Porco Rosso 紅の豚

 Released Year: 1992

Directed by 宫崎駿 Hayao Miyazaki

Voiced by:

森山周一郎 Shuichiro Moriyama as 波魯克 Porco Rosso

岡村明美 Akemi Okamura as 菲兒 Fio Piccolo
加藤登紀子 Tokiko Kato as 吉娜 Madame Gina
大塚明夫 Donald Curtis as 卡地士 Akio Ōtsuka

 Story:

The film, set in the Adriatic Sea in the interwar period, begins with the titular character Porco Rosso, a veteran WWI fighter ace and freelance bounty hunter, responding to an alert over an attack on a ferry liner by airborne pirates. Having successfully defeated the pirates, the so-called Mamma Aiuto gang, Porco retires to the Hotel Adriano, which is run by his long-time friend Gina.

At the restaurant of the hotel, which is frequented by pilots all over the Adriatic, the heads of the pirate gangs are introduced to Curtis, an arrogant and ambitious American ace who has a contract to assist them. Within time Curtis falls in love with Gina but is frustrated to see that she has affections over Porco. After successfully executing a pirating mission Curtis tracks down Porco, who is flying to Milan to have his plane improved, and shoots him down, claiming to have killed him. Porco actually survives, but all but the fuselage of his plane has been destroyed. Porco continues his mission to Milan, much to the irritation of Gina (in Italy he is a wanted criminal for deserting the air force).

Porco arrives discreetly in Milan to meet Piccolo, his mechanic. He is surprised to find that Piccolo's sons have emigrated to find work elsewhere, and much of the engineering is done by his granddaughter Fio. Porco is initially skeptical of Fio's abilities as a mechanic, but after seeing her dedication in the project to repair his plane he accepts her as a competent engineer, and begins to recognize her as a genius. With no males to assist in the project, Piccolo calls up an all-female team to repair the plane. When Porco's plane is finished, he is unexpectedly joined by Fio on his flight home, with the justification that if the secret police (who have been discreetly observing them) arrest the team, they can say that Porco forced them to help and took Fio as a hostage. Porco reluctantly agrees, and the two hurriedly leave Milan. Stopping off to refuel on the way, Porco discovers that the new Fascist government are beginning to hire seaplane pirates for their own use, thus putting him out of business.

Upon returning home, Porco and Fio are ambushed by the pirates, who threaten to kill Porco and destroy his plane. Fio successfully talks them out of it, but Curtis appears and challenges Porco to a final duel. Fio impulsively makes a deal with him declaring that if Porco wins, Curtis must pay off his debts owed the Piccolo's company, and if Curtis wins, he may marry her. Porco is irritated at Fio for making such a deal, but he forgives her and shows confidence in winning.

That night, at Fio's request Porco tells a story recalling an event in WWI, when he was still a human, where his entire squadron apart from himself was shot down in a dogfight with Austro-Hungarian aircraft. He recalls blacking out and awakening to find himself in complete stillness, with a white band hovering in the distant sky. Enemy aircraft fly past towards the band but ignore him. He sees his friend Berlini, Gina's then-husband, and calls him back but is ignored. Porco soon sees that the band is in fact thousands of planes flying together. Porco blacks out again and recovers skimming above the sea. When he awakes he discovers that he has been turned into a pig, believing this to be a divine punishment for fleeing the fight.

The next day, the duel is arranged and a large crowd gathers on an island to observe. With the attendants betting heavily on the outcome, the contest begins. After an indecisive dogfight between Porco and Curtis, which soon dissolves into a bare fist boxing match, Gina appears to stop the fight and to warn the crowd that the Italian air force has been alerted and are on their way. Porco barely manages to win the fight upon her arrival, and hands Fio over to her, requesting Gina to look after her. With the crowd gone, Porco and Curtis agree to delay the air force together. Meanwhile, Fio becomes president of Piccolo, which is now an aircraft manufacturer, Curtis becomes a famous actor, the pirates continue to attend the Hotel Adriano, and it is suggested that Porco proposes to Gina.

  L² Scored: 9.5/10

L² Comment:

Another one of my favorite Hayao's movie again :) The idea of the curse to turn a person into a pig is funny, and he can be accepted in the human world at that period is more weird... but well, this is an animation anyway, of course its not logic... The storyline is good, love it very very much~ :)

Porn Poko 百變狸貓 平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ

 Released Year: 1994

Directed by 高畑勳 Takahata Isao

Voiced by: 

野野村真 Norihei Miki 正吉 Seizaemon
石田百合子 Makoto Nonomura as 小清 Shoukichi
小林盛夫Gonta as 鶴龜和尚 Shigeru Izumiya
清川虹子 Nijiko Kiyokawa as 火球婆婆 Fireball Oroku

 Story:

The story begins in late 1960s Japan. A group of tanuki is threatened by a gigantic suburban development project called New Tama, in the Tama Hills on the outskirts of Tokyo. The development is cutting into their forest habitat and dividing their land. The story resumes in early 1990s Japan, during the early years of the Heisei era. With limited living space and food decreasing every year, the tanuki begin fighting among themselves for the diminishing resources, but at the urging of the matriarch Oroku ("Old Fireball"), they decide to unify to stop the development.

