Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Released Year: 1988

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Casted by:

Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant

Christopher Lloyd as Judge Doom

Joanna Cassidy as Dolores

Stubby Kaye as Marvin Acme

Voiced by:

Charles Fleischer as Roger Rabbit

Kathleen Turner as Jessica Rabbit

Lou Hirsch as Baby Herman

 Story:

In 1947, "toons" act out theatrical cartoon shorts as with live-action films; they regularly interact with real people and animals and reside in Toontown, an animated portion of Los Angeles. Private detective Eddie Valiant and his brother, Teddy, once worked closely with the toons on several famous cases, but after Teddy was killed by a toon, Eddie lapsed into alcoholism and vowed never to work for toons again. One day, R.K. Maroon, head of Maroon Cartoon Studios, is concerned about the recent poor acting performances of one of his biggest stars, Roger Rabbit. Maroon hires Valiant to investigate rumors about Roger's voluptuous toon wife Jessica being romantically involved with businessman and gadgets inventor, Marvin Acme, owner of both Acme Corporation and Toontown. After watching Jessica perform at the underground Ink & Paint Club, Valiant secretly takes photographs of her and Acme playing patty-cake in her dressing room, which he shows to Roger. Maroon suggests to Roger that he should leave Jessica, but a drunken Roger refuses and flees.

The next morning, Acme is discovered dead at his factory by the Los Angeles Police Department with a safe dropped on his head, and evidence points to Roger being responsible. While investigating, Valiant meets Judge Doom, Toontown's Superior Court judge, who has created a substance capable of killing a toon: a toxic chemical combination of turpentine, acetone, and benzene known as "The Dip". Valiant runs into Roger's toon co-star, Baby Herman, who believes Roger is innocent and that Acme's missing will, which will give the toons ownership of Toontown, may be the key to his murder. He then finds Roger hiding in his office, who begs him to help exonerate him. Valiant reluctantly hides Roger in a local bar where his ex-girlfriend, Dolores, works. Later, Jessica approaches Valiant and says that Maroon had forced her to pose for the photographs so that he could blackmail Acme.

Doom and his toon-weasel henchmen discover Roger, but he and Valiant escape with Benny, an anthropomorphic toon cab. They flee to a theater, where Valiant tells Roger about Teddy's death. As they leave with Dolores, Valiant sees a newsreel detailing the sale of Maroon Cartoons to Cloverleaf, a mysterious corporation that bought the city's trolley network shortly before Acme's murder. Valiant goes to the studio to confront Maroon, leaving Roger to guard outside, but Jessica knocks him out and puts him in the trunk. Maroon tells Valiant that he blackmailed Acme into selling his company so that he could then sell the studio, but is killed before he can explain the consequences of the missing will. Valiant spots Jessica fleeing the scene and, assuming she is the culprit, follows her into Toontown. Jessica reveals that Doom killed Acme and Maroon and that the former had given her his will for safe-keeping, but she discovered that the will was blank. She and Valiant are then captured by Doom and the weasels.

At the Acme factory, Doom reveals his plot to destroy Toontown with a giant machine loaded with Dip to build a freeway, the only way past Toontown since Cloverleaf (which Doom owns) has bought out Los Angeles' tram system. Roger unsuccessfully attempts to save Jessica, and the couple is tied onto a hook in front of the machine's hose. Valiant then performs a comedic vaudeville act, causing the weasels to die of laughter; Valiant kicks their leader, Smart Ass, into the machine's Dip vat. Valiant then fights Doom, who is eventually flattened by a steamroller, but survives. Eddie is shocked when Doom reveals that he is a toon in disguise—the same toon who killed Teddy. Valiant uses a toon mallet with a spring-loaded boxing glove and fires it at a switch that causes the machine to empty its Dip onto Doom, killing him. The empty machine crashes through the wall into Toontown, where it is destroyed by a train. Numerous toons run in to regard Doom's remains, and Roger discovers that he inadvertently wrote his love letter for Jessica on Acme's will, which was written in disappearing-reappearing ink. Roger then shocks Valiant with a joy buzzer, and Valiant gives him a kiss, having regained his sense of humor. Valiant happily enters Toontown with Dolores, and Roger with Jessica, followed by the other toons.

 L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment: 

Its been a long time since i last watched this movie :) Me and my cousins love this movie very much!!! During our childhood when all of us is fooling around and making noises, my aunt will definitely played this movie and all of us will sit silently in front of the TV while the adults happily play their mahjong without need to worry what kind of troubles/mess we will do...

