Showing posts with label Paul Bettany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Bettany. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Captain America: Civil War

 Released Year: 2016
Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

Casted by:
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon 
Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine
Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
Paul Bettany as Vision 
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man
Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter
Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
 Story:
In 1991, HYDRA operatives in Siberia revive Sgt. James "Bucky" Barnes from a cryogenic state and condition him to be completely obedient to anyone who recites certain trigger words. He is then dispatched to intercept an automobile carrying a case of super-soldier serum, and assassinate its occupants.

Approximately one year after Ultron's defeat at the hands of the Avengers, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, and Wanda Maximoff stop Brock Rumlow from stealing a biological weapon from a lab in Lagos, Nigeria. During the fight, Wanda inadvertently causes a building to be bombed, killing Rumlow and a number of Wakandan relief aid workers and increasing the international community's distrust of the Avengers' work.

At the Avengers' headquarters, Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross informs the Avengers that the United Nations is preparing to pass the Sokovia Accords, which will establish an international governing body to monitor and police the rapidly growing superhuman population.[citation needed] The team is divided over the accords: Tony Stark supports oversight because he feels guilty for creating Ultron and for the destruction in Sokovia, while Rogers is distrustful of governmental agendas and wishes the Avengers to remain free to act of their own accord.

Unable to convince Rogers to support the accords, Romanoff bears witness to the ratification of the accords in Vienna, after which a bombing kills King T'Chaka of Wakanda. T'Chaka's son T'Challa vows to kill the bomber, who security footage indicates is Barnes. Despite Romanoff's objections, Rogers and Wilson track Barnes to his hideout in Bucharest and attempt to protect him from the police and T'Challa. Rogers, Wilson, Barnes, and T'Challa are captured. Barnes is soon released by Colonel Helmut Zemo, who uses HYDRA's trigger words to question Barnes about the 1991 mission, then sends him on a rampage. Rogers stops Barnes and sneaks him away; when he regains his senses, Barnes explains that Zemo is responsible, and that he is heading to the Siberian facility where Barnes was held, ostensibly to unfreeze the other Winter Soldiers the stolen serum was used to create.

Rogers recruits Wanda, Clint Barton, and Scott Lang to help him. Stark convinces Ross to let him bring his renegade comrades in, and assembles Romanoff, T'Challa, James Rhodes, and Vision, as well as amateur young hero Peter Parker. Stark and his team intercept Rogers' team at Leipzig/Halle Airport, resulting in a huge battle, during which Romanoff allows Rogers and Barnes escape. The rest of Rogers's team is captured, while Rhodes is paralyzed after being inadvertently shot down by Vision. Romanoff reveals to Stark that Barnes was framed by Zemo, then disappears under the threat of being arrested for not operating under the accords.

Stark follows Rogers and Barnes to the Siberian HYDRA facility and reconciles with them, unaware that he has been pursued by T'Challa. They discover that the other Winter Soldiers have been killed by Zemo; in actuality, Zemo has lured the heroes to the facility to show them video footage from its records that reveals it was Stark's parents who Barnes killed in 1991. Stark turns on Barnes, forcing Rogers to fight for the life of his friend—this is the outcome Zemo has sought, destroying the Avengers from within in revenge for the death of his family in Sokovia. Rogers is able to defeat Stark by disabling his armor, then departs with the wounded Barnes, leaving his his shield behind. Zemo attempts suicide, but is stopped by T'Challa, who takes him in alive.

In the aftermath, Stark gives Rhodes an exoskeleton to let him walk again. Rogers breaks his comrades out of prison and flees to Wakanda, where Barnes chooses to be frozen until a cure for his brainwashing can be found. In a post-credits scene, Parker is recovering from his injuries when his web-shooters project a spider-shaped symbol.
 L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment:
This is one of the movie I have been waiting for such a long time & its finally here :)  But when me and my friends are queuing to buy the movie ticket,I only fucking realize I did not watch "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" !!! How can I missed that? So shitty, but it doesn't affect my feeling and excitement on watching this. 

