Cultural Rantings

Text surrounding links

2007-05-07T17:48:00.000+08:00

Text surrounding links
By: Ryuichi Uchida

Ever since the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) invented and launched the internet, followed by the introduction of the more GUI (graphical user interface) based World Wide Web by the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), cyber space has become an invaluable part of society—responsible for many forms of communication and transaction from business, interests, personal relationships, societal interactions, and many more.

Of the many uses of cyber space, search engines the likes of Goodle, Yahoo!, MSN, among others, have been the most popular. These functions allow the user to find a range of web pages/sites in cyber space through key words that he/she inputs. Initially, search engines focused on web pages but have since introduced image searches, video, latest news and events, even shopping.

Users had instant access to hundreds, if not thousands, of relevant sites for whatever purpose. Of course, most of these sites are commercial in nature and businesses began trying to understand the system by which search engines ranks and lists sites so that their respective web pages would get more exposure, and hence, more business.

The initial understanding of most IT practitioners and web designers was that search engines relied heavily on “anchor texts”, or the primary link to a particular site. An example would be the anchor text Fruit Cast which may correspond to a search term of podcasting because of the shared text “cast.”

Recent studies of cyber space, however, have churned out drastically different results. Research has found out that anchor texts by themselves are not enough for a site to be listed high in the rankings of a search engine. In fact, it came as a shock to researchers when they noticed that actual texts in the web page surrounding or near the anchor text itself have more or less the same contribution to the overall listing of a search engine to a particular search term.

The challenge then was for a web page, especially its home page, to contain as many possible terms related to the nature of the business/organization, which users most regularly input in the search engine.

One technique that web designers now use is “embedding” or assigning certain texts to images, videos, slides, even themes, that appear in the web page—all in an effort for the site to sustain the maximum amount of web data to correspond to popular or common search terms inputted by users.

Doom

2005-11-03T15:23:00.000+08:00

Doom
Cast: see below

The good: The Rock, Karl Urban and the hot Rosamund Pike
The bad: don’t get me started
Based on the popular videogame of the same name, Doom is about a group of marines who are sent to a scientific facility in Mars after a distress signal is alerted. The videogames stick to mindless action extravaganza; the movie…well…it TRIES not to.

The marines are led by a certain Sarge (The Rock). His second-in-command, Reaper (Karl Urban), however, is the true protagonist. And since the marketing for the film suggests otherwise, there is a lingering scent of the unfathomable. Anyway, the marines are sent to the facility to search, rescue, retrieve, and destroy – the standard gamut of any self-respecting marine force. Some will die; others won’t – the standard gamut of any self-respecting suspense/action/sci-fi flick. Ironically, the words “standard” and “self-respect” shouldn’t be put in the same sentence as that of the film’s title as it doesn’t meet the former and doesn’t command the latter.

The marines meet with Dr. Sandra Grimm (Rosamund Pike), who is the sister of Reaper (get it? Grimm and Reaper). The film tries to inject some sense of character to the two through a backstory involving the death of their parents, their ten years of no contact, and what have you. But just like the thrown-in-for-good-measure love subplot of The Great Raid (involving Joseph Fiennes and Connie Nielsen), the attempt at characterization is noteworthy but lacking in real depth to be really effective.

Dr, Grimm explains that they have discovered humanoids in Mars who have 24 pairs of chromosomes. Apparently, we only have 23 and this extra pair infuses super-human characteristics to the recipient. However, as they later discover, the 24th chromosome may or may not trigger a genetic mutation to a person, depending on his personality. This chromosome will be quite useful in today’s times as we may find out if Michael Jackson is really a pedophile or not. Jackson references aside, this admittedly cool sci-fi concept is what caused the monsters that you’ll barely see. You’ll barely see them because the film is so friggin’ dark that even the supposedly “best of the best” marines have trouble hitting them. The question is: Is this an intended atmospheric visual style, or just plain money not wanting to be spent? Another question is: If we are the descendants of the humanoids from Mars (they arrived in Earth through a portal they built which is now the source of travel from here to there), how come we only have 23 pairs of chromosomes and not 24?

The bigger question though is what The Rock, Karl Urban, and the gorgeous Rosamund Pike (from Die Another Day) is doing in a sorry excuse for a film like this. Apart from The Rock, it’s hard to imagine them being fans of the Doom videogames.

Towards the end, the film experiments at a first-person camera view with a gun as the viewpoint (just like the videogame). The effect could have been better implemented, but the style itself is cool…and gutsy. It would have been better though if the style was liberally spread out throughout the whole film instead of being relegated to one long extended scene.

Unable to resist the wrestling background of The Rock, the director manages to squeeze in a fisticuffs fight as the final battle scene. We assume that the director resisted playing the videogame because otherwise he might have known that in the game, the purpose is on shooting, not belly slamming. Which is more than what I can say about the film: resist! (1/5)

Whisper of the Heart

2005-10-21T15:47:00.000+08:00

Whisper of the Heart

The good: will make you emotional
The bad: sad for me
In the final scene, the guy proposes marriage to the girl. They’re only in junior high. Best damn romantic story ever!

I remember the cheesy love flicks I’ve watched over the years. They all seem to succeed in either making you puke, or making you fall asleep. Sure, some of the better ones make you laugh (50 First Dates), some make you actually cry (The Notebook), but what about a story which really hits you in the heart, as it should? Perhaps most will cringe at the idea that where realistically-portrayed love stories failed, an anime starring barely-adolescent kids succeeds.

And yes, Whisper of the Heart, another legendary offering from the geniuses at Studio Ghibli, will make you smile, make you cry, and most of all, make you think…deeply. If you look past the colorful visuals and the classic doe-eyed nature of the characters, you’ll realize just what the hell it is I’m blabbering about.

Hollywood? They got nothing on this. At its very heart, Whisper is the anti-thesis of Hollywood conventions. In a crucially unforgettable scene later on, the parents of the main female character confronts her as she seems to be getting into a lot of trouble in school lately. She confesses her devotion to writing as the reason for her lack of scholarly attention. We expect a loud sermon from her parents; instead they calmly accept her choice and tell her the importance of balance. Unthinkable.

It is sad that most will ignore Whisper of the Heart. It is sadder still to think that few will ever share the emotions delivered through this beauty of a film. If you happen to encounter it, don’t make the mistake of ignoring it. (5/5)

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

2005-10-21T15:44:00.000+08:00

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

The good: possibly everything
The bad: we want more!!!
After the disaster that was Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, fans of the beloved, long-running RPG franchise were left to believe that their favorite alternate fantastical universe will never again grace the big screen. But lo and behold, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children has arrived and if you have even the slightest inclination for the series (oh who am I kidding, I mean everybody!!), then go pick up, steal, borrow (I don’t care) a copy and be ready to be amazed. Trust me, your breath will be taken away.

Picking up where the anti-climactic end of FFVII left off, we find ourselves once again in the half-destroyed city of Midgar. Cloud and the gang have set off their ways whilst the world they inhabit have been stricken with what is called “Geo-stigma”, an aftereffect of the clash between the world’s life force and the comet summoned by Sephiroth (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then sorry. More later). There seems to be no cure for the disease which even our hero Cloud is afflicted of. The folks from Shinra: Reno, Rude, and even Rufus (yes, he’s alive), have turned to the good side and have approached Cloud for a commission work. It seems that a new trio of a group has emerged and hell bent on reclaiming “Mother” – or the severed head of Jenovah, from which Sephiroth was created.

Now before I go on and on about the good stuff, notice that much of the plot is better suited to those who have experienced FFVII. If you’re a complete stranger to the storyline, much of the story will be lost on you. In truth, this is the only real flaw of the film.

However, no film has ever come close to the massive visual spectacle featured in this film. Think The Matrix on overdrive and you’ll get a sense of the coolness of Advent. Swords clash at blistering speeds, characters fight seemingly in hyperspace, and the choreography has got to be one of the best in the biz. All the while we’re treated to a visual grandeur which would put FF: Spirits Within, or any other CG-rendered flick, to shame. Once you see the freckles on Cloud’s face, man, you’ll be astounded. Guaranteed.

Some will argue the overabundance of action to dialogue. And while on paper, this cannot be denied, we have to realize that while there is indeed a shortage in the dialogue department, what little is presented is supremely relevant and coherent to the overall story. What isn’t told in words are expressed in symbolisms (note the cellphone which drops in the pool of water). We are reminded that this is a Japanese film, and not is all as they seem.

I cannot express in words how much I appreciate this film. It is a masterpiece, no doubt about that. And I can’t think of any future film which can even come close to his magnificence. From the visuals, to the sizzling-hot fight scenes, back to the treat that is the FFVVII goodies (all the main characters are here, and yes, Sephiroth too), and on to the satisfying emotional drama behind it all, Advent Children is not just a work of art, it is art all by itself. A sequel can’t come soon enough. (5/5)

Land of the Dead

2005-09-24T15:11:00.000+08:00

cast: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper

The good: enjoy
The bad: the ending
I have always enjoyed zombie-based movies, and The Land of the Dead is no exception. Its better than the first Resident Evil, but I found Dawn of the Dead to be better. Without comparing it to other zombie-fests, the film becomes just another one of them.