Its very interesting to watch a movie with real human & anime characters in it... The actor himself will have to have very good imagination when he is acting on it. Of coz the production team will have to allocate the animation characters in it during the post time to match with the actors' scene as well... This movie has plenty of famous cartoon characters appeared in it as well such as Mickey Mouse, Bug Bunny, Tweety Birds, Donald Ducks, all of them doing their famous scene/action in this. Love Love Love this movie so much, it is so nice I got the chance to rewatch this movie after so many years :)

The Secret of NIMH

 Released Year: 1982

Directed by Don Bluth

Voiced by:

 Elizabeth Hartman as Mrs. Brisby

Derek Jacobi as Nicodemus

Hermione Baddeley as Auntie Shrew

John Carradine as The Great Owl

Dom DeLuise as Jeremy the Crow

Arthur Malet as Mr. Ages

Peter Strauss as Justin

Paul Shenar as Jenner

Story:

Mrs. Brisby, a timid widowed field mouse, lives in a cinder block with her children in a field on the Fitzgibbons' farm. She prepares to move her family out of the field as plowing time approaches, but her son Timothy has fallen ill. She visits Mr. Ages, another mouse and friend of her late husband, Jonathan, who diagnoses Timothy with pneumonia and provides her with medicine. Mr. Ages warns her that Timothy must stay inside for at least three weeks or he will die. On her way home, she encounters Jeremy, a clumsy but friendly crow. They both narrowly escape from the Fitzgibbons' cat, Dragon.

The next day, Mrs. Brisby discovers that Farmer Fitzgibbons has started plowing early. Although her neighbor Auntie Shrew helps her disable his tractor, Mrs. Brisby knows she must devise another plan. Jeremy takes her to visit the Great Owl, who tells her to visit a group of rats that live beneath a rose bush on the farm and ask for Nicodemus, their wise and mystical leader.

Mrs. Brisby enters the rose bush and encounters a tough and aggressive guard rat named Brutus, who chases her away with a battle axe. She is led back in by Mr. Ages (who now has his leg bandaged up) and is amazed to see the rats' use of electricity and other technology. She meets Nicodemus and Justin, the Captain of the Guard, and a ruthless, power-hungry rat named Jenner. From Nicodemus, she learns that many years ago her husband, along with the rats and Mr. Ages, were part of a series of experiments at a place known as NIMH, the National Institute of Mental Health. The experiments boosted their intelligence, enabling them to escape, as well as extending their lifespans. However, they are unable to live only as rats, needing human technology to survive, which they have only accomplished by stealing. The rats have concocted "The Plan", which is to leave the farm and live independently. Nicodemus gives Mrs. Brisby an amulet called "The Stone", that gives magical power when its wearer is courageous.

Because of her husband's relationship with the rats, they agree to help Mrs. Brisby move her home. First, they need to drug Dragon to sleep so that they can complete the move safely. Only Mrs. Brisby can do this, as only mice are small enough to fit through the hole leading into the house; Jonathan was killed by Dragon in a previous attempt, while Mr. Ages broke his leg in another. That night, she puts the drug into the cat's food dish, but the Fitzgibbons' son Billy catches her. While trapped in a birdcage, she overhears a telephone conversation between Farmer Fitzgibbons and NIMH and learns that the Institute intends to exterminate the rats the next day. She escapes from the cage and runs off to warn Justin and the others.

The rats are moving the Brisby home, with the children inside, using a rope and pulley system during a thunderstorm. Jenner, who wishes for the rats to remain in the rose bush, sabotages the ropes with his reluctant accomplice Sullivan, causing the assembly to fly apart and kill Nicodemus. Mrs. Brisby arrives and tries to convince the rats that NIMH is coming and they must leave, but Jenner calls her a hysterical liar, attacks her, and attempts to take the amulet from her neck. Sullivan alerts Justin, who rushes to Mrs. Brisby's aid. After mortally wounding Sullivan, Jenner engages Justin in a sword fight, which ends in Justin stabbing him. Justin then addresses the other rats to prepare for their departure from the farm. Jenner recovers and advances on an unaware Justin, but the dying Sullivan hurls his own dagger into Jenner's back, killing him.

The Brisby house begins to sink into the mud, but Justin and the rats are unable to raise it. Mrs. Brisby's will to save her children gives power to the amulet, which she uses to lift the house and move it to safety. The rats depart to Thorn Valley with Justin as their new leader, and Timothy begins to recover. Jeremy eventually meets "Miss Right", another crow who is just as clumsy as he is, and the two fly away together.