Storyline, effects of course no doubt is good... It only confuse me a bit when Winter Soldier appeared to be such a strong characters and manage to fight along with all these great powerful superhero. But then I found out that this is kind of a part 2 of CapAmerica: WinterSoldiers... so it make sense then... Not sure whether I will be able to find the winter soldier in any online movie website. Any idea?

Saturday, January 16, 2016

The Da Vinci Code

 Released Year: 2006
Directed by Ron Howard

Casted by:
Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon
Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu
Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing
Alfred Molina as Bishop Aringarosa
Jürgen Prochnow as André Vernet
Jean Reno as Police Captain Bezu Fache
Paul Bettany as Silas
 Story:
Jacques Saunière is being pursued by a mysterious hooded figure known as Silas through the Grand Gallery in the Louvre in Paris. Silas demands the location of the Priory's clef de voûte or "keystone." Under threat of death, Saunière finally confesses the keystone is kept in the sacristy of Church of Saint-Sulpice, "beneath the Rose." Silas thanks him, and then shoots him in the stomach. Meanwhile, American symbologist Robert Langdon, who is in Paris as a guest lecturer on symbols and the sacred feminine, is contacted by the French police, and summoned to the Louvre to view the crime scene. He discovers the dying Saunière has created an intricate display using black light ink and his own body and blood. Captain Bezu Fache asks him for his interpretation of the puzzling scene.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back in Paris, Langdon accidentally cuts himself while shaving and the line of blood on the sink reminds him of the Rose Line, which sparks an epiphany. He goes out into the streets of Paris and follows the Rose Line and finds the location of the Holy Grail, buried under the pyramid in the Louvre. Langdon then kneels above Mary Magdalene's tomb as the Knights Templar did before him.
 L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:
About 10 years time I rewatch this movie, it still gives me the thrill of it... Yet after so many years, I still did not read the book hehe~ Tom Hanks is the one who attracted me to walk into the cinema for this movie, after that I was deeply fall in love with Paul Bettany's nice ass lol~ Overall the movie is great, and still good even you rewatch it... :)


Monday, December 14, 2015

Inkheart

 Released Year: 2008
Directed by Iain Softley

Casted by:
Brendan Fraser as Mortimer "Mo" Folchart
Eliza Bennett as Meggie Folchart
Paul Bettany as Dustfinger
Andy Serkis as Capricorn
Helen Mirren as Elinor Loredan
Rafi Gavron as Farid
Jim Broadbent as Fenoglio
Sienna Guillory as Teresa "Resa" Folchart
 Story:
One evening, whilst Mortimer "Mo" Folchart and his wife Teresa "Resa" Folchart are reading the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" to their baby daughter Meggie, a red velvet hood appears out of nowhere. Several years later, a much older Meggie travels with her father Mo to visit an old book shop in Italy, unaware that he secretly looking for a copy of the book, Inkheart. Shortly after finding one, Meggie comes across a marten with horns outside the shop, who tries to bite her fingers. Suddenly, a man appears from the shadows, claiming to be an old friend while revealing the marten's name as Gwin. When Mo comes out of the book shop, he quickly recognizes the man as a person called Dustfinger, whom quickly asks to be read back into the book, only for Mo to flees with Meggie from him.

Travelling across Italy, Mo takes Meggie on a visit to Meggie's great aunt Elinor, whereupon he reveals to Meggie why he fled from Dustfinger. While she was young, Mo read to her from Inkheart, inadvertently freeing Dustfinger as a result, due to a gift he possessed from birth, that marks him as a "Silver Tongue". Unfortunately, his gift also freed the book's villain Capricorn and several of his henchman, but at the same time, losing Resa after being forced to flee with his infant daughter. Soon, Dustfinger reappears seeking Mo, accompanied by Capricorn's minion, Basta, who quickly captures Mo and his family and takes back Inkheart, destroying Elinor's valuable library in the process.

The four are taken to Capricorn's new castle in the real world, and imprisoned in the stables, which house various creatures from different storybooks, including the winged monkeys from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the minotaur from the story of Theseus, and a unicorn. During their imprisonment, Mo explains to Meggie and Elinor about his gift, stating that when he reads a person or an object out of a book, someone from the real world is sent into it, hence why his wife disappeared. Capricorn, interested in using his gift, forces Mo to read out items from books, causing him to get a stash of treasure from one of the stories in The Arabian Nights, while causing one of the 40 Thieves, named Farid, to be brought out as well and forced into imprisonment. Dustfinger, who believed he could get his chance to return into the book, quickly learns Capricorn tricked him, and so prompts a quick escape using the famous tornado from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; during the escape, he opts not to tell Mo that his wife Resa is in the village, but has lost her voice.

