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...

Jack the Giant Slayer

 Released Year: 2013

Directed by Bryan Singer

Casted by:

Nicholas Hoult as Jack

Eleanor Tomlinson as Isabelle

Ewan McGregor as Elmont

Stanley Tucci as Lord Roderick

Ian McShane as King Brahmwell

Bill Nighy and John Kassir as Fallon

 Story:

In the Kingdom of Cloister, Jack, a young farm boy, is fascinated by the legend of Erik, an ancient king who defeated an army of invading giants from a realm in the sky by controlling them with a magical crown. At the same time, Princess Isabelle becomes fascinated with the same legend.

Ten years later, Jack goes into town to sell his horse to support his uncle's farm. There, Jack spots Isabelle and develops a crush on her after defending her honor from a group of hooligans. Meanwhile, Lord Roderick returns to his study, only to find that a monk has robbed him. The monk offers Jack some magic beans he stole from Roderick as collateral for Jack's horse. Back at the castle, Isabelle quarrels with her father, King Brahmwell, as she wants to explore the kingdom, but he wants her to stay and marry Roderick. Likewise, Jack's uncle scolds him for being foolish before throwing the beans on the floor and leaving the house.

Determined to be free, Isabelle sneaks out of the castle and seeks shelter from the rain in Jack's house. As it rains, one of the beans takes root and grows into a massive beanstalk that carries the house and Isabelle into the sky as Jack falls to the ground.

Jack, Roderick, and Roderick's attendant Wicke volunteer to join the king's knights, led by Elmont and his second in-command, Crawe, and climb the beanstalk in search of Isabelle. As they climb, Roderick and Wicke cut the safety rope, intentionally killing some of the knights. At the top, they discover the giants' realm and decide to split into two groups: one with Jack, Elmont, and Crawe, and the other including Roderick and Wicke, but not before Roderick forcibly takes the remaining beans from Jack (although Jack manages to save one for himself).

Jack's group is trapped by a giant, who takes everyone prisoner except Jack. Meanwhile, Roderick's group encounters two other giants; one eats Wicke, but before they can do the same to Roderick, Roderick dons the magic crown.

Jack follows the giant to the giants' stronghold, where the two-headed giant leader, Fallon, has killed Crawe. There, Jack finds the imprisoned Isabelle and Elmont. As the giants prepare to kill their remaining prisoners, Roderick walks in and enslaves the giants with the crown. He tells the giants they will attack Cloister at dawn and gives them permission to eat Isabelle and Elmont. Jack rescues Isabelle and Elmont as one of the giants prepares to cook Elmont as a pig-in-a-blanket. The trio makes for the beanstalk, where Jack causes the giant guarding the beanstalk to fall off the realm's edge. Seeing the giant's body, Brahmwell orders the beanstalk cut down to avoid an invasion by the giants.

Jack and Isabelle head down the beanstalk, while Elmont stays to confront Roderick. Elmont kills Roderick, but Fallon takes the crown before Elmont can claim it, and Elmont is forced to escape down the beanstalk. Jack, Isabelle, and Elmont all survive the fall after the beanstalk is cut down. As everyone returns home, Jack warns that the giants are using Roderick's beans to create beanstalks to descend down to Earth and attack Cloister.

The giants chase Jack, Isabelle, and Brahmwell into the castle, where Elmont fills the moat with oil and sets it on fire. Fallon falls in the moat and breaks into the castle from below. As the siege continues, Fallon captures Jack and Isabelle, but Jack throws the final bean down Fallon's throat, causing a beanstalk to rip apart his body. Jack takes the crown and sends the giants back to their realm.

Jack and Isabelle marry and tell the story of the giants to their children. As time passes, the magic crown is crafted into St Edward's Crown and is secured in the Tower of London.

 L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment: 

All of us known this story since our childhood, or its better known as Jack & the beanstalk ~ Overall the storyline is not bad, following the original story which we have familiar with. The graphic and thingy is good, only the giants might look a bit fake to me haha

Young Adam

Released Year: 2003
Directed by David Mackenzie

Casted by:
Ewan McGregor as Joe Taylor
Tilda Swinton as Ella Gault
Peter Mullan as Les Gault
Emily Mortimer as Cathie Dimly
Story:

The film is set in Scotland in the early 1950s. Shiftless young drifter Joe Taylor works on a barge that operates along the River Clyde between Glasgow and Edinburgh. He shares the cramped on-board living quarters with its operators, Les and Ella Gault, and their young son Jim. One day Joe and Les pull the body of a young woman, naked except for a petticoat, from the water. Via flashbacks, we learn Joe knew her, and scenes involving his relationship with office worker Cathie Dimly are juxtaposed with those set in the present time.