Directed by legendary horror filmmaker George Romero, The Land of the Dead features a world where, unexplainably, the dead have risen back to life, forcing the still living to adopt a secluded way of life in various outposts scattered around tactical locations in the world. The film begins a few years after the initial wave of this zombie outbreak. Riley (Baker), the leader of the expedition group of an outpost -- they are the ones tasked to collect food and supplies from the markets and stores of zombie-infested towns -- and Cholo (Leguizamo), his second-in-command, returns from a seemingly routine expedition. Riley, however, notices that something seems rather strange about the "stenches" -- they have become more intelligent. It's not long before the zombies decide to attack the outpost, showing the ability to communicate, use tools, and work as a team.

The film is enjoyable because the zombies are scaringly convincing. Their representation, however, in the film is inconsistent. During the first parts of the film, they move like the traditional portrayal of zombies in films -- slow, stiff, somewhat robotic. But later on, George Romero seems to have borrowed the running and amoking zombies from Dawn of the Dead and casted them in this film. Nevertheless, the zombies doesn't do much in terms of scare factor, and to be honest the film itself isn't really scary. The film is more actiony than scary.

The movie does tackle some seemingly important issues that the world may someday need to address. The denizens of the world in the film find comfort and safety behind their electrified fences and have decided to live in a illusory life (they even use the zombies as amusement tools). They see no point, or have not considered, braving the world out there looking for a solution. Should problems be faced, or ignored?

Land of the Dead is a triumph of modern filmmaking with its great zombie visuals and abundance of gunfire and action. It is a failure, however, of George Romero's very own creation -- the horror genre. (3/5)

A Sound of Thunder

2005-09-21T18:06:00.000+08:00

cast: Ben Kingsley, Edward Burns

The good: novel idea
The bad: lousy production
The concept of time-traveling is one which is featured heavily in many sci-fi flicks. Films like Back to the Future, Timeline, The Time Machine, etc. all have relied on the dreamy pseudo-scientific principle. While the concept has been done time and time again before, A Sound of Thunder is really the first film to take the idea into new dimensions.

You see the concept of time-traveling should be seen as through its effects. Consider going back in time and changing even the slightest thing: wouldn’t it have a substantial effect on the present? This is the idea presented to us by the film. In the story, time-travel is discovered and used in a sort of amusement business where rich folks pay huge sums of money to “time-jump” and hunt dinosaurs. The only catch is that the killing of the prey must be done in a strictly limited time-frame – a point in time wherein the creature will naturally die anyway, a precaution so as not to disturb the normal flow of time. Of course, as with any human endeavor that plays with the nature of the universe, especially one which is run by a greedy, good-for-nothing entrepreneur (Ben Kingsley), something’s bound to mess up.

The sound of thunder, thus, comes into picture as the world is suddenly and gradually beset by evolutionary mistakes – things which shouldn’t have happened or appeared if time wasn’t toyed around with in the first place. The time-jumping team with the help of an anti-time-jump activist struggles to fix the holes in time; and they do, and in anti-climactic fashion (the ending’s really whack).

If it wasn’t for the lame ending and the low budget nature of the film, the story might up fared far better. I got sick of the dark cityscapes towards the end, and the monkey, lion hybrids made me snicker than scared. You’d go blind from the distracting flashlight-only lighting while the team moves around the devastated city. There is a bit charm provided by the low budget of the film (the CG vehicles are a laugh), but I’d prefer a more realistic rendition considering the subject matter.

Despite everything, A Sound of Thunder manages to keep me awake for the duration and actually triggers the hidden sci-fi geek blood running in my veins. What was presented wasn’t enough (somebody give background to the time-jumping thing), but what was presented was pretty ok anyway. (3/5)

Brothers Grimm

2005-09-21T18:04:00.000+08:00

cast: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger

The good: quite funny
The bad: really poorly made

Brothers Grimm is a case of a good idea gone awry, a novel concept left at the hands of one-handed snakes (yes, I know, snakes don’t have arms – that’s the point). I liked it, and I wouldn’t ask for a refund. But, unfortunate, really, is the final outcome.

The Brothers Grimm is composed of two brothers: Wilhelm and (Matt Damon) Jacob (Heath Ledger). They are medieval scam artists. Skilled in deception, modern science at that time, and all-out tomfoolery, they go from town to town ‘exorcising’ all kinds of demonic creatures, building up a reputation, and earning big sums of money from the poor, deceived townsfolk It isn’t long, however, before their antics are discovered by the French authorities (the story’s set in French-occupied Germany), and they are forced to work on a case in a remote village where young girls are disappearing one by one – a case which the French believe to be the work of another team of scam artists. This isn’t the case, however.

Where the film succeeds is in its attempt to fuse together classic fairy tales (Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk) as the background or framework for presenting its storyline. References are often made and scenes are played out using the memorable events from the stories (like the girl dressed in a red hood who disappears in the forest – the movie actually gives a scene where Jacob, the nerdy-type of the two, lists the description of the girl as red riding cloak).

My primary concern with the film is its confused identity: not knowing whether to go the route of a comedy, horror, or fantasy. True, many movies manage to combine seemingly contrasting genres but The Brother Grimm isn’t one of those movies. I was disturbed when after a series of funny moments, the film conjures up literally two decapitated heads from a box. It’s this seemingly gigantic mood swings which detracts from the experience. The visibly poor production values doesn’t help matters any. Its funny seeing the Wolf Man prance around in bad CG.

Otherwise the performance of the two main actors gives life to the drab colors of the film. Damon and Ledger seems like a perfect match and we could be seeing the beginning of another Hollywood duo much in the same vein as Stiller and Wilson, Chan and Tucker.

Towards the end, the focus is not so much really on developing set plot points but on unraveling whatever else is in store. Much like fairy tales which has short life spans, The Brothers Grimm follows the same formula as it doesn’t bother with details; finishing the story is just enough.

The Brothers Grimm is a thoroughly enjoyable film with just enough humor and charm (wait till Jacob jumps from the tower towards the end – hilarious!). Its beset by unfortunately low production values which reduced its fantasy setting tremendously; hampered by a somewhat lacking script; dusted by less-than-even directing qualities, but the whole film still manages to offer a good time, and viewers with low expectations should surely watch it. (2/5)

My Neighbor Totoro

2005-09-15T09:24:00.000+08:00

The good: the totoros, of course
The bad: feels kinda scary in some parts
The idea of a perfect movie exists in my mind. My Neighbor Totoro is a realization of that idea.

Two sisters and their father move into a quiet, little town to be near their sick mother. Satsuki, the elder sister, and Mei, in their curious adventures in the backyard forest, discovers and befriends magical creatures called totoros. They look like fluffier combinations of bears, pandas, and cats.

There’s a realism to this anime, a beautiful irony considering its animated form. Set in a traditional farming community in rural Japan (not unlike Grave of the Fireflies), the film provides moments of elation during the totoro parts, senses of grief when the hospital sends a letter to the family. Coupling with the beautiful art depicting its setting, the simple but actually serious overtone of an ideal family finds and takes hold of my attention. Not once in the whole film does it loosen its grip.

What makes the film so incredible is its quiet, reserved, and serene atmosphere. There is no bad guy here, no world destructing conflict, the story is simple and true, unwashed by insignificant elements. Satsuki and Mei find themselves fascinated by their new friends and so was I. The totoros, while cute, are attractive and charming not only for their physical pleasantry, but also for their child-luring nature. The totoros are the creatures which when we were little kids were the best friends we always imagined, but never had.

I am fascinated more and more with Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke). Their works transcend the limits of their medium and while most of the cynical world dismisses the animated medium as child’s fare, Miyazaki-san and company manage to strike at the very core of our hearts time and time again.

It couldn’t be the animation, or the music, or any other factor. There’s a distinct quality to these animes which makes them stand out, makes them unforgettable. I hope to identify that quality one day, but for now, I’m just happy to imagine the cute critters called totoros. (5/5)

The Cat Returns

2005-09-15T09:05:00.000+08:00

The good: it’s cute, strange, delightful – the whole package
The bad: a bit short
Imagine a world where when you see a cat standing on its two back legs, brushing himself clean with his two front legs, talking to you, you casually say goodbye to it and go on with your life. This is the beauty presented in The Cat Returns—a removal of worldly prejudices and an absurdly happy collection of imaginative delights.

Haru is your typical Japanese student: finds it hard to wake up on time, ignored by a crush, and just keeps on encountering one bad event after another. On one seemingly casual walk to school, Haru notices a cat dropping a small package in the middle of the road. Struggling to pick up the package, the cat finds himself in danger of being run over by a truck. Haru instinctively runs toward the direction of the cat saving him using what seems to be a lacrosse stick. Then there’s the scene I described earlier about the talking cat. Turns out the cat that Haru just saved is the prince of the Kingdom of Cats: Prince Lune.

Go back to what you know about traditional films, or even American-style animation: the mood is either serious with realistic characters, setting, plot, or a lighthearted veneer with animals for characters, settings in space, and magical storylines. The Cat Returns, as with all other Studio Ghibli films, stays away from this setup and delivers a realistic (school life, city setting) yet at the same time fantastical (talking cats) story with just the right blend of humor and seriousness to make the whole package extremely palatable.

Take Muta, an overgrown cat who lives in a world outside the Kingdom of the Cats. He’s the rowdy assistant of Baron, a cat dressed in noble European attire, a statue coming into life when situations demand it. Another statue, the crow Toto, comes to life. They are able to come to life because their creators put a lot of effort and heart in creating them. I’d imagine that the DVD itself of The Cat Returns will be able to come to life seeing as it’s a magnificent labor of love. Anyway, herein we see the magic and the characters brought to life due to it. When we arrive at the Kingdom of Heaven, we’ll see and become fascinated by more characters. I pause and realize the beauty of it all.