Following their escape, Meggie offers the idea of finding the author of Inkheart, a man named Fenoglio, who may have access to a copy of the rare-to-find book. Whilst Elinor decides to leave them to recover what is left of her book collection, the rest head for the author's location, with Dustfinger initially staying with Farid to teach him to juggle fire, yet secretly afraid of learning his fate in the book. When he does travel with Mo to find and meet with Fenoglio, the author's ecstatic mood, upon seeing his creation live and breath before him, causes Dustfinger to discover that his efforts to save Gwin at the end of the book brings about his death. Angry, he berates the author for not being his god and that he has the freedom to chose whatever fate he wants, before eventually confessing to Mo, who Resa is in the book, that his wife was in Capricorn's castle.

Both he and Mo take Fenoglio's car, leaving Meggie behind with the author, where during the journey, they quickly discover that Farid had stowed away in the car's trunk, and take him along at his insistence. Whilst away, Meggie begins reading a number of books out loud, and discovers she is a "Silver Tongue" herself, just before Basta arrives with men to capture Mo. Upon learning that she can read things out of books, after the author notices she brought Toto from the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Basta takes her and Fenoglio back to Capricorn. Elinor, who has a change of heart and does not take the train back to her home, returns to the author's home and quickly senses trouble, pursuing the captured pair. At the castle, Capricorn reveals to Meggie his intentions of bringing the monstrous Shadow from Inkheart, revealing that, although he burned all the copies, he spared one for such a purpose, threatening to harm her mother if she fails to comply. During this time, Mo sneaks into the castle, but is captured by Capricorn's henchmen.

After escaping his cell, Mo attempts to free Meggie, Resa and Fenoglio from imprisonment, as Capricorn forces Meggie to read out the Shadow from the book. Meanwhile, Dustfinger sneaks back into the castle with Farid and decide to set it alight, after his conscience gets the better of him. The distraction this causes allows Fenoglio to give Toto a rewrite he made to help Meggie stop Capricorn's plan. The plan partly works until Capricorn gains the upper hand. Just then, Elinor arrives with the creatures Capricorn imprisoned, giving Mo the opportunity to quickly throw his daughter a pen, allowing her to write out a story on her arm to combat Capricorn's plan. Meggie quickly reads out her creation, which causes Capricorn to turn into dust, vanishes his henchmen, destroys the Shadow, and return all the read out creatures back where they belong, including Toto. In addition, she grants Fenoglio's wish, and send him into Inkheart to live in the world he created, while restoring her mother's voice, allowing her and Mo to finally reunite with her, before fleeing as the castle collapses.

Shortly afterwards, Dustfinger, having missed his chance for Meggie to read him back into his book, decides to leave, not wishing to force Mo and his family to do anything without risking their happiness. As he does, Farid catches up with insisting on travelling with him to find another reader to send him back into the copy of Inkheart he had stolen before the castle collapsed. After a moment's hesitation, Dustfinger agrees and the two start off together only to have Mo catch them up and fulfill his promise. Dustfinger is soon transported safely back into Inkheart, where he reunites with his wife Roxane at their home. In the real world, Farid quickly reveals he kept Gwin with him, thus allowing Dustfinger to avoid his fate and have control over his destiny. As Mo and his family leave with Farid, Meggie agrees to teach him how to read while Farid agrees to teach her how to use the dragon breath.
 L² Scored: 9/10

L² Comment: 
Till now I still have not find the novel of Inkheart which was written by Cornelia Funke. Not sure how originally the movie follows the novel, but definitely its a very exciting movie and full of fantasy. Brendan  Fraser always give me a dreamy kind of image. His character is usually brighter whenever he was in this kind of fantasy movie... Overall the movie is quite good, how i wish i can find the novel in Big Bad Wolf lol~

Monday, April 27, 2015

Avengers: Age of Ultron

 Released Year: 2015
Directed by Joss Whedon

Casted by:
Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch 
James Spader as Ultron 
Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision 
Claudia Kim as Helen Cho
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
 Story: 
In the Eastern European country of Sokovia, the Avengers – Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton – raid a Hydra outpost led by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, who has been experimenting on humans using the scepter previously wielded by Loki. They encounter two of Strucker's experiments – twins Pietro, who has superhuman speed, and Wanda Maximoff, who can manipulate minds and throw energy blasts – and apprehend Strucker, while Stark retrieves Loki's scepter.

