Recent Films :: Up

Up
★★★★★★★★☆☆(8/10)



Woa, almost a month since the last post.Leaving out the lazy part, I think there's 2 reasons for blogs without any posts.(Depending on the type of blog and I'm not digging up excuses here).

1. Same shit different day
2. Too busy

The thing is, the main point for this blog is to keep record of what I've been doing in my usual routine, spill some comments and might as well share it if anyone is interested. It's not like I'm going to share everyday of my life. (I'm not digging up excuses here). So, that out of the way, regarding the 2 points(↑) it's kinda both here. The same shit I'm into is work being busy along with other personal stuff and it wears me out by the time I get home. So I decided to go watch a film I've been looking forward to for a while on a free weekend.
↑↑↑↑↑Up↑↑↑↑↑ by Pixar

It's kind of scary to think it's been a year already since Wall-E. SHIT, it's been a year already since Wall-E....

Anyways, Finding Nemo has been the benchmark for my impressions on 3D animation, coz that's the only animation I think is worth a 10(out of 10). It ain't a 10 if it ain't Nemo material. No Nemo No Ten. So as you can see Up doesn't quite live up to Nemo material but it is STILL A DAMN GOOD FILM.

As usual the character development is top notch and the attention to every detail possible is, well, payed attention to and executed very well. There's just something different with Pixar's rendering that makes everything look beautiful. On one side everything is well developed and the humor just gets into you but on the other side, I think Pixar tried to balance the movie to older audiences as well and threw in a lot of tear breakers, which I think doesn't cut it for kids, and IT IS suppose to be a kids movie. no? I guess Pixar is universal now...but it felt kinda odd. There was a little girl beside me asking her mother if the movie was over yet or not and there was only 1 part in the movie that made kids laugh out loud (vs the giggles). The rest were all grown adults laughing. So I'm not really sure about the balance here.

All in all I had fun so I shouldn't be complaining much.

Recent Films :: Transformers 2

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6/10)



Imax is the way to go if you're into great visual effects with "Summer blockbuster" written all over it. So I checked online for seats and HOLYSHIT was the place packed. At least 2 weeks down the chart for times outta office hours. Then tonight I was suppose to be on a boat fishing squids at Sai Kung but no, they had to stamp a typhoon signal on your teli when the weather is in mint condition. With a few showers...So, all that magically leads a path to watch Transformers, and~~

It was soso. Maybe it's the hype jinx thingy but the plot was way unpolished. Felt like it was extracted from an 80's cartoon episode. So there ain't much to say about that. Visuals were top notch though, like the holy kind. So it wasn't too bad for me coz I'm into those things and the effects alone got me quite busy. Just one thing though......↓



BIG MISTAKE

Gets you even busier coz now your focus is pinned in one area of the screen. Found myself missing out a lot of cool stuff on other areas of the screen coz of her. A bunch of moving screws are nice, but honestly when she's bouncing around....

Recent Films :: Ice Age 3

Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7/10)



Not sure how it is on the West but down here in the short future 3D is the shit. D-A-S-H-I-T.

It's so BIG you can't choose if you want to wear em ugly BIG 3D shades or not anymore. You can't find a cinema that doesn't sport 3D. Anywhere. Therefore the hole in your wallet is automatically BIGGER as well. To my surprise the 3D effects were pretty good though compared to the previous animation I saw and you can't go wrong with Scrat. Every detail was well executed but the jokes were fityfity. There were good laughs but there were some that really represents the movie title. Good movie and all with nice 3D effects...


But the thing is, when all cinemas sport shades and other options are eliminated, it feels kind of forceful. Especially when the shades are designed for people without glasses. You have to forcefully fit it somehow so the edges hang on your damn frames and you have to be real careful with your head movement so it doesn't slip off. So now you have 2 layers of frame on your face. The existence of it kinda takes away my conscience from the movie and I found myself trying to position the shades once in a while. Chinese have relatively flat noses so don't expect them to stand on firmly either. Either the shades need to be highly developed so they fit like a glove universally OR they should just stop this 3D bull coz although the effects are good it is not worth the extra 80% we're paying for the tickets.

All in all the film is good.

Recent Films :: Star Trek

Star Trek
★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)


I remember when I was a kid, back in the #0's when I turned on the TV and saw a blonde bloke with a shroom-head with pointy ears called SPOT or something. They often talked a lot and sometimes shot a "alien" down once in a while (and I swear it was just a hairy man with make up). Conclusion: I watched Star Wars instead.

So at first this movie wasn't really appealing to me because I never followed the original and I wouldn't have any nostalgic feel like the others are looking forward to. Or how everything is renewed to fit into our current generation. There was just 2 things that had me barely hooked on to the bait.

1. I have a thing for Space. Being the mystery it is, darkness it is, WTF it is. The visualized existence of everything outside our world fascinates me.
2. Sylar from Heroes being SPOCK (SPOCK!!)