There’s little sadness in the film, maybe the farthest the serious tone gets is Haru’s confusion of whether to stay in the cat kingdom or not, but while I was watching it I felt like crying. I envy the genius of its creators and I am saddened by the fact that few will be able to see the film’s genius. (5/5)

The Great Raid

2005-08-22T17:12:00.000+08:00

cast: Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes, James Franco, Cesar Montano (woo!)

The good: delivers on a story-telling level
The bad: the romantic subplot
World War II films happen about as often as sleeping, so it takes a special kind of film to stand out from the sea (or rather, ocean) of WWII-based features. The Great Raid fits the bill for an enjoyable, thoroughly engaging, if a bit slow-paced, offering in a not-so well known period of the war: the great raid on Cabanatuan, Philippines.

Over 500 American POWs (prisoners of war) are being held in a small, lightly guarded compound near the local battle frontline. The American forces have landed anew and are preparing to once again liberate the country. The Japanese realize their imminent defeat and are prepared to dispose off of any remaining prisoners in their camps. Intelligent sources place the planned liquidation in about a week (when the Americans break through the frontlines), so a plan is quickly set into motion to rescue the American captives.

Leading this effort is Lt. Colonel Mucci (Benjamin Bratt), commander of apparently the best Ranger unit in the country. Capt. Prince (James Franco), meanwhile, is the young hotshot who planned the whole effort. These two are fine actors and their respective performances in the film are notable and worthy of mention. But their physical appearances betray the characters that they portray. For instance, Bratt looks too Filipino, and in a film set in the Philippines (though not actually shot here) with Filipino characters and actors, it’s hard to take his character seriously. Perhaps someone like Bruce Willis would have played the part more convincingly, acting wise or otherwise. James Franco suffers from almost the same flaw. His character is supposed to be the brains behind everything, yet there are so many scenes where he is shown to be indecisive and unsure of himself. He’s confused as to the methods and ideology of his long-time mentor, Lt. Col. Mucci. As a result, it becomes all the more hard to have a connection with his character. Furthermore, Franco looks much too young and clean for this sort of film, as was Bratt, actually. Perhaps a little dirt in their faces could have helped.

The film also shows the events happening inside the Japanese prison camp with the most senior American soldier there, Major Gibson (Joseph Fiennes), with his close aide Captain Redding (Marton Csokas) getting the prime focus. Redding, however, becomes a major distraction, not because of Csokas (who is always terrific), but rather his unusual dedication in keeping hopes alive for the romantic link between Gibson and Margaret Utinsky, an American nurse in Manila who just happened to be a leader of a local underground resistance group, whose aims are to steal vital medicine from the hospitals and smuggling it to the POW camps. There’s a backstory as to their past but it’s as thin as onion paper. Going back to the character of Redding, his only use in the film seems to be to further sell the connection between the aforementioned characters. The love subplot is useless (and boring) enough, why put more fuel in its fire? But lovey-dopey things aside, the best dramatic moments actually happen in the prison camp scenes with Gibson increasingly getting weaker (he gets stricken with malaria) while still trying to get his men under control.

This wouldn’t be a WWII film without a healthy ration of battle scenes, and while the action seems confined to the last parts, they were better that way as they allow everything to be set in position first. The final raid itself is enjoyable, providing high-tension excitement after the long wait, but it reminded me a bit of Filipino action films wherein a small band of fighters surprisingly defeats a seemingly idiotic army of much greater numbers. True, everything was done according to the historical records of the raid, but the implementation itself could have been less straightforward.

Essence-wise, though, the Great Raid is a true accomplishment, delivering the story of an oft-ignored theater of the war with a high emotional overtone and feel-good sentiments. It could have been more effective (perhaps with someone like Spielberg on board) and it could have used more editing effort, but nonetheless, every Filipino should see this film, even though Cesar Montano’s part was a bit too small. (3/5)

Medal of Honor: European Assault

2005-08-22T17:11:00.000+08:00

The good: still fun
The bad: extremely short
Being a fan of the Medal of Honor franchise in its various incarnations (PS1, PS2, PC), I expected a lot from this new title. And while Medal of Honor: European Assault plays well, it’s bogged down by a lot of elements not characteristic of this last generation of high-profile PS2 titles.

The first thing that you’ll notice upon arriving in the main game screen is the John Williams-esque moody music. Too bad though because the rest of the game doesn’t live up to this initial impression. The graphics here are just barely above the average with characters and scenery appearing out of nowhere. It doesn’t help that the design of the levels doesn’t bode well either. The biggest offender for me though is the erratic frame-rate which provides hysterically funny moments of Nazi soldiers seemingly floating from one point to another. Of course, the humor ends when you face a blank screen indicating your death as enemies become nigh impossible to target during these situations. Speaking of dying, expect to die a lot because your character can’t take too many hits and because of the aforementioned frame-rate problem. Fortunately, the game is fairly easy to finish even when trying to accomplish all objectives (which, if you’re a seasoned FPS vet, shouldn’t be of any problem). Level design is pretty linear even with franchise-new wide-open environs. You also get to issue basic commands to a group of up to 3 soldiers and the checkpoint system has been scratched in favor of health packs and revives. The changes though are mostly cosmetic as they don’t affect greatly the tried-and-true Medal of Honor playstyle.

For fans of the series or the genre in general, MOH: European Assault is a good buy. But if you’re expecting something new or groundbreaking, or something which will take a long time to play (you’ll finish this in less than 5 hours), then you might want to hold your breath for a while. (3/5)

Crash

2005-08-13T20:24:00.000+08:00

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser

The good: hugely dramatic
The bad: nothing really
Los Angeles, California sets the stage for a tearfully emotional human drama about the uneasy co-inhabitance of whites, blacks, Latinos, and Asians in Crash. The film is a brave and in-your-face portrayal of what happens down under behind the glitz and glamour usually associated with the city. Crimes, police harassments, discrimination, racial prejudice – all are fair game as the director skillfully weaves a tale of several interconnecting stories as they “crash” with one another.

It’s rare to see a film which sets out to showcase a touchy subject, especially a subject as touchy as racial harmony in, of all places, the racial amalgamation that is Los Angeles. Usually, movies that do attempt to take a sensitive issue as its subject matter takes a less than heroic path and dummies down the essential events or concepts so critical to that subject matter so that it won’t alienate the other side of the spectrum. However, when this happens, the film loses or drastically mutes the message it wanted to communicate. Thank heavens for the, I’m imagining, moon-like guts of the director, scriptwriter, and the whole production staff for presenting this sordid, but real, story in the manner in which it is most effective: brave and unadulterated.

At its very core, the film tells us that the stereotypes undermining Los Angeles -- white police brutality against blacks; Asians being preyed upon; black dominance on crimes; gangs and violence -- are actually there for a reason; that they do happen and they do exist. The important element though is that the characters are human. They have families, ambitions, personalities, and yes, even prejudices against one another. And with a cast featuring some of the best actors in Hollywood (both recognizable and unrecognizable) working with a honest-to-goodness script, the film strikes at the very heart of its viewers, evoking in them guilt and regret, happiness and joy, realization and deeper understanding.

Crash is a damn fine human drama. It tells its story and doesn’t skimp on any of the important elements. Definitely one of the best films of the year. (5/5)

The Machinist

2005-08-13T20:21:00.000+08:00

Cast: Christian Bale

The good: Christian Bale
The bad: no impact whatsoever
If you were asked by the director to lose half of your weight in order to play a role, would you do it? Well, that is what Christian Bale did to play Trevor Reznik, an insomniac who hasn’t slept for more than a year. Why hasn’t he slept? The movie tries to explain…

Going back to Christian Bale’s uber-passionate (or ridiculous, you be the judge) dedication to his craft, he indeed lost over half his weight so that he may appear almost like a skeleton of his original self. Take note that his role in this film preceded his portrayal of Batman in the recent hit Batman Begins, and considering his muscular stature in that film, it’s amazing the tenacity of this guy. But all these things aside, his physical appearance is actually one of the film’s only highlights. Perhaps without the scarily horrific appearance of Bale, the film wouldn’t be half as effective in telling its story.

Not that the story is any effective, really. The Machinist is basically a suspense/thriller about Trevor who may or may not be the subject of a conspiracy. You see, things start getting out of the ordinary and pretty soon, Trevor finds himself trapped in a world where everything doesn’t seem as they appear. Of course, this premise is ruined by the hugely flawed directorial effort. Even at its early stages, the “plot” becomes obvious and by movie’s end, where everything is given light, I already became disinterested.

Too bad, because Christian Bale went to such great lengths in order to breathe more life in this film. If it had been me who lost half of my weight and starred in this movie, then I may not have gained back the weight I lost. (2/5)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

2005-08-13T20:17:00.000+08:00

cast: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore

The good: the weird Tim Burton style
The bad: lacking in dramatic charge
Tim Burton is probably Hollywood’s most eccentric filmmaker, credited for weirdly distinctive films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and the upcoming Corpse Bride. Thankfully, he brings his usual charming (some say psychedelic) style to his latest, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Charlie (Freddie Highmore) is “the luckiest boy on earth” after winning one of the five golden tickets giving pass to the most famous chocolate factory in the world. Charlie is just a regular boy. In fact, maybe less than regular as he lives with his extended family in a house resembling the Leaning Tower of Pisa and eats only cabbage soup. The factory is owned by Willy Wonka (Johhny Depp), a world-renowned genius candy maker, who closed his factory not a long time ago when some of his workers sold trade secrets to rival companies. “Have you ever seen a single person coming into that factory, or coming out?”, said one of Charlie’s relatives. We would later come to know that the workers aren’t the usual.

