The 5th Wave

 Released Year: 2016

Directed by J Blakeson

Casted by:

Chloë Grace Moretz as Cassie Sullivan

Nick Robinson as Ben Parish / Zombie

Alex Roe as Evan Walker

Liev Schreiber as Colonel Vosch

Maika Monroe as Ringer

Zackary Arthur as Sammy Sullivan

Ron Livingston as Oliver Sullivan

Maggie Siff as Lisa Sullivan

Maria Bello as Sergeant Reznik

 Story: 

The 5th Wave follows 16-year-old Cassie Sullivan as she tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of alien invasion that have already devastated the Earth's population and knocked humankind back to the Stone Age. As one of the planet's last survivors after her father was killed in a massacre by the army, Cassie has to learn the hard way to trust no one. The only thing that keeps Cassie going is the hope that she can save her 5-year-old brother, Sam, from a "training" camp established by the Others (the aliens). Cassie and Ben Parish, who was her crush in school, narrate a good majority of the story, along with several supporting characters who offer different perspectives. The Waves were planned attacks used by the Others in their attempt to take over planet Earth, but the reason for their desire to inhabit the planet is much deeper than that and has a lot to do with humanity itself.

 L² Scored: 6/10

L² Comment:

Before I watch this movie, a lot of friend told me the movie is not as good as the trailer. But for me, a guy who did not watch the trailer, I found that this movie is not as bad as what people say... Its something like "28 weeks later" + "Hunger game" + "Zombie land" kinda feel for me...

The movie is based on Rick Yancey's eponymous novel in 2013. From the ending of this movie, its not difficult to guess that there will be a sequence coming soon. But hopefully the negative feedback will not cause this series of movie to be die half way...

First Wave: Lights Out: During the first wave the Others release an EMP wave that takes out all electronics/lights/technology and kills half a million people by shorting out all moving vehicles, including planes in mid-flight.

Second wave: Surf's Up: The Others, realizing that roughly 40 percent of Earth's population lives within 60 miles (97 km) of coastline, drop enormous rods "twice as tall as the Empire State Building and three times as heavy" (45) onto the Earth's fault lines, causing massive tsunamis that wipe out three billion people.

Third wave: Pestilence: the Others launch a scheme to infect as many remaining survivors as possible with a deadly virus. Using the Earth's birds as carriers (via falling excrement) the plague claims 97 percent of remaining survivors. The virus, which resembles an advanced form of Ebola, causes victims to slowly bleed to death until eventually "you've become a viral bomb. And when you explode, you blast everyone around you with the virus" (46).

Fourth wave: Silencers: After the 3rd wave the remaining human population tries desperately to survive off whatever resources remain by looting, all the while clinging to the hope that "the people in charge", wherever they may be, are working toward a solution. Eventually this belief seems legitimate when an impressive battalion of soldiers (with functioning vehicles) arrives at the makeshift camp where Cassie, Sam and her father are staying. The soldiers and commander, however, only appear interested in the children and promptly load them onto waiting buses before ordering all the adults into the camp barracks. Once the humans are surrounded, Commander Vosch orders a massacre and kills everyone at the camp. Cassie, however, narrowly escapes and witnesses her father's death by Vosch's hand. At this moment the 4th wave becomes clear: not all humans are actually humans.

Fifth wave: The children captured during the 4th wave are taken to the Others' primary Earth military compound and are desocialized and then resocialized to execute one goal: kill the remaining human population. This is accomplished through a rigorous boot camp in which children, some as young as five years old, are issued weapons and are expected to follow orders given by commanding officers (whom the children have no idea are not human). During boot camp the Others convince the children that the "aliens" have taken over human bodies and it is paramount that they (the children) eradicate them. In essence, the captured children are the 5th wave.

Monster Hunt 捉妖記

 Released Year: 2015

Directed by 許誠毅 Raman Hui

Casted by:

井柏然 Jing Bo Ran as 宋天蔭 Song Tian Yin

白百何 Bai Bai He as 霍小嵐 Huo Xiao Lan

曾志偉 Eric Tsang as 竹高 Zhu Gao

吳君如 Sandra Ng as 胖瑩 Fei Ying

姜武 Jiang Wu as 羅鋼 Luo Gang

鍾漢良 Wallace Chung as 葛千户 Ge Qian Wu

 Story:

The film takes place in the distant past, where the Human race existed alongside the Monster race. They once shared the world in peace and harmony until the Humans drove the Monsters out from their lands, for they sought total dominion over their lands. Recently, a civil war took place in the Monster Realm which resulted in the usurpation of the Monster King's throne from a treacherous minister, who later sought the Monster Queen and her unborn baby, and the Monster Queen fled to the Human Realm. The story begins with Song Tianyin, an unnerved young village mayor who becomes pregnant with the Monster Queen's baby, and he encounters an aspiring Monster-hunter named Hua Xiaolan, and they both embarks on an adventure to protect the baby from villains of the Human and Monster worlds alike. 