 L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment: 

I'm so thankful to Ellie coz she has been mentioning about this animation to me for more than 10 times. I never watch this anime before and since I went over to her place last night to take something, I decided to watch it when she ask me to.

This movie is based on the children book of Robert C.O'Brien "Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH". The movie follow exactly the original story of the novel except changing Mrs Frisby to Mrs Brisby due to the trademark concern of the Frisbee disc. This movie has make a hit back in 1982, it has beaten down a lot of famous movie such as Poltergeist, Rocky III, Firefox, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; but it still lose to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. It has also won Saturn Award's Best Animated Film.

Though it has some fantasy in this movie, but it never hide anything that was not suppose to "occur" in the children movie such as "killing" & "dead", which is impossible to occur back in those days. The storyline is great of meaningful morals and yet it is not boring. The graphic might look dull if you watch this old 1982 movie, but a reboot of this movie has been announce in 2015, but not sure when it will be release then... 

Thor: The Dark World

 Released Year: 2013

Directed by Alan Taylor

Casted by:

Chris Hemsworth as Thor

Natalie Portman as Jane Foster

Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Anthony Hopkins as Odin

Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig

Idris Elba as Heimdall

Christopher Eccleston as Malekith

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Algrim / Kurse

 Story: 

Eons ago, Bor, father of Odin, clashes with the Dark Elf Malekith, who seeks to unleash a weapon known as the Aether on the nine realms. After conquering Malekith's forces, including enhanced warriors called the Kursed, on their home world of Svartalfheim, Bor safeguards the Aether within a stone column. Unbeknownst to Bor, Malekith, his lieutenant Algrim, and a handful of Dark Elves escape into suspended animation.

In present-day Asgard, Loki stands imprisoned for his war crimes on Earth.1 Meanwhile, Thor, alongside warriors Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif, repel marauders on Vanaheim, home of their comrade Hogun; it is the final battle in a war to pacify the Nine Realms following the reconstruction of the Bifröst, the "Rainbow Bridge" between realms, which had been destroyed two years earlier.2 The Asgardians soon learn that the Convergence, a rare alignment of the Nine Realms, is imminent; as the event approaches, portals linking the worlds appear at random.

In London, astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster and her intern Darcy Lewis travel to an abandoned factory where such portals have appeared, disrupting the laws of physics around them. Separating from the group, Jane is teleported to another world, where she is infected by the Aether. Heimdall alerts Thor that Jane has moved beyond his near all-seeing vision, leading Thor to Earth. When Thor finds Jane, she inadvertently releases an unearthly force, and Thor returns with her to Asgard. Odin, recognizing the Aether, warns that the Aether will not only kill Jane, but that its return heralds a catastrophic prophecy.

Malekith, awakened by the Aether's release, turns Algrim into a Kursed and attacks Asgard. During the battle, Malekith and Algrim search for Jane, sensing that she contains the Aether. Thor's mother Frigga is killed protecting Jane, and Malekith and Algrim are forced to flee without Jane. Despite Odin's orders not to leave Asgard, Thor reluctantly enlists the help of Loki, who knows of a secret portal to Svartalfheim, where they will use Jane to lure and confront Malekith, away from Asgard. In return, Thor promises Loki vengeance on Malekith for killing their mother. With Volstagg and Sif stalling Asgardian soldiers and Fandral assisting their escape, Thor, Loki, and Jane head to Svartalfheim.

There, Loki tricks Malekith into drawing the Aether out of Jane, but Thor's attempt to destroy the exposed substance fails. Malekith merges with the Aether and leaves in his ship as Loki is fatally wounded while killing Algrim. Thor, cradling Loki in his arms, promises to tell their father of his sacrifice. Afterwards, Thor and Jane discover another portal in a nearby cave and reunite in London with Darcy and Jane's mentor Dr. Erik Selvig — who was briefly institutionalized due to the mental trauma he suffered during Loki's attack on Earth. They learn that Malekith plans to restore the Dark Elves to dominance by unleashing the Aether at the center of the Convergence in Greenwich. Thor battles Malekith through various portals and across multiple worlds until one portal separates them, leaving Malekith unopposed on Earth. Thor returns in time to help his mortal comrades use their scientific equipment to transport Malekith to Svartalfheim, where he is crushed by his own damaged ship.

