Mirror Mirror

 Released Year: 2012

Directed by Tarsem Singh

Casted by:

Julia Roberts as Queen Clementianna

Lily Collins as Snow White

Armie Hammer as Prince Andrew Alcott

Nathan Lane as Brighton
Sean Bean as The King

 Story:

 The film opens with the Evil Queen telling the story of Snow White. Snow White's mother died after giving birth to her. Her father, the King, then raised Snow White so that she could rule the kingdom one day but after a while married again. One day, he left for the forest leaving Snow White his favorite dagger and never came back. 

The now 18-year-old Snow White is shown on the day of her birthday. The Queen does not care for her but Snow White is still loved by the staff. Snow White then goes outside to visit the town. Along the way, she meets Prince Alcott and his servant who have been robbed by bandits (the seven dwarfs). She and the Prince are then drawn to each other. She then goes to the town to see it cold and barren due to the Queen. She then decides to help the kingdom. The Queen meets the Prince and tries to get him to marry her so she can solve her financial problems. She then hosts a ball in honor of the Prince. Snow White, who is dressed as a swan, meets the Prince, who is dressed as a rabbit. The Prince while dancing Snow White makes sure that he stays by her side which the Queen notices. When the Queen finds out the Prince's partner is Snow White, she orders her manservant, Brighton to take Snow White into the forest and kill her and bring back proof. Brighton takes Snow White to the forest but is unable to kill her. 

Meanwhile, the Queen goes to her Magic Mirror, which is actually a portal to a house that contains the actual Mirror who is revealed to be a reflection of the Queen. The Queen then requests for a love potion so she can make the Prince fall for her. Back in the forest, Snow White wakes up to find herself to be surrounded by the 7 dwarfs (Grimm, Butcher, Wolf, Napoleon, Half Pint, Grub, Chuckles). They agree to her request to let her stay for one more night. The dwarfs then go out and rob Brighton, who was sent to collect taxes for the Queen. When Snow White finds out they stole the people's money, she goes to return it. The townspeople are overjoyed to have their money back and Snow White lets the dwarfs take credit for it. After that, they teach Snow White how to become one of them. 

Meanwhile, Brighton has convinced the Queen that Snow White is dead. When the Prince finds out that the bandits have robbed Brighton, he goes after them only to discover that the bandits' leader is Snow White. When the Queen finds out about this, she asks the mirror to turn Brighton into a cockroach as punishment for lying to her. She also uses a potion to make the Prince fall in love with her with humorous results (she actually used a potion called Puppy Love which causes the Prince to act like a devoted puppy dog). Although the effects of the potion were wrong, the Prince still agrees to marry her. When Snow White finds out about the wedding, she is heartbroken. Elsewhere, the Mirror uses puppets to try and kill Snow White and the dwarfs. Although Snow White is able to cut the strings of the puppets, she decides to run away. The next morning, the dwarfs find her gone and discover a note she left them telling them she loves them all. They then go outside and find that Snow White is still there. The dwarfs are able to cheer her up and they decide to crash the wedding of the Queen and the Prince. When the Queen arrives, she finds the Prince gone and the guests in their underwear. They then inform the Queen that Snow White has captured the Prince. The Prince (still under the spell) wishes to be with the Queen. The dwarfs and Snow White deduce he is under a spell. They try to break it through various yet humorous ways. They then finally come to the conclusion that to break the spell, they have to use true love's kiss. Napoleon then helps Snow White get ready to kiss him. When she does, the spell is broken. 

Later, the Queen finds Snow White and reveals that she can control the Beast (the one that plagues the forest). Snow White fights the Beast, with help from the dwarfs and the Prince. She later sees a necklace with a moon charm on it (similar to the one the Queen wears). She removes it from the Beast which causes the Queen to age (the price she has to pay for using magic which is her beauty). The Beast turns out to be Snow White's father who is reunited with her. He then conducts the marriage of Snow White and Prince Alcott. After which, she becomes the ruler of the kingdom. During the celebration, a hooded figure shows up and gives Snow White an apple. It is actually the Queen. Snow White then cuts a piece for her and remarks it's time to accept the fact that she lost. 

