Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Released Year: 2009
Directed by Michael Bay

Casted by:
Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel as Maj. William Lennox
Tyrese Gibson as CMSgt. Rob Epps
Isabel Lucas as Alice
John Turturro as Seymour Simmons
Ramón Rodríguez as Leo Spitz
Kevin Dunn as Ron Witwicky, Sam's father.
Julie White as Judith Witwicky

Voiced by:
Peter Cullen voices Optimus Prime
Mark Ryan voices Bumblebee
Tony Todd voices The Fallen
Hugo Weaving voices Megatron
Charlie Adler voices Starscream

Story:

In 17,000 B.C., the Seven Primes traveled the galaxy to create Energon with star-absorbing machines called Sun Harvesters. The Primes followed a rule in which to never destroy planets with life, but one of them, Megatronus Prime, later called The Fallen, deceives the others by building an army in secret and sets up a Sun Harvester on a planet with abundant life, Earth. After defeating ancient humans, The Fallen is confronted by the other Primes who defeat and imprison The Fallen before he can harvest Earth's sun with the Matrix of Leadership, and shortly afterwards sacrifice themselves to hide the Matrix.

Two years after Megatron's demise, the Autobots join the U.S. military to form the Non-Biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty (NEST), a classified task force hunting down surviving Decepticons, led by William Lennox and Rob Epps. During a mission in Shanghai against the Decepticons Sideways and Demolisher, Optimus Prime learns of The Fallen's return from Demolisher's dying words: "The Fallen will rise again", but is unfamiliar with the name. National Security Adviser Theodore Galloway scolds the task force for their destructive tactics, reminding them that Megatron's corpse is still in the Laurentian Abyss and the last known AllSpark shard is locked up in NEST's headquarters. The Decepticon Communications Officer Soundwave hacks into a U.S. military satellite, eavesdropping for information and sends Ravage to retrieve the shard.

Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky prepares to attend college, leaving his girlfriend Mikaela Banes and guardian Bumblebee behind. While preparing for college, he gets a call from Mikaela. While on the phone, he removes an old jacket from his cupboard; a smaller AllSpark shard falls from within it. He picks up the shard, accidentally channeling its knowledge into his mind, causing him to see Cybertronian symbols and bringing the kitchen appliances to life. After Bumblebee destroys them, Sam gives the shard to Mikaela, who later captures the Decepticon Wheelie when he tries to steal it. The Constructicons resurrect Megatron by using the shard retrieved by Ravage and killing one of their own allies to provide parts for him. Megatron then flies to a moon of Saturn and reunites with his master, The Fallen. The Fallen orders Megatron to capture Sam alive and kill Optimus, who is the last of the Primes and the only Transformer who can defeat him.

Sam, Mikaela, and Leo, Sam's college roommate, are targeted by the Decepticons. Alice, a Pretender Decepticon, first attempts to seduce Sam and then tries to attack him, but Mikaela and Leo enter the room and help him escape. They kill Alice, but are captured by Grindor under the orders of Megatron, who says that the symbols in Sam's mind will lead the Deceptions to a new Energon source. Megatron orders Scalpel to remove Sam's brain, but Optimus and Bumblebee arrive to rescue them. Bumblebee, Leo, and Mikaela escape as Optimus engages Megatron, Starscream, and Grindor in a vicious fight in the forest. Sam watches the three Decepticons overpower Optimus, but Optimus eventually gets the better of Megatron and Starscream; also killing Grindor. As Optimus attempts to find Sam, Megatron mortally stabs him. After encouraging Sam to run, Optimus dies. This forces the humans to retreat as Autobots repel Megatron and Starscream.

The Decepticons prepare for The Fallen's arrival by launching an assault on many areas around the world simultaneously; after landing on Earth, The Fallen, now informed of the death of Optimus, hijacks Earth's telecommunications systems, asking for Sam. In return, the assurance of mankind's survival. Sam, now an international fugitive, enlists the help of Seymour Simmons, who reveals that the Transformers visited Earth eons ago and the most ancient, known as Seekers, live in secret. With the help from Wheelie, they track down an elderly Decepticon turned Autobot named Jetfire, helping the group get to Egypt to find the Matrix of Leadership, which will revive Optimus. Simmons contacts NEST, telling them to bring Optimus and the other Autobots to Egypt.

Sam's group finds the Tomb of the Primes hidden in Petra, but the Matrix disintegrates into dust in Sam's hands. Undeterred, Sam places the Matrix's remains in his sock. Megatron orders the Decepticons to assault the area around the pyramid, leading to a full scale Decepticon attack. NEST and the Autobots land, but they are attacked by a large force of Decepticons. During the battle, Sam reunites with his parents (having found out about the Transformers existence) before getting rescued by Bumblebee, who ends up killing Ravage and Rampage in the process. During the battle, Devastator demolishes one of the Pyramids of Giza, revealing the Sun Harvester inside, before being killed by a strike called in by Simmons. With the Decepticons gaining the upper hand, Lennox and Epps call in an airstrike, which kills a large portion of the Decepticon ground forces. However, Megatron manages to shoot Sam in the confusion, seemingly killing him, before being forced to retreat to the Sun Harvester. Nearing his death, the Seven Primes contact Sam through a vision, telling him the Matrix is earned, and that he earned the right to bear it. They restore Sam's life and the Matrix, which the latter is used to revive Optimus.