Several tanuki lead the resistance, including the aggressive chief Gonta, the old guru Seizaemon, the wise-woman Oroku, and the young and resourceful Shoukichi. Using their illusion skills (which they must re-learn after having forgotten them), they stage a number of diversions including industrial sabotage. These attacks injure and even kill people, frightening construction workers into quitting, but more workers immediately replace them. In desperation, the tanuki send out messengers to seek help from various legendary elders from other regions.

After several years, one of the messengers returns bringing a trio of elders from the distant island of Shikoku, where development is not a problem and the tanuki are still worshipped. In an effort at re-establishing respect for the supernatural, the group stages a massive "ghost parade" to make the humans think the town is haunted. The strain of the massive illusion kills one of the elders, and the effort seems wasted when the owner of a nearby theme park takes credit for the parade, claiming it was a publicity stunt.

With this setback, the unity of the tanuki finally fails and they break up into smaller groups, each following a different strategy. One group led by Gonta takes the route of eco-terrorism, holding off workers until they are wiped out in a pitched battle with the police. Another group desperately attempts to gain media attention through television appearances to plead their case against the habitat's destruction. One of the elders becomes senile and starts a Buddhist dancing cult among the tanuki who are unable to transform, eventually sailing away with them in a ship that takes them to their deaths, while the other elder investigates joining the human world as the last of the transforming kitsune (foxes) have already done.

When all else fails, in a last act of defiance, the remaining tanuki stage a grand illusion, temporarily transforming the urbanized land back into its pristine state to remind everyone of what has been lost. Finally, their strength exhausted, the tanuki most trained in illusion follow the example of the kitsune: They blend into human society one by one, abandoning those who cannot transform. While the media appeal comes too late to stop the construction, the public responds sympathetically to the tanuki, pushing the developers to set aside some areas as parks. However, the parks are too small to accommodate all the non-transforming tanuki. Some try to survive there, dodging traffic to rummage through human scraps for food, while others disperse farther out to the countryside to compete with the tanuki who are already there.

In a touching coda, one day, Shoukichi, who also joined the human world, is coming home from work when he sees a non-transformed tanuki leaping into a gap in a wall. Shoukichi crawls into the gap and follows the path, which leads to a grassy clearing where some of his former companions are gathering. He joyfully transforms back into a tanuki to join them. In an emotional final scene, Shoukichi's friend, Ponkichi addresses the viewer, asking humans to be more considerate of tanuki and other animals less endowed with transformation skills, and not to destroy their living space; as the view pulls out and away, their surroundings are revealed as a golf course within a suburban sprawl.

 L² Scored: 9/10

L² Comment:

One of the Hayao's production that i like, it hit the first place in Japan blockbuster in the year of 1994. Love the flexible of those poko to transform themselves into anything they want. Of course i'm not sure poko can transform, but i definitely know fox can. In the older day of China & Japan, Fox is believe to be a devil creature who can transform into any form. But of course if Fox is the main character in here, it might be too simple and not special enough like the poko.

I have watched this movie for a few times, and i still love it a lot :)

The Tantana 密宗威龍

 

 Released Year: 1991

Directed by 孟海 Meng Hai

Casted by:

钱嘉乐 Chin Kar Lok as 灵童 Ling

孟海 Meng Hai as 灵海 Hai

午 马 Wuma as 密日 Miri
林正英 Lam Zheng Ying as 密月 MiYue

洪金宝 Sammo Hung as 迦纳  Gana

 Story:

In Tibet's secret culture, 2 rivals reborn into Ling & Ni. Ni killed all his rivals' gang and wanted to kill Ling too, Miri & MiYue went for help with Hai, they send Ling to Gana to learn more. In the end, Ling learned all the tricks and finally won Ni.

L² Scored: 3.5/10

L² Comment:

This is quite a boring movie actually, there was no main actress in this film, which might not be the main problem as this is regarding the Tibet's culture, but some feminine may stir up the excitement maybe?