Thor returns to Asgard, where he declines Odin's offer to take the throne and tells Odin of Loki's sacrifice. As he leaves, Odin's form transforms into Loki, who is alive and impersonating Odin.

In a mid-credits scene, Volstagg and Sif visit the Collector and entrust the Aether to his care, commenting that with the Tesseract already in Asgard, having two Infinity Stones so close together would be dangerous. As they leave, the Collector remarks, "One down, five to go." In a post-credits scene, Jane and Thor reunite on Earth while somewhere in London a frost monster from Jotunheim, accidentally transported to Earth during the final battle, continues to run amok.

L² Scored: 4/10

L² Comment: 

Though the review of this movie got a very good comment by others, but seriously not for me, its just an ok film... Comparing to the very first movie, i would prefer the first one seriously. Overall its just so so and if this ever have the 3rd Thor movie coming out, i dont think i will be watching it on the cinema too :(

Van Helsing

Released Year: 2004

Directed by Stephen Sommers

Casted by:

Hugh Jackman as Gabriel Van Helsing

Kate Beckinsale as Anna Valerious

Richard Roxburgh as Count Vladislaus Dracula

David Wenham as Carl

Kevin J. O'Connor as Igor

Will Kemp as Velkan Valerious

Silvia Colloca as Verona

Josie Maran as Marishka

Elena Anaya as Aleera

Story:

In 1887 Transylvania, Doctor Victor Frankenstein creates a monster with the anticipated aid of Count Dracula, who reveals that he plans to use the creature for his own evil plans and kills the doctor as his castle is raided by a mob of villagers. His assistant Igor escapes, but the villagers chase the monster to an old windmill and set it ablaze. The villagers are scared off by Dracula and his brides, who witness the monster and the doctor's research apparently destroyed by the fire.

One year later, after killing the elusive Mr. Hyde at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, monster hunter Van Helsing returns to the Vatican in Rome. He learns his mission to destroy Dracula and his amnesia are penance for past, unremembered sins that cause nightmares. He is tasked with helping the last of bloodline, Velkan Valerious and his sister Anna, who must kill Dracula before their ancestors may enter Heaven. Carl, a friar provides Van Helsing with aid and weapons. Meanwhile, in Transylvania, Velkan is apparently killed during an attempt to trap and kill a werewolf, and Anna is attacked by Dracula's brides shortly after Van Helsing's arrival. He saves her life and kills Marishka, one of the brides, but as the last of her line Anna becomes more determined to kill Dracula. In order to protect her, Van Helsing knocks her out to prevent her from leaving. Later that night, she awakens and encounters Velkan, who reveals Dracula has a dark secret, but to her horror, he becomes a werewolf and attacks. After she and Van Helsing track him to Frankenstein's castle, they discover that the vampires are attempting to give life to their born-dead children, using Velkan as the source of the power. Van Helsing, dubbed "Gabriel" by Dracula, realizes they had ties in the past. Van Helsing refuses Dracula's offer to return his memory and escapes. The experiment fails however, and the vampire children die, but Velkan turns on Anna as he becomes completely consumed by his curse. The pair then escape together.

Under the remains of the old windmill, Van Helsing and Anna encounter the monster. Because he is not evil, Van Helsing cannot allow it to be killed, even though he claims to be the key to the failed experiment. The werewolf witnesses this and escapes to inform Dracula. Meanwhile, Carl discovers a painting that comes to life, depicting a werewolf and a vampire battling. They travel by carriage to Budapest, successfully luring the remaining brides into a trap and killing Verona. Velkan ambushes the real carriage and bites Van Helsing before being shot and killed. Anna is captured and held as a bargaining chip to exchange her for the monster. They hide the monster in a crypt, but he is taken by the count's undead underlings while Van Helsing and Carl rescue Anna from the count's trap. Returning to the Valerious' castle, Carl discovers an inscription, part of which Van Helsing received in Rome and creates a doorway to the castle. After failing to free the monster from his imprisonment, he lets them know of a cure to lycanthropy that Dracula possesses. Carl determines that the bite of a werewolf is the only way to kill Dracula. He and Anna take Igor to find the cure while Van Helsing goes to free the monster. Igor escapes while the final bride, Aleera, assaults Anna as Carl tries to deliver the cure to Van Helsing. After escaping, the monster saves Anna and urges her to help Carl and Van Helsing. She kills Aleera and arrives at the castle. Meanwhile, the werewolf Van Helsing and Dracula battle. Dracula tries to reason with the werewolf, but Van Helsing bites Dracula, who dissolves into a skeleton. Anna bursts in and is attacked and killed by Van Helsing, but not before she delivers the cure. Van Helsing returns to normal, stricken with grief over what he has done.