After that, the Magic Mirror says "It was Snow White's story after all" after which the Mirror and its home is destroyed. The film ends with Snow White singing "I Believe in Love" in Bollywood style.

 L² Scored: 6.5/10

L² Comment:

 Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? This is the most favorites sentence in Snow White animation. Now Tarsem singh is using this Mirror Mirror as the title of this movie. Similar with "Enchanted", which copying the sleeping beauty, Mirror mirror twist the story of the Snow White. But sad to say that, its not special enough and not really that funny.

Of course Julia Roberts is undeniably gorgeous and nice, but the rest is so call "ok" for me only. But all of their clothing/gowns are fabulously incredible, maybe winning a "Best Costume" for this movie is not a problem. But others, i don;t think so~

Lucky Numbers

 Released Year: 2000

Directed by Nora Ephron

Casted by:

John Travolta as Russ Richards
Lisa Kudrow as Crystal Latroy
Tim Roth as Gig
Ed O'Neill as Dick Simmons

 Story:

 Russ Richards, the weatherman for a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania television station, is revered as a local celebrity by his viewers, and fame affords him such perks as a reserved parking spot and his own booth at Denny's, where an omelet bears his name. His eternally optimistic demeanor conceals the fact his snowmobile dealership is on the verge of bankruptcy due to an unusually warm winter.

His friend Gig, a shady strip club owner, suggests an insurance scam will free Russ of his financial problems, but when the scheme fails to pay off, Russ finds himself even deeper in debt and the target of a hitman named Dale. Gig then proposes Russ rig the Pennsylvania Lottery with the help of his amoral girlfriend Crystal Latroy, a ditzy model who pulls and announces the winning numbers on television, and her oddball cousin Walter, who will pose as the owner of the lucky ticket.

Their plan works, but before the $6.4 million jackpot can be claimed, everything begins to unravel. Sleazy station manager Dick Simmons, who also is sleeping with Crystal, tries to blackmail her and Russ when he discovers what they have done, and others who have uncovered what appears to be the worst kept secret in town demand their share as well. Mayhem and murder ensue, prompting lazy detectives Lakewood and Chambers to initiate an investigation they hope will not be too taxing.

L² Scored: 6/10

L² Comment:

Ok, even though they call this a comedy film, but i'm not gonna agree with them. So instead of comedy, i define it as a crime film even though Lisa Kudrow is in it. The whole story is about how Travolta try to cheat the lottery company with the help of Kudrow. After that they has been betraying each other and murder those who know about it.

Lisa Kudrow of course was in her fittest moment during 2000 because she was in "Friends" sitcom; Travolta in another hand look fat and ugly. I don't know why he wanna portrait as a womanizer, but i don't even find him good looking at all~

John Carter

 Released Year: 2012

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Casted by:
Taylor Kitsch as John Carter
Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris
Samantha Morton as Sola
Willem Dafoe as Tars Tarkas
Mark Strong as Matai Shang
Ciarán Hinds as Tardos Mors
Dominic West as Sab Than

Story:

After a brief introduction establishing that Mars is not a "dead planet", but rather a dying one inhabited by warring civilizations with great airships, the film begins in 1881 with news of the sudden death in Richmond, Virginia, of John Carter, a former Confederate Army cavalry officer, who has become an eccentric and wealthy scholar-adventurer. The arrival of his nephew Edgar "Ned" Rice Burroughs at his "Uncle Jack's" funeral reveals that, in accordance with his own instructions, Carter's body has been put in a mausoleum, which can only be unlocked from the inside. The estate's attorney hands over Carter's personal journal for Ned to read, in the hope that he may discover the reason for Carter's strange behavior and death.

