Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The Magnificent Scoundrels 情聖

Released Year: 1991
Directed by 李力持 Lik Chi-Lee

Casted by:
周星馳 Stephen Chow as 程勝 Shen / Jackie
毛舜筠 Teresa Mo as 葉圓 Yuan
午馬 Wu Ma as 周潤發 Fatt
葉子楣 Amy Yip as Apple
恬妞 Tanny Tian Niu as 阿萍 Ping
元華 Yuan Hua as 貴利王之兄 Gui Li's brother
張耀揚 Roy Cheong as 貴利王 Gui Li
麥嘉 Karl Maka as 程勝之師 Shen's master
Story:
Shen is a mediocre con artist and learn all his trick from his master. He met Yuan and was drag into a deal with Gui Li to pay back Yuan's debt. In another hand, Fatt have plastic surgery but still get caught by Gui Li for owning his debt. Therefore Fatt decided to cheat all the valuable antique for Gui Li.

During Fatt stealing events, he overheard a phone call mentioning that a rich heir Jackie is coming back and Fatt decided to change his plan. In a coincidence Shen claimed himself as Jackie and together with Yuan, they decided to trick Fatt for money. Fatt hire Apple as his daughter and Ping as his wife for the whole con. When both of their trick failed, only they realize they have the same debtor and wanted to con Gui Li instead.

With the help of Shen's master, they get to trick Gui Li in giving them money and Gui Li was beaten up by his own brother. Finally, everyone managed to clear their debts.
L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:
This movie rank on number 17 in Hong Kong blockbuster in 1991. I love this movie the most in Stephen Chow's series, the best movie ever for me~ i laugh and laugh until i can't breath, no matter how many times i watch~ Really hope to see all of them work together and get us some good comedy again~ :)

Monday, August 29, 2011

My Mom's New Boyfriend

Released Year: 2008
Directed by George Gallo

Casted by:
Antonio Banderas as Tommy Lucero / Tomas Martinez
Meg Ryan as Martha "Marty" Durand
Colin Hanks as Henry Durand
Selma Blair as Emily Lott
Trevor Morgan as Eddie
Story:
The film begins with Tommy Lucero being caught by French police following a foiled robbery at a museum. Tommy seems confident he will not remain in police custody very long. The film then shift its focus to Henry Durand. Henry had to care for his mother, Marty, when his father died in jail. Now a grown man and an FBI agent, Henry leaves his overweight mother to go work on a case.

Upon returning three years later he finds his mother has lost a considerable amount of weight and is dating several men, one half her age. Henry announces to his mother he has recently become engaged to another FBI agent, Emily. Henry finds himself in a very uneasy state with his newly transformed mother and begins to be extremely protective about her. He confides his worries in his fiancée Emily who does not find anything unusual in Marty's behavior. While having a walk with Henry and Emily, Marty is hit in the head by a toy helicopter being flown by Tommy. Tommy asks to take the trio for a dinner with him at an old Albanian Restaurant as an apology. Henry, who is still protective of his mother, grudgingly concedes to go when he notices how much his mother and Emily want to.

Romance between Marty and Tommy progresses. Henry meanwhile is informed by his FBI superiors that they expect Tommy and two accomplices are going to attempt to steal a sculpture currently on display at a local museum. Along with his fellow agents, Henry spies on his mother around the clock. Many uncomfortable situations arise for Henry as he has to listen into the conversation his mother has with Tommy. While stealing the sculpture, Tommy is betrayed by his gang members shot twice in the chest. He survives due to wearing a ballistic vest however is later caught by Henry and Emily.

Tommy reveals upon them that his real name is Tomas Martinez and he is with the CIA. He has been working undercover trying to apprehend a gang of thieves who are stealing art to fund terrorism. He is concerned the gang will attempt to kill Marty as they know he has been romantically involved with her and she may know about their operation. The trio reaches the Durand house in time to rescues Marty from the gang.

The film ends the gang members taken into custody whilst Tommy kisses Marty and Henry kisses Emily.
L² Scored: 1.5/10

L² Comment:
Though our Meg Ryan is always good in her romance comedy film, but watching 49yo Ryans (this film she was 46yo) to act cute and hot is kinda disgusting, she looks so old... i mean, come on, don't you think its time for her to change?