At a pyre funeral, Van Helsing witnesses the spirits of Anna and her family ascending into the clouds while Frankenstein's monster rows away on a raft out to sea. Van Helsing and Carl ride off into the sunset.

L² Scored: 9.5/10

L² Comment:

Finally its time for me to re-watch this movie after so many years. I don't quite remember this movie which I have watch in cinema many years ago, seems like a lot of the scenes were censored off in my country. My favorite part of coz is the scene which vampire battle against the warewolf... I think its the peak of this movie, but too bad Beckinsale was killed at the end of the movie by the one she loved... so sad...

Warcraft: The Beginning

 Released Year: 2016

Directed by Duncan Jones

Casted by:

Travis Fimmel as Sir Anduin Lothar

Paula Patton as Garona Halforcen

Ben Foster as Medivh

Dominic Cooper as King Llane Wrynn

Toby Kebbell as Durotan

Ben Schnetzer as Khadgar

Robert Kazinsky as Orgrim Doomhammer

Clancy Brown as Blackhand

吳彥祖 Daniel Wu as Gul'dan

Ruth Negga as Lady Taria Wrynn

 Story:

Draenor, the homeworld of the orcs, is being torn apart by a mysterious force known as fel magic. Gul'dan, a powerful orc warlock, unites the orc clans and forms the Horde, and creates a portal to the world of Azeroth. The orcs begin to use fel magic to drain the life out of captive draenei in order to sustain the portal. Once it is operational, Gul'dan leads a small warband to capture prisoners on Azeroth and sacrifice them to bring the rest of the Horde through the portal. Despite their doubts, Durotan, the chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, his pregnant mate Draka, and his friend Orgrim Doomhammer join this initial warband. While crossing through the portal, Draka goes into labor. When the orcs arrive on Azeroth, Gul'dan assists Draka with giving birth, but the baby is stillborn. Gul'dan then drains the life out of a nearby deer to revive and infuse fel magic into the baby, which Durotan later names Go'el.

The orcs raid several settlements throughout Azeroth. Anduin Lothar, the military commander of the human forces in the Stormwind Kingdom, looks over some of the men that were killed, and finds a trespassing mage named Khadgar, who explains that he was investigating the dead bodies because they contained traces of fel magic. Khadgar persuades Stormwind's king, Llane Wrynn, to consult Medivh, the renowned Guardian of Tirisfal, and Llane sends Anduin and Khadgar to Medivh's stronghold, Karazhan, to inform him of the fel magic's presence on Azeroth. In the Karazhan library, a ghostly shadow leads Khadgar to a mysterious book, which he takes.

Anduin, Khadgar and Medivh join a scouting team following traces of fel magic, but are ambushed by orcs. Medivh uses a spell to kill the fel-corrupted orcs, leaving the Horde's warchief, Blackhand to flee along with Durotan and Orgrim. Khadgar restrains a half-orc slave, Garona, and the soldiers take her prisoner. King Llane frees Garona in exchange for loyalty to Stormwind, and she leads the humans to spy on the orc camp, where they learn of Gul'dan's plan to bring the Horde to Azeroth. Meanwhile, Durotan realizes that the fel magic is responsible for the destruction of Draenor, and if Gul'dan is not thwarted, Azeroth will suffer the same fate. Despite Orgrim's objections, Durotan invites Llane to a secret meeting so that the Frostwolf Clan and the humans can unite to defeat Gul'dan. While studying the book he took from Karazhan, Khadgar learns that Gul'dan could not have opened the portal on his own; he had help from someone on Azeroth. He is confronted by Medivh, who burns Khadgar's research when Khadgar offers to help him with his work.