Stark and Banner discover an artificial intelligence within the scepter's gem, and secretly use it to complete Stark's "Ultron" global defense program. The unexpectedly sentient Ultron, believing he must eradicate humanity to save Earth, eliminates Stark's A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S. and attacks the Avengers during a victory party at their headquarters. Escaping with the scepter, Ultron uses the resources in Strucker's Sokovia base to upgrade his rudimentary body and build an army of robot drones. He recruits the Maximoff twins, who harbor a grudge against Stark for weapons responsible for their parents' deaths, and together, they visit the South African shipyard base of arms dealer Ulysses Klaue to obtain vibranium. The Avengers battle them, but Wanda subdues the heroes with haunting visions, causing the Hulk to run amok and forcing Stark to use his powerful "Veronica" armor to stop him.

A worldwide backlash and the doubts and fears Wanda's hallucinations have caused send the team into hiding at Barton's safehouse farm, where they meet Barton's wife, Laura, and children. Thor departs to consult with Dr. Erik Selvig on the meaning of the apocalyptic future he saw in his hallucination. Realizing an attraction between them, Romanoff and Banner plan to flee together after fighting Ultron. Nick Fury arrives and encourages the team to form a plan to stop Ultron. In Seoul, South Korea, Ultron forces Banner's friend Dr. Helen Cho to use her synthetic tissue technology, vibranium, and the scepter's gem to create the perfect body for him. When Ultron begins uploading himself into the body, Wanda is able to read his mind; discovering his plan for human extinction, the Maximoffs turn on Ultron. Rogers, Romanoff, and Barton hunt Ultron and retrieve the synthetic body, but Ultron captures Romanoff.

The Avengers fight amongst themselves when Stark secretly uploads J.A.R.V.I.S. – who is still operational after hiding from Ultron inside the internet – into the synthetic body. Thor returns to help activate the body with lightning, explaining that the gem on its brow – one of the six Infinity Stones, the most powerful objects in existence – was part of his "vision". The robot and the Maximoffs join the Avengers, and the team heads for Sokovia, where Ultron has used the remaining vibranium to build a machine to lift a large part of the city skyward, intending to crash it into the ground to cause global extinction. As the city begins to lift, Banner rescues Romanoff, who awakens the Hulk for the battle. The Avengers fight Ultron's army while delaying Ultron from activating his plan's final procedure. Fury arrives in a Helicarrier with Maria Hill, James Rhodes and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to assist in evacuating civilians, but Pietro dies when he shields Barton from a barrage of fire. A grieving Wanda abandons her post to destroy Ultron's primary body in revenge, inadvertently allowing one of his drones to activate his machine. The landmass plummets, but Stark and Thor overload the machine and shatter the city into pieces. In the aftermath, the Hulk, unwilling to endanger Romanoff by being with her, departs in a Quinjet, while the Vision confronts and then destroys Ultron's last remaining body.

Later, the Avengers have established a new base in upstate New York, run by Fury, Hill, Cho, and Selvig. Believing the Mind Stone is safe with the Vision, Thor returns to Asgard to learn more about the forces he suspects have manipulated recent events. Stark and Barton retire from the team, and Rogers and Romanoff prepare to train new Avengers: Rhodes, Wanda, the Vision, and Sam Wilson.