After finding Cathie's body, Joe and Les go to a local pub to play darts. Joe leaves Les behind and returns to the barge, where Ella succumbs to his advances. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping Jim, the two engage in sex on the towpath. It proves to be the first of many such encounters they enjoy whenever they can find a few moments away from Les.

In the past, Joe meets Cathie on a beach and the two soon are living together. He aspires to be a writer and spends his days banging on a battered typewriter while she works to support them. Joe begins to suffer from chronic writer's block and Cathie, unhappy with his lack of productivity, accuses him of taking advantage of her. He packs his meager belongings and moves out. After tossing his typewriter in a canal, he meets Les, who offers him a job on the barge.

Les eventually becomes aware of Ella and Joe's affair and moves out of the barge, which belongs to her, and Ella and Joe drift into a more serious relationship. When she receives word her brother-in-law has died, she and Joe visit her sister Gwen and invite her to spend a couple of weeks with them. One evening, on the pretext Gwen would like to see a movie, she and Joe leave the barge and go to a pub. After a few drinks, the two have sex in a deserted alley.

Eventually, Ella's desire to settle in the suburbs and her no-nonsense supervision of the barge's daily commercial activities put a damper on the once-unbridled passion in her relationship with Joe, and he packs and leaves. In the past, Joe and Cathie reunite on the waterfront and have sex beneath a parked truck. She reveals she is pregnant with his child, and when Joe nonchalantly begins to walk away, she runs after him, trips, and falls into the water while dressed only in her petticoat. Joe makes no move to rescue her and, when she fails to surface, he panics and runs away.

Past and present converge. Daniel Gordon, a plumber who Cathie was casually seeing, is arrested and tried for her murder, and Joe spends a few days in the courtroom listening to testimony. Guilt-stricken, he writes an anonymous note absolving Daniel of the crime and leaves it where a courthouse guard can find it. It has no effect on the proceedings, and Daniel is found guilty and sentenced to hang. Unwilling to risk his life, Joe opts not to confess how Cathie really died and sets off for parts unknown.

L² Scored: 4.5/10

L² Comment:

Basically the whole movie is sucks, the 4.5 marks contributed from the multiple sex scenes & Ewan McGregor's huge dick~ beside this, nothing else is good enough~

Moulin Rouge!

Released Year: 2001
Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Casted by:
Ewan McGregor as Christian
Nicole Kidman as Satine
Jim Broadbent as Harold Zidler
Richard Roxburgh as The Duke of Monroth
Story:

The film opens in the year 1900, where a suffering and depressed writer named Christian is mourning the loss of his true love: Satine. Determined to have her story written, Christian sits at his desk and begins to type it out on a typewriter.

In 1899, one year before, Christian moves to the Montmartre district of Paris to become a writer among the Bohemian culture. He encounters performers led by Toulouse-Lautrec; his writing skills allow them to finish their proposed show, "Spectacular Spectacular", that they wish to sell to Harold Zidler, owner of the Moulin Rouge. The group arrives at the Moulin Rouge as Zidler and his "Diamond Dog Dancers" perform for the audience (Lady Marmalade/Zidler's Rap (Can Can)/Smells Like Teen Spirit). Toulouse-Lautrec arranges for Christian to see Satine, the star courtesan, in her private quarters to present the work, unaware that Zidler is promising Satine to the wealthy and unscrupulous Duke of Monroth, a potential investor in the cabaret ("Sparkling Diamonds" medley).

Satine mistakes Christian for the Duke, and dances with him before retiring to her private chamber with him in order to discuss things "privately" (Rhythm of the Night) but soon learns that he is just a writer; by this time Christian has fallen in love with her ("Your Song"). The Duke interrupts them; Christian and Satine claim they were practicing the lines for the Moulin Rouge's new show, "Spectacular Spectacular". With the help of Zidler, Toulouse-Lautrec and the rest of the troupe pitch the show to the Duke with an improvised plot about an evil maharajah attempting to woo an Indian courtesan who is in love with a poor sitar player ("The Pitch (Spectacular Spectacular)"). The Duke agrees to back the show on the condition that only he is allowed to see Satine. Meanwhile, Satine contemplates on Christian and her longing to leave the Moulin Rouge to become "a real actress" (One Day I'll Fly Away). Christian later goes back to Satine to convince her that she loves him ("Elephant Love Medley"). As the cabaret is converted to a theater, Christian and Satine continue seeing each other under the pretense of rehearsing Satine's lines. The Duke becomes jealous and warns Zidler that he may stop financing the show; Zidler arranges for Satine to dine with the Duke that evening, but during practice she falls ill (Gorecki). That night, Zidler makes excuses to the Duke, claiming that Satine has gone to confession ("Like a Virgin"). Zidler learns that Satine is dying from consumption. Satine tries to convince Christian that their relationship endangers the show, but he counters by writing a secret love song into the show to affirm their love ("Come What May").