The Frostwolf Clan meets with the humans to negotiate an alliance, but the group is ambushed by Blackhand. As the humans retreat, Medivh forms a magical barrier to protect them, but Lothar's son Callan is separated from the rest of the group and killed by Blackhand. Medivh is severely weakened, and Garona and Khadgar take him back to Karazhan to recover. After noticing Medivh's eyes shine green, showing that he is infected by fel magic, Khadgar returns to his former home, Dalaran, to seek help from the Kirin Tor, the authority of human and high elven mages. The Kirin Tor facilitate a meeting with Alodi, revealed to be the shadow who led Khadgar to the book; she confirms that Medivh has indeed been corrupted by fel magic and possessed by an unknown demon. At the orc camp, Blackhand purges the Frostwolf Clan. Orgrim helps Draka to escape, and she sends Go'el down a river in a basket, but is then found and killed by another orc. Durotan challenges Gul'dan to Mak'gora, a traditional orcish duel to the death for leadership of a clan – in this case, all of the orcs. During the fight, Gul'dan violates the honorable combat rules by draining the life out of Durotan with his magic, killing him and earning the disapproval of the orcs watching, and he empowers Blackhand with the same magic. Medivh, now in a half-demonic state, starts to open the portal to Draenor, and Gul'dan sacrifices the captured human villagers to allow the rest of the Horde to enter Azeroth.

Llane leads the human army in an assault on the orc camp, while Anduin and Khadgar fight Medivh and destroy the demon that had begun to manifest on the outside. Medivh is left mortally wounded, and uses the last of his strength to close the portal to Draenor and instead open a portal to Stormwind, allowing Llane to evacuate most of the freed prisoners. When Medivh eventually dies, the portal closes, leaving Llane, Garona and a small number of human soldiers to fight the orcs. Llane secretly orders Garona to kill him, bringing her honor among the orcs and putting her in a position of power to bring peace between the two races. Garona reluctantly does so, and is welcomed into the Horde by Gul'dan. As the orcs celebrate, Anduin arrives to retrieve King Llane's body and discovers Garona's knife in the body, realizing that it was she who had killed their king. Blackhand challenges Anduin to Mak'gora, and Anduin quickly disposes of him. Against Gul'dan's demands, the orcs, bound by tradition, allow Anduin to depart with Llane's body. At Llane's funeral in Stormwind, the leaders of the other human nations, along with the high elves and dwarves, proclaim an alliance against the orcs and rally behind Anduin as the leader of the Alliance forces. Elsewhere, Orgrim takes one of Durotan's tusks to one day give to Go'el, and the basket containing Go'el is found by a human.

 L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:

It was excited when I saw the trailer of this movie, well, i think every man/boy whom play this game before will have the exact same feeling with me.Though i only started to play warcraft since The Frozen Throne, i wanted to watch this movie in cinema so badly. But because of my hectic workload nowadays, i miss the chance :(

The graphic wise is definitely the best, but story wise is kinda boring. But surprise part is Daniel Wu was also in the film...Who? Check the casting list above pls~ lol

The Monkey King 2 西游记之孙悟空三打白骨精

 Released Year: 2016

Directed by 鄭保瑞 Cheang Poh Sui

Casted by:

郭富城 Aaron Kwok as 孙悟空 Sun Wukong

巩俐 Gong Li as 白骨精 Baigujing

冯绍峰 William Feng as 唐僧 Tang Sanzang

小沈阳 Xiao Shen Yang as 猪八戒 Zhu Bajie

罗仲谦 Him Law as 沙僧 Sha Wujing

费翔 Fei Xiang as 云海西国国王 King of Yun Hai Xi Kingdom

陈慧琳 Kelly Chen as 观世音菩萨 Guan Yin

魏璐 Lu Weu as 蛇精 Snake Evil

齐浠儿 Xi'er Qi as 蝙蝠精 Bat Evil

母其弥雅 Miya Muqi as 箭猪精 Pig Evil

 Story:

500 years after Sun Wukong's imprisonment under the Five Fingers Mountain, a young Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang is sent on a journey to India to collect Buddha's scriptures. On his travels he accidentally frees Wukong and the Monkey King learns from the Mercy Goddess that he has to protect the monk throughout the journey. They also meet Zhu Baije, a lustful pig demon, and Sha Wujing, a djinn-like monk. All three demons accept Sanzang as their Master.

The company travel to the Yun Hai Xi Kingdom, a land terrorized by the White Bone Demon who snatches children. As the demoness learns about Sanzang, she decides to eat him in order to stop her reincarnation cycle and achieve everlasting demon-hood. She transforms into an old woman and beguiles the group into her cottage in the woods. While her disguised minions lure Wukong, Baije and Wujing into the forest, the demoness tells Sanzang a story about how she was forced to marry as a young girl, and when her village suffered with famine, the people blamed her for it, even calling her an evil demon, and left her atop a cliff as a sacrifice for the gods. As Sanzang comforts the old lady, she attempts to kill him, but is stopped by Wukong who has seen through her disguise with his Fiery Eyes. He kills the old lady and the demoness escapes. Sanzang and the others don't believe Wukong that all the women he murdered were demons, and blame him for killing the innocent.