The film is hugely interesting up until this point, prior to their entry in the factory. Five kids with one guardian each are given a tour of the chocolate factory by Willy Wonka himself. Strangely enough, the film goes downhill from here. Given the title of the film, it’s strange to see less of Charlie and very little, actually, of the much-hyped factory. The factory is indeed strange, wonderful, and magnificently brought to life by Burton’s imagination, but its play in the overall impact of the film seems small. Adding to the problem, the tour inside the factory becomes formulaic as there’s an obvious pattern on what’s going to happen next. As all the other kids except Charlie fall one after another due to their own inherent character flaws, we notice their cardboard cut-out nature.

The movie, despite an unmistakably kiddy aesthetic, is actually quite dark in its theme and in its events. You won’t notice it with all the color and the crazy ideas (cotton candy made from sheep wool, anyone?), but I don’t think a young girl being harassed by a group of squirrels spells the word K-I-D-D-Y.

Despite the formulaic nature of the film, it could have been tremendously enjoyable still if there was any semblance of concrete message behind it. This message, considering the target audience for the film, could have elevated its dramatic impact, but with nary a memorable dramatic moment, the film becomes a garbage bin of small, scattered, and under-developed lessons haphazardly thrown together. When the most memorable line goes, “Its candy, that’s why it doesn’t have a point”, it makes the whole experience all the more forgettable.

All in all, the film is still much better than your usual factory tour. Don’t expect too much beyond what is initially offered, and you’d have a pretty good time. (3/5)

Wedding Crashers

2005-07-31T15:03:00.000+08:00

cast: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams

The good: deliriously funny script
The bad: gets dull
John and Jeremy are expert wedding crashers (Wilson and Vaughn, respectively). They go to dozens of weddings every year, impersonating as relatives so that they can mingle with the crowd, get a taste of the free food and drinks, and ultimately, get the big prize. The prize is, naturally, a single night with a gorgeous woman. But when their biggest wedding crash yet turns out not as well as planned, things start to get a bit out of control.

Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn is probably our generation's most consistently funny and charming comedians. Their presence in a film almost always guarantees a good time, even when the films themselves aren't that good (Dodgeball for Vaughn, or Starsky and Hutch for Wilson). Wedding Crashers is a fantastically good film and the addition of the two comedic geniuses makes the film all the more enjoyable. I'm not sure though if the acting is better than the script. On one point, the two leads ooze charm and dishes out laughs throughout the whole film, but then again, without the script, they wouldn't be half as funny. On another point, while the script is indeed tight and funny, it does lose quite a big amount of steam as the film reaches its final moments. Maybe the film should have ended sooner rather than being forcibly lenghtened with unnecessary scenes.

What is sure, however, is that the film guarantees to be a wonderful time in the theatre. And I'm assuming, more so when you see it with friends. (4/5)

Call of Duty: Finest Hour

2005-07-30T17:41:00.000+08:00

The good: well…it is a FPS
The bad: sluggish frame-rate

I love first-person shooters. I love it probably the most next to RPGs. So, it’s of no surprise that I immediately snap up most FPSes. Fortunately and unfortunately, Call of Duty is a decent, sufficient title which should probably hold you over till the next batch of high-profile shooters arrive.

I say fortunate because at its best, the game is a very playable, albeit standard, title comparable to the Medal of Honor series. The unfortunate side is that the PC version accumulated great praise but the console version was trimmed down both technically and features-wise. Unlike the PC version, you only get to issue rudimentary commands to your squad mates. In fact, you only seem to be able to give them a medi pack and order them to run around like a drunken Nazi dancing to the bad tune of Adolf Hitler. I’d surmise that if technical limitations prohibit you from fully implementing crucial game mechanics, then it’s probably best to craft the game in a somewhat different fashion from the original so that the player won’t get annoyed by non-working gameplay elements.

Another unfortunate thing is the game’s overall presentation. FPSes, by nature, should look good, sound good, and play smooth. So when I turn to shoot my M1 Garand at any hapless Nazi, I’d see beautiful sights at 60 frames per second with a woozing clunk of the bullet as I hit the fire button. Yet, the game ignores this basic tenet with sub-par graphics (which can only seem to paint gray shades), a sluggish frame rate, imprecise and annoying aiming function (you have to continually hold L1 to aim at the baddies), and sound effects which disappoint.

But like I said, Call of Duty is still very playable. If only there was more of it; the game ends sooner than you’d think. (3/5)

Stealth

2005-07-30T17:15:00.000+08:00

cast: Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx

The good: strangely alluring
The bad: too long
Three Navy pilots are in for a big surprise when they're top-secret unit suddenly gets a new addition to the team. The catch? Well, it's an A.I. (artificial intelligence). Its name? E.D.I. (extreme deep infiltrator - yuck!).

This is pretty much the sum of the whole movie and this sort of tale shouldn't take long to tell. Clocking in at 121 minutes of running time, Stealth feels like 30 minutes overly long. Which is really the film's only major flaw considering the vastly beautiful outcome of what I'd guess is a whole lot of green in the budget aspect of the film. With dizzying special effects and numerous occasions of things going boom, the film moves away from its titular implication -- not a bad thing, though. Speaking of dizzying, the flight sequences in this movie are staggering beyond belief. Fictional high-tech jet planes soar through the open skies, leaving behind a trail of heat waves marvelously created through special effects.

The action parts of this film vastly overpowers its story elements. After E.D.I. goes haywire and does what any good A.I. would do --take control of itself-- the film pretty much wraps up its storytelling stint. This paves the way, of course. for the aforementioned delight coming from the sky-high thrills of mega production values. But with all the craziness perforating the big screen, the actors themselves carry the limited plot and takes it with them in their splendid air sorties. To put it more simple: the actors do a great job.

Which brings me to my final word in this review: great fun! (3/5)

The Island

2005-07-23T17:27:00.000+08:00

cast: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson

The good: probably had more budget than our entire country
The bad: although it's wasted on a terribly boring script
Director Michael Bay is known as the Hollywood version of just about any rock star in history -- cool, no-nonsense, and over-the-top. For this, he's either famous or infamous in the film industry. Famous because he churns out films which defy (or put into shock) normal film budgets (The Rock, Armageddon), delivering mega explosions and thrills no one seems to be able to match up to; infamous for the lack of "soul" of many, if not all of his movies. The Island, his latest blockbuster extravaganza, I'm afraid, falls into the latter category.

Lincoln Six Echo (McGregor) is a clone. He is just one of the many thousands of 'insurance policies' produced by this semi-legal and all-together creepy company run by a certain Merrick (Sean Bean). These clones are raised, kept in a secure facility, and made to believe that one so-called "Island" is the only remaining naturally-habitable bastion on earth, after a contamination apparently ravaged the planet. This keeps them in a satisfactory behavior so that they can properly develop in time for use by their respective sponsors who will use their body parts for various causes. Lincoln, bored of having to be able to do nothing aside from waiting for a lottery which picks clones who'll be transferred to the Island (actually, the lottery winners are those whose time has come to be, for lack of a better term, consumed), escapes from the facility totting Jordan Two Delta (Johansson).

As they try to unravel this conspiracy to the public (Merrick, it seems, is breaking a couple laws on cloning such as allowing the products to develop consciousness -- a key factor in the reliability of their body parts.), Bay furnishes us with enough explosions, debris, and gunfire to last 100 Filipino action flicks. They're all exciting and fun to watch, as is the beautiful scenery and locales features, the marvelous production sets, and the utterly convincing near-future motiff. This film is a treasure for eye-candy lovers. Yet, even with two fantastic actors at the helm, plus a bevy of equally fantastic supporting cast, the film fails to capture the imagination after the initial hoopla.

Part of this problem is the lackluster script. Bay films tend to have scripts which are on the -- how can I say this --weird side. Take The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and the two Bad Boys, and you'll see that there seems to be a preoccupation with bountiful production values as opposed to a tight, engrossing script (I'm not saying Bay films are bad, I loved Armageddon, but the trend cannot be ignored). So whenever there are no pyrotechnics in the big screen, you're better off catching a few winks. You won't miss any plot points, because there aren't any.

When production values triumph over quality storytelling, we get crap like Matrix: Revolutions, but when production values complement quality storytelling, then we get bits of heaven like in the LOTR series. What do you think was the premise behind The Island? (2/5)

New Police Story

2005-07-21T18:04:00.000+08:00

cast: Jackie Chan

The good: Jackie Chan
The bad: Hong Kong films just needs a bit more polishing

Arriving at a time when standard action flicks seems to have reached its demise, New Police Story offers a somewhat refreshing, if a bit pointless, take on the dying genre.

Jackie Chan plays the most prolific senior detective in Hong Kong. However, a new breed of disenchanted, rich young adults starts to wreak havoc upon the city -- robbing banks and engaging in shootouts against the police force. In what seems to be a routine stakeout, Jackie and his team gets ambushed and in the process, he’s the only one who gets out alive.

