Johnny English Reborn & A Little Bit Of Heaven

I didn't realize there was an original Johnny English movie, thus I'm not sure if that one was more funny than this "reborn" sequel. Rowan Atkinson has got to be one of the greatest comedians on the planet. I mean, really, who doesn't know him as "Mr. Bean"?
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Bad Teacher & Contagion

These past few weeks were great for moviegoers like me as a number of worthwhile movies were shown. Bad Teacher, starring Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake was a funny riot. Not as hilarious as Bridesmaids though, but funny nonetheless hehe.

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Final Destination 5

S. T. R. E. S. S.

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Bridesmaids

I haven't done a movie review in a long time, despite the fact that I've seen quite a number of movies lately (The Hangover Part 2, X-men First Class and Kung Fu Panda 2), but this movie is soooo hilarious that I just have to make a review! :-)

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127 Hours

"127 Hours" is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days, Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65-foot wall and hike over eight miles to seek help. (Synopsis from SG Yahoo Movies)
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The Rite

Inspired by true events, "The Rite" follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the Vatican. While he's in Rome, Michael meets an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who introduces him to the darker side of his faith, uncovering the devil's reach even to one of the holiest places on Earth. (Overview taken from SG Yahoo Movies)
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Fair Game

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Salt

Angelina Jolie plays Evelyn Salt, a CIA officer who swore an oath to duty, honour, and country. When she is accused by a defector of being a Russian sleeper spy, Salt goes on the run. Using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative, she must elude capture and protect her husband or the world's most powerful forces will erase any trace of her existence. (http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/Salt/movie/15433/)

I saw this movie a few weeks ago and all I can say is Angelina Jolie rocks! I couldn't think of any other female actress who can pull off this movie, to think that it was supposedly meant for Tom Cruise.

I'm sure what I'm about to say will raise a lot of eyebrows but I liked this movie more than Inception. Yes, it was also a bit confusing but not as mind-boggling as Inception. I guess I was too enamored with the action scenes that I didn't catch some of the details - thank god my friend explained it to me haha. I love how the movie came together in the end but you do have to note the details along the way (e.g the spider, the russian school, etc).


There's a few things though that I still don't understand in the movie:
1) What has the North Korean torture scene got to do with the story? Why was she tortured anyway? Or did they just want to show how she met her husband?
2) And how could her husband have saved her from the North Korean prison in the first place?

Anyone please enlighten me?? hehe.

Anyway, still a great movie. My rating for Salt is 4.5/5.0.

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Precious

Precious is an adaptation by Geoffrey S. Fletcher of the 1996 novel "Push" by Sapphire. Clareece "Precious" Jones is an overweight, illiterate African-American teen in Harlem. Just as she's about to give birth to her second child, Precious is accepted into an alternative school where a teacher helps her find a new path in her life.

Now let me be honest with you and say that one of the major reasons why I wanted to see this film is because Mariah Carey is in it, and she being deglamourized in the movie is an understatement. Seriously though, more than Mariah's cameo role, I think the movie was an awakening experience. Though the movie isn't specifically based on someone's real life, it is based on real life experiences.


I, having come from a third-world country and being overweight (or shall I say obese) my whole life can personally relate to the movie. Harsh circumstances depicted in the film is such a day-to-day reality in the Philippines. And to know that such occurences also happen in the land of milk and honey, USA, is really moving.

The film was not only heart-wrenching but funny at times. I do remember laughing a few times especially in the scene where they were gushing and flirting with the cute male nurse. And going back to Mariah, OMG!!! Her look was so downplayed in the movie that I almost didn't recognize her! Now I wonder if they used prosthetics to make her look that terrible or is that how she really looks like sans the makeup and designer clothes?? But Kudos to her! Her part in the film was definitely way way much better than "Glitter" haha.

My rating for Precious is 4.0/5.0

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Inception

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a skilled thief who can steal ideas from someone's subconscious, is given one last chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible - inception.

I've been staring at the monitor for 5 minutes now and I'm still not sure how to start this review. If I were to describe the movie in a few words, that would be "Outrageously Exhausting Mind Trip". It was so complex you wouldn't want to blink an eye lest you want to get lost in the 2.5 hr psycho-thriller mental adventure.