The Fallen, sensing the Matrix's restoration and the resurrection of Optimus, teleports to their location and steals the Matrix from Optimus, then returns to the pyramid with Megatron and activates the Sun Harvester. The military assaults the pyramid but are no match to the telekinetic powers of The Fallen, who all but destroys the attack force. A wounded Jetfire sacrifices himself in order for Optimus to gain his parts which gives him immense strength and the ability to fly. Optimus takes to flight and knocks The Fallen and Megatron off the pyramid, destroying the Sun Harvester in the process. The Fallen and Optimus fight ferociously until Megatron appears and attacks Optimus from behind. Optimus uses his new strength to severely injure Megatron, knocking him through a wall and disabling him. Optimus re-engages The Fallen who begins to tear Optimus' new armour apart, but Optimus gains the upper hand by disarming The Fallen and using his own spear against him, impaling him through the shoulder. Wounded, The Fallen attempts to escape, but Optimus rips his face off and crushes his spark out of his chest, finally killing him, while an injured Megatron watches in horror. Vowing vengeance, he retreats with Starscream. Victorious at last, the Autobots and their allies return to the United States as Optimus ends the movie with a victory speech.

In a mid-credit scene Sam, and Mikaela continue their relationship by kissing on a motor-cycle, In a second credit scene Sam returns to college, were the professor says "Thank you for joining us Mr. Einstein"

L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment:

The 2nd movie of Transformer is still as good as the 1st movie. Sexy Megan Fox on the superbike is like a symbolic pose for a sexy beast like her. The storyline is exciting, a lot new transformers appear in this second movie for the good guys so as the bad guys. Love the fighting scenes between the autobots & decepticons; it almost blew me away watching it :) Too bad, when I thought about the 3rd movie later on "Dark of the moon" is not as good as the first two movies make me feel a bit sad... that is also the reason why i stop watching Transformer in cinema anymore... :(

Race to Witch Mountain

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by Andy Fickman

Casted by:

Dwayne Johnson as Jack Bruno

Alexander Ludwig as Seth

AnnaSophia Robb as Sara

Ciarán Hinds as Henry Burke

 Story:

An alien spaceship crashes near Searchlight, Nevada, outside Las Vegas. Project Moon Dust, a secret Defense Department unit led by Henry Burke, arrives in black helicopters. Men in Black seize the ship and search for its passengers.

Jack Bruno is a former mob get-away driver who drives a cab to avoid returning to jail. One of his passengers is Dr. Alex Friedman, a failed scientist who is in Las Vegas to speak at a UFO convention at the Planet Hollywood hotel.

After resisting two thugs who seek his services for a mob boss, Bruno finds two teenagers, Sara and Seth, in his cab. They offer $15,000 to drive to a certain destination. Burke's men follow the cab; Bruno believes that the government agents are more mob thugs, and evades them with his driving skills. Seth's ability to vary his molecular density helps the group to escape.

When they arrive at an abandoned house, Bruno follows them out of concern and curiosity. The teenagers retrieve the device they were looking for within a hidden underground laboratory, but the three are attacked by a "Siphon", a powerful armored alien assassin. The Siphon pursues the group until its spaceship crashes into a train and the creature is wounded. The three again escape Burke's agents, in part due to Sara's telepathy and telekinetics.

The teenagers explain to Bruno that they are from a dying planet 3,000 light years from Earth. Its government intends to invade Earth, despite the idea being unpopular among the majority of their race, so that their kind may survive. Seth and Sara's parents are scientists who sought a way to save their planet without invasion but were arrested before completing their experiment. The teenagers came to retrieve the successful results, but the alien government sent the assassin to stop them. To save both worlds, they must retrieve their spaceship and return home.

Bruno brings Seth and Sara to Dr. Friedman at the UFO convention, who realizes that the teenagers are what she has been searching for and joins the group. Fellow UFOlogist and conspiracy theorist Dr. Donald Harlan tells them that the spaceship was taken to the secret California government base Witch Mountain. Harlan and his men distract the soldiers with Bruno's taxi while the others escape to Witch Mountain on Harlan's RV. The group arrives at the base but are captured; Burke orders that the teenagers be prepared for vivisection, but frees the adults as no one will believe them.

The Siphon attacks Witch Mountain and battles the soldiers, allowing Bruno and Friedman to infiltrate the base and free Seth and Sara. They launch the ship, escape through the mountain's tunnels, and finally kill the assassin who has stowed away on the spaceship. The teenagers give Bruno and Friedman a tracking device that will allow the aliens to always find them, tearfully wish them farewell, and return to their planet.

Bruno and Friedman become successful authors of Race to Witch Mountain: A True Story. They promote their book and knowledge on the UFO convention circuit, explaining that the publicity protects them from government reprisal. As they leave a convention the alien device activates, implying that the teenagers may be returning to Earth.

 L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

This is a remake of Disney film 1975 "Escape to Witch Mountain". I missed it in the big screen that time, hey wait a minute.... it was almost 8 years ago!!! and WTF, i have been blogging on this movie blog for so long already ?!? 