 L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

When I saw the thriller and the making of this movies previously, it really does attracted me to watch it... But if I'm not mistaken, it did not shown in Malaysia; but when I happen to watch it yesterday... the excitement came back... However, the movie is not as good as the thriller, so i decided to score it only 7/10 which i think i'm being a bit generous on this :) Thanks to Eric Tsang & Sandra Ng pls~

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Released Year: 2013
Directed by Francis Lawrence

Casted by:
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
Lenny Kravitz as Cinna
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee
Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow
Jeffrey Wright as Beetee Latier
Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman
Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen
Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair
Jena Malone as Johanna Mason
Lynn Cohen as Mags Flanagan


Story:

After winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return home to District 12. President Snow visits Katniss at her home. The two make an agreement to not lie to one another, and Snow explains that her actions in the Games have inspired rebellions across the districts. He orders her to use the upcoming victory tour to convince him that her actions were out of genuine love for Peeta, not defiance against the Capitol, otherwise Katniss' loved ones will be killed.

As the tour begins, Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss and Peeta's mentor, warns them that the "show" of their relationship must continue for the rest of their lives. Katniss suggests a public engagement between herself and Peeta, which is carried out and approved by Snow at his mansion in the Capitol.

Returning home, Katniss warns her friend Gale Hawthorne of Snow's threat to kill both their families. Peacekeepers crack down on District 12, and Gale is publicly whipped after attacking new Head Peacekeeper Romulus Thread. Snow announces that the upcoming 75th Hunger Games, the Third Quarter Quell, will feature tributes selected from previous victors. Katniss immediately devotes herself to ensuring Peeta's survival, and recruits Haymitch's help to do so. At the reaping, Effie Trinket draws Katniss and Haymitch's names, but Peeta immediately volunteers to take Haymitch's place.

As they prepare, Haymitch reveals that all the tributes are angry about being returned to the Games and advises a reluctant Katniss to make allies. In the pre-Games interviews, Katniss wears a wedding dress, as ordered by President Snow, but her stylist Cinna rigs it to transform into a representation of a mockingjay. Peeta announces that he and Katniss have secretly married and are expecting a baby, which causes outrage, and the audience of Capitol citizens begins shouting for the Games to be stopped, to no avail. Just before Katniss enters the arena, Cinna is severely beaten by Peacekeepers, as punishment for the dress, and dragged away as Katniss watches helplessly.

In the Games, Katniss allies with Finnick Odair and the elderly Mags, from District 4. The arena's outer force field shocks Peeta, stopping his heartbeat until Finnick revives him. The group flees a poisonous fog, and Mags sacrifices herself so as to avoid slowing them down. When vicious mandrills attack, Peeta is saved by the unexpected sacrifice of a tribute from District 6. The group escapes to a beach and meets District 3's Wiress and Beetee, and District 7's Johanna Mason. Wiress discovers the arena is designed like a clock with regular hazards each hour, but is killed soon afterward by Cashmere and Gloss, the brother and sister tributes from District 1, who are in turn killed by Johanna and Katniss, respectively.

Beetee suggests using one of the hazards, a tree that is struck by lightning every 12 hours, and a coil of wire to electrocute the other remaining tributes. The group separates to prepare the trap, but once alone Johanna suddenly hits Katniss over the head, stunning her, and discreetly cuts the tracker from her arm. Katniss returns to the tree and finds an unconscious Beetee with the wire from the tree attached to a makeshift spear. Unable to find Peeta, Katniss almost attacks Finnick, but Finnick reminds her to remember "who the real enemy is", as Haymitch had advised her prior to the Games. Katniss attaches the remaining wire to an arrow and shoots it into the arena's force field as the lightning hits, causing a power failure that takes down the dome's force field as well as the Capitol's surveillance.