Love In A Puff 志明與春嬌

 Released Year: 2010

Directed by 彭浩翔 Pang Ho Cheung

Casted by:

 楊千嬅 Miriam Yeung as 余春嬌 Cherie
余文樂 Shawn Yue as 張志明 Jimmy

黃德斌 Kenny Wong as 家豪 Hoe

 Story:

Since 2007, the Hong Kong government banned smoking in all indoor areas, causing smokers from neighboring buildings to gather for cigarette breaks during office hours at trash bins with ashtrays near their work premises. The regulars started sharing small talks and dirty jokes like friends at a hot pot dinner and this community became known as the "Hot Pot Pack".

Jimmy is an advertising executive who befriended Cherie, a cosmetic sales girl, at a "Hot Pot Pack" shortly after Jimmy broke up with his girlfriend who cheated on him. Cherie's flirting with Jimmy during their cigarette breaks, through text messages and excursions at night eventually led to Cherie's break up with her lived-in boyfriend. This sudden change in their relationship, including a failed one night stand at a love motel, caused them to confront the change in their relationship and consider whether they are viewing each other as love interests or just a companion during lonely nights.

L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

A very hit romantic movie in 2010, which helps Miriam Yeung to be nominated as Best Actress in HK academy awards. The whole film is simple and love how the speedy love build up among the Hongkies in such a modern life. I can't wait to see the second movie, who has it?

Ponyo 崖上的波妞 崖の上のポニョ

 Released Year: 2008

Directed by 宫崎駿 Hayao Miyazaki

Voiced by:

奈良柚莉愛 Yuria Nara as 波妞 Ponyo
土井洋輝 Hiroki Doi as 宗介 Sōsuke
山口智子 Tomoko Yamaguchi as 理莎 Lisa
所喬治 George Tokoro as 藤本 Fujimoto

 Story:

Brunhilde is a fish-girl who lives with her father Fujimoto, a once-human wizard who now lives underwater, and her numerous smaller sisters. One day, while she and her siblings are on an outing with their father in his four-flippered submarine, Brunhilde is driven by a desire to see even more of the world and floats away on the back of a jellyfish. After an encounter with a fishing trawler (which is being used to clean up the trash-strewn bottom of the harbour), she ends up stuck in a bottle. She drifts to the shore of a small fishing town and is found and rescued by a small boy named Sōsuke. He cuts his finger in the process, but Brunhilde licks his wound when he picks her up, and the wound heals almost instantly. After taking a great liking to her, Sōsuke renames her Ponyo and promises to protect her forever. Meanwhile, a distraught Fujimoto is searching frantically for his daughter. Because of his own bad memories of the human world, he believes that Sōsuke has kidnapped her, and he calls his wave spirits to recover her. After the wave spirits take Ponyo away, Sōsuke is heartbroken and goes home with his mother, Lisa, who tries to cheer him up, to no avail.

Ponyo and Fujimoto have a confrontation, during which Ponyo refuses to let her father call her by her birthname, "Brunhilde". She declares her name to be Ponyo and voices her desire to become human, because she has started to fall in love with Sōsuke. Suddenly she starts to grow legs and turn into a human, a power granted to her by the human blood she ingested when she licked Sōsuke's finger. Her father turns her back with difficulty and goes to summon Ponyo's mother, Granmamare. Meanwhile, Ponyo, with the help of her sisters, breaks away from her father and uses his magic to make herself fully human. The huge amount of magic that she inadvertently releases into the ocean causes an imbalance in the world, resulting in a huge tsunami. Running pell-mell over the waves of the storm, Ponyo goes back to visit Sōsuke, who is amazed but overjoyed to see her. Lisa is equally amazed, but takes Ponyo's transformation in stride. Lisa, Sōsuke, and Ponyo wait out the storm at Sōsuke's house, where Ponyo learns of some of the things in the human world. Worried about the residents of the nursing home where she works, Lisa leaves to check up on them, promising Sōsuke that she will return as soon as possible.

Granmamare arrives at Fujimoto's submarine. On her way there, Sōsuke's father sees and recognizes her as the Goddess of Mercy. Fujimoto notices the moon appears to be falling out of its orbit and satellites are falling like shooting stars, symptoms of the dangerous imbalance of nature that now exists. Granmamare declares that if Sōsuke can pass a test, Ponyo can live as a human and the world order will be restored. A still-worried Fujimoto reminds her that if Sōsuke fails the test, Ponyo will turn into sea foam.

Sōsuke and Ponyo wake up to find that most of the land around the house has been covered by the ocean. Since it is impossible for Lisa to come home, the two children decide to find her. With the help of Ponyo's magic, they make Sōsuke's toy boat life-size and set out across the ocean.

