Pic was taken @ Botanical Garden, Penang :)

07 August 2008

Lebatnya hujannnnnnn...

Ya Allah!!!! Hujan lebat sungguh di luar tu... Sejukkkkkk.... Saya biarkan jari menari sementara sebagai senaman dalam kedinginan ini... :P
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Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Director : Guillermo del Toro

Synopsis : With a signature blend of action, humor and character-based spectacle, the saga of the world's toughest, kitten-loving hero from Hell continues to unfold in Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. Bigger muscle, badder weapons and more ungodly villains arrive in an epic vision of imagination from Oscar®-nominated director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy). After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Now, it's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it's time to call in Hellboy (Ron Perlman). Along with his expanding team in the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Development--pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), aquatic empath Abe (Doug Jones) and protoplasmic mystic Johann--the BPRD will travel between the surface strata and the unseen magical one, where creatures of fantasy become corporeal. And Hellboy, a creature of two worlds who's accepted by neither, must choose between the life he knows and an unknown destiny that beckons him. -- © Universal Pictures

Lately we have seen plenty of big, asphalt-smashing street battles between hero and nemesis froms Transformers to Hulk, hopped up on military growth hormones, hurling cars across but nothing quite like the scene in which Hellboy, a baby in one hand and an oversize gun in the other, mixes it up with a cute but angry giant plant.

The picture is filled with jaw-dropping visions: the tooth fairies; flying, piranha-like critters; the troll market; a wild underground caravansary; a forest god unleashed in Lower Manhattan; the transformation of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland into an actual giant; a hissing, winged, multi-eyes creature that represents Hellboy's destiny; a chamber made up of ever-moving clockwork gears; a menagerie of demonic critters; and the newest member of Hellboy's group, Johann Kraus, a kind of intelligent super-vapor living inside a diving suit and speaking mock-Germanic in a voice provided by Seth MacFarlane.

Ron Perlman still enchants as Hellboy; piercing through all those prosthetics to deliver a performance balanced with humor, machismo, heart ache and charm. He fits into the character comfortably. Selma Blair gets to play up on Liz's fury and flames and emotions. Doug Jones is as priceless as ever and given much more screen time as Abe including to feel the love sick… hehehe

Truly outstanding as the villainous Nuada is Luke Goss, who makes the most of his sinister features and deathlike performance. This guy is scary but I like the martial art moves.

The visuals of HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY are a triumph of imagination but the story is only likable entertainment to me.

3.25 / 5

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Director : Mark Waters

Synopsis : Once upon a time, upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames it all on Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what's really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and of the creatures that inhabit it. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
The Spiderwick Chronicles is based upon the books by Tony DeTerlizzi and Holly Black. Ever since The Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter films have done so well, filmmakers are taking other fantasy books and turning them into feature films as well.

To my surprise The Spiderwick Chronicles was pretty good, family type, reminded me so much of The Addams’ Family. The kids will absolutely love the film and yet there is enough room for the grown-ups as well. The story is simple enough but it enhanced by a lot of creative creatures and imaginative things. The young cast each did their own and carried the film. As for the CGI, I didn't feel it was overdone here just for the sake of showing what today's new wonderful technology can do and I really appreciated that the film didn't go overboard with that.

The film is evolving and interesting from the start and keeps it's energy and charm throughout the running time. There were a few repeated story patterns and clichés in the script but that can be forgiven since there were also a lot of surprises and new things. I don’t know anyone else but I love magic, imagination and the story that is woven in front of you with interesting characters and environments. The movie is what kids and adults love about family fantasy film.

3.25 / 5
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10,000 BC

Director : Ronald Emmerich

Synopsis : A prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter named D'Leh's journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe. When a band of mysterious horse-riding warlords raid the Yaghal camp and kidnaps his heart's desire - the beautiful Evolet along with many others, D'Leh is forced to lead a small group of hunters south to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her. Driven by destiny, the unlikely band of warriors must battle saber-toothed cats and terror birds in the Levant. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
This movie has actions, plenty of CGI, gorgeous location photography from Africa and New Zealand, a durable quest narrative and mammoth hunters.