The film flashes back to 1868 and to the Arizona Territory, where Carter is prospecting for gold and having violent encounters with both the 7th Cavalry and the local Apache Indians. After fleeing from both, he shelters in a cave with Colonel Powell, one of his pursuers, and discovers a large quantity of gold. A strange figure (later revealed to be a White Martian Thern) suddenly materializes in the cave; Carter kills him and, due to the stranger's medallion, is inadvertently teleported to Barsoom (Mars). There, due to his high bone density and the planet's low gravity, Carter is able to jump fantastically high and throw killer punches. He is soon captured, however, by the giant, four-armed Green Martian Tharks under the rule of Jeddak (King) Tars Tarkas.

Elsewhere on Barsoom, the Red Martian cities of Helium and Zodanga have been at war for a thousand years. Sab Than, Jeddak of Zodanga, is now armed with a special weapon (the "Ninth Ray") given to him by the Therns, and proposes a cease-fire and an end to the war by marrying the Princess of Helium Dejah Thoris. The defiant Princess escapes and is rescued by Carter. Carter, Dejah and Tarkas's secret daughter Sola embark on a quest descending the sacred River Iss to find a way for Carter to return home. There they find information about the Ninth Ray, the medallion, and the process by which the Therns teleport ("telegraph") from planet to planet, but they are attacked by the Thern leader Matai Shang and his minions, the Green Martians of Warhoon. After the attack, Carter is captured and taken back with Dejah, while Sola is able to escape. Dejah grudgingly agrees to marry Sab Than, then gives Carter his medallion and tells him to go back to "Jarsoom" (Earth). Carter decides to stay back and is now captured by the shape-shifting Shang, who tells him about the secret purposes of the god-like Therns and their age-old manipulations of the histories of civilizations on different planets. Carter is able to make yet another escape, and he and Sola go back to the Tharks and ask for their help. There they come to know that Tarkas has been overthrown as Jeddak by the vicious Tal Hajus. Tarkas, Carter, and Sola are subjected to a gladiatorial contest with two gigantic white Martian apes. After defeating them and killing Hajus, Carter is acclaimed leader of the Tharks. A vast Thark army, with Carter at its head, advances on Zodanga, then on Helium, and defeats the Zodangian army, killing Sab Than. Carter then marries Dejah himself and becomes Jeddak of Helium. That night, Carter decides to stay forever on Mars and throws away his medallion. Seizing this opportunity, Shang re-emerges from hiding and banishes him to Earth.

Resuming the original framing story, it is revealed that Carter has undertaken a ten year long quest, looking for clues of the Therns' presence on Earth and hoping to find another medallion. His sudden "death" and unusual funeral arrangements would seem to indicate that he has succeeded and returned to Barsoom, leaving his "Earth body" in a coma-like state. His presence on Mars was via a sort of virtual body, and the death of his Earth body would end his life on both planets. He has made Ned his protector, giving him clues about how to open the mausoleum. Ned now hastens to the mausoleum, opens it, but finds no body. He has been covertly stalked by a Thern. As the would-be assassin prepares to strike, Carter suddenly reappears and kills him. Carter discloses to Ned that he never found any medallion, but instead laid a clever trap for a Thern. Carter now takes the Thern's medallion, invokes the necessary code words, and is instantly teleported to Mars, to resume his Barsoomian life with Dejah.

L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment:

Well, the trailer is definitely better than the movie. John Carter is a series of novel from Edgar Rice Burroughs in between 1912-1943. A very very old novel which i never read before, but i believe it should be good during that time. But i wonder why nobody ever film this great novel until now. 