Over the course of their journey, they see prehistoric fish swimming beneath them, and encounter several other evacuees in boats. After landing and finding Lisa's empty car, Ponyo and Sōsuke head into a tunnel. There Ponyo loses her human form and reverts into a fish from using too much of her magical power to help Sōsuke and others along the way. Meanwhile, Lisa and the residents of the nursing home are below the surface, but have been temporarily given the power to breathe underwater. Sōsuke and Ponyo encounter Fujimoto, but Sōsuke doesn't trust him and attempts to flee. However, Fujimoto captures them and takes them down to the protected nursing home. Sōsuke is reunited with Lisa and meets Granmamare, with whom Lisa has just had a long private conversation. Granmamare asks Sōsuke if he can love Ponyo whether she is a fish or human. Sōsuke replies that he "loves all the Ponyos." Granmamare then tells her daughter that if she chooses to become human once and for all, she will have to give up her magical powers. Ponyo agrees to this, so Granmamare encases her in a bubble and gives her to Sōsuke, and tells him that kissing the bubble will complete Ponyo's transformation. The balance of nature is then restored, and the previously stranded ships head back to port, including Sōsuke's father's. Ponyo jumps high in the air and kisses Sōsuke, transforming back into a human.

  L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment:

I never know this is one of Hayao's production until i watch this. This is so nice, i love it, the fantasy the magic... its so cool & Ponyo's mother is like a huge mermaid in the ocean~ :) The special feeling/relationship between Ponyo & Sosuke attracts me a lot... its not really love, but Ponyo changed her whole life to be with Sosuke, that's something which i'm looking forward to.... will i ever have this kind of feeling?

Tales from Earthsea 地海傳說 ゲド戦記

 Released Year: 2006

Directed by 宮崎吾朗 Goro Miyazaki

Voiced by:

 岡田准一 Junichi Okada as 亞刃 Prince Arren
菅原文太 Bunta Sugawara as 雀鷹 Sparrowhawk
手嶌葵 Aoi Teshima as 瑟魯 Therru

風吹純 Jun Fubuki as 恬娜 Tenar

田中裕子 Yūko Tanaka as 蜘蛛 Cob

 Story:

A war galley is caught in a storm at sea. The ship's weatherworker is distressed to realize he has lost the power to control the wind and waves, but is more so when he sees two dragons fighting above the clouds, one of which is killed by the other.

The King of Enlad, already troubled by tales of drought and pestilence in the land, receives news both of the strange omen at sea and of the disappearance of his son, Prince Arren. The King's wizard, Root, tells the tale of how dragons and men were once "one", until people who cherished freedom became dragons, and men chose possessions, and of his fears of how the land's plight is because of the weakening of the "balance". The King has little time to ponder on this before he is killed in a dark corridor by a young boy, who is revealed to be his son Arren. The young prince steals his father's sword and flees the palace.

The action now moves to the desert where Arren is pursued by wolves, and rescued by a wizard who turns out to be Sparrowhawk (Ged) the Archmage. Arren accompanies Sparrowhawk and travels to the city of Hort Town. Arren goes to explore the town alone, suddenly becoming scared as if something is following him. While running, Arren sees a young girl, Therru, fleeing from slavers from whom he saves her, although he also shocks her with his indifference to the life of any person, even his own.

Later in the evening Arren is captured by the slavers but loses his sword as the head slaver believes it to be worthless junk. Arren is rescued by Sparrowhawk from the slavers, and they travel to a farm where Therru is looked after by a woman, Tenar, whom Sparrowhawk has known.

The head slaver ("Hare") reports back into a castle to Lord Cob, and almost pays with his life for the loss, until he tells Cob that Sparrowhawk freed the slaves. Cob orders him to bring Sparrowhawk to the castle. At the farm, Sparrowhawk reveals that he is investigating the cause of the Balance being upset and leaves for Hort Town, where he discovers that the sword Arren had is in a merchant shop. Sparrowhawk is then confronted by Hare, but transforms his face to disguise himself. When the slavers leave, he buys the sword.

Arren, at the retreat, reveals to Therru, who gradually accepted him, that he killed his father and that he is scared of the unknown presence following him. Later he leaves in secret. Tenar is captured by the slavers as bait to lure Sparrowhawk into the castle and leaves Therru behind tied to a post as a messenger. Arren is again pursued by the unknown presence and runs away, falling into a lake and falling unconscious underwater. Cob, who sees this, saves him and brings him to the castle, where he manipulates him, saying Sparrowhawk wants to use Arren to discover the secret of eternal life. Cob blackmails Arren to reveal his "true name", Lebannen, to control him. Sparrowhawk, on the way back to the farm, encounters Therru, who freed herself, and gives her the sword, telling her to stay and give it to Arren if he returns. He goes to the castle to save Tenar but instead finds Arren, who tries to kill him, but fails. Sparrowhawk tells Arren that death is natural and that no one can live forever causing Arren to realize what he almost did, before being captured as his power is weakened within the stronghold of Cob's castle.