The movie then proceeds to tell Jackie’s story as he walks around like a drunken fool and later, as he returns hesitantly to the force to take care of some unfinished business with the renegade new group. Of course, all this is told through the usual wacky Jackie Chan action style, combining blazingly-fast action choreography with funny antics. Jackie’s trademark walk is, of course, ever present. Surprisingly, the funny antics in this film have been greatly toned down vis-à-vis his other movies. This move comes in favor of a decent yet underwhelming dramatic gloss featuring a mix of unintentional humor and a bit of sadness in Jackie’s crying scenes. Maybe he’s just not cut out for drama, so he should, for me, stick to what he does best -- kicking butt, making fun of enemies, and walking funny.

Yet, for all his lack of dramatic skills, Jackie remains the top action-humor hero in Asia. There’s something, dare I say, magical (I just attracted a few thousand gay mail) in him and the whole movie benefits from it. The movie, in itself, is good and highly enjoyable. The plot is understandably pointless but the riveting action scenes and sky-high production values (wait till the bus scene) carry the film to exciting heights. (3/5)

*Fun fact: What’s my favorite Jackie Chan? That would be the film Who Am I?

Full Spectrum Warrior

2005-07-19T17:29:00.000+08:00

The good: innovative concept
The bad: extremely limiting gameplay
If it's true that this game was used by the U.S. Army to train its combatants, then it's of no wonder that they're still in Iraq. Seriously though, Full Spectrum Warrior should have been titled Half-Assed Attempt with its icky graphics, slow-as-a-turtle game pace, and almost non-existent military-ness.

Don't be fooled into thinking that this game is another action-romp through yet another non-descript Middle Eastern locale. Well, actually you do venture into a fictional Middle Eastern locale but there's no hands-on action here. Think of this game as a cross between chess and a really slow-paced game of hide and seek. You'll have control of up to three teams at once and you'll guide them around a bleak, pixilated cityscape. The name of the game is moving from cover to cover and looking for those badly-detailed tangos. Supposedly, you use actual military tactics to flush out terrorists from their hiding grounds including suppression fire, covering fire, and an assortment of grenades, but in practice all these feel limiting and there's no variety throughout the whole game.

I'd have liked it if more military tactics, weapons, concepts made it into the game; then I'd have forgiven its annoying trial and error nature and piss-poor presentation. But, as it is, Warrior just barely breaks the mark of 'experiment' and comes out not nearly good enough to warrant some interest. (2/5)

Lego Star Wars

2005-07-18T13:32:00.000+08:00

The good: very little Jar Jar
The bad: one-dimensional gameplay

It must be hard for developers to create movie tie-ins; so many of them, to put it quite frankly, suck. Case in point Lego Star Wars, a weak, uninterested, and under-developed title whose only chance of market success is its bearing of the Star Wars license.

You get to play as your favorite (Qui Gon Jinn, Yoda) and not-so favorite (Jar Jar Binks) Star Wars characters (over 30 in all) in the three arcs of the rise of the empire series – Episode’s 1 to 3. Unfortunately, you’ll only need as much buttons to use as there are quality Star Wars flicks (the old flicks). You jump, swing your lightsaber or shoot your blaster, or use the force or grappling hook for non-Jedi characters, and that’s it. There’s very little in terms of variety and unique gameplay mechanics and even the Lego aesthetic fails to give any semblance of charm.

With crummy graphics, almost non-existent voice acting and inaudible music, a short and all-too repetitive main game, and little replay value, it’s hard to recommend the game to even the most die-hard Star Wars fans. Strictly a kid’s affair. (1/5)

Fantastic 4

2005-07-09T16:17:00.000+08:00

cast: Chris Evans, Jessica Alba

The good: Jessica Alba
The bad: the movie
After the greatness that is the Batman Begins movie, you'd think that there'll be some kind of a comic book-to-movie adaptation renaissance. But lo and behold the latest offering from the vast staple of Marvel superheroes: the Fantastic 4.

Of course, as you'd probably guessed from the intro, this film ain't too pleasing. I'd say that the only good parts seem to come from Chris Evan's character, the Human Torch, whose rebellious and immature sensation provides all sorts of comic relief. Jessica Alba, playing Invisible Girl, is a treat all by herself. The rest of the film is an undecipherable mess which seems to go on and on with nary a plot. You'd be wondering when the movie will start, and you'll discover after the credit's roll that it never actually does. So there's no film here, just some cardboard cut-out characters, fancy visual effects, and a cameo, once again, by Stan Lee (creator of most things Marvel).

Fantastic 4 doesn't try to be a good film, it just sets out and tries to make a little buck during this season of summer blockbusters. Unfortunately, that in itself is the movie's main weakness - its no more, no less than what you'd expect from a typical summer blockbuster; and after Batman Begins, typical just doesn't cut it anymore. (2/5)

*Fun Fact: Chris Evans starred opposite Jason Statham in last year's excellent Cellular, a film where he gets in all sorts of trouble after merely answering a call.

War of the Worlds

2005-07-02T14:47:00.000+08:00

cast: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning

The good: nerve-wracking moments
The bad: stupid, really, beyong recognition
Steven Spielberg apparently wanted to work on this project around the mid-90's, but the release of the alien-invasion flick Independence Day in 1996 forced him to shelve the idea for a while. Sadly, nine years of wait didn't seem to inspire great ideas for the generally excellent director as his latest film looks stupider than the 1996 blockbuster classic.

The film starts off superbly, with a nerve-wracking and tension-building pace. We're introduced to Ray Ferrier (Cruise), a seemingly ordinary crane-operator who seems up to a great challenge taking care of his two kids, Robbie and Rachel (Fanning), for the 4th of July holiday. Inexplicably, major cities around the world are struck with blackouts and it isn't long before the initial wave of alien invaders arrives.

Appropriately enough, the first 45 minutes or so are crammed to the brim with intensity and visual spectacle the likes of which I haven't seen before. Cars fly around, humans get evaporated, buildings are blown up --- it's all twistedly surreal. The next 45 minutes, sadly, runs out of surprises and one begins to get impatient of the movie's direction. Rachel and Robbie gets to our nerves and Ray as the trying-hard father feels flat and one-dimensional, even with a rather good performance by Tom Cruise.

It is in the last 30 minutes, however, that things really starts to get sour...as in really sour (spoiled milk sour). An out of place, demented character named Ogilvy (Tim Robbins) gets in the picture and I don't really know what happens next. To the film's credit, I would award it with the very 'prestigious' Stupidest Ending Ever trophy for its stunning and tear-jerking close. Trust me, I don't even wanna write about it.

War of the Worlds isn't terrible, far from it in fact. A great source material, with possibly the best visual effects production of any movie ever, plus a solid acting ensemble, all make the film very watchable. But when all is said and done and after all the hoopla over dancing skyways and whatnot, the film just isn't complete - and that's no figurative speak. (3/5)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

2005-06-26T14:49:00.000+08:00

cast: some British folk

The good: weird British humor
The bad: pointless
The Brits are famous for having some of the weirdest and at times dryest humor around. And it's of n0 wonder that many of their films characterize that distinct national penchant. H2G2 continues that fine English tradition whilst carrying a surprisingly (and quite awkwardly) heavy baggage of philosophical banter.

Earth is about to be demolished in favor of building a sort-of interstellar highway. We find out later that the order came haphazardly from the new galaxy president - a flamboyant, ego-centric, weirdo who signed the order thinking it was for an autograph. Ford Prefect, an alien stranded in the planet sees a chance to finally get out of the planet when the demolition ships arrive. He brings along Arthur Dent, an 'earthman' who saved his life when he unknowingly tried to shake hands with a rampaging car.

They journey across the galaxy with the aforementioned galactic president along with a female earthling who, as the film progresses, cheesily becomes Arthur's love interest. There's also a depressed robot with a big head. Too bad he's (or it) not used too often or too effectively in the film.

I'm not sure of the origin of the film but what the film is is an all-too brave and slightly offensive spoof of philosophy and contemporary history and society. Everything is fair game and that includes making fun of George Bush (not unusual, though), some random poet, and most controversial of all, God and religion. And for someone like me who's really into that lifestyle, the film leaves a very bitter taste - something the otherwise generally unoffensive humor cannot wash out.

As the team travels the stars and explores different planets, the film forgets its points and its plots and seems to just be content of unraveling a very pointless climax. In a way, the film does accomplish what it set out to do, that is to poke fun at everything it seems to hate. Unfortunate, because a philosophy and controversy-free galactic comedy would have been more effective. (2/5)

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner

2005-06-21T18:21:00.000+08:00

The good: fantastic graphics
The bad: over in a jiffy
Zone is the sequel to the mildly-successful Zone of the Enders and was released about two years ago. You won't notice the original release date though because Zone boasts some of the best graphics in any PS2 game, 2nd generation or not.

Little in the way of gameplay has changed. You still use dash, charge, and short and long-range weapons whilst juggling the use of the various sub-weapons. You still pilot Jehuty (the robot whose cockpit is situated in a very disconcerting position). The only real change seems to be the new graphics style, favoring more of an anime-flavored cel-shaded scheme than the good but bland standard 3-d of the original. And with explosions so good, its hard to believe that the game is over two years old.

Picking up where the original game left off, Zone will satisfy you in its story, gameplay, and presentation elements. However, those wanting a deep and long-lasting game should be wary of the game's 6-7 hour playtime. (3/5)

Ang Lagusan (The Tunnel)

2005-06-18T14:34:00.000+08:00

cast: Cris Villanueva, Gina Pareño, Alfred Vargas
The good: heavy-handed religious theme
The bad: that no one will probably see this film
Winning several awards and distinctions in international film festivals, Ang Lagusan is a locally-produced and directed indie film which just happens to be the best Filipino film I've seen for a long while.

