Inkheart

 Released Year: 2008

Directed by Iain Softley

Casted by:

Brendan Fraser as Mortimer "Mo" Folchart

Eliza Bennett as Meggie Folchart

Paul Bettany as Dustfinger

Andy Serkis as Capricorn

Helen Mirren as Elinor Loredan

Rafi Gavron as Farid

Jim Broadbent as Fenoglio

Sienna Guillory as Teresa "Resa" Folchart

 Story:

One evening, whilst Mortimer "Mo" Folchart and his wife Teresa "Resa" Folchart are reading the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" to their baby daughter Meggie, a red velvet hood appears out of nowhere. Several years later, a much older Meggie travels with her father Mo to visit an old book shop in Italy, unaware that he secretly looking for a copy of the book, Inkheart. Shortly after finding one, Meggie comes across a marten with horns outside the shop, who tries to bite her fingers. Suddenly, a man appears from the shadows, claiming to be an old friend while revealing the marten's name as Gwin. When Mo comes out of the book shop, he quickly recognizes the man as a person called Dustfinger, whom quickly asks to be read back into the book, only for Mo to flees with Meggie from him.

Travelling across Italy, Mo takes Meggie on a visit to Meggie's great aunt Elinor, whereupon he reveals to Meggie why he fled from Dustfinger. While she was young, Mo read to her from Inkheart, inadvertently freeing Dustfinger as a result, due to a gift he possessed from birth, that marks him as a "Silver Tongue". Unfortunately, his gift also freed the book's villain Capricorn and several of his henchman, but at the same time, losing Resa after being forced to flee with his infant daughter. Soon, Dustfinger reappears seeking Mo, accompanied by Capricorn's minion, Basta, who quickly captures Mo and his family and takes back Inkheart, destroying Elinor's valuable library in the process.

The four are taken to Capricorn's new castle in the real world, and imprisoned in the stables, which house various creatures from different storybooks, including the winged monkeys from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the minotaur from the story of Theseus, and a unicorn. During their imprisonment, Mo explains to Meggie and Elinor about his gift, stating that when he reads a person or an object out of a book, someone from the real world is sent into it, hence why his wife disappeared. Capricorn, interested in using his gift, forces Mo to read out items from books, causing him to get a stash of treasure from one of the stories in The Arabian Nights, while causing one of the 40 Thieves, named Farid, to be brought out as well and forced into imprisonment. Dustfinger, who believed he could get his chance to return into the book, quickly learns Capricorn tricked him, and so prompts a quick escape using the famous tornado from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; during the escape, he opts not to tell Mo that his wife Resa is in the village, but has lost her voice.

Following their escape, Meggie offers the idea of finding the author of Inkheart, a man named Fenoglio, who may have access to a copy of the rare-to-find book. Whilst Elinor decides to leave them to recover what is left of her book collection, the rest head for the author's location, with Dustfinger initially staying with Farid to teach him to juggle fire, yet secretly afraid of learning his fate in the book. When he does travel with Mo to find and meet with Fenoglio, the author's ecstatic mood, upon seeing his creation live and breath before him, causes Dustfinger to discover that his efforts to save Gwin at the end of the book brings about his death. Angry, he berates the author for not being his god and that he has the freedom to chose whatever fate he wants, before eventually confessing to Mo, who Resa is in the book, that his wife was in Capricorn's castle.

Both he and Mo take Fenoglio's car, leaving Meggie behind with the author, where during the journey, they quickly discover that Farid had stowed away in the car's trunk, and take him along at his insistence. Whilst away, Meggie begins reading a number of books out loud, and discovers she is a "Silver Tongue" herself, just before Basta arrives with men to capture Mo. Upon learning that she can read things out of books, after the author notices she brought Toto from the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Basta takes her and Fenoglio back to Capricorn. Elinor, who has a change of heart and does not take the train back to her home, returns to the author's home and quickly senses trouble, pursuing the captured pair. At the castle, Capricorn reveals to Meggie his intentions of bringing the monstrous Shadow from Inkheart, revealing that, although he burned all the copies, he spared one for such a purpose, threatening to harm her mother if she fails to comply. During this time, Mo sneaks into the castle, but is captured by Capricorn's henchmen.

