The Maze Runner

Released Year: 2014

Directed by Wes Ball

Casted by:

Dylan O'Brien as Thomas

Ki Hong Lee as Minho

Kaya Scodelario as Teresa

Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt

Will Poulter as Gally

Aml Ameen as Alby

Blake Cooper as Chuck

 Story:

Thomas, a 16 year old boy, wakes up inside an underground service elevator with no memory of his identity. A group of male youths greet him in a large grassy area called the Glade that is enclosed by tall, stone walls. Every month, a new boy and supplies arrive in the elevator. The boys, called Gladers, have formed a rudimentary society with each assuming specialized tasks. Alby, their leader and the first to arrive in the Glade, says every boy eventually recalls his name, but none remember their past. The boy learns that a vast Maze surrounding the Glade may provide the only way out. During the day, designated Runners search the Maze for an escape route, returning before nightfall when the entrance closes. No one has ever survived a night inside the Maze.

While in a competition with Gally, the boy suddenly remembers his name is Thomas. Later, Thomas is attacked by Ben, a Runner delirious from being stung by a Griever – deadly techno-organic creatures that roam the Maze at night. Ben is forced into the Maze and left to die as there is no cure for what the Griever infected him with. Minho, the lead Runner, and Alby later retrace Ben's steps inside the Maze. Minho reappears at dusk dragging Alby, who was stung, but they are unable to reach the closing entrance in time. Thomas spontaneously runs into the Maze to help but all three are trapped. During the night in the Maze, Thomas and Minho tie Alby up high on the Maze wall to hide him from the Grievers, but Minho abandons Thomas when a Griever emerges from the center of the Maze. Thomas slides under the Maze wall, managing to hide from the Griever. Later, Thomas finds Minho and his actions during the night keeps them alive, and he kills a Griever by tricking it into a narrow, closing passageway thus causing it to be crushed, making him the first to ever survive the night and kill a Griever. To the other boys' astonishment, they return the next morning.

Gally claims Thomas has jeopardized the fragile peace between the Gladers and the Grievers and wants him punished, but Newt, the group's second-in-command, instead designates Thomas a Runner. Thomas, Minho and several volunteers enter the Maze. They locate the Griever corpse and remove a beeping mechanical device from inside it. The device is numbered to correspond to a certain section within the Maze. The next morning, the first-ever girl arrives in the elevator. She apparently recognizes Thomas though he cannot remember her. A note says she is the last one being sent. Minho shows Thomas a scale model of the Maze he has built, based on his three years of exploration. The Maze's numbered sections open and close in a regular sequence that might be a code. With the mechanical device, they may be able to find an escape route.

The girl, Teresa, has two syringes filled with an unknown substance. One is used on Alby, and he gradually recovers from the Griever sting and begins regaining his memories. Minho and Thomas venture back into the Maze and discover a possible exit but are nearly trapped, barely making it back to the Glade.

That night, the Maze entrance does not close while others open, letting Grievers pour in. A massacre ensues as the Gladers, practically defenseless against the Grievers, struggle to fight back or hide. Alby saves Chuck from a Griever, but is killed moments later, telling Thomas to "Get them out". Gally assaults Thomas after the chaos, blaming him for the Glade's destruction. Thomas, who has had disconnected memory flashes since arriving, stabs himself with a severed Griever stinger in an attempt to revive his memory. The others inject him with the last anti-venom. Unconscious, he recalls that he and Teresa worked for the organization that created the Maze; the boys unknowingly have been in an experiment. Thomas awakens and shares this information with Newt, Minho, Chuck, and Teresa.