Props to the filmmakers for such an original story especially in this day and age of sequels, remakes and comic book films. You must be truly creative and brilliant to be able to come up with such a mind-boggling plot that truly keeps you on the edge of your seat. Moreover, Leonardo Dicaprio's acting is flawless as expected. That guy is truly in a league of his own. I can definitely predict this movie to rake in the money and potentially the awards as well. BUUUTTTTT, despite all the flowery words I've mentioned, I'm not jumping up and down with glee about the movie. Yes it was a great film but not exceptionally great (in my opinion at least). The setback for me was the massive amount of detail you had to grasp and some loopholes in the plot. But like I said, thats just me.


[SPOILER ALERT BELOW]

Actually, I had to sit down and revisit the movie in my head (or in my dreams hahaha) before I could post a fair review as I really hated the ending. The part where after he sees his children, the totem still keeps on spinning and looks like it wont stop spinning - which actually meant he was still in a dream. That really turned me off. After 2.5 hrs of intense focus and mental torture it turns out he was still dreaming after all (!#@#!). Then again we really won't know if it did stop spinning as they made it appear as if it were wobbling and about to stop then the movie cuts to black and ends. But what do you expect right?! Of course they wanted the ending to be ambiguous! So that people will continue to talk about it after they step out from the theatres - the exact same thing I'm doing right now haha.

Nevertheless, it's still a must see. It may be better after you've seen it the 2nd or 3rd time so you can digest more of the intricate details in the story that you may have missed out the first time you saw it. PLUS, the fact that I didn't fall asleep despite the midnight showing and 2.5 hour length of the movie means it must be good hahaha.

My rating for Inception is 4.25/5.0

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Chloe

A remake of 2003 French thriller "Nathalie..." with Emmanuelle Beart, Atom Egoyan's "Chloe" is a suspenseful story of love and betrayal. When Catherine (Julianne Moore), a successful doctor, begins to question the fidelity of her lecturer husband David (Liam Neeson), she sets out to resolve her suspicions with the help of an alluring young prostitute, Chloe (Amanda Seyfried). Soon caught in a web of sexual desire, Catherine finds herself on a journey that places her family in great danger. (http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/Chloe/movie/15603/)

First, don't worry, there are no spoilers in this review :) I can tell that this movie won't be as widely popular or raved about compared to other movies but I definitely recommend it to couples, whether married or not, or even to single people who look forward to being in a relationship. Plus, the girl-on-girl scene (as shown in the trailer) is definitely something a lot of male viewers would want to see haha.

I love the subtle yet engaging approach of the movie. I'm sure I've mentioned before in this blog that I really go more for the storyline over death-defying stunts, matrix-like effects and what have you.


I honestly believe that TRUST is such a vital component in a relationship. I don't know about you but I seriously don't believe in nosing around your partner's personal and private property (i.e. reading/spying on their sms messages, asking for their email or Facebook login password, etc). I'm sure some of you will say that there's nothing wrong about it especially if you've got nothing to hide, BUT I still firmly believe that we are entitled to (at least some sort of) our own privacy. I mean if you're at the point where you have to snoop around your partner's stuff then that just means you don't trust the person anymore. Am i right or am I right? :P Confront your partner and communicate rather than spy and speculate (hey that rhymes!! haha).

There's a shocking twist towards the end of the movie that was totally unexpected so go see it! But I think the ending could have been better. It's like they couldn't top the previous twist that they just decided to end it like that.

Nevertheless, it was a good watch. My rating is 4.0/5.0 Read more on "Chloe"!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

With the help of the Autobots, the soldiers of NEST, and an old adversary-turned-ally, Sam and Mikaela must uncover the secret history of the Transformers presence on earth, and the sacrifices that have to be made to save it from an ancient threat sworn on returning here for revenge... an ancient Decepticon named THE FALLEN.
(http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809943432/details)



I am so not into 'transformers' that I zoned out an hour into the movie. I'm just really not into fantasy or sci-fi films. I do admit though the graphics and digital effects in the movie were superb but I just couldn't get the storyline. Or maybe I was just not paying attention.