After escaping his cell, Mo attempts to free Meggie, Resa and Fenoglio from imprisonment, as Capricorn forces Meggie to read out the Shadow from the book. Meanwhile, Dustfinger sneaks back into the castle with Farid and decide to set it alight, after his conscience gets the better of him. The distraction this causes allows Fenoglio to give Toto a rewrite he made to help Meggie stop Capricorn's plan. The plan partly works until Capricorn gains the upper hand. Just then, Elinor arrives with the creatures Capricorn imprisoned, giving Mo the opportunity to quickly throw his daughter a pen, allowing her to write out a story on her arm to combat Capricorn's plan. Meggie quickly reads out her creation, which causes Capricorn to turn into dust, vanishes his henchmen, destroys the Shadow, and return all the read out creatures back where they belong, including Toto. In addition, she grants Fenoglio's wish, and send him into Inkheart to live in the world he created, while restoring her mother's voice, allowing her and Mo to finally reunite with her, before fleeing as the castle collapses.

Shortly afterwards, Dustfinger, having missed his chance for Meggie to read him back into his book, decides to leave, not wishing to force Mo and his family to do anything without risking their happiness. As he does, Farid catches up with insisting on travelling with him to find another reader to send him back into the copy of Inkheart he had stolen before the castle collapsed. After a moment's hesitation, Dustfinger agrees and the two start off together only to have Mo catch them up and fulfill his promise. Dustfinger is soon transported safely back into Inkheart, where he reunites with his wife Roxane at their home. In the real world, Farid quickly reveals he kept Gwin with him, thus allowing Dustfinger to avoid his fate and have control over his destiny. As Mo and his family leave with Farid, Meggie agrees to teach him how to read while Farid agrees to teach her how to use the dragon breath.

 L² Scored: 9/10

L² Comment: 

Till now I still have not find the novel of Inkheart which was written by Cornelia Funke. Not sure how originally the movie follows the novel, but definitely its a very exciting movie and full of fantasy. Brendan  Fraser always give me a dreamy kind of image. His character is usually brighter whenever he was in this kind of fantasy movie... Overall the movie is quite good, how i wish i can find the novel in Big Bad Wolf lol~

Journey to the Center of the Earth 2008

 Released Year: 2008

Directed by Eric Brevig

Casted by:

Brendan Fraser as Prof. Trevor 'Trev' Anderson

Josh Hutcherson as Sean Anderson

Anita Briem as Hannah Ásgeirsson

 Story:

In the opening scene, Max Anderson is being pursued by a dinosaur, a Giganotosaurus. Max then comes across a fissure vent. When he tries to jump across, he falls to his death while calling out the name of his brother. Ten years later, Max's brother volcanologist Trevor Anderson is visited by Max's son/Trevor's 13-year-old nephew Sean Anderson. In a box of items that belonged to Max is a book, Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Notes written by Max are found inside the book.

In Trevor's volcanology laboratory, a device shows activity on Snæfell, a dormant volcano in Iceland. Trevor and Sean travel to Iceland to investigate. They try to contact Icelandic volcanologist Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson, but instead encounter his daughter Hannah Ásgeirsson, her father having died some years earlier.[3] It turns out that Sigurbjörn and Max were both Vernians, a group of people who believe the works of Jules Verne to be fact, not fiction.

Hannah offers to help them climb the volcano. While the group is hiking up the volcano, a lightning storm forces them to take shelter in a cave. The cave entrance collapses, leaving them trapped in what appears to be an abandoned mine. They reach the bottom of a volcanic vent, the floor of the vent breaks, and they begin to fall towards the center of the Earth. The volcanic vent eventually becomes a water slide which drops them safely into a lake in the center of the Earth, which turns out to be a completely separate world contained within the Earth. Hannah is seen sinking because her pack was too heavy. She's later saved by Trevor.

The group starts seeking a way back to the surface. Along the way, they find evidence that someone had been there a hundred years ago. Trevor remarks that some instruments found are Lidenbrock's (the name of a character in Jules Verne's book Journey to the Center of the Earth). This suggests that another group had previously made the journey, somehow returned to the surface and recounted the tale of their adventure to Verne. They find some of Max's things as well.

While Trevor and Sean are examining what they've found, Hannah discovers Max's body. They bury Max on the beach of the underground ocean and Trevor reads a letter to Sean found in Max's journal. Trevor discovers that his brother died due to dehydration because of hot magma surrounding the center of the Earth.

Using information from Max's journal, Trevor determines that they must find a geyser that can send them to the surface before the temperature rises to 200 °F (about 93 °C). Further, they must reach the geyser within 48 hours or the water for the geyser will have evaporated. They build a raft and begin crossing the underground ocean, but soon encounter a pack of Xiphactinus. They use makeshift clubs to bat them away, then a shoal of Elasmosaurus attacks the Xiphactinus. The raft's sail becomes loose. Sean tries to hold on, but is blown away and separated from the two adults.