The whole movie is not that funny though it claims itself as a comedy, for me... the story is simple and a bit stupid. The whole film is not good enough for me even to think of re-watching in my whole life. PUI !!!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Released Year: 2011
Directed by Rupert Wyatt

Casted by:
James Franco as Will Rodman
Andy Serkis as Caesar
John Lithgow as Charles Rodman
Freida Pinto as Caroline Aranha
Tom Felton as Dodge Landon
David Oyelowo as Steven Jacobs
Brian Cox as John Landon
Story:
Will Rodman is a San Francisco scientist who has been trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer's disease by testing a genetically engineered retrovirus on chimpanzees. The virus mutates the chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. One of his test subjects, a female chimpanzee named Bright Eyes, goes on a rampage because she believes her baby, to whom she secretly gave birth, is threatened. She is killed after disrupting a board meeting. Will's boss Steven Jacobs orders subordinate Robert Franklin to put all the test chimpanzees down, but Franklin cannot bring himself to kill the chimpanzee's baby, and instead gives him to Will, who names him Caesar and raises him in his house. Caesar has inherited his mother's high intelligence, and learns quickly.

Three years later, Will gives a sample of his cure to his father, Charles, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. At first, his father improves but, five years later, his body's immune system fights off the virus and his dementia returns. In his dementia, Charles gets into his neighbor's car and damages it, angering the neighbor. As he threatens Charles and pushes him down, the onlooking Caesar attacks him. After the incident, Caesar is forced to leave Will's house and is held in a San Bruno primate facility run by John Landon. The apes are treated cruelly by Landon's son Dodge who works as a guard there. Caesar is initially treated poorly by both the staff and the other apes. When Dodge brings his friends into the facility, one of them gets too close to Caesar's cage and is grabbed by Caesar, who steals his pocket knife, later using it to escape his cell. Caesar then frees a gorilla named Buck and, with his help, gains dominance over the other apes.

Meanwhile, Will creates a more powerful form of the virus to further treat Charles and new tests on chimpanzees begin. Testing on a bonobo named Koba reveals that it strengthens the intelligence of the apes even further. However, it is fatal to humans, unbeknownst to the scientists. Charles declines Will's offer to treat him again and dies in his sleep. Franklin is exposed to the new virus and begins sneezing out blood. He accidentally sneezes on Will's neighbor, and is later found dead in his apartment. Will attempts to warn Jacobs against further testing, but when Jacobs plans to continue it, Will quits his job.

Caesar eventually escapes from the primate facility in which he was badly treated and travels to Will's house, where he steals canisters of the new virus and releases it throughout the cage area, enhancing the intelligence of his fellow apes. He beats Dodge down and, after showing his first capability of speech by shouting "No!" at him, fatally electrocutes him by spraying him with a hose while his stun stick is activated. The apes at the facility escape into the city, releasing the remaining apes from Will's former place of work and from San Francisco Zoo.

The apes then force their way past a police blockade of the Golden Gate Bridge meant to stop them from crossing. Jacobs arrives in a helicopter and one of his crewmen begins gunning down apes. Buck sacrifices himself to take down the helicopter, which crashes on the bridge, killing everyone inside except Jacobs. He begs for help, but his helicopter is pushed down into the bay below by Koba. The apes make it into the Muir Woods National Monument forest. Will arrives at the forest and is attacked by Koba, but Caesar stops him from harming Will. Will warns Caesar that humans are strong, but tells him that he can protect him if he returns home. Caesar, now capable of speech, tells him that "Caesar is home" in the redwood forest. Meanwhile, Will's neighbor has become infected with the virus and touches off a global pandemic among humans when he boards an airplane flight.
L² Scored: 9/10

L² Comment:
Wow wow wow!!! Love this movie so much :) I never watch the original 5 movies before, but this is really great. The emotion & feeling between ape & its master is really touching, nowadays those film which is good in playing the audiences' emotion is not much and this film really make it. A bit sad is Freida Pinto does not really have a chance to show us how good she is~