My rating for Transformers is 2.0/5.0
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Drag Me To Hell

A decision to deny an extension of a home loan to an old woman named Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) causes Christine (Alison Lohman) to become the recipient of a supernatural curse. Haunted by an evil spirit and misunderstood by a sceptical boyfriend, Christine seeks help from a seer to break the curse and save her soul from eternal damnation.
http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/Drag+Me+To+Hell/movie/15158/

DBS sent us 2 free tickets to Cathay cinemas and luckily this was already showing that time. We really don't know why they sent us free tickets but who cares they can go ahead and keep on sending hehe.

Anyway, this startling movie was really good, in an odd but nice way. I say odd because it's not exactly a strict horror/suspense movie because they injected humour in it but I guess it worked. I never really thought I could be scared and laugh at the same time in one movie. Plus, the effects were superb and very cinematic.

Go ahead and drag yourself to see this movie. Worth your every penny!

My rating for "Drag me to Hell" - 4.0/5.0
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17 Again

What would you do if you got a second shot at life? Class of 1989, Mike O'Donnell is a star on his high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlett and the baby he just learned they are expecting. Almost 20 years later, Mike's glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlett has fallen apart, he has been passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and he has been reduced to crashing with his high school nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned. But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17.

(http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810038675/details)



I had no plans at all to see this movie but we had no choice as we were in Bugis Junction and this was the only decent movie to watch. With Zac Efron spearheading the movie, I really thought it was another girly teeny-bopper film but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised! It was funny and really enjoyable to watch.

In my opinion though, the real scene-stealer was his ultra-geek roommate, Ned Gold. He was uber funny and his crazy pursuit of the school principal was outrageously hilarious!

I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a long successful movie career for Zac Efron. Lucky Guy.

My rating for 17 Again is 4.0/5.0

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Friday the 13th

In yet another version of the famous story, five friends - Whitney, Clay, Mike, Jenna and Trent - decide to explore the famous Crystal Lake campsite but their seemingly fun weekend turns tragic quickly. Before they know it, each of them are hunted by a machete-wielding maniac known as Jason Voorhees.

(http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/Friday+The+13th/movie/14941/)



Obviously, they capitalized on the infamous popularity of the movie franchise to sell this film. As the 13th installment of this horror series, it gets even more gorey with a twist of soft porn. One critic coined the movie as "Gore-geous!", haha isn't that fitting?

I remember enjoying the previous Friday the 13th movies as a kid (ehm, that doesn't sound right..), but with all that gore and nudity I don't think it would be appropriate to have any minor watch this.

Anyway, that is already too much space on my blog for such a so-so movie. Despite all the blood and violence, this movie made me fall asleep. I hope this is the end of Jason.

My rating for Friday the 13th is -13/5.0

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Taken

Bryan (Liam Neeson), a former secret agent living in the US, reluctantly lets his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace, "Lost") go on holiday to Paris with a friend. Upon arrival in Paris, the two girls meet a seemingly nice young man who turns out to be a member of an Albanian crime syndicate, promptly kidnapping and forcing them into prostitution. Bryan must rely on his old skills in order to rescue his daughter from the slave trade.
(http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/Taken/movie/15136/)



"I will find you, I will kill you" - I love this line in the movie! Yes, the movie was very predictable but still I was on the edge of my seat rooting for Byran (Liam Neeson) to find his daughter and kill the goddamn bastards. I think I've already mentioned before that I'm not so much into action movies but this is truly an exception. To me, it was sort of like Mission Impossible meets modern MacGyver-ish kind of movie (remember this classic TV series? God I feel so old, haha).

I also love the part where he asks the guys to translate this albanian word so he could recognize the voice from the video clip. The only thing I didn't like was how the girls got in trouble so quickly after they arrived in Paris, like they were meant to be in trouble. Nevertheless, I think it was truly an eye-opener on how real the flesh trade is in some parts of the world. I am quite sure this really happens somewhere out there.

My rating for Taken - 4.5/5 Read more on "Taken"!