Alright, back to the movie, kinda nice but just feel some part can be more excited, such as the part where they fight along with Siphon... Of course Dwayne Johnson still looks good but Alexander Ludwig is so yummy even though he was just 17yo in this movie; I just google his recent photos & he was fucking hell good looking, gosh~ Don't forgot about AnnaSophia Robb who looks stunning too in this movie & she is the young version of Carrie Bradshaw lol~ 

A Siren In The Dark

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by Laura Reilly & Steven Vasquez

Casted by:

David Beutler as Danny Pennington

Orion Cross as Joshua

Jason Dodds as Bucky

Kyle Lankins as Andi

Donna Michelle as Jennifer

 Story:

Cameron, a Police Officer with psychic abilities, is called upon to interview an accused teen in hopes of finding the whereabouts of the teen's missing gay lover. His investigation immediately spirals into sordid tales of drug abuse, sexual obsessions, and a mysterious man living on a deserted mountain road. This handsome but very deadly "Siren" is a seeker of the lost and lonely, and revels in playing on their addictions. Has the lost lover met his end? Is the accused teen himself even among the living? As the tale unfolds, will Cameron find himself safe from the lure of the deadly and mysterious "Siren in the Dark?"

L² Scored: 5/10 

L² Comment:

Well, unlike other GLBT movies, its kinda mysterious and in the same time horror i should say? I'm not really sure how does the whole story goes, but seriously its not a bad movie but just that I'm not too into it... sorry...

Coraline

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by Henry Selick

Voiced by:

Dakota Fanning as Coraline Jones

Teri Hatcher as Mel Jones

Jennifer Saunders & Dawn French as Miss April Spink & Miss Miriam Forcible

John Hodgman as Charlie Jones

Ian McShane as Mr. Bobinsky

Keith David as The Cat

 Story:

Hand made of sewing needles to re-make a doll to resemble 11-year-old Coraline Jones. A little later, Coraline and her family relocate from Pontiac, Michigan to Ashland, Oregon. They move into the Pink Palace Apartments, which are rather dilapidated and one hundred and fifty years old. It is also occupied by retired actresses Ms. Spink and Forcible, and eccentric Russian acrobat Mr. Bobinsky, who claims to be training a mouse circus. Coraline's parents work for a garden catalog and are often too busy to pay attention to her.

Coraline decides to explore their new home, meeting Wyborn "Wybie" Lovat, the grandson of the apartments' landlady, Mrs. Lovat. While exploring, she finds a small brick-sealed door. That night, Coraline follows a mouse through the door, where she discovers the bricks have been replaced by a long corridor. Coraline goes through it and finds herself in the Other World, which is a copy of her world and is inhabited by her "Other Parents", who look similar to her real parents, but have buttons for eyes. In the Other World, her parents are much more attentive and everything is more interesting and magical. Coraline falls asleep in the Other World, and awakens back home.

Coraline goes to the Other World three times despite warnings from her neighbors and a cat that can talk in the Other World. The other copies include a copy of Mr. Bobinsky, who runs a real mouse circus, copies of a young Ms. Spink and Forcible, who perform a theater show, and a duplicate of Wybie that cannot talk. On the third visit, the Other Mother invites Coraline to stay in the Other World forever, on the condition that she has buttons sewn over her eyes. Horrified by this, Coraline rejects the offer. After she refuses to accept the Other Mother's love, Coraline is thrown through a mirror into a secret room. Inside she meets the ghosts of three children (including Wybie's grandmother's twin sister), who were tricked by the Other Mother, into having buttons sewn into their eyes, thus trapping their souls. Coraline vows to free them by finding their stolen eyes. The Other Wybie helps her escape and stays behind, but when Coraline returns, her parents are nowhere to be found. After seeing her parents trapped in the mirror, Coraline discovers that the Other Mother has kidnapped them.

Coraline ventures into the Other World with a seeing eye stone she received from the real Spink and Forcible to play a "game"; to find her parents and the eyes of the ghost children. If she loses, she will stay forever. Using the stone, Coraline manages to retrieve the ghost children's stolen eyes from the warped versions of the Other inhabitants. She confronts the Other Mother, who has decayed into an arachnoid witch with the same needle-hands that made the doll. One of the children warns her that Coraline will never be let go even if she wins. Coraline finds her real parents trapped in a snow globe and manages to trick the Other Mother and escape, blinding her and severing her hand. Coraline's parents return with no memory of being kidnapped.

The ghosts appear to Coraline in a dream to warn her that even though she had freed them, she is still in danger. They tell her that she must get rid of the key, or the Other Mother will find it. They also tell Coraline not to be sad, because she is still alive. As Coraline prepares to toss the key into the well, she is attacked by the Other Mother's severed clawed hand, but is saved by Wybie, who crushes it with a rock. With Wybie's help, Coraline throws the key and the pieces of the claw hand down the well. Mrs. Lovat's twin sister is revealed to be one of the three ghost children. The next day, Coraline hosts a garden party with her neighbors and meets Mrs. Lovat, and prepares to tell her about her adventures.

 L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment:

This animation is based on Neil Gaiman's 2002 same name novel which talks about a kid's fantasy horror kinda thingy. Well, for me this is just so so... first of all maybe the character design is not really that outstanding comparing to other similar animation... The storyline is also kinda expected, so overall it just a fair movie for me to watch on a boring Sunday night...