Joel (Cris Villanueva) wakes up in a cargo ship with only a few items in his possession. Curiously, a sheet of paper leads him into an address were a quack doctor (and later an abortionist), named Ason (Gina Pareño) resides. Joel doesn't remember who he is or the shanty town where he is now, but Ason tells him that she is his mother. She also tells him about his supposed father and brother. There's a lot of backstory, and they're all crucial to the understanding of the film.

About half-way through the film, when all the major characters are introduced, the mood changes and Joel becomes more and more desperate about finding out who he really is (he doesn't buy the stories of Ason). Religious references are inserted and the viewer finally gets a clue as to what's happening.

Shot in what seems to be a standard video camera with little lighting effect, the film evokes a strong and real feel which sets the tone for the whole film. The effect is something akin to the film 28 Days Later, but with much subtler lighting work. Sadly, most moviegoers spoiled by fancy cinematography might get turned off by the style here and leave the theatre before the story even gets underway.

Going back to the story, the film reaches a satisfying climax with a tremendous Catholic message. Abortion, sex, drugs, all are depicted and all are beautifully crafted into the storyline. And all these comes with an overall convincing acting performance (Gina Pareño stands out the most but Cris Villanueva is perfect as Joel).

Jose Rizal, Crying Ladies...the list is short for Filipino films which I adored, luckilly Ang Lagusan comes along and delivers a breath of fresh air to our rotting film industry. (5/5)

Perfect Blue

2005-06-18T14:09:00.000+08:00

The good: full on intrigue
The bad: more questions than answers
Mima is one-third of a semi-popular pop idol group called Cham. However, tired of her craft and encouraged by her agency to try her hand at acting, she prematurely leaves the group. Atleast one fan doesn't take this news lightly, and what happens next becomes a rollercoaster ride of suspense, mystery, and murder.

Being at its heart an animated suspense/mystery, Perfect Blue weaves an ambitious and unorthodox story which could have been easily made into live action. In fact, unlike other animated films like Grave of the Fireflies, the story seems more appropriate in non-animated form. Regardless, the animation does bode well in presenting the almost incomprehensible plot right through the very end. Mima struggles against a known stalker who operates a website presenting itself as Mima's own diary. Furthermore, a series of murders involving the different people who comes into contact with her occurs. To add to the confusion, 'real' scenes are interspersed with footage from the crime/drama TV show that she's in - and the drama seems to mimic what's been happening to her. There are more characters, all of whom seem to be involved one way or the other, even Mima herself starts to think she's crazy

The plot, however, is both the movie's greatest strength and greatest weakness. It's superbly interesting and would keep you entranced (or bewildered) for the whole duration, but the illusion and deceit, appearing and disappearing, used by the director as style also means that by the end of the film, you'd either given up on following the tale or even if you were able to follow it, you'd be disappointed with the lack of clear answers.

Some people like cliff-hangers, I prefer a dramatic close. (3/5)

Batman Begins

2005-06-16T18:31:00.000+08:00

cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson

The good: fantastic in its entirety
The bad: Ken Watanabe is underused
More a story of Bruce Wayne than it is of Batman, Batman Begins is a triumphant example of how to revive a franchise, of how to make a comic-book film, and of plainly, how to make a great film.

The movie begins with a young Bruce Wayne playing in the garden and accidentally falling through a well. He's trapped there for a while but soon gets rescued by his dad, but not before Bruce is traumatized by the bats living there. His dad tells him the concept of fear, a theme which is much prevalent throughout the story. Later on while watching a play, Bruce gets frightened by the on-stage acrobatics which he interprets as bats (they were wearing black).

Unfortunately, his dad and his mom gets killed by a mugger just as they were about to walk home (nevermind why they went out the back entrance). Alone and further traumatized, Bruce sets out to Asia where though a series of events, he gets trained in the delicate arts of Ninjutsu by a group calling itself the League of Shadows. Bruce breaks away from the group though due to ideological differences. He returns to Gotham City and becomes Batman.

With a super-script and masterful directing, I can say that Begins is not only the best Batman film, not only the best comic-book film, but more importantly, one of the best movies I've ever seen. Dishing out far more story than most dramas, with incredibly tight dialogue coupled with a superb ensemble of acting performances, the film moves out of being a summer blockbuster and becomes almost an art film.

Christian Bale plays the role of Bruce and Batman remarkably, highlighting a human glow not seen in previous films. He is supported by Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Michal Caine, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe and many others, all of whom portray their characters with a convincingly real human touch and aplomb.

The world is also much more real moving away from the cartoony and exagerratedly dark ambience of the previous films, replacing them with a much more believable world with more believable characters.

Action and lavish production-values also takes a backseat to the more careful and inteliggently orchestrated battles, and more appealing costumes and devices. Everything just got improved.

At its heart, Begins is a fantastic retelling of Batman. Its no longer just an action-flick, Batman became Bruce Wayne once more. (5/5)

Cold Winter

2005-06-16T18:29:00.000+08:00

The good: overall very interesting plot
The bad: floaty character controls; imprecise aiming
A secret society called the 'Wings of the World' plans to save the earth by, uhm, unleashing a barrage of nuclear missilies upon it. Apparently, the group believes that the world cannot take another World War, so in order for men to fear the concept of war and nuclear power, they'll have to get a bitter taste of it.

Insert Andrew Sterling, a disavowed MI6 agent hoping to make a quick buck by becoming a mercenary. You start the game in a Chinese prison, but you soon escape through the help of another female agent. We soon learn that the two go way back and the back story keeps the story fresh and interesting. Pretty soon you'll be travelling the world killing bad guys with the usual assortment of guns and grenades. You can only carry two guns at a time but switching between the two weapons takes too long and will often penalize you in the heat of battle.

A neat idea is the ability to create items and weapons by combining different materials scattered throughout the levels. By combining a wire cutter and a wire, for example, you'll be able to craft a lockpick. There are about a dozen combinations which I think is too few. It would have been better if players were allowed to use their imagination in combining items instead of being limited to pre-set mixes. Idea for the sequel, I suppose.

Battles are fun but has a lot of nasty problems. For one, enemies rarely patrol out in the open, giving you few chances to strategize. Instead, enemies come out in droves in set sections of the levels. Another problem are the explosive weapons like grenades and fire bombs. Grenades have such a limited killing radius that its not worth it to use them at all while the other bombs takes too long to explode that enemies have ample time to get out of the area. And they do, since the AI is quite crafty (nice). The biggest flaw, however, is the character control. Not the button layout itself but how the charecter seems to be skidding in ice all the time. It makes maneuvering quite tricky since the character won't stop immediately when you want him to. Also, the game's aiming is just as tricky and with no sensitivity adjustment.

The game still isn't bad even with all these problems. The story is really engaging despite its anti-climactic ending. But, the game itself is just frightfully average. (3/5)

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

2005-06-16T18:27:00.000+08:00

The good: its fun to sneak around
The bad: much too short and easy
The Splinter Cell series has always played second-fiddle to the Metal Gear Solid series. Blame it on the franchise's refusal to grow up, its incomprehensible narratives, and its trial-and-error playstyle. Chaos tries to correct this mistakes but ends up just making more of the same.

For one thing though the plot actually makes sense now. No more fancy twists and turns with hard-to-remember names, this time Sam Fisher gets involved in a massive conspiracy involving the U.S., China, the two Koreas, and Japan. The story is engaging and told through much-improved (but still unremarkable) FMVs. The in-game dialogue serves as a much better medium for advancing the story with occasionally humurous banter and good voice acting.

Gameplay-wise, Chaos is basically the same as its predecessors with just a few tiny improvements to speak of. You can now choose to either kill or incapacitate foes when you've gotten hold of them, and new moves like dangling from a pipe and breaking an enemy's neck have been added. But, like previous games in the series, you'll rarely find use for these moves since sneaking up on enemies or even just plain running to them and delivering a punch to their faces is so much easier to do. Speaking of easy, this game is surprisinglly just that, breaking the challenging mold set by its previous installments.

Chaos is still a very playable game especially if you're a fan of stealth-action games in general. However, the too-short and too-easy quest and the game's stubborn refusal to undergo surgery might leave a bitter aftertaste. (4/5)

Rise of the Kasai

2005-06-16T18:24:00.000+08:00

The good: story's nice
The bad: combat is a mess
Sequel to a little-known PS2 game from a while back, Rise of the Kasai is an action-adventure title with a unique combat system. The main feature of the game is a right analog stick targeting system. By targeting enemies, in which more than one at a time is possible, you highlight them with corresponding face buttons like x, circle, or square. Theoretically, this system should make combat fun and strategic, but it just makes battles boring and messy. So what prides itself as a methodical battle system turns out to be just a button-mashing affair. With this, you'll rarely want to get into fights since enemies are numerous and usually takes long to kill. There are several weapons and combos for all four playable characters but the combos are hard to perform consistently and the weapons fail to make any sort of fulfilling impact when they contact enemies.

The stealth sections of the game are more fun, even if they're basically just waiting for enemies to look the other way. One big downfall in these sections is the lack of a manual camera control. You can't pan or rotate the camera so there's no way of knowing what's around corners and blind spots. Instead, you have to rely on "look-out" posts using you're spirit guide to peek around the environs. The concept is nice but you'll get tired of it quickly.