Therru sees a copy of Arren and follows him to the castle, where he reveals he is the light within Arren. He tells Therru his true name and says while he cannot go into the castle, he will be with her at all moments. Inside of the castle, Therru finds Arren, guilty and full of hopelessness, and brought hope back to him by saying his true name, breaking Cob's control over him. She also tells him her true name, Tehanu. Both go to rescue Sparrowhawk and Tenar from Cob who is about to throw them off a high tower. After fighting and scaring off Hare and the slave traders, the sword that Arren possesses unsheathes, revealing that this is due to its magical nature, and he cuts off Cob's hand, which flies away still holding his staff, rendering him unable to use magic. Cob turns into a grotesque old man, due to the loss of his magic. Cob, after reattaching his severed hand, captures Therru and flees to the highest tower on the castle, with Arren in hot pursuit. Cornered, Cob strangles Therru to death. However, she does not die as she has eternal life, and instead becomes a dragon, thus killing Cob and rescuing Arren from the collapsing tower that Cob destroyed to prevent Arren from advancing.

Therru and Arren land at a field where Therru reforms as a human. Arren tells Therru he will leave for home to repent for his crime, but will come back to see her sometime.

  L² Scored: 6.5/10

L² Comment:

This animation was directed by the eldest son of Miyazaki Hayao. Ummm... this kind of action/war animation seldom appear in the Hayao's series, this would be the first one i have ever seen. Overall the storyline is ok for me, nothing too special or extraordinary from the other animation. I love the magic part, its kinda cool, but of coz compare with his previous movie, this will not be on the top of the pack~

Hellboy

Released Year: 2004

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Casted by:

Ron Perlman as Hellboy
John Hurt as Trevor Bruttenholm
Selma Blair as Liz Sherman
Rupert Evans as John Thaddeus Myers. Del Toro
Karel Roden as Grigori Efimovich Rasputin
Jeffrey Tambor as Tom Manning
Doug Jones as Abe Sapien

 Story:

In 1944, the Nazis build a dimensional portal off the coast of Scotland. With the help of Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin, they intend to free the Ogdru Jahad—monstrous entities imprisoned in another dimension—to aid them in defeating the Allies. Rasputin knows that this will be an apocalyptic event that he believes will create a paradise. He opens the portal with the aid of his disciples, Ilsa von Haupstein and Obersturmbannführer Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, member of the Thule Society and Adolf Hitler's top assassin. An Allied team is sent to destroy the portal, guided by young Trevor Bruttenholm, who is well-versed in the occult. The German team is killed and the portal is destroyed—in the process absorbing Rasputin—while Haupstein and Kroenen escape. The Allied team discovers an infant demon with a right hand of stone came through the portal; they dub it "Hellboy".

Sixty years later, FBI agent John Myers is transferred to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) at the request of Bruttenholm and he meets the adult Hellboy and a psychic, amphibious humanoid named Abe Sapien. He learns that a third BPRD member, Liz Sherman, has recently checked into a mental hospital to protect others from her volatile pyrokinetic abilities. Despite regular visits and coaxing from Hellboy, she is determined not to return. Kroenen and Haupstein resurrect Rasputin in the mountains of Moldova. The three unleash a hellhound known as Sammael. Rasputin imbues Sammael with the power to reincarnate and split his essence, causing two of the creature's eggs to hatch and mature each time one dies. Rasputin visits Liz as she sleeps, activating her powers and almost destroying the hospital. Myers convinces her to return to the Bureau.

Sammael's ability to multiply becomes a problem, as Hellboy repeatedly kills it, creating dozens. Abe is injured while retrieving some of its eggs, and Kroenen critically wounds one of the FBI agents sent with Hellboy. Kroenen, whose mutilated body is run by mechanical parts, shuts himself down, pretending to be defeated. Kroenen's body is brought to the bureau. FBI Director Tom Manning is angered by Hellboy's recklessness. Myers takes Liz out for coffee and to talk. Hellboy, jealous, covertly follows them. Rasputin appears at the bureau, reanimating Kroenen before confronting Professor Bruttenholm. Rasputin offers him a vision of the future, showing Hellboy is the agent that will destroy the world. Rasputin tells Bruttenholm he will give him a quick death in return for the care he gave Hellboy. Bruttenholm is stabbed in the neck by Kroenen and dies clutching a rosary.