Angels & Demons

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by Ron Howard

Casted by:

Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon

Ewan McGregor as Father Patrick McKenna

Ayelet Zurer as Dr. Vittoria Vetra

Stellan Skarsgård as Commander Maximilian Richter

Pierfrancesco Favino as Inspector Ernesto Olivetti

Nikolaj Lie Kaas as The Assassin

Armin Mueller-Stahl as Cardinal Strauss

 Story:

Under the watchful eyes of Father Silvano Bentivoglio and Dr. Vittoria Vetra, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) initiates the Large Hadron Collider and creates three vials of antimatter particles larger than any that have ever been produced before. Almost immediately, Father Silvano is killed and one of the vials of antimatter goes missing. At the same time, the Roman Catholic Church is mourning the sudden death of Pope Pius XVI in Rome and prepares for the papal conclave to elect the next Pope. The Camerlengo, Father Patrick McKenna, assumes temporary control of the Vatican. The Illuminati kidnap four of the 'preferiti' (the favourite cardinals to be elected pope) before the conclave enters seclusion and threaten to kill one candidate every hour and destroy all of Vatican City at midnight, using the missing vial of antimatter as a bomb. The Vatican summons symbologist Robert Langdon from Harvard University and Vetra from CERN to help them save the four preferiti and locate the vial.

Langdon listens to the Illuminati's message and deduces that the four cardinals will die at the four altars of the "Path of Illumination," marked by statues of angels in locations relevant to the four classical elements. Over the objections of Commander Maximilian Richter, head of the Swiss Guard, but with McKenna's consent, Langdon is granted access to the Vatican Secret Archives. He examines Galileo Galilei's banned book with Vetra. Following the clues and accompanied by Inspector General Ernesto Olivetti and Claudio Vincenzi of the Vatican Gendarmerie Corps, they arrive at the Chigi Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo. There they find Cardinal Ebner dead, suffocated with soil and branded with an ambigrammatic word "Earth". They verify the second location is Saint Peter's Square but are unable to save Cardinal Lamassé; his lungs punctured and his body branded with "Air".

While Vetra studies Silvano's diaries, Langdon, Olivetti and Vincenzi locate the third church, Santa Maria della Vittoria, but are unable to save Cardinal Guidera from being burned to death. His body is branded with an ambigrammatic word, "Fire". The assassin appears and kills Olivetti and Vincenzi, while Langdon barely manages to escape with his life. Langdon and two Carabinieri officers race to the Water altar, the Fountain of the Four Rivers, where the assassin murders the officers and drops a bound and weighted Cardinal Baggia into the fountain. Langdon, assisted by bystanders, saves the cardinal, who tells him the Illuminati's lair is Castel Sant'Angelo. There Langdon and Vetra discover a hidden passageway leading to the Vatican, being used as a hideout for the assassin. Discovering a case with marks for five branding irons, they realize the fifth brand is for the camerlengo but are confronted by the assassin before they can alert McKenna. The assassin spares their lives, then cryptically warns them that his contractors were "men of God". He escapes but is then killed when his car explodes.

Inside the Vatican, Langdon and Vetra find Commander Richter hovering over McKenna with a gun, the Vatican symbol branded into McKenna's chest. Richter and Archbishop Simeon are shot by the Guards, and Langdon takes a key that slips from Richter's hand. The stolen antimatter vial is found in St. Peter's Tomb below the church, but the battery life is too low to risk re-connecting it to a battery. McKenna, a former military pilot, seizes the vial and uses an awaiting helicopter to fly above the Vatican. At a high altitude, he parachutes out as the antimatter bomb explodes overhead. McKenna is hailed a hero and savior, and the cardinals move to elect him pope. Langdon and Vetra use Richter's key to watch a security video showing McKenna speaking to Richter before the attack. The video reveals that it is McKenna, not the Illuminati, who masterminded the scheme. McKenna reveals that he murdered the previous pope because he felt the pope had betrayed the church by trying to bridge the gap between science and religion. Once McKenna had killed the pope, he intended to have himself elected to the papacy whilst rallying the most conservative Cardinals to his side. The recording is shown to the Papal conclave, and when it dawns on McKenna that he has been exposed he flees to a remote recess in the building where he is able to commit suicide by setting himself on fire.

The Vatican officially announces that McKenna died due to internal injuries suffered during his parachute landing, and Cardinal Baggia is named Pope Luke, with Cardinal Strauss as the new camerlengo. Strauss thanks Langdon for his assistance and gives Langdon Galileo's "Diagramma Veritatis" for his research, requesting only that Langdon's will contain a request that it be returned to the Vatican, and that any future references he may make about the Catholic Church in his future publications be done gently, to which Langdon replies, "I'll try."

 L² Scored: 6.5/10

L² Comment:

It has been such a long time I didn't watch any movie and update this blog... almost one month without any new update, a friend message me & order me to update soon or else he will dis-follow my movies' blog lol~

Well, I have been wanting to re-watch this movie, a sequel of "The Da Vinci Code". Angels & Demons was one of my favorite movie back in 2009 before i started to blog about movies review. However, watching it the second time, its a bit boring to be frank. Of course beside solving hints, Tom Hanks with a new girl running around like mad dog & the villain change to Ewan McGregor... Of course its a good movie still, but maybe not for the re-watching time...