However, the story is quite good and told remarkably well through a series of hand-drawn, artistic cinemas which complement well the good voice acting. Its too bad that you'll have to play the game to witness the story. (2/5)

Pooh's Heffalump Movie

2005-06-12T14:03:00.000+08:00

The good: well...the heffalump is cute
The bad: this is really just for kids
Okay, I know, I shouldn't really be watching these kinds of films, but I had no other choice since the only other films were Say that you Love me, Premonition and Shutter. I didn't like another Pinoy love film, and I didn't want to see anything that would prevent me a good night's sleep (I'm lacking in sleep as it is now).

Anyway, its obvious who the target audience is for this film, only that I don't think the producers are aware of the liking of the next generation. They don't really make films like this anymore. Kids don't like singing and prancing around anymore, they want fancy computer-generated graphics and wise-cracking characters.

But for mothers who'd like to impart a few good lessons to their kids whilst keeping them from cyring, Heffalump is the perfect remedy. Telling the story of Roo (the little kangaroo), whose desire to grow into an adult immediately lands him outside the safe confines of the 100 Acre Wood, Heffalump is a worry-free, and violence-free film suitable for anyone under the age of 6. (2/5)

Xenosaga: Episode 2

2005-06-12T13:41:00.000+08:00

The good: collosal storyline
The bad: ridiculous amounts of cinemas
The first Xenosaga was a uber-ambitious RPG epic set in a alternate universe future where humankind is besieged by an alien-jelly hybrid race called the Gnosis. It was to be the first episode in a planned series of 6 or 7 episodes which also include the PS1 RPG hit Xenogears. Xeno 2 succeeds in continuing the truly collosal tale of the franchise but fails in almost every other aspect.

The first thing you'll notice are the brand new character designs. Gone are the anime-inspired characters with disproportionate body shapes replaced with a slightly more realistic yet still anime-inspired Shion, KOS-MOS and the whole gang. This is a great move by the developers since they fit more in the huge undertaking that is the story of this game.

However, all the other 'improvements' or changes are not as great a move as the graphics change. First off, battles are fun and strategic requiring players to chain combos and moves while switching between the 7 available characters to exploit enemy weaknesses. But regular battles takes too long to finish because enemies have huge HP counts not to mention that your attacks are like hits from a baby. Also, you rarely encounter enemies since the dungeon maps weren't designed to fit in a lot of on-screen enemies. Xeno 3 should drop on-screen enemies in favor of a more traditional and effective system of random battles.

The character development is also whack featuring useless skills and abilities. You really only need the healing skills for everybody since magic is pathetically weak against enemies even when its supposed to be their weakness. The robot battles are also much toned down in terms of actual game time and system-wise. You no longer equip weapons and you no longer get to switch between mechs and characters, instead there are certain points in the game where you have to fight on mechs and on foot. Very sad.

Xeno 3 is one short RPG taking regular players probably only 20-25 hours of playtime. The story is still the main attraction, as is the overly long but fun cinemas, but anyone not interested in the story shouldn't really bother. (3/5)

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

2005-06-10T16:19:00.000+08:00

cast: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie

The good: doesn't let up
The bad: that is until the late middle parts
Brad and Angelina rumors aside, their movie should get just the same amount of attention with its highly-engaging humor, high dose of coolness, and overall feeling of polish.

Brad plays John Smith, a construction engineer to his wife, but a highly-skilled and lethal assassin in reality. Angelina plays Jane Smith, a computer businesswoman to her husband, but in reality, she's just as skilled and lethal a assassin as the partner.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well-made this film turned out to be. I was half-expecting a disaster seeing that the film just seemed to be an excuse to capitalize on the Brad-Angelina ticket. The film quickly holds on to you and doesn't really let go until the very end. It just loosens its grip on you towards the late middle parts when the film uses up all its tricks and becomes just a mindless action-fest. Its a good thing that the gun fights are explosive even though they don't really make sense.

Good fun for the whole 'barkada'. (4/5)

A Lot Like Love

2005-06-10T16:04:00.000+08:00

cast: Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet

The good: that one scene near the end during the wedding
The bad: everything wrong about American culture
Two strangers have sex on a plane lavatory and from there, well, you shouldn't really bother.

Such is the story between Oliver (Ashton), and Emily (Amanda). Both are disgruntled individuals who have such bad luck, it seems, with love. Of course, in American terms love means sex. Sad to say.

From a moral standpoint, the film shows everything that is wrong with popular American (or even western) culture - pre-marital or casual sex, divorce etc. - and from a quality standpoint, well, it won't even pass the supposedly ridiculously easy Philippine NEAT exams. Shame.

I have so much beef with this film that its hard to even write about them. Ashton Kutcher films tend to be on the bad side, but this once goes way overboard. (1/5)

Are We There Yet?

2005-06-06T15:18:00.000+08:00

The good: consistently funny
The bad: somewhat drab and lacking
Ice Cube graces the big screen once again and proves that he can actually be NOT irritating if he tried. He plays Nick, a semi-rich bachelor who sets his eyes on a beautiful divorcee with two kids. The problem is, the kids don't want anyone near their mom and they're gonna keep it that way no matter what.

Mostly a kid-friendly, on the road affair, the film is quite funny in a physical comedy way with things getting destroyed (Cube's brand-new Navigator gets the receiving end of children abuse) and people getting hurt, and by people I mean Ice Cube. Nick tries to get the two kids into Vancouver where their mom is in a company party so that he can have some points on the good side of the mother. The kids tries everything at every turn to make life miserable for Nick which includes a metal detector screw-up at the airport and a runaway at the train. The two sides eventually kiss up and the message is really simple and perfect for kids.

The problem lies in the fact that most people will watch this film hoping for semi-adult humor because of Ice Cube, and what they'll get instead is a family comedy. (2/5)

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga

2005-06-06T14:54:00.000+08:00

The good: strategic combat
The bad: where's the rest of the story?
If you're familiar with the Matrix films, then Devil Saga's convoluted but very interesting plot will be right up your alley. If your an RPG fan hankering for more random combat, then this game was made just for you.

The game is set in the Junkyard, a seemingly very small world with only 5 towns and 1 soaring tower in the middle. The 5 towns are controlled by 5 different tribes, all of which are at war with each other. You see, in this world the tribes have to conquer the opposing tribes in order to ascend to 'Nirvana' - heaven if you will. But one day, a young woman with black hair and black eyes (everyone else have different colored hair and eyes) appears in a capsule and turns everyone into demons. Sera, the girl, doesn't remember anything only that she will save everyone. All this is so reminiscent of the Matrix saga that somebody is probably making legal accusations right now. Trust me, the more you progress in the story, the more scaringly similar it becomes to that film.

But story inspirations aside, Devil Saga is a very competitive RPG which is actually a nice break from recent big-name RPG dissapointments (Suiko 4, Xeno 2). The game is mostly a dungeon-hack, albeit on really well-designed dungeons with clever puzzles and interesting enemies. What I like the most is the character development system which gives you complete freedom on how to develop your 5 characters. Its too bad that you don't get to assign stat points yourselves after every level up (you only get to assign points to the main character). Its a strange decision which limits strategizing.

There's lots of unique elements to the game chief of which is the ability to devour enemies when their in a weak state which gives you bonus Atma - basically skill points needed to learn new spells and tricks. Combat also employs a weakness system where you get to act more if you hit the enemy with his weak attribute (hitting an ice monster with a fire spell). Enemies can also employ this tactic so be careful. All this really makes battles more than just hitting the x button requiring you to srategize what skills to equip and in what pattern to use skills and spells.

Devil Saga has become a favorite of mine, now I want the rest of the story. The sequel can't come soon enough. (4/5)

Constantine

2005-06-06T14:32:00.000+08:00

The good: interesting demon vs. angel world
The bad: shoot...shoot...shoot...yawn
Loosely based on the movie of the same name, Constantine shares most of the central characters, scenes and events from the flick, with alterations of varying levels. The result is a typically average movie tie-in, which while better than most, is certainly nothing more than a underdeveloped cash-in.

Production values are actually quite nice considering the lack of hype or interest for the title. You'll be treated to nicely rendered FMVs which progress the story while featuring a Keanu Reeves sound-alike, which if you can believe it, acts worse than the original. Most of the scenes and events on the game would be familiar to those who watches the admittedly highly-enjoyable film, but most of the scenes are altered to give more life to the story. Its too bad that the developers chose to limit themselves when it came to exploring the world of Constantine, which is really the film and the game's main draw. The completely different ending sparks hopes for a sequel, though.

At its core, the title is a pretty standard shooter with holy guns, holy shotguns and other holy weapons with some easy puzzles thrown in for good measure. Its nothing terrible but its been done countless times before. The game's only innovation is a world-travelling spell were you can go to hell and back (just like in the flick) to solve puzzles and advance through the game. The graphics in the hell levels are nightmarish though giving me bad doses of headache with its purely red color pallete.

If you're a fan of the movie and would want to delve more into the world of Constantine, then better invest in the comic books, the game just doesn't offer anything than would keep your interest for too long. (2/5)

Coach Carter

2005-06-03T16:14:00.000+08:00

cast: Samuel L. Jackson

The good: poignant messages
The bad: a touch too long
Based on the real-life story of a coach who locked down the gym when his basketball players failed to maintain an agreed upon GPA of 2.3, Coach Carter takes a touching and profound philosophy of life, success, and education and delivers it in a manner easily understood by the people it was clearly meant for - distressed students.