Meanwhile, Gally has taken command and intends to sacrifice Thomas and Teresa to the Grievers to restore the peace. Most of the Gladers are swayed to free Thomas and Theresa and attempt escaping the Maze, but Gally and a few others refuse to leave. Fighting Grievers as they go, the survivors escape the Maze and eventually enter a laboratory strewn with dead scientists and technicians. A woman in a video recording explains that the planet has been devastated by increasing solar flares, followed by a pandemic of a deadly, incurable virus called the Flare that affects the brain of the afflicted. We learn that a group of younger individuals appeared to be immune to the virus. The Gladers learn that they were part of an experiment studying the way their brains worked as a resistance to the virus. At the end, the woman in the video shoots herself as the lab is being attacked by men with military-style weapons but dressed more like mercenaries. Gally suddenly appears armed with a gun he found. Delirious from a Griever sting, he insists they must stay in the Maze, then aims at Thomas intending to kill him out of revenge. Minho kills Gally with a spear, but not before Chuck is fatally shot protecting Thomas, who is devastated by his friend's death. Masked armed men rushed in and take the group to a helicopter. As they fly over the Maze, it is revealed to be placed in a vast desert wasteland. Eventually, the helicopter approaches a ruined city. The scene ends with the supposedly-dead scientists meeting in a room. The leader (woman in the video) notes that the experiment has been a success; the survivors are now entering Phase Two.

 L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

I have wanted to watch this movie in the cinema but i don't know why i just not in the mood to watch any movie in the cinema previously. Well, let's get back to the movie, the storyline is great... but i expected a bit more in this. Maybe it will get better in the next movie, we will see. By the way, Ki Hong Lee is damn hot, i've seen him in the WangFu Production before, and he is so yummy :)

Island of the Fishmen (L'isola degli uomini pesce)

 Released Year: 1979

Directed by Sergio Martino

Casted by:

Claudio Cassinelli as Lieutenant Claude de Ross

Barbara Bach as Amanda Marvin

Richard Johnson as Edmond Rackham

Joseph Cotten as Professor Ernest Marvin

Beryl Cunningham as Shakira

 Story:

It is the year 1891 and a military doctor, Lieutenant Claude de Ross a survivor of not one, but two shipwrecks, washes ashore on a mysterious, uncharted Caribbean island along with a handful of convicts. When several of these convicts meet unfortunate ends at the hands of the titular fishmen, Claude and the other survivors flee into the jungle, only to encounter the sadistic Edmond Rackham and his beautiful captive Amanda Marvin.

Amanda's father, Professor Ernest Marvin, a once-famed biologist, has discovered a way to transform humans into amphibious creatures and controls their every move. Rackham manipulates Marvin into performing the procedure upon both willing and unwilling participants by assuring him that his work is undertaken for purely scientific and humanitarian motives (Marvin hopes to reduce strain on the world food supply by creating a race of people who can live in the resource-untapped ocean). Having discovered the lost city of Atlantis beneath the waters surrounding the island however, Rackham is in actuality using the half-human monsters to plunder the lost city of its treasures.

Shakira, a voodoo priestess in the employ of Rackham foretells death and destruction descending upon the island.

The priestess' prophecy is fulfilled as the film ends with Claude and Amanda attempting an escape from a gun-wielding Rackham, a crazed Shakira, uncontrolled fishmen and the very volcano that doomed Atlantis which awakens and threatens to send what unsubmerged landmass remains to oblivion.

 L² Scored: 3/10

L² Comment: 

I kinda like the idea of the old man wanted to build a brand new empire in the sea. But the so called fishmen gives me the creep out of it. But as I continue to watch this movie, the fishmen looks like frogs to me lol~ the movie is a bit bored in most of the part and that's why i rate it so low...

17 Again

Released Year: 2009

Directed by Burr Steers

Casted by:

Zac Efron as Mike O'Donnell (17 years old)/ later also as Mark Gold

Matthew Perry as Mike O'Donnell (37 years old)

Sterling Knight as Alex O'Donnell

Thomas Lennon as Ned Gold (37 years old)

Leslie Mann as Scarlet O'Donnell (37 years old)

Michelle Trachtenberg as Margaret "Maggie" Sarah O'Donnell

Hunter Parrish as Stan

Katerina Graham as Jamie

Melora Hardin as Principal Jane Masterson 

 Story:

In 1989, 17 year-old Mike O'Donnell learns from his girlfriend Scarlet Porter that she is pregnant during the start of his high school championship basketball game. Moments after the game begins, he leaves the game and goes after Scarlet, abandoning his hopes of going to college and becoming a professional basketball player.