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by Steve Carr

Casted by:

Kevin James as Paul Blart

Jayma Mays as Amy Anderson

Keir O'Donnell as Veck Simms

Bobby Cannavale as Commander James Kent

Adam Ferrara as Sergeant Howard

Peter Gerety as Chief Brooks

Stephen Rannazzisi as Stuart

Jamal Mixon as Leon

Adhir Kalyan as Pahud

Erick Avari as Vijay

Raini Rodriguez as Maya Blart

 Story:

Paul Blart is a resident in West Orange, New Jersey with his teenage daughter, Maya, and elderly mother, Margaret. Aspiring to join the New Jersey State Police, he trains at the police academy, but his hypoglycemic medical condition causes him to collapse, therefore failing the exam. To shape things up for his career, Blart works as a security guard at the West Orange Pavillion Mall.

Blart patrols the mall on a Segway to assure things are safe and clean. He goes to the surveillance room and trains Veck Simms, who is new but uninterested on the job. Meanwhile, Blart eventually becomes acquainted with Amy Anderson, the vendor of a new kiosk. He meets her one evening at a restaurant with other mall employees. Things initially go well, but Blart is sidetracked when he decides to participate in a nacho-eating contest with his friend Leon. The hot sauce is more than Blart can handle, and he begins chugging down several alcoholic beverages causing him to become excessively drunk and incoherent. He crashes the party and makes a wild exit by falling through a window.

Two days later, on the night of Black Friday, an organized gang of thugs disguised as Santa's Village employees begin what appears to be a bank heist inside the mall. They take Amy and other customers in the bank hostage. Simms is revealed as the gang's leader – his mall security job was a ploy to gather intelligence. They are keeping the hostages as insurance for the gang's escape. The crew forces shoppers to exit the mall and strategically places motion sensors around each entrance to detect any attempt to enter or exit the building.

Blart takes a break in the arcade and plays Detroit Rock City via Rock Band. He eventually walks back out in the mall, and discovers the entire mall is evacuated and under a state of emergency. Upon realizing this, he calls the police, and slips out of the mall to speak with Commander Sergeant Howard. Blart realizes Anderson is still inside after spotting her car in the parking lot and decides to return to the mall to look for her. A state SWAT team soon arrives with Commander James Kent at the helm. Kent, a former classmate and bully from Blart's childhood, takes control of the situation and orders Blart to let them handle the situation. After spotting Anderson as one of the hostages, Blart refuses and attempts a rescue. Vastly outnumbered and physically outclassed, Blart takes a stand against Simms' crew using improvised measures to take them down one by one. He discovers credit card codes written in invisible ink on the burglars' arms and realizes that their real plans go beyond robbing the bank.

Maya, unaware of the situation, shows up at the mall on her way to bring Blart some food, but Simms' remaining henchmen seize her and add her to the hostage group. Blart manages to arrest all of Simms' accomplices and attempts to evacuate the hostages by pulling them up through an air vent. The plan fails when Leon cannot fit. Simms enters the room, capturing Blart and forcing him to give up the credit card codes he recorded on his cell phone. Simms escapes, kidnapping Anderson and Maya. As police swarm the mall to apprehend the criminals and rescue the hostages, Blart borrows a display minivan and joins Kent in pursuing Simms to the airport, where he is attempting to escape to the Cayman Islands.

After a brief scuffle, Blart overpowers Simms and puts him in handcuffs. Moments later, however, Kent pulls his gun on Blart revealing that he was in cahoots with Simms. Kent demands the phone containing the codes from Blart, who refuses and responds by smashing the phone into the ground. Before Kent can retaliate by shooting Blart, Chief Brooks of the mall security team arrives in time and shoots Kent in the arm. Kent and Simms are arrested, and Anderson and Maya are returned safely. For his bravery and assistance, Howard offers Blart a job with the New Jersey State Police. Blart honorably declines opting to remain in mall security. Blart and Anderson are eventually married in the mall, where they exchange vows on a set of black and white Segways.

 L² Scored: 6/10

L² Comment:

I never know who is Kevin James till I watch this movie. This is a "not bad" movie, but some parts can be better... Heard that the 2nd movie was out somewhere in April 2015 with Kevin James continue to lead the whole movie. Let's see whether I will able to find this movie and share it here with all of you...

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Released Year: 2009

Directed by Betty THomas

Voiced & Casted by:

 Justin Long as Alvin Seville

Matthew Gray Gubler as Simon Seville

Jesse McCartney as Theodore Seville.

Christina Applegate as Brittany

Anna Faris as Jeanette

Amy Poehler as Eleanor

Zachary Levi as Toby Seville

David Cross as Ian Hawke

Jason Lee as David "Dave" Seville

Story: 

During a benefit concert in Paris, France, David Seville is injured. Having to recuperate there, Dave asks his aunt to look after the Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore. Arrangements are also made for them to go to school at West Eastman High School. After another accident, the Chipmunks are left in the care of Toby, Jackie's grandson.

Meanwhile, Ian Hawke lives in the basement of JETT Records. Three singing female chipmunks, Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor, also known as The Chipettes, emerge and Ian hires them as plot to get back at the Chipmunks and revive his career.