So I gave it a try: --------------WHAT AN INTRODUCTION


The cast was perfect for every role (especially the main 2 above) and the plot was interesting. The Visuals, stunning. 98% of the whole movie is CG so be prepared for that but you won't feel conned in any way. 2% of it is "real", 1 being the people in it and 1 more being the crops'n fields that set a contrast with the hi-tech buildings. In SF movies like this there tends to be parts that feel long or over done (cough)Star Wars(cough), but there wasn't a slight moment of boredom in this film. clapclapclapclapclap.


But one thing. After walking out of the theater I didn't get the same heavy mysterious feel The Watchmen gave me a while ago. Sure it's fancy and entertaining but it kind of lacks depth that fuels your brain about the movie even when you're back home cleaning your crotch. I remember I was non-stop with The Watchmen for a few days. I kept thinking about it over and over 'n over. So it might just be me, it's a very good movie and EVERYONE MUST WATCH IT but with this perspective painted on canvas this film will have to be hanging on The Watchmen's ass for my ranking.

*Comparing them as a SF/CG movie in mind...that is...Not all movies apply to this perspective.

Recent Movies :: Night at the Museum 2

Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (5/10)



Saw a trailer for this film a while back when I went to watch Coraline. My first impression was "NO", and it was still "NO" until the day before I purchased tickets for this movie. Humans are really mysterious, mystical, enigmatic homos(apiens)that can do stupid things with just the littlest smear of dilutions (our brains are so naive. but that's where the beauty lies. The contradiction....).

Well, conscience F'No was standing strong in front of the gate, until a swarm of good reviews came gushing in. Through the vicious waves F'No was still hanging on tight, clinching his teeth, suddenly something crossed his mind. Night at the Museum 1.

Have to admit part 1 was really funny. Maybe coz the idea was pretty new. And I was still a boy. But the fact is, it was a really funny film and part 2 may have potential to follow its trails....just maybe... With a smile, F'No let go....

BTW, the movie. Had a few giggles but it wasn't up to par with part 1, but it wasn't horrible either thanks to Ben Stiller. Rent it.

Recent Films :: Coraline

Coraline
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6/10)


This movie was good. Er~, The graphics~, creativity~, characters~…mood~…...stop-motion~...
environment…..

...plot



To be honest I kinda slept through 1/3 of the movie coz I was too tired. The dark mood (with 3D sunglasses) just took me further away with the daze. So it would be a bit unfair for me to spill my thoughts on this one but “impression-wise”, it was pretty entertaining. Everything was just so creative. There were some parts that may be too harsh on little kids (I heard there were kids crying) but the detail and effort that went into this stop-motion film is incredible.

Props to that alone.

But comparing to Wolverine (See post below), the "when's this gonna end" meter was a bit higher so I'm just going to place this film a notch below.

Recent Films :: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7/10)


Had a soft spot for Wolverine ever since witnessing the X-Men series so I had high hopes for this movie. Everything was pretty smooth except a few things that bugged the slight inner perfectionist in me (which I will go on about later). First off I am no fan of any X-Men comics and I only know what's going on in their world through a screen so everything is first impression since the first X-Men film. It was good to finally see the origin of Wolverine and how he came to be (the man). I had no intentions to read the comics coz the original Wolverine is so different in yellow tights. That is the original in any X-Men fan but I only know the Wolverine from the film and that will be the only Wolverine I'll know, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. In this film Hugh Jackman's got this serious Man thing going on that'll turn any bloke gay if he's got a drop of homo in him. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is probably the reason why most of the people watched this film.

The plot was a bit predictable, the traditional hero type flick and the CG was actually a bit off this time. The CG environment and effects were all good. Modern, today type stuff. There's just something wrong with Wolverines claw that doesn't make sense in many ways. The before and after (for those who knows) and how it's really suppose to look like if those claws busted out from between your knuckles etc etc. Maybe that's what made it look fake but it's still cool though.


In X-Men, all their abilities had a meaning, or a specific role. Like...Storm can control weather, Cyclops can cremate you with a glare, you've got Iceman, a dude that plays with fire, etc etc. They're all backed up as being a 'mutant' and have a specific role but in Wolverine there were some characters that weren't quite clear in this area. They did show off what they can do but it's nothing near a specific type of power. Agent Zero, for example, can put a bullet between your eyes from a mile away and shoot against a 100 soldiers. So what's his power? Samurai boy can reject a hundred bullets with his sword. So what's his power? There's a few more left for you to find out but it was just weird.

Overall it was entertaining and some scenes were really good. Wolverine (Logan) is obviously the main attraction but the plot is not boring at all. There's a few messy parts but that's just me. All in all it's a pretty good flick to watch with your friends and talk about.

Recent Films :: Monsters vs Aliens

Monsters vs Aliens
★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (2/10)


■ Bad character design
■ Bad atmosphere
■ Bad plot
■ Bad transitions
■ Bad HUMOR

I don't know what went wrong. The fact that I didn't watch the 3D goggles version or if the theater at Tung Chung just sucked ass it was lame as hell. The jokes just didn't work. At all. Maybe it has something to do with the bad characters, I don't know, sometimes it's all about the character that makes everything funny. If anybody imitates David Letterman it may not be funny at all. But it's funny when Letterman does it. Imagine Christian Bale acting like a clown. That's how I felt throughout the whole movie.