Monday, August 22, 2011

The Little Mermaid

Released Year: 1989
Directed by Rob Clements & John Musker

Voiced by:
Jodi Benson as Princess Ariel
Chrisopher Daniel Barnes as Prince Eric
Pat Carroll as Ursula
Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian
Jason Marin as Flounder
Kenneth Mars as King Triton
Buddy Hackett as Scuttle
Story:
Ariel, a sixteen-year-old mermaid princess, is dissatisfied with life under the sea and curious about the human world. With her best fish friend Flounder, Ariel collects human artifacts and goes to the surface of the ocean to visit Scuttle the seagull, who offers very inaccurate knowledge of human culture. She constantly ignores the warnings of her father (King Triton) and court musician (Sebastian, the crab) that contact between merpeople and humans is forbidden (the sea's primary contact with humans involve fishermen, so King Triton considers humans as nothing more than mere predators), longing to join the human world and becoming a human herself. Sebastian, who is assigned to watch over Ariel and be sure she does not visit the surface again, tries to convince her that it is better to live under the sea than in the human world.

One night, Ariel, Flounder and an unwilling Sebastian travel to the ocean surface to watch a celebration for the birthday of Prince Eric on a ship, with whom Ariel falls in love. A storm hits, which sinks the ship there after. Everyone on board manages to escape except for Eric, who came up into the vessel to save his dog Max and is knocked out by a gunpowder explosion inside. Ariel saves the unconscious Eric from drowning and sings to him, but quickly leaves as soon as he regains consciousness to avoid being spotted by Max and his guardian Grimsby. Fascinated by the memory of her voice, Eric vows to find who saved and sung to him (unaware that it was Ariel) and Ariel vows to find a way to join him and his world.

Triton and his daughters notice a change in Ariel, who is openly lovesick. Triton questions Sebastian about her behavior, during which Sebastian accidentally reveals the incident with Eric out of pressure. Triton furiously confronts Ariel in her grotto, where she and Flounder store human artifacts, and destroys the objects with his trident. After Triton leaves, a pair of eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, convince a crying Ariel that she must visit Ursula the sea witch, if she wants all of her dreams to come true.

Ursula makes a deal with Ariel to transform her into a human for three days. Within these three days, Ariel must receive the 'kiss of true love' from Eric; otherwise, she will transform back into a mermaid on the third day and belong to Ursula. As payment, Ariel has to give up her voice, which Ursula takes by magically removing the energy from Ariel's vocal chords and storing it in a nautilus shell. Ariel's tail is transformed into legs and she loses her ability to breathe underwater, forcing Sebastian and Flounder to drag the drowning Ariel to the surface. Meanwhile, Triton discovers Ariel and Sebastian's disappearance and, overwhelmed with guilt, orders a search for them.

Eric and Max find Ariel on the beach. He initially suspects that she is the one who saved his life, but when he learns that she cannot speak, he discards the notion, to the frustration of both Ariel and Max (who know the truth). He helps her to the palace, where the servants think she is a survivor of a shipwreck. Ariel spends time with Eric, and at the end of the second day, they almost kiss but are thwarted by Flotsam and Jetsam. Angered at their narrow escape, Ursula takes the disguise of a beautiful young woman named "Vanessa" and appears onshore singing with Ariel's voice. Eric recognizes the song and, in her disguise, Vanessa/Ursula casts a hypnotic enchantment on Eric to make him forget about Ariel.

The next day, Ariel finds out that Eric will be married to the disguised Ursula on a ship. She cries and is left behind when the wedding barge departs. Scuttle discovers that Vanessa is Ursula in disguise, and informs Ariel. As Ariel and Flounder chase the wedding barge, Sebastian informs Triton, and Scuttle is assigned to literally "stall the wedding." With the help of various animals, the nautilus shell around Ursula's neck is broken, restoring Ariel's voice and breaking Ursula's enchantment over Eric. Realizing that Ariel was the girl who saved his life, Eric rushes to kiss her, but the sun sets and Ariel transforms back into a mermaid. Ursula reverts to her true form and kidnaps Ariel.

Triton confronts Ursula and demands Ariel's release, but the deal is inviolable. At Ursula's urging, he agrees to take Ariel's place as Ursula's prisoner. Ariel is released as Triton transforms into a polyp and loses his authority over Atlantica. Ursula declares herself the new ruler. She is then attacked by Ariel and Eric, and in the confusion accidentally kills her minions, Flotsam and Jetsam. Enraged by this, Ursula begins to grow into titanic proportions on the seafloor.