While at school, the Chipmunks are bullied by jocks. They visit the principal's office, only to discover that the principal, Dr. Rubin is a huge fan and wants them to help raise money for a music program by participating in a contest. Meanwhile, Ian is shocked to find the Chipmunks on the front page of his newspaper. After he reads a story about them, he quickly sends the Chipettes to school.

When the Chipmunks meet the Chipettes, a rivalry forms after the former group learns that the latter group are with Ian. Meanwhile, Alvin becomes popular with the jocks and joins the football team, not realizing that the next game is during the concert. At the concert, Theodore and Simon tell the fans that Alvin didn't show up and that they can't perform, leading to a victory for the Chipettes. When Alvin finally shows up after the concert is over, he finds the auditorium empty and is ignored by his brothers at home.

Soon the Chipettes are hired, but learn that the concert they are to perform as an opening act for a Britney Spears concert at the Staples Center is on the same night as the school contest. Ian convinces them to blow off the battle and perform at the concert, but refuses to give the same credit to Jeanette and Eleanor that he gives Brittany. She demands that they all go together or not at all, until Ian threatens to send them to a barbecue restaurant (in a similar manner to the Chipmunks) unless they perform.

Before the Battle Of The Bands, Alvin receives a call from the Chipettes who tell him that Ian has locked them in a cage, so Alvin races off to rescue them while Simon tells Jeanette how to open the cage over the cell phone. Simon and Theodore are on the verge of going out to perform until the others arrive just in time to perform at the contest. The Chipmunks and the Chipettes perform together and receive the money for the music program. Dave, who had left the hospital upon learning that Toby was looking after the Chipmunks, returns during the contest happy to see his boys again. Meanwhile, Ian gets into more trouble at the concert of Staples Center he set up for the girls when he attempts to imitate them only to be taken away by the security guards. After the contest, Dave allows the Chipettes to stay with them.

In the mid-credits, Dr. Rubin has the jocks scrape the gum off from under the bleachers in the gymnasium. In the post-credits, Ian is thrown into a dumpster.

  L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

Second movie of Alvin & The Chipmunks added in the 3 babes for them. I remember during the cartoon time, these 3 babes didn't sing as much as they are in the movie... Oh well, mayb i'm forgetful, coz it has been so many years ago... the storyline is expected but not bad... hopefully the movie series will be growing~ 

Space Buddies

Released Year: 2009

Directed by Robert Vince

Voiced by:

Field Cate as Buddha

Skyler Gisondo as B-Dawg

Liliana Mumy as Rosebud

Henry Hodges as Mudbud

Josh Flitter as Budderball

Jason Earles as Spudnick

Amy Sedaris as Gravity

Casted by:

Bill Fagerbakke as Pi

Diedrich Bader as Yuri

Kevin Weisman as Dr. Finkle

 Story:

The film starts as Buddha and his owner Sam are star-gazing. As a shooting star passes, Sam makes a wish that he can touch the moon. The next day is the day of Sam's school field trip to Vision Enterprises to watch a test launch of the Vision 1 space craft. However, since no pets are allowed to go, Sam has to leave Buddha at home. Buddha meets up with the other Budderball, Rosebud, B-Dawg, and Mudbud, and invites them to come with him to go to see the test launch. They hide in the school bus and the bus soon arrives at the Vision Enterprises where the launch is. The dogs go to a space-suit machine and put on space-suits before following the group of students, who are being led by Dr. Finkel. The dogs get aboard the space shuttle Vision 1. At Mission Control in the Vision enterprises, Pi confirms they are ready for launch. Meanwhile, the Buddies take a close look around until they are sealed in the shuttle, which prepares for launch. Astro, who will be piloting the ship from Earth, launches the shuttle, and the shuttle flies to space.

At Mission Control, the humans realize the third tank of gas in the shuttle was never fully filled. With ten hours until the gas runs out, they look for solutions. They eventually decide to pilot the space craft to the old R.R.S.S. (Russian Research Space Station), which was launched during the Soviet era. They contact the cosmonaut living in the space station, named Yuri, telling him to refuel the Vision 1. As Vision 1 connects to the space station, the dogs decide to explore the space station, and they meet a dog called Spudnick who is under the care of Yuri. Spudnick explains that Yuri is quite content to stay in space, yet he wishes to go home. Yuri finds the dogs and becomes happy because the buddies can keep them company. The buddies are trapped in the kitchen, and are saved later by Spudnick. After connecting the fuel pipe to the Vision 1, the gas starts to leak from the pipes. Meanwhile, the buddies and Spudnick rush back to Vision 1 to escape. Yuri activates lock-down to trap the dogs. They manage to get to the Vision 1. Yuri tries to stop them, banging on the control switches. However, some sparks drop on the gas, causing an explosion. Spudnick and the Buddies escape from the R.R.S.S. as it explodes. Yuri barely escapes using the "Cosmo-pod escape vessel".