The group arrives to the kingdom's capital and the King throws a feast for them, begging Sanzang to exorcise the bloodthirsty demoness. Suddenly the Lady White appears and demands the monk, but he expresses his desire to enlighten her. She tries to persuade Wukong to let her eat the monk, because only then he will be free of the spell that subdues his will. With Sun deceiving the demoness, a fight ensues. During the chaos, the King's guards kidnap Sanzang, but before the King kills the monk in order to cure himself of a disease - as he has been actually kidnapping all the children and blaming the White Bone Demon - Wukong saves him and the children as well. All of the group are celebrated as heroes, but as a little girl approaches Tanzang, Wukong kills her and her mother as well, seeing the demoness possessing them. That angers Sanzang, and, accusing him of seeing demons everywhere, orders Wukong to leave. Wukong flies away, but as soon as he does, the White Demon kidnaps Sanzang.

Baije and Wujing decide to disband, Baije heading to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to beg Wukong for help, and Wujing rushing to the demoness' lair. Baije arrives at the mountain, but Wukong's not there. In her lair, the demoness confesses to the monk that the story she had told him earlier was true, recounting her previous life. Sanzang gets to understand why she doesn't want to become human again, and gives up. Outside the cave, Wujing fights the the Lady White's skeleton army, and later is joined by Baije and Wukong, who saves Sanzang. After a hard battle, the White Bone Demon is defeated by the Monkey King. However, Sanzang pleads Buddha to save her soul, only to be told he would have to give up his own life in order to save her. Tanzang accepts that and the demoness is absorbed into his body. In his subconsciousness, the monk tells the Lady White he will do anything to help her, but she refuses, rather destroying herself. In the real world, Sanzang pleads Wukong to kill him, which he refuses to do. The monk tells him he desires to help the demoness change her doom, no matter how many lives it will take to accomplish. Wukong tearfully agrees, promising to wait for his return forever, and kills him. Because of Sanzang's sacrifice, the demoness is led to her reincarnation to human, finally free of her pain and hatred.

Some time later, Wukong and his friends still wait for the return of the monk, but continue their journey to the Thunder Monastery. It seems that Sanzang actually reenters life, as a human finger cracks through the Buddha statue Wukong is carrying with him.

 L² Scored: 6.5/10

L² Comment:

Due to Donnie Yen not able to act in this sequence, Aaron Kwok was given the chance to took up the main character and fight against Gong Li the diva. Comparing to the first movie, this is definitely much more better and follow more on the fiction. Well, if they have anymore sequence, will it be Donnie Yen or Aaron Kwok acting as the Monkey King?

Mural 画壁

Released Year: 2011

Directed by 陳嘉上 MH

Casted by:
邓超 Deng Chao as 朱孝廉 XiaoLian
孙俪 Betty Sun as 芍药 ShaoYao
闫妮 Yan Ni as 姑姑 The Queen
邹兆龙 Collin Chou as 孟龍潭 LongTan
柳岩 Ada Liu as 雲梅 YunMei
谢楠 Xie Nan as 翠竹 ChuiZhu
包贝尔 Bao Bei Er as 後夏 HouXia
安志杰 Andy On as 武士 Owl
郑爽 Zheng Shuang as 牡丹 MuDan
莫小棋 Monica Mok as 丁香 DingXiang
曾志伟 Eric Tsang as 不動和尚 BuDong

Story:

In a quiet temple, Xiao Lian staring at a drawing which contained the world of flowers. Due to the over focus, Xiao Lian's spirit has unconsciously went into the drawing and he met MuDan, one of the flower angel in the drawing. The Queen of the angel is a strict person who dislike man, to avoid Xiao Lian get into trouble, MuDan beg ChuiZhu to bring Xiao Lian to hide but herself was caught by The Queen and put into the dungeon for disobeying the rules.

Xiao Lian flash out from the drawing, but he worried about MuDan and brought along his servant Hou Xia & a bandit Long Tan back into the drawing to save MuDan. They met ShaoYao who is The Queen's assistant and Xiao Lian falls for her beautiful look while Hou Xia has his feeling for another angel YunMei. The Queen found out the 3 man's appearance, not only she did not kills them but offer them to marry her angel in order to get new born baby and plan to kill them off if a baby girl is born. Long Tan greedily marry YunMei as wife but divorce her on the second day. After that Long Tan chose DingXiang as his wife again and also seduce another 3 angels to be his woman. 