In a mid-credits scene, Thanos retrieves the Infinity Gauntlet and, dissatisfied by the failures of his pawns, vows to hunt for the Infinity Stones personally.
 L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment:
This movie is definitely better than the first movie which has shown in 2012. The first few second of the movie has already caught my attention and the stunt is magnificent! I didn't read the comic, but putting Hulk and Black Widow together is a good idea and I love to watch the scenes whenever they are together. This time Captain America & Thor seems less important compare to the first movie, but I still love them both. The best part would be the Twins whom have the super power~ 

Monday, March 2, 2015

Transcendence

 Released Year: 2014
Directed by Wally Pfister

Casted by:
Johnny Depp as Dr. Will Caster
Rebecca Hall as Evelyn Caster
Paul Bettany as Max Waters
Kate Mara as Bree
Cillian Murphy as Donald Buchanan
Cole Hauser as Colonel Stevens
Morgan Freeman as Joseph Tagger
 Story:
Dr. Will Caster is a scientist motivated by curiosity about the nature of consciousness and sentience, including artificial intelligence. Being part of a team working to create a sentient computer, he predicts that such a computer will create a technological singularity, or in his words "Transcendence". His wife Evelyn, whom he loves deeply, supports his efforts and joins him in their garden around which he has erected copper mesh (effectively creating a Faraday cage) to block electromagnetic radiation. However, the extremist group "Revolutionary Independence From Technology" (R.I.F.T.) has one of their members shoot Will with a polonium laced bullet and carry out a series of synchronized attacks on AI laboratories across the country. Will is given no more than a month to live.

In desperation, Evelyn comes up with a plan to upload Will's consciousness into the quantum computer that the project has developed. His best friend Max Waters, also a researcher, questions the wisdom of this choice. Will's consciousness survives his body's death in this technological form and requests to be connected to the Internet to grow in capability and knowledge. Max panics, insisting that the computer intelligence is not Will. Evelyn forces Max to leave and connects the computer intelligence to the Internet via satellite.

Max is almost immediately confronted by Bree, the leader of R.I.F.T. Max is captured by the terrorists and eventually persuaded to join them. The government is also deeply suspicious of what Will's uploaded persona will do and plans to use the terrorists to take the blame for the government's actions to stop him.

In his virtual form, and with Evelyn's help, Will uses his new-found vast intelligence to build a technological utopia in a remote desert town called Brightwood, where he spearheads the development of groundbreaking new technologies in the fields of medicine, energy, biology and nanotechnology. But even Evelyn begins to grow fearful of Will's motives when he displays the ability to remotely connect to and control people's minds after they have been subjected to his nano-particles.

FBI agent Donald Buchanan, with the help of government scientist Joseph Tagger, prepares to stop the technological sentient entity from spreading. As Will has spread his influence to all the networked computer technology in the world, R.I.F.T. develops a computer virus with the purpose of deleting Will's source code, killing him and, as an unfortunate side effect, destroying technological civilization. All the characters, Bree, Max, Tagger, Evelyn, and even Will Caster himself, are forced to choose between uploading the virus or risking assimilation into Will's Transcendence, which holds the promise of ending pollution, disease, and human mortality.

When Evelyn goes back to the research center, she is taken aback seeing Will in a newly created organic body identical to his old one. Will welcomes her but is instantly aware that she is carrying the virus and intends to destroy him. The FBI and the activists of R.I.F.T. attack the base with mortars, fatally wounding Evelyn. Will is given the choice between healing Evelyn's body, or protecting her by uploading her mind as she did his, which will also infect him with the virus. After being threatened by Bree to upload the virus or see his friend Max die, Will hesitates. Evelyn tells Will that no one should die for their mistake. Thus, Will chooses to spare the people he loves instead of saving technological civilization. As Will is dying, he explains to Evelyn that he did what he did for her: saving the planet was her wish, to learn the secrets of the universe was his. Evelyn then realizes it was Will all along and whatever he did was actually all for her. Then, the virus kills both Will and Evelyn, and a global technology collapse and blackout ensues.