Katniss awakens in an aircraft to find Haymitch, Beetee, Finnick, and Plutarch Heavensbee, the head Gamemaker, who is revealed to be a rebel against Snow. He tells her they are bound for District 13, headquarters of the new rebellion, and that half the tributes were aware of the plan to escape with Katniss, who symbolizes the growing rebellion. They were unable to rescue Peeta and Johanna, who were taken by the Capitol. A distraught Katniss is sedated after attacking Haymitch. She later awakens to find Gale by her side, who reassures her that her family is safe but tells her that District 12 has been destroyed by the Capitol.

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

Kinda draggish in the beginning of the movie until i fall asleep in the cinema previously. Rewatching the blu-ray version & the same thing happened to me again. It only excites me when the fights begins. Pity Mags the old lady who has to involved in the fight again, but well, somebody needs to be sacrifice right?

Serena

Released Year: 2014

Directed by Susanne Bier

Casted by:

Bradley Cooper as George Pemberton

Jennifer Lawrence as Serena Pemberton (née Shaw)

Rhys Ifans as Galloway

Sean Harris as Campbell

Toby Jones as Sheriff McDowell

Sam Reid as Joe Vaughn

Ana Ularu as Rachel Hermann

Story:

The year is 1929, and newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the North Carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child by young Rachel Harmon but Serena is new to the mountains. Upon stepping off the train in Waynesville, George is confronted by Rachel's father, Abe Harmon, who is angry at his daughter's abandonment and is hoping Pemberton will assist them financially. When Serena responds that George will not be assisting them, Abe attacks George with bowie knife. Ultimately George wins the battle and kills Abe. George also meets his business partners Wilkie and Buchanan at the train station and introduces them to his new wife, Serena.

Serena will soon show herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattlesnakes, even saving her husband's life in the wilderness. Together, the Pembertons ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Meanwhile, Rachel Harmon struggles to take care of her son, Jacob. When Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons' intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel. In the end, Serena tricks her husband and poisons George and he is left to die in the woods, it is implied that he is finished off by a panther. In an epilogue, an elderly Rachel reads a magazine article about Serena the lumber baron in Brazil, which she shows to her son. Serena is later murdered by a man whom an eyewitness identifies as her husband from an old photograph.

L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment:

The movie is based on the same name novel of Ron Rash in 2008, love Bradly Cooper, love Jennifer Lawrence, love the sceneries... but how much i love the storyline? Umm... not that much as some part i found it kinda boring actually. One face attracted me in this movie which is Ana Ularu, love this Romanian actress, i must find some chance to watch some of her movie :)

The Da Vinci Code

 Released Year: 2006

Directed by Ron Howard

Casted by:

Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon

Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu

Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing

Alfred Molina as Bishop Aringarosa

Jürgen Prochnow as André Vernet

Jean Reno as Police Captain Bezu Fache

Paul Bettany as Silas

 Story:

Jacques Saunière is being pursued by a mysterious hooded figure known as Silas through the Grand Gallery in the Louvre in Paris. Silas demands the location of the Priory's clef de voûte or "keystone." Under threat of death, Saunière finally confesses the keystone is kept in the sacristy of Church of Saint-Sulpice, "beneath the Rose." Silas thanks him, and then shoots him in the stomach. Meanwhile, American symbologist Robert Langdon, who is in Paris as a guest lecturer on symbols and the sacred feminine, is contacted by the French police, and summoned to the Louvre to view the crime scene. He discovers the dying Saunière has created an intricate display using black light ink and his own body and blood. Captain Bezu Fache asks him for his interpretation of the puzzling scene.

Silas calls a mysterious man known as "The Teacher", revealing that he has killed all four protectors of the keystone and that all confirmed the same location. He dons a metal cilice on his thigh and proceeds to flagellate himself with a whip for the sins of murder. Facilitated by Bishop Manuel Aringarosa, Silas then travels to Saint-Sulpice and is admitted by an elderly nun; left alone, he excavates beneath the floor of the church to find a stone saying only JOB 38:11. He confronts the nun, who quotes the passage: "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further." Realizing that he has been deceived, Silas is enraged and kills the nun.

Sophie Neveu, a cryptologist with the French police, enters the Louvre as well and slips Langdon a message which leads him to the bathroom. There, Sophie meets him and tells him that he is being tracked, a GPS tracking dot has been (unknown by him) slipped into his jacket and that he is a primary suspect in the murder case because of a line of text found by the corpse ("P.S. find Robert Langdon"). Sophie however, believes that Saunière, who is revealed to be her grandfather, wanted to pass a hidden message on to her (Princesse Sophie, P.S., was the nickname he used for her), and that he had wanted to bring Langdon into the equation so that he could help her crack the code.