Ariel and Eric reconcile on the surface just before Ursula grows past and towers the two. She then gains full control of the entire ocean, creating a storm with a maelstrom and shipwrecks, one of which Eric commandeers. As Ursula attempts to destroy a trapped Ariel in the maelstrom, Eric turns the wheel hard to port and runs Ursula through the abdomen with the ship's splintered bowsprit, mortally wounding her. The ocean calms after her demise, and Eric makes it to shore before losing consciousness.

After her death, Ursula's power breaks, causing Triton and all the other polyps in Ursula's garden to revert back into their original forms. Triton's power returns after the change. Later, after seeing that Ariel truly loves Eric and that he also saved her and the ocean in the process, Triton willingly changes her from a mermaid into a human permanently using his trident, where she reconciles with Eric once more.

An unspecified amount of time later, Ariel and Eric have their wedding on a ship, where both humans and merpeople could attend, before sailing away afterwards happily married.
L² Scored: 9.5/10

L² Comment:
This is one of my favorite cartoon ever :) Watch it during the first time when i was 7 years old and i still love it nowadays. Ariel is the main reason why i always love those caucasian who has red hair~

The cartoon is so real if you make it humanity. First of all, a lot of ppl is willing to make a deal with devil to get what they want; second of all, Ariel leaving her seaworld to human world is a big challenge and she's willing to change for love. I really hope i can find the 2nd movie of Little Mermaid which has been filmed in 2000.

My favorite scene will be when Sebastian the hermit crab went into the kitchen and chase after by Luigi the chef~ lol... and the music are nice :) A classic cartoon of Walt Disney which u should never ever miss~

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Turtles Can Fly (Kûsî Jî Dikarin Bifirin)

Released Year: 2004
Directed by Bahman Ghobadi

Casted by:
Soran Ebrahim as Satellite
Avaz Latif as Agrin
Hiresh Feysal Rahman as Hengov
Story:
The film is set in a Kurdish refugee camp on the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq. Thirteen-year-old Satellite is known for his installation of dishes and antennae for local villages who are looking for news of Saddam Hussein and for his limited knowledge of English. He is the dynamic, but manipulative leader of the children, organizing the dangerous but necessary sweeping and clearing of the minefields.

The industrious Satellite arranges trade-ins for unexploded mines. He falls for an orphan named Agrin, a sad-faced girl traveling with her disabled, but smart brother Hengov, who appears to have the gift of clairvoyance. The siblings care for a blind toddler, who happens to be the son of young Agrin, for it is revealed that Agrin was raped several years ago.
L² Scored: 4.5/10

L² Comment:
A multiple award winner movie, and my first iran/iraq movie i ever watch. Kinda new and fresh for me, to know and to see how's the children live in there after the fall of Saddam Hussein. But how true is it? I'm not sure and not really wanna judge about.

I thanks to God for letting me born in a peaceful country (hopefully Malaysia will always be peaceful). Born & live in a country with war is really terrible, i just can't imagine how's the life at there... Gan En Gan En~

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Saw 1

Released Year: 2004
Directed by James Wan

Casted by:
Cary Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon
Leigh Whannell as Adam Stanheight
Tobin Bell as John Kramer aka Jigsaw
Ken Leung as Steven Sing
Danny Glover as David Tapp
Shawnee Smith as Amanda Young
Story:
Adam Stanheigh, a photographer, awakens in a water-filled tub and finds himself in a disused bathroom along with Dr. Lawrence Gordon, an oncologist. Both men are chained at the ankle to the pipes at opposite ends of the room. Lying between them is a corpse in a small pool of blood holding a revolver and a microcassette recorder. Adam and Lawrence discover tapes in their pockets; the men learn from both tapes that Adam must escape the bathroom, while Lawrence must kill Adam before six o'clock, or he'll lose his wife and daughter and be left to die. Lawrence's tape also implies that the corpse between them was a similar victim who shot himself before succumbing to the effects of a poison. They find a bag containing two hacksaws, though neither is able to cut through the chains. Adam breaks his saw and throws it at a mirror in frustration; Lawrence realizes that the saws are meant to be used on their feet.