In 2009, Mike, now 37 years old, finds his life stalled. Scarlet, now his wife and mother of his two children, has separated from him due to his blaming her for his regrets about abandoning his future, forcing him to move in with his geeky and wealthy best friend since high school, Ned Gold. At his job, we see another reason for his frustration: due to his lack of higher education and since he is significantly older than most of his co-workers, he is passed over for a promotion he deserves in favor of a much younger worker. He gets fired from his job and his high school-age children, Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Alex want nothing to do with him. Later, while visiting his high school to reminisce, an encounter with a mysterious janitor transforms Mike into his 17 year-old self.

Mike then enrolls in high school posing as Mark Gold, Ned's son, and plans to go to college with a basketball scholarship. As he befriends his bullied son and discovers that his daughter has a boyfriend who does not respect her, Mike comes to believe that his mission is to help them. He meets Maggie's boyfriend and Alex's bully, Stan, the captain of the basketball team, and embarrasses him in front of the whole school after he insults Alex. Later, in Sex Education class while the teacher is handing out condoms to the students in a basket, Stan turns to Mike and refuses to give him any saying that he does not need them, causing quiet laughter among the class. Mike then makes a speech about love and sex in front of the whole class for Maggie's benefit, causing all of the girls to give back their condoms. Stan then takes the condoms and takes a handful claiming that he is stocked up for the weekend and kisses Maggie passionately. Because of this, Mike loses his temper and starts a fight with Stan on the floor, which is being taped by other students and eventually goes viral within a matter of minutes. Mike loses the fight and Ned is called up to the school, where he instantly becomes attracted to the principal.

Mike comforts Maggie when her boyfriend dumps her after she refuses to sleep with him. With his help, Alex overcomes Stan's bullying to obtain a place with Mike on the basketball team and the girlfriend he desires.

Through their children, Mike spends time with Scarlet, who is attracted to his remarkable resemblance to her husband in high school. Mike has difficulty resisting his desire for her despite the relationship's clear inappropriateness. At the same time, he must fend off Maggie's sexual advances.

Mike soon realizes that Scarlet is the best thing that ever happened to him and finally realizes that his own selfishness has driven his family away. He tries to re-unite with her, briefly forgetting his young form and kisses her during a party, in front of Maggie and other girls, and unsuccessfully explains to her that he is actually her husband. On the day of the court hearing to finalize Scarlet and Mike's divorce, Mike makes one last attempt to win her back (as Mark) by reading a supposed letter from Mike. He states that although he couldn't set things right in the beginning of his life, it doesn't extinguish the fact that he still loves her. After he exits, Scarlet notices that the "letter" is actually the directions to the courtroom and she begins to grow curious. As a result, she postpones the divorce by a month. During a high school basketball game, Mike reveals himself to Scarlet. As Scarlet once again runs away down the hall, Mike decides to chase her down once more, but not before handing the ball off to his son. Mike is then transformed back into his 37 year-old self, and reunites with Scarlet.

The film ends with Mike receiving the gift of a whistle from Ned in celebration of his new job as basketball coach.

 L² Scored: 9/10

L² Comment: 

I'm feeling like watching FRIENDS now, but hey~ the 10 seasons are a long marathon for me. So I decided to watch this movie with Chandler Matthew inside,  even though he might not appear that much in the movie, but a bit is better than none~ 

The whole movie is cool and fun to watch, even though its not the first time, but its still make me smile at some of the part~ Love Zac Efron as always and he is really so cute~ couldn't take my eyes off him

Step Up 3D

 Released Year: 2010

Directed by Jon M. Chu

Casted by:
Adam Sevani as Robert "Moose" Alexander III
Rick Malambri as Luke Katcher
Sharni Vinson as Natalie
Alyson Stoner as Camille Gage
Joe Slaughter as Julien

Story:

The story begins in traditional video style, as several of the film's characters are recorded and asked a series of questions about why they dance. The film then cuts to Moose and Camille who attend New York University. Moose is majoring in electrical engineering after promising his father that he would not dance anymore. While touring the campus, he sees a pair of Limited Edition Gun Metal Nike Dunks worn by Luke Katcher. Moose follows the shoes and then accidentally stumbles upon a dance battle, where he beats Kid Darkness from the dancing crew "House of Samurai". Luke takes him back to his place, an old warehouse converted into a club. Luke shows Moose the House of Pirates, his dance crew, where he later teams up with them to compete in the World Jam dance contest against their rivals, the House of Samurai dance crew. But then, Jacob, a member of House of Pirates, informs Luke that the warehouse will be put up for auction if the overdue rents are not made.

Luke meets a girl named Natalie at his club and quickly takes notice of her dancing abilities, enlisting her to become part of his crew. However, he is unaware of Natalie's true motives.

Moose finds his time to be increasingly tight as he has to choose between his studies and dance frequently, including once when his test clashes with a dance competition. He decides to go for the test, but upon seeing the test paper and receiving a message from Luke, he rushes to the competition in the nick of time.

Luke and Natalie become increasingly close as the movie progresses, sharing many intimate moments. Luke explains his true intentions with his recordings and dance interviews. Yet, Natalie is hiding the fact that her brother is Julien (Joe Slaughter) the leader of the House of Samurai, and lies about everything but the love connection between her and Luke.

Natalie faces a hard decision torn between her love and her family. She confronts Luke and asks what happened with him and Julien. To her surprise, he says that Julien was a member of the House of Pirates. He had a gambling problem and he once put a wager against the Pirates and then threw away a battle, so the Pirates kicked him out. After arguing with Julien, she decides to leave Luke. Julien then uses her phone to invite Luke for her birthday party. Luke asks Moose to attend the party with him, as he wants a friend with him, but because they have no invitation, they are not permitted to enter. They find a way to get in, Luke sees Natalie on the dance floor and they dance tango. While they are having an intimate moment, Julien takes the chance to appear and reveals Natalie's identity. Luke is angry with Natalie. When Luke arrives back at the warehouse, he finds it is foreclosed. Angry at himself for not being a better leader, he exclaims that the House of Pirates is over, and the crew members go their separate ways.

Meanwhile, Moose and Camille are best friends but Moose does not seem to see that Camille is in love with him. The two fall out during the film because Moose lies to Camille about dancing and she feels like he cannot talk to her anymore. Camille feels that Moose does not have time for her anymore and tells him she misses him and feels like he does not miss her at all. Moose tells Camille that he misses dancing but misses her more and that she is his best friend in the whole world.

The two make up on NYC streets by dancing to a remix of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Camille tells Moose that he can never give up dancing as he was born to do it. Moose then helps out Luke by bringing the House of Pirates back together, and giving him additional members for his crew including Camille and The MSA Crew from Step Up 2: The Streets. They then discover that the former members who left earlier are now performing with the House of Samurai. They also find out Julien is buying their warehouse, but says if they throw the battle, they can have it back. They do not take the offer.

Natalie helps Luke and the Pirates to win the World Jam at the end with the routine they had practiced in the past. She invites him to come with her to California, which he does at the end of the film, meeting her at the train station and kissing her just as Moose kisses Camille. Before leaving for California with Natalie, Luke gives Moose a pair of Limited Edition Gun Metal Nike Dunks which he saw at the beginning of the film, symbolizing that he has been left in charge of the group. The film ends with Moose saying "Let's party, people!" to the crew.