The Vision 1 travels to the moon. Soon after, the Vision 1 approaches and lands on the moon (Before this event had occurred, B-Dawg had mistaken the moon for the Death Star). They soon begin to get out of the Vision 1 and walk around the area within the place they had landed. Mission Control finds that the sounds from their space helmets happen to be soft barks, and conclude they are golden retriever puppies, and this is broadcast on the news. The children find out through the news ("We're live at Vision Enterprises, where quite a furry tale is unfolding. It seems 5 golden retriever puppies have been accidentally launched into space."). The buddies, while on the moon, meet a ferret named Gravity, who is the Buddies' mission control assistant. But since their only communication is from audio, the buddies don't know Gravity is a ferret. Gravity orders the Buddies to get back on the Vision 1.

When returning to Earth, the path is changed by the untrustworthy Dr. Finkel. The path's telemetry is reverted into a meteor shower. The "auto-avoidance system", takes control of the Vision 1, rotating and shifting heavily between every meteor in its path. However, the Vision 1's data communications antenna is busted to the right when it becomes struck by a meteor. Budderball is sent to repair the antenna by doing a space walk outside of the Vision 1. At Mission Control, the adults are puzzled about the change of the telemetry course of the Vision 1 when Sam accuses Dr. Finkel of changing the path. As Dr. Finkel denies it, Pi uses the security camera to confirm that Dr. Finkel was indeed at the desk at 7:49 PM, the time when the telemetry course was changed. As Dr. Finkel is taken away by security, Sam approaches Dr. Finkel and calls him "Dr. Stinkle."

Mission Control receives Yuri's distress signal in the Cosmo-pod before the Vision 1 enters the atmosphere through the blackout zone. They wait 4 minutes until they arrive, but they arrive early. The Vision 1 ends its mission by slowing down on the take-off strip. The Buddies find out Gravity was a ferret, and so that Butterball replies he is related to skunks. Yuri crashes his pod, and is rescued by some soldiers, telling them he comes from space.

Pi awards The Buddies wings of true heroism, with their title as "Space Buddies". The Buddies review what they did (Budderball was taught how to eat his vegetables from the trip). Once at home, Buddha gives Sam a moon rock he had taken from his journey, fulfilling his wish of touching the moon. The film ends with Spudnick back at home with his old owner Sasha, saying, "It is the journey and friendship that matters the most."

 L² Scored: 3.5/10 

L² Comment:

This is the 3rd installment of Air-Bud series of Disney. For me, the storyline is special, but its a bit boring for adult, maybe it might be cute and special for children :) I really love those 5 golden retriever and the bull terrier~  the rest i don't wish to comment much...

The Hole 2009

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by Joe Dante

Casted by:

Chris Massoglia as Dane Thompson

Haley Bennett as Julie Campbell

Nathan Gamble as Lucas Thompson

Teri Polo as Susan Thompson

 Story:

17-year-old Dane Thompson, his 10-year-old brother Lucas, and their mother, Susan, move from Brooklyn to the quiet town of Bensenville. Dane and Lucas befriend their next door neighbor, Julie. Dane and Lucas find a trapdoor with several locks along each side. They discover a hole which appears to be bottomless. When Julie arrives, they lower a video camera into the hole. They look at the recording and see static. They turn away from the screen to their mother. An eye appears on the screen.

Over the next few days, each child experiences strange events. One day, the little girl appears in the boys' home. The trio follow her to the basement and watch, as she crawls into the hole. The previous owner of the house, Creepy Carl, now lives in an abandoned glove factory. When the kids tell him that they have opened the hole, he berates them for releasing the evil inside. Later that night, Carl is seen scribbling in a sketchbook, almost blacking out entire pages. Carl screaming "I'm not done!" as the light bulbs around him pop.

The sketchbook turns out to belong to Dane, who returns to the factory to retrieve it. He finds his sketchbook in the darkness; Creepy Carl is gone. Julie decides to get the group relaxed and throws a pool party. While under the water, Dane sees the same giant man standing above. Once out of the pool, he notices a trail of muddy footprints. He and Julie follow the footprints, leaving Lucas alone, but returned shortly when they heard her pet dog, Charlie, barking. They return to see Lucas drowning. Lucas tells them that the clown puppet had pulled him to the bottom of the pool.

Later that night, while Lucas is asleep, Dane sees a hand-shaped bruise on Lucas' leg. He discovers that it is identical to a hand that Creepy Carl had drawn in the sketchbook. As he flips through the sketchbook, he realizes that each page is a puzzle piece. While working on the puzzle, Dane hears someone whistling. When he walks into the kitchen, he sees an envelope addressed to him from the New Jersey State Penitentiary. A note inside reads 'HELLO BOY'. He rushes upstairs to Lucas and tells him that someone is in the house. While Dane investigates, Lucas meets a police officer standing at the bottom of the stairs. The police officer ascends the stairs to show Lucas a picture of two little girls. He asks Lucas if he has seen one of them and points to the little girl whom Julie encountered in the bathroom. The police officer leaves the picture with Lucas and descends the stairs. Lucas watches the cop return to the basement and climb into the hole. The girl then appears in Julie's room. Julie climbs out of her window and meets the boys. She reveals to Dane that she and her best friend Annie were playing on the tracks of an old roller coaster. There was an accident and Annie fell to her death. In an attempt to help Julie, a police officer had also fallen and was killed. She decides to return to the amusement park where the accident occurred. Dane goes after her.