Buying some time by throwing the tracking device into the back of a truck, the pair begin exploring the Louvre, finding more anagram messages that Saunière had left behind. Many of these relate to Leonardo da Vinci's art, and the pair find a key with a Fleur-de-lis behind Madonna of the Rocks painting. Langdon deduces from this that Saunière was a member of the Priory of Sion, a secret society associated with the Knights Templar.

Pursued by the French police and cut off from the United States Embassy, the pair escape to the Bois de Boulogne where Langdon closely inspects the key. He notices an inscription on the side - an address. The address directs them to the Depository Bank of Zurich where the key is used for a safety deposit box. In the bank, they find Saunière's deposit box and open it using the 10 digit Fibonacci numbers in order (1123581321). Inside the box, they find a rosewood container, which contains a cryptex: a cylindrical container with five alphabetical dials which must be arranged in the correct sequence to spell out a 5-letter code word, in order to open and access the papyrus message inside. Using force to open the cryptex would break a vial of vinegar inside, which would dissolve the papyrus and destroy the message.

Unfortunately, the police are called by a security guard and they are forced to leave. The bank manager, Andre Vernet, assists them in escaping by taking them as passengers in an armoured van to escape the routine checks of the police. In the back of the truck Langdon and Neveu have a lengthy discussion about the cryptex and Neveu says that her grandfather often played games with her involving cryptexes. Langdon says that the cryptex might hold valuable information or another clue about what they are trying to discover. Eventually, they come to a sudden stop and Vernet forces them at gunpoint to give him the cryptex. Langdon tricks Vernet and disarms him and he and Sophie escape with the cryptex in their hands.

Langdon suggests that they visit his friend, Sir Leigh Teabing, for assistance to opening the cryptex. Teabing turns out to be an enthusiastic seeker of the Holy Grail, which he believes is not actually a cup but instead Mary Magdalene. Mary was pregnant at the time of Christ's crucifixion, and Teabing tells Sophie that the Priory of Sion was formed to protect the descendants of Jesus. Jacques Saunière was believed to be a part of this society and Teabing suspects that he was training Sophie to join it also. Silas, meanwhile, breaks into Teabing's mansion and attempts to steal the cryptex. Teabing uses his cane to knock Silas out and they escape again, taking the butler, Remy Jean, and Silas with them. The group escapes in Teabing's plane, following the next clue to London. Fache learns of their destination, and alerts the London Metropolitan Police to apprehend them at the airport. But Teabing manages to slip the party past the police with a trick of misdirection.

Teabing leads Langdon and Neveu to the Temple Church in London, which is shown to be a red herring. Silas is freed by Remy Jean, who is revealed to be a follower of The Teacher as well. The two take Teabing hostage, and Silas, believing Remy to be The Teacher, holes up in an Opus Dei safehouse. Remy is killed by the mysterious man after deceiving Silas. Silas is attacked by the police and, in the ensuing gunfire, accidentally shoots Bishop Manuel Aringarosa. In his grief, Silas dies in police-assisted suicide and a wounded Aringarosa is hospitalized, as well as being arrested by Fache for using him to chase Langdon.

Langdon is betrayed by Teabing, who is revealed to be the true Teacher. He escapes with the cryptex, and attempts to find the next clue at Isaac Newton's tomb in Westminster Abbey, as Newton was another member of the Priory. Langdon and Neveu catch up with him, and chase him into the nearby chapter house. Teabing explained that he wanted to find Mary Magdalene's remains to prove he was correct about the Holy Grail and threatens to shoot Sophie if Langdon does not open the cryptex. Langdon responds by throwing the cryptex into the air. Teabing catches, but fumbles it, and it hits the ground, shattering the internal vial of vinegar. Teabing becomes distraught, as he believes the vinegar has destroyed the papyrus within the still intact cryptex.

After Teabing is arrested, it is revealed that Langdon had cracked the code ('Apple', a reference to Newton) and removed the clue from the cryptex before throwing it. Using the clue, they travel to Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland where Magdalene's remains had previously been hidden. The remains had since been moved, but they meet other members of the secret organization that protected her. It is revealed that Sophie is actually Magdalene's descendant and therefore is the current living descendant of Jesus Christ. They vow to keep her safe. Langdon and Sophie part ways shortly after.

