I Can Do Bad All by Myself

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by Tyler Perry

Casted by:
Taraji P. Henson as April
Adam Rodriguez as Sandino
Hope Olaidé Wilson as Jennifer
  Kwesi Boakye as Manny
  Freddy Siglar as Byron 

Brian White as Randy
Mary J. Blige as Tanya
   Tyler Perry as Mabel "Madea" Simmons / Joe Simmons

 Story:

April, a selfish alcoholic singer, is performing at a nightclub where she works. On the other side of town, Madea and Joe catch Jennifer, Manny , and Bryan breaking into their house. After hearing the children’s troubles, Madea welcomes them and feeds them. Jennifer tells Madea that they’re living with their grandmother, who they have not seen in four days. They tell Madea that their only other relative is their aunt April. April shares her home with her shady boyfriend, Randy, who’s married with children. The next morning, Madea brings the kids to April's house, but April doesn’t want to be bothered. Meanwhile, Pastor Brian sends a Colombian immigrant named Sandino to her house for work and a place to stay. April puts Sandino in her basement and wants to lock him down there because she doesn't know him that well. While working around the house, Sandino surprises April by cleaning himself up and becoming very handsome. When Randy arrives, he sees April with the kids and Sandino and heckles him while making subtle advances at Jennifer.

Shortly after, Pastor Brian and Wilma, a church member, comes to inform April that her mother died from a fatal brain aneurysm while riding on a bus, April is devastated by the news and seeks comfort from Randy, however he is sleeping and shrugs off April's attempt to seek comfort. Later, Sandino comforts April as she tells him about her mother's death and the last time she spoke with her. Depressed, Jennifer goes to Madea wanting to know how to pray. However, Madea, inexperienced with prayer, attempts to instruct in a scene that plays out comically. The same night, Wilma sings "The Need to Be", an uplifting song for women and Tanya, the nightclub bartender, sings "I Can Do Bad". Before singing the song, Tanya is fed up with April's attitude and tries to help her friend despite that she can't help April if she can’t help herself. Over time, Sandino and April become friends and Sandino fixes a ruined bedroom in her house making Manny and Bryon happy except Jennifer who feels April doesn't want them there. While on a date, Sandino tells April he doesn't understand why she is with Randy and asks if she loves Randy. He tells her what true love is to him. One Sunday morning, Sandino eagerly knocks on April's bedroom door to get April ready for church, but Randy threatens to kill Sandino if he continues to spend time with April.

Late one night, Manny needs his insulin shot and Jennifer gets it for him in the kitchen. As Jennifer gets her brother's insulin, Randy comes up to her and attempts to rape her, but he is fought off by Sandino. April walks in on the fight and Randy claims that Jennifer offered sex with him for money. April claims to believe him and sends Randy to take a bath. When he is in the tub, April comes up and threatens to electrocute him with a plugged-in radio. Sandino arrives and tries to stop her, but April is enraged and drops the radio into the water causing Randy to receive a severe electric shock. Randy jumps out and is ordered to leave the apartment by Sandino. April goes to the bar for a drink and blames the incident on herself for not seeing the signs. Sandino tries to stop her from drinking, but she pushes him away. She then asks Sandino if he is a child molester because of all the attention he gives the children. Sandino tells April of his childhood as a child laborer and that he loves the children so much because he sees himself in them. Feeling hurt at her unfair accusations, Sandino says farewell to the children and leaves. Jennifer and April begin to get along and connect after April tells Jennifer about her bad experience as a child. Jennifer tells April that she should recognize Sandino as a good man. Eventually Sandino returns and April apologizes to him and admits that she "loves" him like a friend. Sandino tells her that she can't love anyone until she learns to love herself. He tells April that he is in love with her but he wants April to love him back the same way he loves her. He shows her by kissing her.

As time passes, April and Sandino get married. April and Sandino then hold a block party for their reception with Tanya singing "Good Woman Down", dedicated to April, then you see the new couple embracing and kissing each other.