L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment: 

Amazing dance film, basically those who love dancing will never miss the Step Up series. I have been trying to find the first movie for a long time, but finally i gave up and decided to watch what I have in my laptop all these while. I'm not gonna talk about the storyline much but the dance... dude~ its so damn cool... I wish i can dance like them, but too bad i cant and i'm too old to start learning now either~

Short of Love 矮仔多情

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by 阮世生 James Yuen

Casted by:

王祖藍 Wong Zho Lam as 藍子傑 Jack

楊穎 AngelaBaby 飾 Angel

黄婉伶 Race Wong as Christy／Christine／Chris

徐子珊 Kate Tsui as 刀疤珊 Sandy

賈曉晨 JJ Cia as 沈嘉慧 Caca

 Story:

Jack Lam, a self-employed stock trader who keeps his fortune amidst the 2008 financial tsunami, but loses his gold-digging girlfriend Lily. Now without a main squeeze, Jack meets the helpful and super-cute Angel, who advises him that he should learn to help others instead of just helping himself. The idea is that a revamped, selfless outlook on life will lead Jack to newfound success with love.

Jack agrees to become a good guy, whereupon his life does a 180 and he's showered with opportunities for love, Jack does get plenty of chances with the ladies, but everything seems to happen arbitrarily and not necessarily because he turns over a new leaf....

L² Scored: 4.5/10

L² Comment: 

Basically this movie was filmed because of Wong Zho Lam popularity in the drama and as a host, therefore, pretty girls have to be there as his "gals"... but of coz, only those whom are not the TOP actresses acted in this movie. Overall the movie is just ok, predictable, not very funny though... a big surprise for me is to see Mui Siu Wai appeared in this movie :) 

I Love Hong Kong 2013 - 2013我愛HK恭囍發財

 Released Year: 2013

Directed by 鍾澍佳 Zhong Shu Kai

Casted by:

黃宗澤 Bosco Wong as 宋池雄 Xiong

徐子珊 Kate Tsui as 美洋洋 Yang

譚詠麟 Alan Tam as 宋池雄 Xiong

葉玉卿 Veronica Yip as 美洋洋 Yang

謝天華 Michael Tse as 夏石森San

陳百祥 Natalis Chan as 夏石森 San

馮淬帆 Stanley Fung as 黎源 Yun

鄭欣宜 Joyce Cheng as 朱玉圓 Yuk

曾志偉 Eric Tsang as 天使 Angel

 Story:

Xiong came to Hong Kong and look for his friend San who then helped him to find a job. The honest Xiong met rich girl Yang and managed to win over her heart, but he always help others people and even helps his boss Yun to buy the coffee shop and sacrifice their migrate planning. 

San in another hand is getting worst and in the end wanna force Xiong to sell off his coffee shop to him. But an angel appeared and told Xiong that he was actually a good man and deserved a better life than suicide.

 L² Scored: 6.5/10

L² Comment: 

Same like the previous I Love HK, most of the actors & actresses are from TVB. Its happy to see that they have chances to go on big screen which not all the celebrities have the chance. Overall the storyline is ok, a bit predictable, but its still ok~ I watched this old cny movie because of the cny, or else, this wont be in my "to-watch-list"~

Hold You Tight 愈快乐愈堕落

 Released Year: 1998

Directed by 關錦鵬 Stanley Kwan

Casted by:

陈锦鸿 Sunny Chan as 冯伟 Wai

邱淑贞 Chingmy Yau as 月纹 Moon & Rose

柯宇伦 Lawrence Ko as 阿哲 Ze

曾志伟 Eric Tsang as 唐先生 Mr Tong

Story: 

Ze is a gay man but he did not prefer those who is around his age, in fact, he fall for a man who always swim at the swimming pool, Wai. Lack of confidence to approach Wai, Ze approach Wai's wife (Moon) instead. By having sex with Moon, he imagine himself doing it with Wai.

On a plane crash, Moon passed away and Wai went into depression. Mr Tong is always beside him to assure him while Ze went back to Taiwan and met Rose who looks like Moon.  

 L² Scored: 6/10

L² Comment: 

Storyline is not bad and Sunny Chan even show us his nice penis :) But there is no ending, what happened to Ze? And did he managed to tell Wai that he likes him? The movie just left us hanging there and its a bit frustrated for me like this... Stanley Stanley... U!!!   