The thing that i not really like is the pace of the movie, it has been dragy and slow. I think it would be better if the production spice up the story and create the climate more than this. Other than this, Lynn Collins is very hot, i'm going to search for her other series/movies :)

The Lady Iron Chef 美女食神

Released Year: 2007

Directed by  鍾少雄 XiuHong Zhong

Casted by:

佘詩曼 Charmaine Sheh as 蕭阿詩 (木咀詩) Shi

李克勤 Hackkan Lee as 杜樹堅 SK

元秋 Yuen Qiu as 林青霞 Xia

鄭希怡 Yumiko Cheng as 蕭阿詩好友 May
 劉洋 Liu Yang as 米玉瑩 Ying
 王晶 Wang Jing as 瀟洒哥 Xiu
李思蓓 Zuki Lee as 瑪麗蓮 Marilyn
 黃文慧 Bonnie Wong as 杜太 Mrs To
張達明 Tat Ming Cheung as 杜漢安 H2O

 Story:

 SK is a rich guy and was always protected by his mother. One day he was kidnapped but was safe by Shi and her father Xiu. Xiu was eyeing at SK's property while Shi really love SK. Mrs To discovered their relationship and inform Shi that if she was able to win Ying on her cooking, she will let them get together.

Xiu brought Shi to learn cooking technique from Xia, Xiu's ex girlfriend, who is a famous chef now. Shi returned later to challenge Ying and finally won the challenge. SK & Shi was happily ever after.

L² Scored: 3/10

L² Comment:

This is such a stupid show, no meaning and not funny.The acting of every actors & actresses are bad, including Charmaine, Hackkan, YuenQiu & Wang Jing. The 3 marks i gave is for Bonnie Wong who at least know how to act in this movie...

A Simple Life 桃姐

 Released Year: 2011

Directed by 許鞍華 Ann Hui

Casted by:

劉德華 Andy Lau as 梁罗杰 Roger
葉德嫻 Deanie Ip as 钟春桃 Tou

王馥荔 Wang Fuli as Roger的母亲 Roger's mother
秦海璐 Qin HaiLu as 蔡姑娘 Ms Choi
秦沛 Paul Chun as 堅叔 Kin

 Story:

 The movie reveals the whole life of Tou Jie who work as a servant for the family Leong. Tou jie is now service her young master Roger who work as a movie director. But Tou jie suffer from shocked and forced to send to hospital. After her hospitalize, she was sent to live in the old folks house. 

The whole movie is about the life of tou Jie living in the old folks home and the way she see how other old people pass away under the care of Ms Choi. In this period, Tou Jie has build and show her reliable and relationship with Roger.

In the end, Tou Jie passed away after having another shock.

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

The whole movie is still ok, but the pace is a bit slow. The best part will be Deanie's acting, Andy Lau is very good too. Deanie Jie has show us she is good enough to won multiples best actress in a lot of awards~

Homerun 跑吧！孩子

Released Year: 2003
Directed by 梁智强 Jack Neo

Casted by:
李创锐 Shawn Lee as 周杰坤 Kun
郑智允 Megan Zheng as 周小芳 Fang
Story:

In 1965, two poor Singaporean children, Chew Kiat Kun and his younger sister Seow Fang live with their mother who is late in her third pregnancy and their father who is in debt to a local rice merchant. The children make the best of what little they have, while their father works long hours doing odd jobs.

The family's problems are compounded when Kiat Kun accidentally loses Seow Fang's only pair of shoes after taking them to be repaired. The children conduct a frantic search but find nothing; a karung guni man had claimed the shoes as unwanted rubbish. The Chew siblings are frustrated by the situation until their father inspires Kiat Kun to share his shoes with his sister, trading off between classes so they can both attend school. Unfortunately, this plan brings additional problems: Seow Fang is chastised for wearing oversized shoes to school, while Kiat Kun is repeatedly late as he must wait for his sister to exchange shoes with him.

At school, a wealthy schoolmate of Kiat Kun's named Tan Beng Soon runs a football team with his friends. Kiat Kun and his friends strike a bargain with Beng Soon to play on the team using the other boys' football shoes, in exchange for helping them cheat on their homework. However, the boys quarrel, causing an angry Beng Soon to renege on the deal and remove Kiat Kun and his friends from the team. Without their assistance, Beng Soon and his friends are punished for producing substandard homework. Although the boys try to resolve their differences, they eventually give up on reaching an agreement. Beng Soon's grades continue to fall, and his parents decide to send him away to study in England.