Knowing

When a teacher (Nicolas Cage) opens a time capsule that was dug up recently in his son's elementary school, he discovers that it contains some chilling and strange predictions about the future. Some events have already occurred and some are yet to unfold. The discoveries soon lead him into believing that his family plays a role in the events that are about to unfold.

http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/Knowing/movie/14998/



Ok I have at least 10 backlog blog entries so I'll keep this short and sweet.

I was expecting a lot from this film, as I always do as long as Nicolas Cage is in it, but I was left disappointed. I loved the idea of the time capsule and how the numbers were supposedly dates of disastrous events predicted 50 years earlier. But I absolutely abhorred the alien-ish twist in the movie. It totally ruined it for me.

So thats it. I can barely recall my exact sentiments on this film as we watched this weeks ago even before my trips so obviously its been pushed in the back of my head haha.

My rating for this movie - 2.5/5

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The Unborn

Casey Beldon hated her mother for abandoning her as a child. But when inexplicable events begin to happen, Casey begins to understand why she left. Plagued by merciless dreams and a tortured ghost that haunts her waking hours, she must turn to the only person, Rabbi Sendak, who can make it stop. With the help of Sendak, her best friend Romy and boyfriend Mark, Casey uncovers the source of a family curse dating back to Nazi Germany--a creature with the ability to inhabit anyone or anything that is getting stronger with each possession. With the curse unleashed, her only chance at survival is to shut a doorway from beyond our world that has been pried open by someone who was never born.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810035645/details

This bullcrap of a movie is best left "UNSEEN". Kudos to whoever came out with the trailer as it sure draws in the thriller-movie fanatics (such as I) and tricks them that this is the next best thriller movie.

Don't even bother.

My rating for this movie is -5.0/5.0. Read more on "The Unborn"!

Marley and Me

Adapted from John Grogan's bestselling book about his Labrador retriever, the movie is about an ambitious young reporter, John Grogan, and his wife, Jenny, also a reporter, who move to a Florida, buy a house and adopt a Labrador puppy they name Marley. Marley quickly becomes a rollicking force of nature in their lives.



I actually read the book before this became a movie and I was really looking forward to see this. I remember when I read the book a year ago, I was so hooked on it I was reading it on the bus or the MRT, on the way and back from work. I clearly rememeber crying my eyes out in bed reading the sad parts in the book, sob sob.

As you all know, I am a true-blue dog lover. We have 4 yellow labrador retrievers at home (if I haven't mentioned it before) and I really miss them a lot. Dogs are really "man's best friend" if you ask me. I mean who else will jump at you and lick you in the morning every waking day?! Not even your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife will do that haha.

Having said that, I'm a bit impartial in reviewing this movie because anything with dogs in it is high up on my list haha. The movie was a bit low-key though, some parts were a bit bland but like I said, if you're a dog lover then you really wouldn't mind. I already knew this movie was going to make me cry a river and that's exactly what happened in the last few parts of the movie.

So if you'd like a feel-good light hearted movie, go ahead and see this. It's also nice to see Jennifer Aniston back on the big screen.

My rating for Marley and Me - 3.5/5

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Slumdog Millionaire (100th Post!)

Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?". But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating. Jamal proves his innocence by telling the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to each one of the game show's questions. When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out...
http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/Slumdog+Millionaire/movie/15064/

Can you believe it?! This is my 100th post! Wow. 8 months later and this blog is still alive. To think lately I've been quite lazy in updating my blog. But it's also because work has pretty much preoccupied most of my time. Whatever free time I had was kept for sleep.

So I watched this movie last week. My expectations were sky high because of all the hype and awards this movie has won. My verdict - it was ok. Like what Simon is fond of saying, I wasn't jumping up and down but it wasn't bad at all. It was just ok.

Admittedly though the cinematography was astounding and the story is really unique. I think more than anything, what made the movie garner so many distinct awards is because of the fact that a bollywood movie finally made it big in the US box office. I think we all know how big the movie indsutry is in India. I heard there are like hundreds of movies year round.

I was just wondering why they chose "Who wants to be a millionaire?", I mean this game show was famous when I was still in school - at least 7 or 8 years ago. Or is it still famous in India?

My rating for Slumdog - 3/5.
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