Julie finds her friend sitting on the same spot from which she fell. After Julie helps Annie understand that she had tried to save her, Annie disappears. Meanwhile, Lucas hears Dane calling him to the basement where the puppet attacks him. Lucas successfully destroys the puppet. Dane and Julie come home and Lucas announces that he's no longer afraid of clowns. Dane then tells them of a theory that once you look into the hole it somehow knows you and creates whatever you are afraid of. When asked what he's afraid of, Dane replies that he's not afraid of anything.

Julie then invites Dane and Lucas to stay at her place for the night. As Lucas is gathering his things, Dane shows Julie the puzzle he had been working on. They solve the puzzle together and see a boy being grabbed by a giant man. Dane rushes upstairs to find that Lucas is gone. Dane finally reveals that he is afraid of his father, who had abused the entire family and is now in prison. Realizing that his father has taken Lucas into the hole, Dane jumps into the hole as well.

He finds Lucas hiding in a closet. Their father, who has become a giant, starts to break through the door. They turn around and discover what seems to be a ladder. Dane tells Lucas to start climbing. Dane starts to follow, when his father drags him back down. Dane confronts his father. As Dane fights him off, the giant father slowly returns to his actual size. Their surroundings begin to crumble. Dane gives the crumbling floor one final blow. The floor breaks apart and the father falls away.

Dane emerges from the hole where Julie and Lucas are waiting. They close the hole, just as their mother comes down to the basement. She sees the trapdoor and opens it, revealing a shallow crawl space below. As the group heads upstairs, Lucas asks his mom if she is afraid of anything. She replies that it is a monster that was under her bed when she was a little girl. Lucas says, "Uh oh," as the trapdoor opens again.

 L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

Wow, a very impressive horror movie. Love the storyline, it keeps you interested and when you think you already know what will happen next, it totally twist and get you surprise. Overall its not bad, as this movie is not same like other horror movies which tons of stupid boring un-meaningful scenes, very straight to the point and i like it :) The only bad thing is, how come the movie's title is so sucks and normal? gosh !!!

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Released Year: 2009

Directed by Patrick Tatopoulos

Casted by:

Michael Sheen as Lucian

Bill Nighy as Viktor

Rhona Mitra as Sonja

Steven Mackintosh as Andreas Tanis

 Story:

The film tells the story of Lucian, the first werewolf born in human form and the first to be called a Lycan. Viktor, a vampire elder, raises the child, and envisions a race of Lycan slaves that could keep guard of the coven's fortress during the day and be used as laborers by the vampires at night. To this end, Viktor demands from the local human nobles a tribute of silver, with which to keep his slaves under control. As Lucian grows up, he and Viktor's daughter Sonja fall in love and begin a secretive intimate relationship in their adult years. Sonja is reckless and insubordinate, and one night Lucian escapes and rescues Sonja from his werewolf brethren. Viktor, despite acknowledging that Lucian saved his daughter, cannot forgive the escape and locks Lucian away.

With the help of Andreas Tanis, Sonja orchestrates Lucian's release in exchange for her seat on the vampire council. Lucian, unable to flee alone, decides to escape after liberating all of the other Lycans. Sonja remains behind but will meet Lucian in three days, and one night while preparing to leave is visited by her father. Viktor asks if she assisted in Lucian's escape, and although she denies it, he discovers the real truth after biting her neck and reading her memories through her blood. Discovering her relationship with Lucian, he then imprisons her. Meanwhile, in the forest, Lucian recruits both human slaves and werewolves to form a force against the vampires. In the fortress, the vampire council and nobles demand that Viktor recapture Lucian, and Viktor replies that he is confident Lucian will return.

Lucian learns about Sonja's imprisonment and eventually rescues her from her room but they are stopped from escaping by Viktor. Sonja, hoping to spare Lucian's life, reveals to him that she is pregnant with Lucian's child. Disgusted, Viktor overpowers her and imprisons both her and Lucian. Sonja is unanimously sentenced to death by the council at a trial presided over by her father, and is executed by exposure to sunlight in Lucian's presence. Viktor later visits her body and retrieves her pendant.

Lucian tries to escape the fortress but his attempt is thwarted by the Death Dealers; Lucian, now able to communicate with and control the Lycans, summons them to storm the fortress. In the melee, the Vampire Council members are killed along with their aides and lesser vampire nobles. When realizing that Viktor intends to flee, Lucian pursues him, and they fight. Lucian stabs Viktor through the mouth with a sword and pushes his body down into a nearby body of water. With the battle over, Lucian's deputy Raze declares that "it is finished", but Lucian realizes this victory is only the beginning of what will become a war between the races.

The film's coda reveals that Viktor has survived his wound, has made it onto a vampire ship fleeing the fortress, and is sealed into an elder hibernation chamber by Tanis. Also, the opening scene of the first Underworld film is shown, with the voice of vampire Kraven revealing to Selene that Viktor had killed her family, not the Lycans, but had spared her life because she reminded him of his executed daughter Sonja; Selene, unaware of the truth, dismisses Kraven's statement as "lies".

 L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

Even though my beloved Beckinsale is not the main role in this third movie, but i still like it... It explain much on the story that has happen and how war really begins for these 2 monster race. Rhona Mitra is kinda cool, but seriously i didn't saw much of her other movie before hehe..