Meanwhile, Seow Fang sees her classmate wearing her lost shoes to school. She and Kiat Kun follow the girl home, but after realising her father is blind and that the family lived in the slums, they decide not to reclaim the shoes. However, a few days later, Seow Fang notices that her classmate is wearing a new pair; upon confronting her, she discovers that the girl has discarded the old pair at the kampung rubbish dump. The Chew siblings frantically search the rubbish dump for her shoes, but only discover them as they are destroyed during a trade unionist riot.

Kiat Kun is dejected until he learns that the third prize in the 1965 National Primary School Cross Country Competition is a pair of shoes. Because he was sick on the day his school selected representatives for the race, he pleads with his P.E. teacher to let him enter. The teacher, initially reluctant, relents when Kiat Kun rushes to get his cough medicine, demonstrating his running ability. As the competition begins, Kiat Kun notices that Beng Soon is also participating.

Once the starting gun fires, Kiat Kun pushes himself to the limit and eventually establishes himself among the lead runners. Kiat Kun appears assured of third place, but unexpectedly trips over a stone and thus finishes first. Beng Soon ends the race in third place. While Kiat Kun is running, Mrs Chew goes into labour, forcing Seow Fang to run across a long path littered with broken glass to find a midwife. Finally, Mrs Chew gives birth to a baby boy and Beng Soon gives Kiat Kun and Seow Fang new pairs of shoes before departing.

L² Scored: 9/10

L² Comment:

Avery touching story revealing the love between siblings and how the poor are living... Megan Zheng who is on her age 10 at 2003, has won the Best New Artist in Golden Horse Award. But too bad, she was no more in the acting world after 2005, or else i bet Singapore will have an outstanding actress now.

Enter The Phoenix 大佬愛美麗

Released Year: 2004
Directed by 冯德伦 Stephen Fung

Casted by:
吳彥祖 Daniel Wu as 洪志傑 Georgie
陳奕迅 Eason Chan as Sam
莫文蔚 Karen Mok as Julie
杜汶澤 Chapman To as 潘中堅 Kin
馮德倫 Stephen Fung as 鄭秋 Chow
羅家英 Law Kar Ying as 潘八 Master Eight
Story:

When gang master Hung died, his two followers Cheung and Chapman To were sent to Thailand to look for his son, Georgie Hung, to succeed him. Georgie, who is gay and lives as a cook with his boyfriend Frankie, is uninterested to continue his father's work. But his close friend Sam, adored the life of a gangster and took his position instead. Sam and Georgie thus returned to Hong Kong with their identities swapped.

Upon returning, they discovered that Hung had accidentally killed Cheng Chow's father and now Cheng Chow, a leading gangster of a friendly gang, led by Chan Wai-Man, is looking to avenge for his father's death. Meanwhile, Chan Wai-Man wanted to let his daughter Julie to marry Sam in order to strengthen the bond between the two gangs. Sam initially agrees but later changed his mind when he discovered that Julie is not in love with him.

Finally, Cheng Chow kidnapped both Julie and Sam and forced Georgie to lead his gang on a rescue mission. Georgie, with help from Julie and Sam, defeated Cheng Chow in the final battle and told him to accept the fact that his father's death was an accident. Then Cheng Chow saved Georgie when one of his men tried to take his life. Julie and Sam fell in love during the kidnapping and decided to get married while Sam and Georgie took joint leadership of the gang.

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

This is kinda funny but not too exciting. The storyline is predictable and the laughing point is not strong enough. Eason Chan, Chapman To & Law Kar Ying's acting is good, but Stephen Fung & Daniel Wu's are kinda bad actually. And Karen Mok is just a vase on the side~

The only surprise is the cameo appearance of Jackie Chan, Sammi Cheng & Nicholas Tse.