I feel less keen watching the DVD because of questionable facts as 10,000 BC is so called towards Ice Age period. Ice Age hunters didn't live in large groups, they didn't live in permanent villages and they certainly didn't spend the winter up in the mountains. At that time, there's no way anyone could walk from alpine mountains to East Asian bamboo jungles to sub-Saharan Africa over the course of a few weeks.

Most annoying and funny were the dialogues. We all know that nobody spoke English ten thousand years ago but we try to be comfortable imagining the Ice Age hunters speaking good English with slanga instead of their true languages.

But that's a small quibble. Because once the story gets rolling, we discover that the mammoth hunters have neighbors whose technology including horseback riding, bows and arrows, sailing ships, woven cloth, monumental architecture in dressed stone is thousands of years ahead of theirs. These is during 10,000 BC????. Somebody is not doing their homework or just like playing around with cavemen and dinosaurs.
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It's a great Saturday matinee, thats all… 2.75/5
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Apa Kata Hati?

Pengarah : Saw Teong Hin

Sinopsis : Tanpa kesedihan, tiadalah kegembiraan di akhirnya. Itulah pegangan Elly dalam percintaan. Elly, seorang pereka fesyen muda bekerja di Butik Karya Anggun merupakan seorang gadis ceria dan berfikiran positif, diuji dengan satu pemberian yang memang diimpikan oleh semua wanita iaitu dapat membaca fikiran lelaki. Namun Elly menganggap itu satu sumpahan apabila dia banyak mendengar yang tidak baik berbanding yang baik. Dengan pemberian itu juga, Elly jadi keliru dalam membuat pilihan teman hidup. Kebuntuan tersebut mendorong Elly mengikut kata hati. Apakah Elly berjaya membuat keputusan tepat dengan menurut kata hati?
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Jalan ceritanya senang, campuran ‘What Women Want’ yang pernah dilakonkan oleh Mel Gibson serta filem ‘Freaky Friday’ dalam 'sentuhan magis', adanya kelebihan, adanya sumpahannya.

Ketulusan seks dan ghairah wanita yang dibanding oleh watak Dynaz serta Raja Farah merupakan kekuatan sebenar filem ini. Watak Dynaz dan Raja Farah semacam Yin dan Yang, mereka sangat berlainan. Watak Raja Farah jenis gadis yang lemah lembut dan cintan cintun. Sementara watak Dynaz tidak dan Dynaz melakukan yang mana boleh terhadap lelaki, maka sebab itu, dia kononnya lebih pakar memahami lelaki luar dan dalam, sedangkan Raja Farah mempunyai hati tulus dalam mempercayai ketaatan teman lelakinya (lakonan Farid Kamil yang sedikit miscast). Apa yang menarik, walaupun ketidakupayaan mereka berdua mempunyai kesamaan, mereka tidak menggunakan isu ini sebagai konflik, seperti mana yang biasa akan dibuat dalam filem-filem Melayu selalunya. Sebaliknya mereka saling membantu satu sama lain.

Namun teknik penggambaran nampak macam tak kena dan malas macam filem ini tidak ada bajet dan dibuat dengan sungguh murah. Suntingannya tidak ada daya. Kadang-kadang satu adegan itu mengambil masa yang sangat panjang untuk habis dan penyambungan antara satu babak dengan babak lain tidak seimbang seakan-akan terpotong. Ini termasuk babak luahan hati Farid Kamil yang telah menyebabkan Raja Farah marah. Ia dibuat dengan sangat lemah, idea 'salah faham' itu tidak sampai kepada penonton.

Awie buruk, dia tidak boleh langsung berlakon sebagai mat lembut, lakonannya sangat satu dimensi. Harun dan Ogy baik walaupun Ogy memang ‘drama queen’ (thats why I like her...). Farid Kamil tak patut untuk watak tu dan Awal tak dak gaya jadik playboy. Mereka patut bertukar watak tersebut suka sama suka dan pastinya memberi impak yang lebih berkesan. Pendapat peribadi saya ialah lakonan Dynaz lebih bersilau daripada lakonan wanita utama filem ini. Idea yang bagus tapi olahan yang lemah.

"anggapkan KLCC tu saksi cinta kita"... eeuuwwwwwww… cintannya!!!!!!!

3.0 / 5
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Award by Solelymylife on 14 April 2009

Award by Solelymylife on 14 April 2009

Award by Solelymylife on 14 April 2009

Award by Solelymylife on 14 April 2009