Forrest Gump

Released Year: 1994

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Casted by:

Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump

Robin Wright as Jenny Curran

Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan Taylor

Mykelti Williamson as Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue

Sally Field as Mrs. Gump 

 Story: 

While waiting at a bus stop in 1981, Forrest Gump begins telling his life story to strangers who sit next to him on the bench. His story begins with his being named for a relative, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and proceeds to the leg braces he had to wear as a child in the 1950s, which resulted in other children bullying him. He lives with his mother, who tells him that "stupid is as stupid does." His mother runs a rooming house and Forrest teaches one of their guests, a young Elvis Presley, a hip-swinging dance. On a bus for his first day of school, Forrest meets Jenny, with whom he immediately falls in love, and they become best friends. One day, while fleeing from bullies, Forrest's leg braces break apart and he discovers that he can run very fast. Despite his below-average intelligence, his speed earns him an athletic scholarship to the University of Alabama. While in college, he witnesses George Wallace's Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, is named an All-American football player, and meets President John F. Kennedy.

After graduating, Forrest enlists in the United States Army, where he befriends former shrimp fisherman Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue, and they agree to go into the shrimping business together once they end their service. They are sent to Vietnam, and while on patrol their platoon is ambushed. Forrest saves four of the men in his platoon, including platoon leader First Lieutenant Dan Taylor, but Bubba is killed. Forrest himself is wounded and receives the Medal of Honor from President Lyndon B. Johnson. While recovering from his injuries, Forrest meets Lieutenant Dan, who has had both of his legs amputated due to his injuries. He is furious at Forrest for leaving him a "cripple" and cheating him out of his destiny to die in battle.

Forrest discovers an aptitude for ping pong and begins playing for the U.S. Army team, eventually competing against Chinese teams on a goodwill tour. After his return from China, he appears on the The Dick Cavett Show with John Lennon, which after describing his experience in China as best as he can inspires Lennon to write his 1971 hit Imagine. He visits the White House again and meets President Richard Nixon, who provides him a room at the Watergate hotel, where Forrest inadvertently helps expose the Watergate scandal. He again encounters Lieutenant Dan, now an embittered drunk living on welfare. Dan is scornful of Forrest's plans to enter the shrimping business and mockingly promises to be Forrest's first mate if he ever succeeds.

Forrest is discharged from the military as a Sergeant and uses money from a ping pong endorsement to buy a shrimping boat, fulfilling his wartime promise to Bubba. Lieutenant Dan keeps his own promise and joins Forrest as first mate. They initially have little luck, but after Hurricane Carmen wrecks every other shrimping boat in the region, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company becomes a huge success. Forrest returns home to care for his ailing mother, who dies soon afterwards. He leaves the company in the hands of Dan, who invests the proceeds of the company in shares of "some kind of fruit company", making them both wealthy.

Jenny returns to visit Forrest and stays with him. He proposes but she turns him down. They make love, but she quietly slips away the next morning. Distraught, Forrest decides to go for a run, which turns into a three-year coast-to-coast marathon. Forrest becomes a celebrity, attracting a band of followers. One day he stops his marathon suddenly and returns home, where he receives a letter from Jenny asking to meet.

This brings Forrest to the bus stop where he began telling his story at the start of the film. During his reunion with Jenny, Forrest discovers they have a young son, also named Forrest. Jenny reveals that she is suffering from an unspecified viral illness, presumably HIV/AIDS. She proposes and he accepts, and they return to Alabama with Forrest Jr. and marry. At his wedding, he meets Lieutenant Dan, who now has titanium alloy prosthetic legs and can walk (although he still has a cane at this point), as well as his fiancee.

Eventually, Jenny dies of her illness. Forrest waits with Forrest Jr. for the bus to pick him up for his first day of school, and watches his feather bookmark float off in the wind.

 L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment: 

 This epic movie is based on the novel of Winston Groom in 1986. It has won the best movie, the best director, best actor and many others~ The storyline is just damn perfect, its a motivation and inspirational movie which makes me feel like "if u dont give up, the God will prepare a road for u"~... i really do believe that there are chances and faiths always wait for those who tries~