 L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

I would have scored it a 10/10 of the ending can be much more better. Overall the movie is good, i love Taraji a lot :) Her acting is perfect and her voice of course can sing well in the movie. Brian White showed us his nice fine ass, and i just wish he can show it longer :P

The Karate Kid 2010

Released Year: 2010
Directed by Harald Zwart

Casted by:
成龙 Jackie Chan as 韩先生 Mr. Han
Jaden Smith as Dre Parker
Taraji P. Henson as Sherry Parker
韩雯雯 Wenwen Han as Mei Ying
Zhenwei Wang as Cheng
于荣光 Yu Rongguang as Master Li,
Story:

12-year-old Dre Parker and his mother, Sherry move to Beijing from West Detroit after she gets a transfer in her car factory job. Dre develops a crush on a young violinist, Mei Ying, who reciprocates his attention, but Cheng, a kung fu prodigy whose family is close to Mei Ying's, attempts to keep them apart by beating Dre, and later proceeds to bully him in and around school. After a field trip to the Forbidden City, Dre encounters Cheng and his friends hanging out close to his apartment. Dre tries to pass by without them seeing him. When he finds a bucket of polluted water, Dre gets revenge by splashing the water around Cheng and his friends. Cheng and the others pursue and catch Dre, beating him. During the brutal attack, the enigmatic maintenance man of Dre's building, Mr. Han, comes to Dre's aid, revealing himself as a kung fu master who dispatches Dre's tormentors.

After Han mends Dre's injuries using fire cupping, Dre asks if Mr. Han could teach him Kung-Fu. Han refuses, but decides to meet Cheng's teacher, Master Li, to make peace. Li, who teaches his students to show no mercy to their enemies, challenges Dre to a fight with Cheng. When Han declines, Li says they will not be allowed to leave his school unless Dre or Han fights. Han acquiesces, but insists the fight take place at an upcoming tournament, and that Li's students leave Dre alone until the tournament. Li agrees, but tells Han that if Dre does not show up during the tournament he will personally bring pain to Han and Dre.

Dre is shocked when Han tells him that he will fight in a kung fu tournament. Han promises to teach Dre real kung fu. Han begins training Dre, but Dre is frustrated that Han merely has Dre spend hours taking off his jacket, hanging it up, dropping it, and then putting it back on again. After days of this, Dre refuses to continue until Han demonstrates that the repetitive arm movements were Han's method of teaching Dre martial arts techniques, which Dre displays instinctively when prompted by Han's mock attacks. Han emphasizes that the movements Dre is learning apply to life in general, and that serenity and maturity, not punches and power, are the true keys to mastering the martial arts. During one lesson in the Wudang Mountains, Dre notices a female kung fu practitioner apparently copying the movements of a cobra before her, but Han informs him that it was the cobra that was imitating the woman, as in a mirror reflection. Dre wants Han to teach him this technique, which includes linking Han's hand and feet to Dre's via bamboo shafts while practicing their forms, but Dre's subsequent attempt to use this reflection technique on his Mom is unsuccessful.

As Dre's friendship with Mei Ying continues, Dre persuades Mei Ying to cut school for a day of fun, but when she is nearly late for her violin recital her parents deem him a bad influence and forbid her from spending more time with him. When Dre finds Han drunk,despondent and breaking the car he had in his living room, Dre learns that it is the anniversary of Han's wife and son's deaths, which occurred when he lost control of the car due to anger caused from an argument he was having with his wife. Dre reminds Han that one of his lessons was in perseverance, and that Han needs to heal from his loss. Han assists Dre in reading a note of apology to Mei Ying's father in Chinese; he accepts and promises that he and Mei will attend the tournament to support Dre.

At the tournament, the under-confident Dre is slow to achieve parity with his opponents, but soon begins beating them and advances to the semifinals, as does Cheng, who violently finishes off his opponents. Dre comes up against Liang, another of Li's students, who is instructed by Li to injure Dre's leg. When Liang insists that he can beat Dre, Li sternly tells him that he does not want him beaten, but broken. Although Liang is disqualified for his illegal strikes, Dre is incapacitated.

Despite Han's insistence that he has earned respect for his performance in the tournament, Dre convinces Han to mend his leg by using fire cupping in order to continue the tournament. Dre returns to the arena, facing Cheng. Dre delivers impressive blows, but Cheng counters with a strike to Dre's injured leg. Dre struggles to get up, and attempts the reflection technique to manipulate Cheng's movements. Cheng charges Dre, but Dre flips and catches Cheng with a kick to his head, winning the tournament along with the respect of Cheng and his classmates. After this, Cheng awards Dre the trophy, instead of the presenter, with a smile which signifies to Dre that he need not be scared anymore.The movie ends with Dre and Han doing the handshake. While Dre is on Mr Han they slowly walk out of the ring.

L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

Love this movie so much, love the way they bring in our Chinese martial arts into the US once again, even though a lot of movies do so. Jackie Chan will be the suitable one to do so coz he's the bling bling spotlight from Asia entertainment industry which he also has earn his fame in hollywood before.

Good job