Manning takes over the B.P.R.D. and locates Rasputin's mausoleum in an old cemetery outside Moscow, Russia. A team led by Manning and Hellboy enter the mausoleum, but swiftly become separated. Hellboy and Manning find their way to Kroenen's lair and defeat him. Telling Manning to stay back, Hellboy reunites with Liz and Myers at Sammael's nest to defend them, but the creatures overwhelm him. Liz uses her pyrokinetic powers to incinerate the Sammaels and their eggs. Hellboy, Liz and Myers lose consciousness and are captured by Rasputin. To force Hellboy to release the Ogdru Jahad, Rasputin sucks Liz's soul out of her body, telling Hellboy that Liz will come back to life if he obeys. Hellboy awakens his true power as Anung un Rama, causing his horns to regrow. He nearly releases the Ogdru Jahad, but the injured Myers reminds him of who he is and that he has the right to choose his own path. Remembering his true self and what Bruttenholm brought him up to be, Hellboy breaks off his horns, returning to his former self and resealing the Ogdru Jahad. Hellboy stabs Rasputin with one of his broken horns.

Rasputin has been possessed by a creature from the Ogdru Jahad. The tentacled Behemoth bursts out of Rasputin's body and grows to immense size, killing Rasputin and Ilsa. Hellboy allows himself to be swallowed by the beast while detonating a belt of hand grenades. The explosion tears the Behemoth apart. Liz's vital signs are gone when Hellboy returns from the fight, but he whispers into her ear and her life is restored. When she asks how her soul was returned, Hellboy replies that he told the creatures from the other side the cost of taking her: "Hey, you on the other side. Let her go. Because for her I'll cross over, and then you'll be sorry." She and Hellboy kiss, and she surrounds them in flame as Myers stands and watches.

 L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

Love this Dark Horse Comic based movie, its kinda cool to see the red thingy hellboy walking around the streets without afraid of him. The best scene that i like is when Abe in the water trying to retrieve the Sammeal's eggs but was chase instead. That part is so exciting i hold my breathe everytime when i watch it.

Overall the whole movie is not bad, hope to watch the 2nd movie soon...

Killer Elite 2011

 Released Year: 2011

Directed by Gary McKendry

Casted by:

Jason Statham as assassin Danny Bryce
Clive Owen as ex-SAS officer Spike Logan
Yvonne Strahovski as Anne Frazier
Robert De Niro as Hunter
Dominic Purcell as Davies
Aden Young as Meier
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as The Agent

 Story:

In 1980, assassins Danny Bryce, Hunter, Davies, and Meier are in Mexico to assassinate a man. Danny unwittingly kills him in front of his young child, then is injured during the getaway. Affected by this outcome, Danny retires and returns to his native Australia.

One year later in 1981, Danny is summoned to Oman where Hunter is being held captive. He meets with the agent that arranges missions for assassins and learns that Hunter accepted a $6 million job but failed to accomplish it. If Danny doesn't complete Hunter's mission, Hunter will be executed.

Danny is introduced to Sheikh Amr, a deposed king of a small region of Oman who wants Danny to kill three former SAS agents—Steven Harris, Steven Cregg, and Simon McCann—for killing his three eldest sons during the Dhofar Rebellion. Danny must videotape their confessions and make their deaths look like accidents, and he must do it before the terminally ill Sheikh dies. This will allow the Sheikh's fourth son, Bakhait, to regain control of the desert region his father had ruled. If Danny fails, Hunter will be killed. Danny reunites with Davies and Meier. They agree to help him in exchange for a share of the money.

As Danny and Meier sneak into the house of their first target, Steven Harris, in Oman, Davies questions local bar patrons about former SAS members. This is reported to the Feathermen, a secret society of former operatives protecting their own. Their head enforcer, Spike Logan, is sent to investigate.

After Harris has confessed on videotape, Danny and Meier take him to the bathroom. Their plan is to break his neck using a hammer with tiles similar to those of the bathroom floor to make it appear that Harris slipped and broke his neck. Danny is distracted by the arrival of Harris's girlfriend and when he returns to the bathroom he finds that Meier was forced to kill Harris hastily in a struggle.

Back in London, Davies discovers the second target, Steven Cregg, preparing for a long nighttime march in wintry weather at a local SAS base. Davies pretends to be a civilian having car problems outside the base's fence, allowing Danny to infiltrate the base. There he drugs Cregg's coffee to induce shock and cause Cregg to die of hypothermia during the march. Danny, in uniform, follows Cregg on the march, and a delirious Cregg confesses on videotape to Danny before he dies.

Going to their last target, Simon McCann, currently a mercenary, they rig a truck to respond to remote control with the help of a new and inexperienced team member, Jake. As McCann is on his way to a fake job interview, Meier and Jake take control of the truck from another car and cause it to move in front of McCann's car, killing him. However, Logan and his men were watching over McCann. A gun fight in the docks ensues, and Meier is accidentally killed by the inexperienced Jake. Danny and Davies decide that the case is over, and they part ways. Davies is soon hit by a truck and killed while being chased by Logan's men.