Lawrence tells Adam that their captor is the Jigsaw Killer, who places his victims in situations or traps, referred to as "games", in which they must be put through physical and/or psychological torture to survive and escape with a better appreciation for life. Flashbacks show that while Lawrence was talking with some students and an orderly named Zep Hindle about the terminal brain cancer of a man named John Kramer, he was approached by Detectives David Tapp and Steven Sing about his penlight being found at the scene of a Jigsaw "game". He viewed the testimony of Amanda Young, a heroin addict, who is the only known survivor of Jigsaw's games; she barely escaped from having her jaw ripped open during her game by a "Reverse Beartrap" and believes that her experience made her a better person. Other victims of Jigsaw's games included Paul, who was trapped in a cage filled with razor wire, and Mark, who was trapped in a room with a flammable substance all over his body along with a candle to help him read the walls covered with numbers that hid the combination to a safe. One of the detectives revealed that Jigsaw frequently watched his victims die — he "liked to book himself front row seats to his own sick little games".

Meanwhile, Lawrence's wife and daughter, Alison and Diana, are being held captive in their home by a man who is watching Adam and Lawrence through a camera behind the bathroom's mirror while tormenting Alison and Diana. Their house is simultaneously being watched by Tapp, who was discharged from the force. Flashbacks show that he became obsessed with the Jigsaw case after viewing Amanda's testimony, and that he and Sing illegally entered a warehouse they knew to be Jigsaw's lair and saved a man from being killed by drills aimed at his neck. Jigsaw managed to make a run for it after slashing Tapp's throat, and Sing was killed by a shotgun booby trap while pursuing him. After being discharged, Tapp began stalking Lawrence.

In the bathroom, Lawrence finds a cigarette, a lighter, and a mobile phone that can receive calls but not send them. He and Adam use the first two items to try to stage Adam's death, but an electric shock through Adam's ankle chain foils this plan. Following these events, Adam and Lawrence recall their abductions; they were both ambushed and knocked unconscious by a stranger wearing a gruesome pig mask. Lawrence receives a call from Alison, who warns him that Adam knows more than he is telling. Adam explains that he was paid to take pictures of Lawrence for the past few days by Tapp, and shows Lawrence a pile of pictures of him from the bag containing the hacksaws. Lawrence berates Adam for invading his privacy, while Adam shows Lawrence evidence that he was cheating on Alison. Adam then notices a picture of a man in Lawrence's house; Lawrence identifies the man as Zep Hindle, and the two deduce that Zep is their abductor. Adam then points out that it is six o'clock, the deadline. Zep moves to kill Alison, but she frees herself and manages to overpower Zep, gaining Tapp's attention in the process. He arrives in time to save Alison and Diana from Zep, allowing them to escape. Zep then flees to the sewers with Tapp in pursuit.

Lawrence, who is only aware of gunshots and screaming, is zapped by the ankle chain as well and loses reach of the phone; in desperation, he saws off his foot and shoots Adam with the corpse's revolver. Zep, who shot Tapp during the chase, enters the bathroom intent on killing Lawrence, only to be blindsided by Adam (whose shoulder wound had not been fatal) and beaten to death with a toilet tank cover. As Lawrence crawls away with the promise that he'll return with help, Adam searches Zep's body for a key and finds another microcassette recorder. He learns that Zep was another victim of the game, following rules to obtain an antidote for the slow poison within his body. In the film's iconic ending, the corpse in the middle of the room rises to its feet and reveals itself as John Kramer, the real Jigsaw Killer. He tells Adam that the chain's key is in the bathtub, which was drained when Adam accidentally kicked the plug out. Adam grabs Zep's pistol and tries to shoot Jigsaw but is electrically shocked by his hidden remote control before he can do so. Jigsaw then turns off the lights and seals the door to the bathroom, leaving Adam to die.
L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:
The very first movie of the SAW's chain, directed and written by our Sarawak talented James Wan & Leigh Whannell who acted in one of the main character in this film. The first movie has less torturing scene compare to the others movies, but instead more freaky and scary which shows how's human being be when they are on fear.