1 star for hearing a few giggles from kids and 1 more because I'm generous.

Don't go. Wait for Pixar's "UP".

Recent Films :: Watchmen

Watchmen
★★★★★★★★★☆(9/10)

Gotta say I was pretty neutral when I walked into iMax. Was expecting the usual hero flick with red undies, kickass masks, kickass action and a hot chic. Instead I got blue cocks, cheesy costumes, a couple actions and a hot chic. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed EVERY minute of the movie. I was never bored through the whole 165 minutes, except near the end when I felt my ass was starting to soar and I wanted to stand up.

The reviews in Hong Kong were pretty 50/50. If you walk into the theater expecting X-men-like plots and action, you may be turned down. Way down, and I think that's the case for most of the negative reviews. There's a type of urge when watching a hero movie where you can't wait till the action starts, and let me warn you in Watchmen it is REALLY long. Considering the people in Hong Kong are typically impatient, it just won't work.


It worked perfectly fine for me because the art, visuals, design, production, editing, everything you see was made to near perfection in every minute. The approach to project "peace" was very unique for a hero flick and I have to admit I was betrayed many times (in a good way), which makes it that much more interesting to look forward to what's coming up next. If visuals and impact (and a twisted perspective) is a thing for you, I highly recommend to watch this in iMax.

Recent Films :: FEB.-MAR. mix

Yes Man
★★★★★★★★★☆(9/10)

One of Jim Carrey's best in a long time. Gotta give props to him. He still has it and it never gets old. Zooey Deschanel was very cute in the movie, which was a blind spot for me because I wasn't expecting anything from her at all. The CG was great actually, even if it doesn't look like any type of CG film. Really subtle and effective. Those are the ones that should be most credited for. I believe a lot of people don't even notice the CG that was used in certain scenes. Anyways, overall a unique and positive message to a majority of the spoiled world today, and I recommend it (on DVD, now..) to anyone, even if you don't like Jim Carrey.


Slumdog Millionaire
★★★★★★★★☆☆(8/10)

Like always, the people of Hong Kong order tickets, queue an unbelievably long line to save a seat for the current show, all hyped up for the film.

Because it swept the Academy Awards.

I have to say it was a very good film. Portraying a characters life through the Millionaire game isn't exactly genius but the background (India) and clever plot structuring really lit the whole movie out of the dark. It wouldn't be half as good if it was a story about a bloke in Japan, or Hong Kong, or New York I think you get it. The environment, casts, music, atmosphere, color themes and clever production all matched really well, creating a chemical reaction that will pull you in through out the whole movie, hell even after the movie. Just one thing I was concerned about is the "I can see you from a mile away" pattern through out the movie (I won't point out anything) but that may be a minor issue considering you may be deeply sucked into the movie by the time you realize it.

Recent Films :: JAN mix

崖の上のポニョ (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea)
★★★★☆(4/5)

There were mix reviews on this one, some disliking it because of the gap between previous Ghibli animations, or because the production was not hi-tech like previous ones. The fact is everybody is missing the point of perspective when viewing this animation. 1. The target audience is aimed at 5 year old kids. Not so universal is it. It's a waste of time to compare it to previous Ghibli classics. 2. The whole film is intentionally hand-drawn to step away from all the current CG animations. The feeling is quite unique, like reading a children's book. So just sit back and relax. Forget the comparisons and just watch the film with the target aim in mind. It was interesting trying to guess why the creators would do this, or that in various situations. And honestly the hand-drawn effects were jaw dropping at many points. Another classic I would say, just in a different perspective.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
★★★★☆(4/5)

One of the most anticipated films I wanted to watch recently. Mainly because of curiosity on how they pull off such a genius concept in 2.5 hours. And they did. Just watching Brad Pitt age backwards alone was worth the time, mainly. The story was the icing on the cake, including a unique packaging of special effects, with a elegant ribbon if I had to add. Very nicely executed. There's just one drawback for me, and I wouldn't dare mention it now for those who haven't watched the film yet. Let's just say....The origin to origin didn't really make sense. Otherwise it was a very good film, with A LOT of observation and detail put into.

Usavich Season 03 :: START!!

USAVICH Season 03-01(Ep.27) :: 1階


USAVICH

Kung Fu Panda :: Jack Black x Panda = Funny As Hell

★★★★★ (5/5)


The best animated film this year so far. Jack Black is Perfect!
Must See. (Right: Po behind my back.)

Production Art :: Courtesy of 2008 DreamWorks Animation LLC

----------
Next Target:
Batman - The Dark Knight
Wall・E

ウサビッチ :: USAVICH

For those of you who don't know Usavich. It's a CG short by Kanaban Graphics and it's been on a while already but it's been picking up buzz recently. I can't stop watching it it's really addictive with catchy BGM's that sync with the actions. Don't know how many times I've watched it but I still laugh out loud. ドMなオカマひよこってどんな発想だ！すごっ！

Episode :: 1 - 5

Check out Ep.1-5 first. If you like it watch the rest till 20 HERE.

Offical Website :: www.usavich.tv