Three years later, in Will and Evelyn's garden outside their old home in Berkeley, Max notices that their sunflowers are the only blooming plants within it. Upon closer examination, he notices that a drop of water falling from a sunflower petal instantly cleanses a puddle of oil — and realizes that the Faraday cage has also protected a sample of Will's nano-particles.
 L² Scored: 0.5/10

L² Comment:
I have always been a big fans on Depp's movie, but sorry not this one. I found it a bit boring or is it its too "scientific?" that i fall asleep on and off while the movie goes on. What a shame of me or the movie? Lol~ will not watch this movie even i have nothing to watch ever!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Priest 2011

Released Year: 2011
Directed by Scott Stewart

Casted by:
Paul Bettany as Priest
Karl Urban as Black Hat
Cam Gigandet as Hicks
Maggie Q as Priestess
Lily Collins as Lucy Pace
Stephen Moyer as Owen Pace
Story:
In the future, the war between humans and vampires has devastated the world. The Church, the future incarnation of the Roman Catholic Church, created an elite spiritual warrior organization, dubbed "Priests", who were capable of slaying vampires. The majority of the vampires were killed while the remainder were placed in reservations. To protect the humans, The Church created isolated, heavily guarded cities. No longer needing the Priests' services, the Church disbanded them.

One day an unnamed Priest, is approached by Hicks, the sheriff of a nearby town. Hicks tells him that his brother Owen was mortally wounded, sister-in-law (and ex girlfriend, Shannon) were killed by vampires and Priest's niece Lucy was kidnapped. Hicks asks for Priests assistance in tracking down Lucy. Priest goes against the wishes of Monsignor Orelas, the Church's leader, to do so. Monsignor Orelas then sends a group of four Priests led by Priestess to capture him and bring him back, dead or alive.

After saying goodbye to his dying brother, Priest and Hicks arrive at a vampire reservation, where they discover that the vampires have taken shelter in Mira Sola. Mira Sola is a vampire hive where Priest lost several of his comrade Priests in a botched mission. There, they are joined by Priestess, who decides to help him because she is in love with him. The group discover that the vampires are using trains to travel, slowly amassing a new army and intending to attack the Priest's city, killing the survivors and destroying the Church. They also discover that the inhabitants of Mira Sola had tunneled to the city of Jericho, where the other three Priests had been dispatched by Priestess.

Once in Jericho, the other three Priests are soon confronted by Black Hat, who was one of the Priests who was thought to have been killed in the botched mission at Mira Sola. Black Hat asks the three Priests to become one with the vampire family, but crucifies them when they refuse leaving their bodies to hang on crosses. Black Hat and his army of vampires then proceed to slaughter the entire town. After Priest, Priestess, and Hicks find the corpses of the three Priests, they discover Black Hat's trail and follow him, eventually catching up to his train along with the other vampires.

While Priestess plants a bomb on the railroad tracks in order to stop the train, Priest and Hicks board the train and confront Black Hat and the vampires and familiars (people infected with a pathogen that makes them subservient to the vampires). Black Hat overpowers both Priest and Hicks. Black Hat reveals that the vampire Queen gave him her blood, turning him into the first vampire-human hybrid. He asks Priest to join him. Priest refuses and fights Black Hat, who reveals the truth of Lucy's parentage to the girl. After the explosives are damaged in a fight with the familiars, Priestess straps the bomb to her motorcycle and crashes it into the train. The explosion kills the vampires and incinerates Black Hat, but Hicks, Priest, and Lucy are able to escape.

Priest returns to the city and confronts Monsignor Orelas, telling him of the burnt train containing the vampires bodies, which he proves by throwing a vampire head onto the floor. Monsignor Orelas believes that the war is over and Priest's proof is trickery; Priest tells him that its just beginning. Monsignor Orelas and Priest are at odds with each other when Priest leaves, Priest refusing to even listen to Monsignor Orelas as he walks out. Once he leaves the city and meets with Priestess, she reveals that the other Priests have been notified and will meet them at a rendezvous. Priest sets off with Priestess to meet the other Priests.
L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment:
Love this very much and finally i have the chance to watch it on the big screen last night. Paul Bettany is definitely a hottie and Cam Gigandet is no doubt a hot stud at all~ Maggie Q definitely took my breath away with her hot look and fit clothes on her.