A success of this first movie has lead the chain goes further till SAW 3D & makes James Wan won a few best director in a few awards. Bravo to our Malaysian director :)

Monday, August 15, 2011

Don't Go Breaking My Heart 單身男女

Released Year: 2011
Directed by 杜琪峯 Johnie To & 韋家輝 Wai Ka-Fai

Casted by:
高圓圓 Yuan-Yuan Gao as 程子欣 Chi Yan
古天樂 Louis Koo as 張申然 Sean
吳彥祖 Daniel Wu as 方啟宏 Kevin
林雪 Lam Suet as John
瑞莎 Larisa Bakurova as Angelina
賈曉晨 JJ Jia as 喬伊絲 Joyce
尹子維 Terrence Yin as 程子欣的前男友 Owen
李詩韻 Selena Li as 程子欣前男友的老婆 Owen's wife
Story:
Chi Yan is an analyst who just broke up with her boyfriend as he was having a baby with another woman. Sean a CEO of a broker firm knew Chi Yan as her office is just opposite of his. He liked Chi Yan all the while, but knew that she was in a relationship and did not want to interfere, and started to take action as he saw what happened in the bus between Chi Yan, her ex, and his current wife.

However, Kevin, an engineer, who dressed shabbily, and an alcoholic helped Chi Yan out when she was heartbroken by her ex. With Chi Yan's support and, Kevin decided to pick up designing again, and dated her to meet up again a week later. Chi Yan totally forgot about it as she was starting out with Sean, but it did not work out as Sean had a one night stand with Angelina who started with a misunderstanding and ended his relationship with Chi Yan. Sean later shifted his office as he economy crisis made him lost a big sum of money and went over to US.

Three years later, Sean came back as Chi Yan's boss. He tried to win her heart again, but was always pulled back as he could not endure women seduction. Chi Yan was disappointed with him, and met Kevin back, as he's new office was Sean's old office. Both guys are now chasing after Chi Yan. She loves both of them, but chose Kevin in the end as he moved her with great sincerity and love.
L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:
This is a very good romantic film by Johnie To & Wai Ka Fai. Seriously~ i never thought the storyline is so good, though got a bit like Ally McBeal. Love the parts when the both guys miss their chances to tackle the girl that they want. And when you thought Chi Yan will choose Sean in the end,boom~ she chose Kevin instead.

Its been a few times since Louis Koo & Daniel Wu works together, they are really giving us a good time in the cinema :)

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Wushu 武術之少年行

Released Year: 2008
Directed by 司徒永华 Antony Szeto

Casted by:
洪金宝 Sammo Hung as 李魁 Mei
刘峰超 Yongchen Liu as 杨耀武 Wu
王文杰 Wenjie Wang as 李一 Yi
汪亚朝 Yachao Wang as 李二 Er
王菲 Xiaofei Wang as 方芳 Fang
铁南 Nan Tie as 何乐 Le
何思融 Sirong He as 张婷 Ting
毛俊杰 Junjie Mao as 小怡 Yee
张晋 Max Zhang as 郭楠 Nan
刘泳辰 Yongzhen Liu as 小张 Zhang
Story:
Ten years ago, Mei brought his two kids, Yi & Er to study in the martial arts school. At there, Yi & Er get to be-friend with Wu, Fang & Zhang. The children do all their best to learn martial arts and hopefully can participate in the competition when they grew up.

10 years later, all of them grown big and they met Nan, who is a former student of Mei. Nan bring them out and introduce them to the entertainment line. Fang is interested and join the crew as a martial arts replacement for celebrities. In the meanwhile, Zhang fall in love with a girl, Yee who challenged him in martial arts.

When they went to a playground, they found out there's children kidnapper. They went after and ruined the kidnapper business. The kidnapper get frustrated. But they never know, Le, a former student of Mei is behind this business. Le found a chance to approach Nan and trick him to a place and ruined his hand. Later on they catch Yi not long after. Mei & Er went for rescue and Mei managed to defeat Le, but will have to sit his whole life in wheelchair. Luckily, Ting was there to take care of him.