Danny returns to Oman and gives the Sheikh the last taped confession, which he has faked. Hunter is released and returns to his family, while Danny heads back to Australia and reunites with Anne, a childhood acquaintance. Soon, he is informed by the Agent that there is one last man who participated in the Sheikh's sons' murders and that this man, Ranulph Fiennes, is about to release a book about his experiences as a member of the SAS.

Danny tells Anne to go to France with Hunter to protect her while he carries out the last job. The Sheikh’s son confirms that Harris was an innocent man. Logan, meanwhile, traces Danny through the Agent and sends a team to protect the author, but Jake distracts them, allowing Danny to infiltrate the building and shoot the author. He chooses to only wound the author, however, but takes pictures that appear to show him dead. Logan chases and captures Danny, taking him to an abandoned warehouse, but he is interrupted when an agent from the British government arrives and reveals that the British government is behind the events because of the Sheikh's valuable oil reserves. A three-way battle ensues, with Danny escaping and Logan shooting the government agent.

Danny and Hunter head to Oman to give the Sheikh the pictures. However, Logan arrives first and confronts the Sheikh, telling him that the pictures are fake and then stabbing him to death. The Sheikh's son does not care and gives the money, which was intended for Danny and Hunter, to Logan. Hunter spots Logan leaving, and they chase after him, along with the Sheikh's men.

After stopping the Sheikh's men, Danny and Hunter confront Logan on a desert road. Danny says that Logan can keep the money (though Hunter takes some of the money for his expenses and his family). They give Logan the remainder, telling him that he'll need it to start a new life away from the government after killing the government agent and acting against the wishes of the Feathermen and the British government. Danny says that it's over for him and that Logan must make up his own mind. They leave him there, saying they'll send a cab for him from the airport. Danny meets with Anne in France to start a new life.

L² Scored: 4.5/10

L² Comment:

Well, this kind of movie is never my favorite. Overall the movie is ok on the storyline, action part is stunning. And of coz this movie came with a lot of superstar, so no doubt on getting a "selling fast" on the big screen...

Para Para Sakura 芭拉芭拉櫻之花

 Released Year: 2001

Directed by 馬楚成 Jingle Ma

Casted by:

郭富城 Aaron Kwok as 王锦胜 Philip
张柏芝 Cecilia Cheung as 乐儿 Yee
 陈庆祥  Ah- Niu as Henry Ko

 Story:

Phillip Wong, a colour-blind dance instructor who holds a class devoted to the latest dance craze, the Japanese Para Para. While in Shanghai, Phillip meets Yee, a spoiled rich girl who is running away from her up-coming arranged marriage. Soon, Yee begins using Phillip's dance studio as a sanctuary from her responsibilities, and an attraction begins to form between the two. However, Yee is called back to Japan to be married before long, and Phillip must use more than his dance skills and charisma to prevent her from taking her vows.

L² Scored: 4/10

L² Comment:

Nothing really special about this movie, except the para para dance which is quite famous at that time. Of course having Aaron Kwok & Cecilia Cheung in this movie can guarantee certain percentage of the tickets to be sold off. Basically all the actors/actresses are just simply acting in the film...

It's a Mad Mad Mad World 3 富貴再三逼人

 Released Year: 1989

Directed by 冼杞然

Casted by: 

董驃 Bill Dong as 雷達驃  Biao
沈殿霞 Lydia Sum as 驃嫂  Biao's wife
陳奕詩 Elsie Chan as 帶弟 Dai
李麗珍 Loletta Lee as 來弟 Lai
關佩琳 Pauline Kwan as 招弟 Pauline
盧冠廷 Lowell Lo as 毛毛 Momo

曾志偉 Eric Tsang as 笑口祖 Joe
陳山河 Chen San He as 阿水 Shui

 Story:

Continue from the previous movie, Bill & his wife went to collect their winning money from the center. But their lottery-winning picture was shown everywhere in the foreign country which makes them feel uncomfortable. Bill and the family decided to go back to Hong Kong with Momo & Joe (who came to tackle Dai). Lai decided to stay back for her study with Shui.

Back to Hong Kong, the whole family become very arrogant and live like king. They requested the bank to prepare notes of HKD 3,000,000 for them to view. Bill's wife brought their old neighbours there and cause the robbery to happen. When the robberies gone with the money, they are back to the poor life again. Pauline wanna make her mother feel happy again, she makes a false lottery ticket and almost cause Bill's wife to be arrested but luckily was helped out by an old friend. Lai and Shui get married and went back to Hong Kong while Bill's wife stay with them when she gone into a fight with Bill. 