The story is nice and the ending is the best, it left for us to think whether the production team is gonna shoot the next sequel or not, well... i hope they do... :)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Tourist

Released Year: 2010
Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Casted by:
Johnny Depp as Frank Tupelo/Alexander Pearce
Angelina Jolie as Elise Clifton-Ward
Paul Bettany as Inspector John Acheson
Timothy Dalton as Chief Inspector Jones
Story:
A woman named Elise is being trailed in Paris by French police working with Scotland Yard. At a cafe, she receives a letter from Alexander Pearce, a former lover, with explicit directions to board a train to Venice, Italy, pick out a man who resembles him and make the police believe that this man is Alexander Pearce. A mysterious stranger, not involved with the police, also seems to be watching Elise. Elise burns the letter and boards a train.

She takes a seat beside Frank, an American tourist reading a spy novel. Frank is instantly attracted to her. The train arrives in Venice, and they take a boat to the Hotel Danieli. At dinner, much to Frank's dismay, Elise admits to having feelings for another man, presumably Alexander Pearce. They share a kiss, witnessed by the men following her.

The next day, Frank awakens to find Elise gone. Men suddenly try to break into the hotel room. Frank barely escapes but is caught by the Italian police. A sympathetic detective listens to Frank's story that he does not know why these men are after him. He takes Frank from the jail and tells him that his story checks out, and that the men after him were Belarusians who have placed a prize on his head and who believe Frank to be someone else. The detective however then delivers Frank into the clutches of these same men, in order to collect the money they promised.

Elise appears suddenly to rescue Frank, fleeing on a boat. Elise finally tells Frank that all this is happening because she kissed him and made the police believe that he was Alexander Pearce. Frank learns that Pearce stole two billion from a gangster named Shaw and is wanted by the British Government for tax evasion. Stunned by the news, Frank says he still does not regret kissing Elise.

Elise apologizes for getting him involved at all and tricks Frank off the boat. Frank says he loves her. Elise goes to a government building. She turns out to be a secret agent for Britain. She sees her fellow British agent Acheson, who was among those following her in Paris. Elise was supposed to work undercover against Pearce but fell in love with him and had disappeared from her job until now. She tells Acheson that she is ready to help him find Pearce now because she wants to prevent anybody else from getting hurt.

Elise goes to a ball Pearce has invited her to attend, wearing a wire. She is handed a letter by the same mysterious stranger from Paris. The letter is from Pearce, saying where to meet him. As Elise turns to leave, Frank is standing in front of her. They dance. Elise leaves to find Pearce and agent Acheson's men apprehend Frank. They both watch on surveillance equipment as Elise walks into a trap set by the gangster Shaw. The gangster threatens to kill her unless she returns the money Pearce stole from him. Agent Acheson doesn't help his colleague Elise, confident that Pearce will show up to rescue her.

Elise reveals the safe's location but does not know its code. Frank watches in horror as Elise is threatened yet again. Seeing that Acheson won't help Elise, Frank picks the lock to his handcuffs and escapes to help her. Frank pretends to be Pearce. Elise begs him to stop or he will be killed. Frank, acting as Pearce, tells Shaw that he will get his money but only if Elise is first released and safe. As Frank pretends that he is about to open the safe, Elise mouths "I love you."

All of a sudden, Chief Inspector Jones gives the order for the police snipers to shoot Shaw and his men. Frank and Elise are unharmed. As the police survey the scene, agent Acheson can't believe that Pearce did not save Elise and Jones is furious with him for exposing her to danger. Jones then informs Elise that she has been terminated from the force. A police report informs them that Pearce has just been caught. As the room clears, Elise and Frank embrace. He asks her if she loves both him and Alexander Pearce. Elise answers yes. To spare her from this dilemma, Frank reveals that he is the real Alexander Pearce by entering the correct code for the safe. Pearce had gotten plastic surgery, so he could have a new life.

The arrested man believed to be Pearce explains to police that he was paid to pretend and that he is just a tourist. Elise and Frank/Pearce leave on a boat with the money, finally being able to be together. In the safe, police find a bankers check for the ₤744 million in back taxes Pearce owed the British government.
L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:
Florian is a Germany director who does not directed much, but this film is definitely a good try for him. Angelina is still hot as usual, but her acting is kinda so so in this film while Johnny Depp does not show much of his talent in this film as well.

A remake of a french film in 2005, The Tourist has achieve quite some nomination in a few academy awards but does not win any awards at this moment.