A little bird guides Sean towards the river. Meanwhile, Trevor and Hannah decide to take a rest, but are attacked by carnivorous plants. Hannah is captured and being strangled by the plants. Trevor defeats the plant that is holding Hannah by the neck, and they continue towards the geyser.

When they arrive at the river Trevor calls out to Sean but gets no response. Trevor says he is going to look for Sean, but tells Hannah she should continue on to the geyser and save herself. Meanwhile, Sean has entered an arid, bone-filled land. He hears roars, looks up and sees a Giganotosaurus coming after him. Trevor saves him. When they get to a river, they find Hannah sailing a boat fashioned from a Giganotosaurus skull. They sail to a volcano with magma rising in its crater. They are too late; the water needed for the geyser has evaporated.

Sean notices that the crater walls are wet. Trevor hears water flowing on the other side of the walls and sees that the crater walls contain magnesium. After Trevor uses a flare to ignite the magnesium, a geyser shoots them up and out of the Center of the Earth. They emerge in Italy from Mount Vesuvius. When they fall, they accidentally destroy a vineyard. To make amends, Sean gives the owner a diamond that he found while in the Center of the Earth. Trevor sees that Sean has many more diamonds in his backpack. Trevor later uses them to fund his late brother's laboratory.

During the adventure, Hannah and Trevor gradually become closer and eventually share a kiss. After the adventure, Sean visits Trevor and Hannah in their new home purchased using some of the diamonds Sean took from the cave. Trevor hands Sean a book about another strange land, Atlantis: The Antediluvian World by Ignatius L. Donnelly, and suggests they get together during Sean's Christmas break. Sean reveals that he has brought the little bird back from the center of the Earth to keep as a pet. However, the bird flies away ending the movie.

  L² Scored: 9/10 

L² Comment:

I always think that this movie is much more fun and excited to watch than the Journey 2, which was lead by Dwayne Johnson and Josh Hutcherson as well. Its not because of Brendan Fraser, but overall the storyline was very interesting and kinda new for me... even though this is not the first time they shot this movie (same name with the fiction).

The Mummy Returns

Released Year: 2001
Directed by Stephen Sommers

Casted by:
Brendan Fraser as Rick O'Connell
Rachel Weisz as Evelyn Canarhan / Princess Nefertiri
Freddie Boath as Alex O'Connell
Arnold Vosloo as Imhotep
Patricia Velasquez as Meela Nais / Anck-su-Namun
Dwyane Johnson as The Scorpion King
Story:

The Scorpion King is losing his war and one by one the army died on the desert of Ahm Shere. To survive, The Scorpion King swore an oath to the God of the underworld, Anubis, in exchanging his soul for the power to defeat his enemies. Anubis granted the wish and created an oasis to hide the Scorpion King pyramid and provided the army of Anubis to exact his revenge. But when the war is won, Anubis claimed the Scorpion King's soul.

5000 years later in 1933, the O'Connell family is exploring the pyramid and found the bracelet of Anubis. When they went back to London, Alex put on the bracelet and provided him the direction to oasis of Ahm Shere. Alex has only 7 days to reach the oasis before the sun rise on the 8th day, or else he will be burn to death. But Alex was caught by Imhotep, the high priest who knows black magic with Meela Nais, his reincarnation lover, Anck-su-namun. Rick and Evelyn together with Ardeth Bay, Jonathan and Izzy came to rescue by a gas-balloon.

Cleverly, Alex has been leaving clues for his parents where the bad guys are bringing him. During the journey, Evelyn has been having a lot of vision and found out her past life. Evelyn was the daughter of Pharoah Seti I, Princess Nefertiri and the protector of the bracelet while Rick is a Medjai who protect the princess. While Imhotep is the high priest who has an affair with Anck-su-namun, the woman of the pharoah. When the affair was found, Imhotep killed the pharoah with spears of Osiris. Princess Nefertiri has always been fighting with Anck-su-namun to get the attention of pharoah, she was sad about the death of his father. In the meanwhile, Imhotep has summon and brought back Anck-su-namun's soul back into Meela's body.

While they are in oasis, mummified pygmies attacked and Rick managed to get Alex away from the bad guys. While rushing before the sunrise, Rick managed to bring Alex into the pyramid just in time and get rid off the bracelet. But Meela appeared and stab Evelyn to death. Rick race after Imhotep and Meela into the pyramid leaving Alex and Jonathan with Evelyn's death body. Alex discover that Meela has the death book which can summons the dead to alive again, so both Jonathan and Alex race into the pyramid as well.