Back in Paris, Langdon accidentally cuts himself while shaving and the line of blood on the sink reminds him of the Rose Line, which sparks an epiphany. He goes out into the streets of Paris and follows the Rose Line and finds the location of the Holy Grail, buried under the pyramid in the Louvre. Langdon then kneels above Mary Magdalene's tomb as the Knights Templar did before him.

 L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

About 10 years time I rewatch this movie, it still gives me the thrill of it... Yet after so many years, I still did not read the book hehe~ Tom Hanks is the one who attracted me to walk into the cinema for this movie, after that I was deeply fall in love with Paul Bettany's nice ass lol~ Overall the movie is great, and still good even you rewatch it... :)

Don't Stop My Crazy Love for You 擋不住的瘋情

 Released Year: 1993

Directed by 韩伟达 Hon Wai Tat

Casted by:

任达华 Simon Yam as 孙志辉 Fai

翁虹 Yvonne Yung as 黄洁怡 Kitty

王敏德 Michael Fitzereld Wong as 查理 Charlie

 Story:

Fai is a computer company manager has been living a double life eccentric personality. During the day in the company's hard work, a woman with money dismissive; night began to try every possible way to be close to their dreams - a popular television presenter Kitty. Fai not only moved opposite the apartment lived with binoculars to monitor their every move, but with a VCR tracking shot, and all the men with iron bars lessons for Kitty rude or tried to approach her. Fai in their own homes plastered with photos of Kitty, a day to watch her videos and in front of dummies dressed as seemingly speak for her music.

By chance, Fai by colleagues know Kitty and her wealthy boyfriend Charlie. Two loving to Fai jealous, and Fai strange eyes let Kitty played a guard. Charlie and Kitty requent side let Fai no longer tolerate, then the two engaged in a masquerade, Fai finally began to take action. As he says, "we are doomed fate", some mixed with pain and bliss of twisted love destined to unfold between Fai and Kitty....

 L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:

Yvonne Yung looks damn hot in here, and first time ever, both of Yvonne & Simon were in fully naked when they acted this movie and especially the sex scenes. Yvonne is so well in the rape scene, most probably she's enjoying as well? lol

Beauty and the Beast 2012 (Die Schöne und das Biest)

 Released Year: 2012

Directed by Marc-Andreas Bochert

Casted by: 

Cornelia Gröschel as Elsa, The Beauty

Max Simonischek as The Beast, Prince Arbo

Jürgen Tarrach as Hugo, Elsa's Father

Carolin Walter as Irmel

Karsten Kramer as Wenzel

 Story:

Host Hugo struggling with financial worries and can no longer pay the rent, as well as its customers are already delinquent. His whole consolation is his beautiful daughter Elsa, who is being courted by Knights Bertold. As Hugo to raise money finds shelter in a mysterious castle while attempting to put the jewelry to his widow, the fate takes its course. Improvidence, he plucks the morning in the castle garden, a rose for Elsa. 

Suddenly there is a monster, half man, half animal, in front of him and calls his life as atonement. Hugo rescues his head, the Beast must deliver but the first living creature he encounters at home. Hugo thinks that this will probably be his dog, but it is the beloved daughter, and she now has to pay the debt of the father. The Beast captures the beauty and wants to force them into marriage. But Elsa opposes. She has only one goal: to escape from the magic castle. 

The two bumbling servant Wenzel and Irmel they can not be persuaded to give their love to the castle lord. This realizes that the girl he can not win by force, and he promises: If he does not succeed within a time limit, to win her heart, Elsa is free and allowed to go. The beast strives honestly to Elsa and tries to win them over and continue to woo. But only wants as Elsa nevertheless flee in the night and she is rescued from the Beast risked his life in front of a falling tree, are feelings for the beast awakened at Elsa. 

Shortly before the beast finally the curse that has befallen it, perishes, Elsa revealed to him the love and kisses it. Immediately, the Beast is transformed back into the handsome prince. After a fierce dispute with Ritter Bertolt Elsa and the Prince come together finally.

 L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

Its always not easy to watch a foreign language film for me as I need to keep my eyes on the subtitles while still enjoying the film :) Nothing magical thingy and sceneries of this movie but it bring out the romantic side between the beauty and the beast. The storyline of course is roughly the same as per Disney, sorry to all French, know that you guys must be loving this fairy tales of your country, but I did not read the original fiction, so dare not comment much on this German's film as well. But overall, its nice and I love it :)