

28th April 2009
Contract Law Typewritten Assignment

1st week of May
Production File (HUGE HEADACHE!)
Show Report

Trying to put that off my mind momentarily, I have decided to catch two movies within a span of 7 days. Haha! I deserve to get shot in the head especially when my exams are just around the corner and the above haunting me day and night. On the contrary, it was worth taking time off and enjoy life one step at a time.


Disclamer: I might spoil the movie if you are intending to catch it. Don't say I didn't warn you. Haha!

Headed down to Marina Square last Sunday to catch 'Knowing'. A week before that, a junior of mine introduced this movie and after I caught the trailer on Youtube.com (which was awesome) my excitement got doubled up. So I thought since he introduced the movie to me and wanted to catch it as much as I wanted to, I asked him along.

Overall, I would rate this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. The story line I thought was pretty awesome not till it reached the ending. It was quite inane and it felt like as if the director had no idea how to end it off. Having voiceless angels with mouths that could emit strong blast of light, abducting children from all over the world in a pursuit to save mankind? Hmmmmm. Well apart from that, I thought the whole movie was well directed; of what that was unrealistic seemed too real!

One thing that I would shower the movie with my credits are for its sound and visual effects. It was incredibly stunning - sound effects especially. It engages the audience so much that every single muscle would not move - in awe. And each time an unfortunate event happens in the movie, my heart would stop beating! As much as I feel like cursing the movie for its sound effects, I thought it was equally impressive. I swear I would have suffered a heart attack in there! Haha! It is that kind of feeling where your butt would be lifted off from the chair and your eyes transfixed onto every single detail, in shock. Watch the movie and you will know what I am talking about!

I would have given a slightly higher rating if not for the dumb and sudden ending. But it is worth the money. Trust me on this.

On with the next movie --


Went to catch '17 Again' with the same people yesterday down at E!Hub Downtown East. To be really honest, I was not looking forward to this movie. I caught the trailer on the net beforehand and thought it was just alright. My instincts convinced me to just watch it.

I scanned through the cinema before it started and realised that 95% of the audience are females! Yeah, you guessed it. Could it be more obvious?

Out of 5 stars, I would rate it a solid 3. The flow of the movie was above average but the downside was how the adult Mike (played by Matthew Perry) got transformed into the 17 year old Mike (played by Zac Efron). Whirlpool of water? Oh c'mon! But I guess the constant humour injected was more than enough to cover it up.

There were a couple of my favourite scenes. The life lessons that embedded itself from the start till the end was simply great. It helped me further understand what is it like to be a father and understand his own children. To see your daughter crushed after a break-up or your son making it into the school basketball team would just be one out of the many things that a father would face. This movie serves as a reminder what love towards anyone mean and that it should be appreciated.

If I were to pick a scene that I like the most, that would be the one inside the court room - when Zac Efron started crying while giving his speech. I felt the emotions that was set across. Sounds gay but heck, you just have to catch it to know what I am talking about.

So if you're into humour and at the same time have "awwwwww" moments, I would recommend you this movie. Or if you're into Zac Efron, ladies, this is for you.


That is all for this movie review entry.

Cheers!