Final competition starts, but Yi was hurt and couldn't participate. Er try his best to fight and use his mother (who has passed away) martial arts to win the competition in the end.
L² Scored: 5.5/10

L² Comment:
Not a bad martial arts film. Kinda fresh and nice. All the actors & actresses (except Sammo) are current China's martial arts competitor. They are well train and they really perform the martial arts well :) Of course we can't criticize on their acting because this is their virgin film anyway.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Eye In The Sky 跟蹤

Released Year: 2007
Directed by 游乃海 Nai-Hai You

Casted by:
任達華 Simon Yam as 黃文展 Sergeant Wong Man-Chin ('Dog Head')
梁家輝 Tony Leung as 陳重山 Chan Chong-Shan
徐子珊 Kate Tsui as 何家寶 Constable Ho Ka-Po ('Piggy'/'Bobo')
林雪 Lam Suet as Ng Tung ('Fatman')
邵美琪 Maggie Shiu as Madam
張兆輝 Eddie Cheung as 陳柱林 Chief Inspector Chan
Story:
Eye in the Sky takes place around the darker side of Hong Kong society, where the story begins with a group of organised burglars successfully robbing a jewelry store. The plot begins with the wet-behind-the-ears new recruit Piggy, who is plunged at the deep end in her first surveillance assignment working alongside her mentor, Sergeant Wong. Both of them work for the Hong Kong Police Force's Criminal Intelligence Bureau. After reviewing the jewelry store surveillance videos, the Force attempt to track down one of the robbers by staking out the neighborhood they think he lives in.

Fatman is identified and tracked without his knowledge through a combination of tails, surveillance footage, and data-mining, including accessing his octopus card. The Force ambush is established at the scene of the next robbery, but the elusive Hollow Man notices the police. As the robbers flee, some are killed by a Police Tactical Unit, but the rest escape. Chan kills an uniformed police officer as he flees, and Piggy stops to give first aid rather than continue the pursuit.

The surveillance unit is then called to another case; a kidnapping. Piggy is staking out a phone booth where the kidnapper may make a call, when she sees Hollow Man go by. She recognises the kidnapper from Fatman's apartment building and allows the police to rescue the kidnap victim, while she pursues Hollow Man. After a tense confrontation in a cafe, where Hollow Man confronts her, she escapes suspicion, but Hollow Man notices Sergent Wong and stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. Wong convinces Piggy to continue to follow Hollow Man as he slowly bleeds to death.

Piggy follows Wong to his hideout and calls for the Police Tactical Unit again. Meanwhile, Wong survives his injury and gets medical attention. In the raid on the hideout, Hollow Man flees down a dock and wounds himself mortally in the neck running past a hanging hook, and the other robbers were captured.
L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment:
Nominated for the Golden horse and the Golden awards, Nai-Hai You has won the Best new director; Kate won the best new actress & Tony Leung won the Best actor.

For me, the whole movie is ok. But certain parts are kinda messy and confusing for me. Especially the ending, i don't really prefer those habis-tak-habis feel kind of movie.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Final

Released Year: 2010
Directed by Joey Stewart

Casted by:
Marc Donato as Dane
Jascha Washington as Kurtis
Whitney Hoy as Bridget
Julin as Heather
Lindsay Seidel as Emily
Justin S. Arnold as Bradley
Travis Tedford as Andy
Eric Isenhower as Jack
Vincent Silochan as Ravi
Story:
A teenage girl with a hood on walks into a restaurant and orders a burger. When the lady tells her that the charge is four dollars, she sets the money on the counter, revealing that she has two fingers missing on her right hand. She is told that the food will be brought out to her and she goes to the side room and sits at a table alone. A few people begin to stare at her and a young boy asks his mother "Why does that girl's face look like that? Was she in an accident?" The mother tries to quiet him and tells him to eat his food. Finally, the girl snaps and screams out in anger, bursting into tears after throwing her table over. She begins yelling how it's not her fault that her face looks like it does, that she didn't ask or choose for her looks.

In high school, an Indian-American boy named Ravi is constantly bullied and insulted by two jocks named Bradley and Bernard. A goth girl named Emily is taunted by a group of three popular girls, named Kelli, Bridget, and Heather, who abuse her despite Emily's pleas that they could be friends. Another outcast named Dane is shown to having inherited an old secluded house in the woods thanks to his late uncle's will. The outcasts are invited to a video shoot by a popular boy named Kurtis. They all agree that they like him and want to make sure he does not show up at an upcoming party, Ravi stating that "He's not one of them."

At the video shoot, two bullies named Bradley and Bernard confront Ravi in the bathroom when he is cleaning his camera's lense, breaking the camera for no reason after continuing on with their usual taunts and even calling Ravi a terrorist. Dane shows up to inform Ravi that the shoot is starting when he inquires as to what happened. Bradley admits to breaking the camera before shoving Dane against a wall, telling him that if he wins in a fight, he will buy a new camera for Ravi. He laughs when Dane says that he can't beat the jock. Bradley tells Dane that he bullies him because he knows Dane can not do anything about it. Back at school, Kurtis finds out what happened and starts a fight with Bradley, apparently fed up with the egotistic boy's attitude.