Finally Bill's wife lost all their money in a casino. While looking for her, Lai and Shui accidentally win a jackpot of HKD 200,000. And they money that got stole away was paid back by the insurance. Finally the family is rich again.

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

This is the last movie of the trilogy comedy, of course it still got a lots of extended version. For me, this is not as good as the first two movies. Is it because Clifton is no more the director of this film? Or they have ran out of idea? Anyway, love the way they show all the cash in the bank~ kinda like that scene :P

Upside Down 2012

 Released Year: 2012

Directed by Juan Diego Solanas

Casted by:

Jim Sturgess as Adam

Kirsten Dunst as Eden

Timothy Spall as Bob

 Story:

The film starts with Adam telling the story of his planet, unique from other planets as it is the only one that has dual gravity. Two planets live next to one another. The gravity has 3 rules:

    All matter is pulled by the gravity of the world that it comes from, and not the other.
    An object's weight can be offset by matter from the opposite world (inverse matter).
    After some time in contact, matter in contact with inverse matter burns.

The two worlds are separated. While Up is rich and prosperous, Down is poor. Up buys cheap oil from Down and sells electricity back to Down at much higher prices. Going Up is strictly forbidden and the only connection between the worlds is through the company "TransWorld".

Adam lives in an orphanage Down Below as he lost his parents in an oil refinery explosion. The only living relative he has is his great-aunt, whom he visits every week. His great-aunt has a secret recipe for flying pancakes using pollen from pink bees. The recipe has passed through generations and will be inherited by Adam.

As a child, Adam secretly climbs a mountain that gets very close to the Up world. There he meets Eden, a girl in Up. Years later, they are now friends as teenagers and are in a romantic relationship. They meet on their mountains and Adam uses a rope to pull Eden towards Down. As Eden sits on Adam's shoulders, they form an anti-gravity object that easily floats. But they are found and while Adam is trying to pass Eden back to her planet, he gets shot and drops her. He thinks she is dead. When he returns home, his aunt is arrested and her home burned.

Ten years later, Adam is now working on creating anti-gravity using his great-aunt's recipe. The recipe allows matter to feel both gravitational fields at once. Adam is developing it as a cosmetic product for face-lifts. Then he sees Eden on TV and learns she is alive and works at TransWorld. He finally works out his formula and gets hired by TransWorld to develop the face-lift cream. Adam's plan is to find Eden in TransWorld. In his office he meets Bob, a TransWorld employee from Up who makes a deal with him. In return of Adam bringing material (like stamps) from Down, he will help him find Eden.

With the help of Bob, Adam meets Eden by putting Up-material in his clothes to disguise himself as a worker from Up. But Eden doesn't recognize him as she lost her memories with the impact of the fall years before. The Up-material in Adam's clothes starts to burn so he has to return to Down. Later on, Bob is forcefully retired but as he leaves, he secretly gives Adam his ID to help him. Later, by calling Eden through Bob's phone, Adam manages to get a date. He presents himself as Bob.

Meanwhile, his cosmetic cream becomes of great importance to the company. While Adam is doing a presentation of the cream, Eden sees him and learns his real name. Adam runs to find her but Bob's ID has been terminated so he is noticed. He goes to Bob's house. He shows him that by mixing the matter from both gravity areas can make matter that resists both gravitational fields and tells him he didn't give TransWorld the secret ingredient of his compound, leaving the company unable to produce the product without him.

With Bob's help, he goes back to the restaurant where he met with Eden before and finds out she started to remember him. But the cops come and he has to run. When he returns to his planet, he goes to the mountain top where he met Eden. Eden comes to find him and they meet as they used to. But cops find them again and as they fail to escape, Eden is arrested by cops while Adam drops. TransWorld agrees to drop the charges against Eden if Adam gives them his formula and never contacts Eden again.

Now Adam has gone back to his old life, believing he will never see Eden again. Eden goes to Bob for help. Bob finds Adam and surprises him by showing he can stay Down without the help of the weight supplements; Bob has been able to use Adam's methods to create a way to negate the effect of gravity. Bob tells him he had the patent of his beauty cream before TransWorld and tells him he has a date.

At the spot Bob tells him, Adam finds Eden, also able to walk without weights. There, he learns that she is pregnant with twins and that is what keeps her Down.

The film ends by Adam telling their act has changed their worlds forever.

 L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

I will scored it a 10/10 if not because of those mistakes they make:-

1. Why can the bullet be shot in the different world with the same speed and angle they want?

2. On the start of this film, when Eden was ridding on Adam's shoulder in the down world. Why doesn't Eden's hair flow up towards her own world?

3. How can Eden & Adam make love in Adam's world... and both of them can flow in the middle of air while turning round and round?

But overall this movie is very special, and i don't think anyone has use this idea before. Cool and i totally love it...