To stay at the world and avoid The Queen, ShaoYao & Owl's suspicious, Xiao Lian chose ChuiZhu to marry while Hou Xia marry with YunMei. ChuiZhu freaked out but after knowing Xiao Lian is tricking The Queen, she agreed on this fake marriage and helps to look for MuDan. On an event, ShaoYao told them MuDan has yet to die, other angels force her to bring them to MuDan. By saving MuDan, ShaoYao sacrificed herself to be put into the dungeon. They plan to leave this place, but MuDan realize Xiao Lian actually falls for ShaoYao but not her. MuDan went to ask forgiveness from The Queen and hope to get ShaoYao return in peace. The Queen is angry with the angels and plan to kill both ShaoYao & MuDan; but Owl fought back with her and sacrifice himself to get ShaoYao & MuDan back to safety. All angels forms up to fight against The Queen but The Queen great power has killed all of the angels & the 3 men who are here.

BuDong monk came into the drawing and told The Queen not to be so evil. He also told her that he has never forgotten The Queen. Melted by the words of her old lover, The Queen returns everyone's life and agreed to leave the place with BuDong. The Queen has passed her authority to ShaoYao and let her lead the angels. Not able to accept Xiao Lian, ShaoYao let him go in sadness. Xiao Lian sudden flash back and realized himself is in the quiet temple again staring at the drawing while nothing has ever happened... 

L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment: 

This is one of the story from 聊齋 Liao Zhai which I think has never been filmed before. This movie has once hit the number one place in China's blockbuster in 2011. The whole movie is not bad but not sure how much changes it has been make comparing to the original fiction. However, the storyline seems ok just a few part which is kinda bored. Luckily the whole movie is still ok and I won't feel sickening compare to The Monkey King which I just watched.

The Monkey King 西遊記之大鬧天宮

 Released Year: 2014

Directed by 鄭保瑞 Cheang Poh Sui

Casted by:

甄子丹 Donnie Yen as 孫悟空 Sun Wu Kong

郭富城 Aaron Kwok as 牛魔王 The Bull Demon

周潤發 Chow Yun Fatt as 玉皇大帝 Heaven Emperor

何潤東 Peter Ho as 杨戬二郎神 Er Lang Shen

夏梓桐 Xia Zhi Tong as 九尾狐 Nine Tails Vixen

陈乔恩 Joe Chen as 铁扇公主 Princess Iron Fan

 Story: 

The Bull Demon attacked the heaven with his army of hell, but was defeated by the emperor of heaven. When he almost get vanished, sister of the emperor of heaven, Princess Iron Fan beg her brother to let him go and willing to follow The Bull Demon away and never return back to the heaven. Even though the war has settled, but it also ruined a lot of the Heaven's structure. NuWa goddess uses her diamond stone to cure the ruined part but one of the stone drop into the earth and created a monkey evil in it.

The Monkey evil get to know a nine tails vixen when he was stuck in it, but after that the nine tail vixen has gone by saving from the Bull Demon as his apprentice. GuanYin Buddha informed Subhuti that this monkey evil need to be train and control his evilness. Subhuti trained monkey evil and named him as Sun Wu Kong. But Sun Wu Kong is too arrogant and went back to his Hua Guo Shan to live with his monkey fellow. The Bull Demon wished to attack heaven again and try his best to influence Sun Wu Kong to attack Tian Nan Men. Before that the Bull Demon has plotted Nine Tail Vixen beside Wu Kong as a spy. Wu Kong also went to Shui Jing Palace to steal his weapon Jing Gang Bang and caused a lot of life to die.

The Bull Demon went to Hua Guo Shan when Wu Kong is doing his work duty in the heaven. The Bull Demon's army of hell has killed all the monkey at there together with the nine tail vixen. Wu Kong believed The Bull Demon's lie and attack the heaven with the army of hell. Even Er Lang Shen & Emperor of Heaven can't stop him. But on a twisted moment, Wu Kong suddenly realize the Bull Demon is behind all this and turn back to fight against the Bull Demon...

 L² Scored: 2/10

L² Comment:

I never watched this movie in the cinema back in 2 years ago because everyone keep on told me its not worth to; after watching this movie yesterday, I finally agreed with everyone. Not only that the whole movie has twisted the original story of the fiction, it also sounds kinda ridiculous to me as well. No doubt the graphic and effect is welly done, but the story appeared to be empty and the most important is, this is not the Journey To The West that we have all known...