Most of the outcasts are shown to have disturbing family lives, Dane's parents fight all the time. Ravi's family being cold and distant, never exchanging words, and barely glances. Jack, a quiet boy that is skilled at playing banjo, has a father that ignores him completely The outcasts set up cameras and various equipment at Dane's house, where they lure all the popular kids by sending out party invitations earlier. They then lace the alcohol with a drug, causing everyone to fall unconscious. When the kids wake up again, they find themselves chained together, with the outcasts all masked and wearing costumes inspired by horror movies. They want revenge for years of torment and want to torture their worst enemies.

A rather vulger teen named Miles decides that the entire thing is some stupid Halloween joke and starts to mouth off. The result is Jack applying a cattle gun to his face and then his knee. One boy, Tommy, is allowed to go and get help, but his escape is cut short when he steps into a bear trap and is caught by a group of three boys nicknamed "the triplets" who help the outcasts. Bernard is tortured by Emily with acupuncture needles after he is given a drug that attacks his muscular system, keeping him from moving or making much sound.

Kurtis, who attended the party after all, is secretly given a key by Ravi and escapes. Ravi is then stabbed by Dane for betraying the group, killed almost instantly as a result of the blade piercing his heart. Meanwhile, Emily smears a paste on Heather's face that is made to slowly start disintegrating the skin that it touches, leaving her horribly scarred. Bridget realizes that it is Emily and apologizes. Bridget is given the chance to spare her torment by cutting off Bradley's fingers, but she refuses. Emily then offers Bradley safety if he agrees to cut off Bridget's fingers. Bradley cuts off the middle and index fingers on her right hand before Emily offers the deal to Bridget again. Bridget reluctantly agrees to cut off Bradley's fingers. Ultimately she decides she can't harm her friend and is punished by Emily who smears the previously used acidic compound on her face.

Kurtis makes it to a neighbor's house, an elderly ex-soldier named Parker who was seen earlier upon Dane's introduction. He is suspicious of the fact that Kurtis showed up with a gun, and has the teen tied up for a period before Kurtis finally convinces him that there really is trouble. Parker goes to investigate, but is caught in a trap and severely injured in his legs. Despite the injuries, he manages to kill two of the triplets. Bradley is taunted by a now-very insane Dane, and attempts to apologize, but is only replied with laughter. After another few moments of taunting, Dane uses his switch blade to sever Bradley's spinal cord, instantly paralyzing him from the waist down. Kurtis calls the police from the man's house and returns to Dane's house, called the Workley place, where he saves a boy named Riggs from getting his tongue cut off, but is shot in the arm by Dane after managing to kill Andy--one of the other outcasts. Dane walks up to him about to finish the job, but is shot by Emily, who has had enough. After one last hug, and Emily speaking her final words to Kelli, Jack kills Emily, just as the police arrive. The police burst into the door, demanding that Jack drop the gun, but he only points it to his own head, declaring that they are "too late" before pulling the trigger.

A news report recounts how the popular kids where abducted and tortured "without reason". Kelly, who remained unharmed, swallows a large amount of pills in the school's bathroom. At school, Kurtis exchanges looks with the remaining triplet.

The final scene goes back to the same black and white sequence where it is revealed that Bridget is the disfigured girl from the beginning of the movie. The last sounds being Dane's voice saying "Think of this as the final. And there's just one question you must ask yourself: What did I do to deserve this?" and, as the screen fades to black, you hear the young boy asking, "Mommy, why does that girl's face look like that?"
L² Scored: 2.5/10

L² Comment:
I really hate to watch those horror film, when the storyline is good but the actors/actresses acted badly. The idea of torturing those who bullied you in school is fun, listen to their scream, the way they beg for mercy~ isn't it nice?

But as the movie goes along, the blunt acting spoiled the whole film. I can say that nobody in this movie knows how to act, they're sucks !!! The story gets a bit bored in nearly the ending, the whole torturing stuff become predictable and i'm sorry to say that, i make a big YAWN ~