Imhotep loss his magic power when he enter the pyramid and has to fought like mortal. The Scorpion King was called to alive and his army of Anubis appeared in the dessert again, fighting with Ardeth's armies. In the meanwhile, Alex managed to get the death book and summons Evelyn back to life. Evelyn faught against Meela and won this time. A half human-scorpion Scorpion King appeared and fought with Rick but was killed by Rick with the spear of Osiris which has been carrying along by Jonathan.

The Scorpion King was killed, and the pyramid is about to collapsed. Both Rick and Imhotep hold on the edge of the hell crack. Evelyn risked her life to safe Rick while Anck-su-namun ran away leaving Imhotep alone. Feeling sad and dissapointed, Imhotep let go of himself to drop into the hell. While running out, Meela accidentally drop into the pool of scorpion and was swallow alife. The pyramid has been sucking everything in from the oasis. The gang climb out and reach the top of the pyramid and luckily get hop onto the gas balloon and ran away.

Finally, everything on the oasis is gone and remain as desert again.

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

Watched this few years ago, was amaze by how great the movie is. But you know, some movies might make the big hoo-haa during the cinema time, but after a few years when u watch it again, its kinda like so so only... and i found it quite stupid in some of the scene.

Rachel Weisz was so dumb and acted badly back then, just a pretty face and that's all. And i don't understand why i fancy so much about Brendan Fraser at those time, he looks so silly~ lolz... The whole movie is quite ok, i should not say its bad, but definitely not as good as the first movie and the mummy 3.

Crash

Released Year: 2004
Directed by Paul Haggis

Casted by:
Don Cheadle as Graham Waters
Matt Dillon as John Ryan
Ryan Phillippe as Tommy Hansen
Terrence Howard as Cameron Thayer
Brendan Fraser as Rick Cabot
Thandie Newton as Christine Thayer
Sandra Bullock as Jean Cabot
Story:

In the city of Los Angeles, all these characters life are related to one and another of their life. The story will start with 2 black youngster Anthony and Peter Waters complaining how the restaurant mistreat them because they are black. Just when they saw Rick and Jean, the white couple, the 2 black youngster rob them and took their car away.

Rick is a district attorney who manipulates racial politics in order to further his career. He tried to blackmail Detective Graham Waters so that he will not loss the support from the black community in the coming election. But Rick wife's Jean is super-duper racitst white woman, who does not wanna give herself in this and even scold her Hispanic maid, Maria and a mexican locksmith who came to fix their door.

In another hand, a persian shop owner went to buy a gun with his daughter to protect his shop and family. But due to his selfishness, he refuse to change the door as advice by the mexican locksmith. In the end, the shop was rob and no insurance coverage on his loss.

Tommy and John are 2 policeman who is on duty and found out a black couple is having oral sex on a highway. This black couples is Cameron and Christine. John sexually molests Christine under the pretense of searching for a weapon. Cameron did not do anything but just beg to let them go. Christine was frustrated towards her husband respond as Cameron is a tv cast producer who has been trying so hard to fit into the whiteman society.

Graham Waters is frustrated with his mother of keep on urging him to find his younger brother Peter who ran away from home. He pissed off his latino girlfriend, Ria when he answered on phone during sex. He later went to visit his mum but still not really put his effort to find his brother. In the meanwhile, Tommy cannot stand with John for his behavior and ask to on duty alone. John is happily work with his new partner when he saw an accident. John went for the help and Christine is the victim. The car almost explode and John finally persuade Christine to let him do the rescue and both of them are save.

In another hand, Cameron was rob by Anthony and Peter but he beat Peter off his car and crazily fought with Anthony in his car. Policy came for arrest and Tommy was there. To protect his own black people, Cameron finally dare to stand up and protest for his black society. While Tommy was driving back, he met Peter who is hitch-hiking. He tought Peter wanna rob him and accidentally shot him to death.

The persian owner was not happy that his shop was rob and went looking for the mexican locksmith with the gun he bought. He shot the locksmith but the mexican's daughter rush up and hug her dad. But luckily, the Persian's daughter did not buy the real bullet for him. Persian owner regret on his behavior and went back home. As for Jean, she falled from the stairs and called her best friend to help, but the best friend claim that she's busying doing her nails and is not free. Only the hispanic maid came for help. Finally Jean realised her own racists mind is not correct.

As for Graham, he finally found his brother's dead body. The mother will not forgive him.

L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

One word, wow~ Love the way how the story presented. All the actors and actresses are A class :) Especially Don Cheadle. The whole film mainly talk about the discrimination of races and the change of their thoughts, very nice and real. Kinda heavy though. But i would not miss this nice film. Oscar best film in 2005 which beat down the Brokeback Mountain.