As the Duke watches Christian rehearse lines with Satine, Nini, a jealous performer, points out that the play is a metaphor for Christian, Satine and the Duke. Enraged, the Duke demands that the play ending be changed so that the courtesan ends up with the maharajah; Satine offers to spend the night with the Duke to keep the original ending. While at the Duke's quarters, Satine sees Christian on the streets below, and realizes she cannot go through with this ("El Tango de Roxanne"). The Duke tries taking her forcibly, but she is saved by Le Chocolat, one of the cabaret dancers, and reunited with Christian, who recommends they run away together. The Duke tells Zidler that he will have Christian killed if Satine is not his. Zidler reiterates this warning to Satine, but when she refuses to return, he finally informs her that she is dying (The Show Must Go On). Acting on the threat to Christian's life, Satine tells Christian they can no longer see each other as she will be staying with the Duke. Christian tries following her, but is denied entry to the Moulin Rouge, and falls into a state of depression, even though Toulouse-Lautrec insists that Satine loves him.

On the night of the show, Christian sneaks into the Moulin Rouge, ready to pay Satine to return his love just as the Duke has paid for her (Hindi Sad Diamonds). He catches Satine before she steps on stage, and he demands she tells him that she does not love him. Suddenly they find themselves in the spotlight; Zidler convinces the audience that Christian is the disguised sitar player. Christian reviles Satine for her perceived betrayal and walks off the stage. From the rafters, Toulouse-Lautrec, cries out, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return", spurring Satine to sing the secret love song Christian wrote to express their love. Christian returns to the stage, joining her in the song. The Duke's bodyguard tries killing Christian but is thwarted by Toulouse-Lautrec and Valeria (a dancer in the Moulin Rouge), while the Duke's own attempt is stopped by Zidler. The Duke storms out of the cabaret as Christian and Satine complete their song ("Come What May (Reprise)", "Coup d'État (Finale)").

After the curtain closes, Satine succumbs to her illness. She and Christian affirm their love before she dies. A year later the Moulin Rouge has closed down, and Christian is writing the tale of his love for Satine, a "love that will live forever" (Nature Boy (Reprise)).

L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:

Oh Lord, if this is the first time i watch this movie, i'll definitely give it a score below 5 because it's quite confuse at the beginning of 20 minutes. Luckily this is my 3rd time watching this movie and i like it a bit better each time i watch it :)

There's really not much acting on the actors/actresses side, though there's a lot of nomination in multiple awards, and though they win some, but not on all the main category anyway... But this is quite new during 2001, that's why a lot of musical style film come out later~ :)

Valiant

Released Year: 2005
Directed by Gary Chapman

Casted by:
Ewan McGregor as Valiant
Ricky Gervais as Bugsy
Pip Torrens as Lofty Thaddeus Worthington
Dan Roberts as Tailfeather
Brian Lonsdale as Toughwood
Olivia Williams as Victoria
Tim Curry as General Von Talon
Story:

In May 1944, 5 years since the declaration of World War II, three Royal Homing Pigeon Service war pigeons are flying across the English Channel with the White Cliffs of Dover in sight, carrying vital messages to Great Britain. Despite the poor weather conditions the pigeons have nearly reached their destination. They are, however, suddenly ambushed and attacked by a German enemy falcon called General Von Talon; two of the pigeons are instantly killed, yet the third is taken as a prisoner of war.

Elsewhere a small wood pigeon named Valiant is watching an Allied forces propaganda film in his local bar (an overturned rowing boat) in West Nestington. Wing Commander Gutsy, a war hero flies into the bar, informing everyone that signups are scheduled the next day in Trafalgar Square, London. In General Von Talon's lair, Mercury (the captured prisoner of war) resists interrogation by his captors. Valiant flies off to London, bidding his mother and Felix, the local barman, goodbye. In London, Valiant meets a filthy pigeon named Bugsy, who is wanted by two thugs. In order to escape the wrath of the thugs, he signs up with Valiant.

The recruits, Valiant, Bugsy, Lofty, an intellectual red pigeon, and Toughwood and Tailfeather, two strong but dim-witted twin brothers, form Royal Homing Pigeon Service Squad F, and are sent to a recruit training facility. Under the command of Sergeant, who declares that he will toughen them up for the RHPS, the training begins. Meanwhile, Von Talon and his henchmen try numerous attempts to discover the message's departure location. However Mercury refuses to tell, despite the tortures inflicted upon him, such as irritating him with yodelling music and injecting him with truth serum, before Mercury accidentally reveals the location: Saint-Pierre.

Throughout the training, Valiant develops a crush on Victoria, the camp's nursing dove. Eventually, Gutsy arrives and tells the Sergeant that the recruits need to leave the next morning, despite their training being vastly incomplete. Bugsy, however, decides not to go on the "highly dangerous" mission and flees the camp that night. The next morning, Valiant and the others prepare to leave and start to board the plane headed for France, but not before Bugsy shows up at the last second. The journey becomes extremely perilous, as the plane is caught in the midst of dogfight. Their plane sustains heavy damage and the pigeons soon have to bale out, in boxes equipped with parachutes. The pigeons are dropped from the plane; however a technical malfunction causes Gutsy's box to fail to deploy. The plane goes down in an inferno of flames, presumably killing Gutsy in the resulting explosion.

In France, the pigeons meet Charles de Girl and Rollo, two mice from the French Resistance, Mouse Division, the latter being an expert saboteur who lead them to Saint-Pierre, where they receive the message they have been ordered to deliver. They soon come under attack by Von Talon's henchmen, resulting in Bugsy and the message being captured. Von Talon takes the message from Bugsy and decides to cage him up and eat him later. Valiant and the troops follow Bugsy to the falcon's bunker, where they discover that Gutsy has survived the plane crash. Valiant takes advantage of his small size and sneaks into the bunker through the gun barrel, retrieves the message, and frees Bugsy and Mercury. Unfortunately, the falcons are alert and give chase. As Gutsy and the others fend off Von Talon's henchmen, Valiant flies to London to deliver the message, followed closely by Von Talon.

After a climactic chase by the falcon, Valiant hides in the cottage where he lives, where he is attacked by Von Talon again. With the help of his mother and Felix, Valiant finally defeats the villain by getting a giant hook caught on his medals, leaving him to be beaten senseless by the water wheel. Valiant delivers the message, and is rewarded with a Dickin Medal. After receiving the Dickin Medal, Squad F returns to the local bar in West Nestington, where Valiant reunites with Victoria.

L² Scored: 5.5/10

L² Comment:

This is not really a Walt Disney production, but from UK animation production. Walt Disney only bought it over to showcast in USA only. Ok, back to the story. This cartoon is make to praise those pigeon during world war II. Dickin Medals were given to 32 pigeons during that time.

Just fyi, Dickin Medals is a medal which give to animals whom help to save human beings~ So this is definitely a good cartoon to watch. But for entertainment purposes? Well, its not really that attractive :P

I Love You Philip Morris

Released Year: 2009
Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa

Casted by:
Jim Carrey as Steven Jay Russell
Ewan McGregor as Philip Morris
Rodrigo Santoro as Jimmy
Leslie Mann as DebbieStory:

Steve Russell has been marrying his wife Debbie for a few years with kids and always been living in a stable life as a good man. But deep inside his heart, he knows that he is gay and he likes man. On a car accident, Steve knows he has to live for his own. He came out to his wife and live his gay life in fullest.

He has a boyfriend name Jimmy whom he loves a lot. But being gay has been a high expenses life for him. Therefore, Steve started to become a conman and earn a lot of money to make Jimmy happy. But Jimmy does not know what Steve has been up to all the while until he was arrested. Jimmy was angry and sad about Steve. Steve in the meanwhile saw Philip in jail.

Philip the good looking blond has attracted Steve, but Philip was place in another group of cells. Steve tried very hard and finally able to impress Philip and move to stay in the same cell with Philip. Funny Steve has win Philip's heart straight ahead and both couple living happily together in the small little cell until Steve's has set free from jail.

Unable to forget Philip, Steve con again and help to get Philip away from jail. To let Philip stayed in a happy life, Steve con again and earn bunch of money to make their life a superb. But this does not last long as the con was found and Steve was once again put into jail. When he was in the police car, memory flashed back of Jimmy who's in hospital told him to make Steve's new lover a better guy and love him more. Steve wanted to love Philip more and he stab himself with drug. Sending to hospital instead of jail, Steve tried to escape but failed.

Philip same as Jimmy was frustrated with Steve's con life and ran away. Steve has to see Philip again, he pretended he is sick by vomiting out food everyday and become as thin as a skeleton. He con a worker to submit a sick report and stated that he has AIDS. He was then send to a lab for experiment purpose and announced his death to police station. Philip got the news and was sad but surprise to see Steve again. But Steve's con action failed and police came and arrested both of them.

Steve was put into jail for the rest of his life, 23 hours in a cell and only 1 hour for exercise and shower purpose. And Philip was released after a few years. This has ended the love affair of them.

L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

OMG~ Jim Carrey & Ewan McGregor kiss!!! That's hot. Its not something new for McGregor coz i think he acted in a few gay character before, but this is definitely something new for Carrey. But if compare to acting, McGregor is much more better than Carrey as Carrey's acting style is very over all these while.

Bravo to Carrey for purposely slim down so much just for the film. Its a real legend which i found quite weird. If that man is so clever in con, he must be really really enjoying a superb life all these while.