Samuel L. Jackson proves once again that he was born to play as any macho gusto character that they can come up with, bringing to the film a distinctive acting flair that few actors can possibly hope. His character is indeed the life and blood of the film, taking a loser of a team and turning the team and its players into not only champions but real men. And the good thing is, melodrama is thankfully kept in check.

Its somewhat surprising that this film is an MTV Films production, considering the usual audience of that network. It might even seem that this film is a hypocritical offering by a company more known for its liberal thinking and teenager-appealing content (sex, drugs, booze) than of traditional values and lifestyle. But if this is a change of heart for the network, then I'm all for it.

Coach Carter is a triumph for what it is - a film designed to elevate a striking and sadly diminishing message to a plane where audiences can appreciate it. Its nothing remotely awards-quality, but the message (at least most of it) is what counts in this film. Basketball movie? Nah. More like a religious convention, and that's a good thing. (4/5)

Sin City

2005-06-01T15:04:00.000+08:00

cast: see below

The good: engaging story arcs
The bad: no central plot
Those of you who have played Max Payne knows its gritty film-noir storyline and dry dialogue. Sin City, a collective directoral effort by Frank Miller (creator of the comic book), Robert Rodriguez (Once Upon a Time in Mexico), and Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill), takes the classic film-noir style popularized by that game for this young generation and sprinkles it with an unmistakably comic book facade.

Starring a powerhouse cast of some of the most recognizable names in Hollywood including Bruce Willils, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Jessica Alba, Benicio Del Toro, Jaime King, Michael Clarke Duncan and many more, Sin City delivers a tale of 3 interlocking storylines, which although never really converges into a big picture, feels cohesive in its own strange way. This is probably because the directoral effort is flawless scene by scene - constantly entertaining with a blend of action, dialogue, and interesting (if a bit underdeveloped) characters.

Set in Basin City, a crime city of sorts, where cops, mobs, and gangs of...uhm...women of the night co-exist in an unsteady truce, the film is coated with a visual style reminiscent of the last year's crappy Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow but with less background detail in favor of a seedy, drab, and dark setting (which works wonders on the film's intended feel). Much of the film, as such, is either in black and white or in other black palette, using colors only sparingly to highlight material (like blood).

The story is still the main attraction even with the moody gloss and noteworthy ensemble of stars. My only complaint is that there's no real conclusion nor any sense of direction, the story just happens and that's that. And while I'm not a big fan of scantily-clad ladies and amorality, mature enough people shouldn't be detered from having a good time in the theatre watching this film. (4/5)

*Fun fact: if you're wondering who the big, muscular character is, then its Mickey Rourke whom you may have last seen in Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

House of Wax

2005-05-30T14:51:00.000+08:00

cast: Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray

The good: huh?
The bad: oh the stupidity
Six people decides to camp out in the woods but when a car problem forces them to venture into a seemingly prosperous small town, well, everything goes wrong.

The town isn't what it looks like and before Carly (E. Cuthbert) discovers that the town is a ghost town with people turned into wax figures, its too late and in typical Hollywood horror fashion, her friends die one by one.

Since this is a American horror film, stupidity and the usual "da-da-da-YAAH!" scenes abound. There's nothing here that you haven't seen before so if you're still interested, then be not. The film just feels like a lame excuse to show Paris Hilton in her undies and though she's rarely glimpsed at in the film (thank heavens), the movie feels made for her - which is bad.

If there's any redeeming factor (but only a tad bit), its that Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray are both fine actors and the last 10 minutes where they desperately struggle to survive a beautifully visualized melting house of wax are quite enjoyable even though Chad Michael Murray's sudden transformation into action-hero character seems out of place. But that doesn't change the fact that this movie is a pathetic excuse for a film (1/5)

Area 51

2005-05-30T14:31:00.000+08:00

The good: initially interesting story
The bad: lack of variety all-around
I've always been fond of matters concerning the extra-terrestrial. I remember eagerly awaiting episodes of UFO Diaries (remember?) when I was a kid in HBO. So the news of a FPS with alien touches greatly intrigued me but now that I've played it, I'm not intrigued anymore.

Set in the notoriously mysterious Area 51 base, where all kinds of alien research supposedly takes place, the game dishes out a fairly interesting story arc beginning when an infection gets out of hand and turns everyone into alien/monster hybrids. You're sent in to investigate as part of a HazMat (Hazardous Materials) team and you quickly discover that not everything is what it seems in the base.

At first, the game seems to be a squad based affair but alas it is not. Your teammates soon die one by one leaving you alone to wander around the base. And since there is an extremely limited set of enemies and characters to see, you'll soon get lonely (or bored). Adding to the variety problem is an even more limited assortment of weapons to fiddle around with. You'll only have access to a pistol, assault rifle, shotgun, sniper rifle, and two alien guns with only two kinds of grenades.

One thing I did like is looking for and scanning hidden items which are scattered across the levels which gives you access to files and secrets in a databank. Too bad though because the rewards aren't really very interesting so there's no incentive to look for them all (although its easy to finds all 90).

Graphics are quite nice although sometimes the game appears too bright which lessens the creep-factor. Voice acting (David Duchovny and Marilyn Manson) is really quite pathetic with both actors feeling sleepy and bored. The game isn't horrible by any stretch but with better games out there, why bother? (3/5)

Madagascar

2005-05-27T13:25:00.000+08:00

cast: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock

The good: genuinely funny
The bad: voice acting is so-so
I'm not a big fan of 3-d animated films but I enjoy them once in a while. Madagascar falls in my list of enjoyable animated films with its zany humor, gorgeous visuals, and adorable characters.

Ben Stiller voices Alex, a lion so engrossed in his fame as the premier attraction of a New York zoo that he disregards the idea of returning to the wild. Meanwhile, loud-mouthed zebra Marty, voice by comedian Chris Rock, desperately wants to experience life in the wild and would do anything (even braving the streets of New York) to get there. Two other characters, a hippo and a giraffe, round up the main cast.

Voice acting is decent at best although it thus reach some high points. The voice behind the lead penguin, the squirrel king, and the British-voiced monkey are all top-notch but dragged down by less-than-stellar voice acting by the two leads, Stiller and Rock.

Music is engaging but forgettable with some nice accompanying songs to forward the on-screen action. And as I said, the visuals are as usual fantastic with nicely rendered and animated animals frolicking around in the screen. Script is tight with funny dialogue but lacks the luster and character of other animated flicks.

Madagascar is a highly-enjoyable, if all-too typical, animation which isn't as good as Finding Nemo, but just as good as The Incredibles, and definitely much better than Shark Tale. (3/5)

*Fun Fact: David Schwimmer (Friends) is the voice behind the giraffe character.

Unleashed

2005-05-25T15:38:00.000+08:00

cast: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman

The good: surprisingly strong drama elements
The bad: surprisingly weak action elements
Jet Li plays a trained (or groomed) martial arts experts who wears a collar which when released, 'unleashes' the beast within him. He is manipulated by a local gang boss who uses him and treats him like a dog.

Powerful in its dramatic elements and lacking in its action sequences, Unleashed is more of a drama as it is a kung-fu film. For instance, much of the story revolves around the transformation of Jet Li's character from ice-cold fighter to a kindly innocent young man after he is treated and taken care of by a blind piano player (Freeman) and his adopted daughter.

The acting is the strongest highlight of the film with Jet Li and Morgan Freeman wonderfully acting side by side with the former in his innocent and curious demeanor and the latter as a all-too kind and caring father figure. The acting gives serious life to the lengthy story elements. In fact I found myself enjoying the dialogue bits more than I did the fight scenes.

Speaking of the fight scenes, they are scattered moderately throughout the film but they never take center-stage. They provide the trademark Jet Li acrobatics and skills but you've seen far better than this.

The movie is coated with a distinctly gray lighting effect which adds to the overall feel of the film.

Surprisingly above-average and dramatic, Unleashed is one of the finer Jet Li films out there and is a good watch for any bored movie-goer. (4/5)

*Fun Fact: Bob Hoskins (the gang boss) last appeared in the craptacular Son of the Mask as Odin.

La Visa Loca

2005-05-25T15:09:00.000+08:00

cast: Robin Padilla, Johnny Delgado, Rufa Mae Quinto

The good: competent all-around
The bad: not really all that good
La Visa Loca tells the story of Jess Huson (R. Padilla), a local taxi driver whose ambitions to go to the U.S. has been repeatedly frustrated by the U.S. Embassy's refusal to grant him a visa. By chance, he recognizes an American tv host/producer who happens to ride in his taxi. The producer just happens to have a brother-in-law who owns a nursing home in Florida and promises to recommend Jess to him if Jess finds a candidate who is willing to get nailed in the cross.

First off, the movie is indeed good and is a nice break from all the lovey-happy, teenage flicks that we're accustomed to. However, I'm not gonna rain too much praise on this movie because it doesn't deserve it. Don't believe the local critics, this film ain't no Crying Ladies.

What it is though is an all-around competent production, with generally decent acting, unfortunately stymied by a lousy script and non-descript cinematography.

The film has its great moments - moments which will make you laugh seriously hard - but these moments are few and far between and the dramatic elements fail to give additional impact for the moviegoers. The underlying relationships between Jess, his father (played brilliantly by J. Delgado), and his former girlfriend (Rufa Mae Quinto in another "I'm stupid" performance) lack the emotional strength which other comedy/drama hybrids have.

This is a not-so special but otherwise decent offering by our own producers and is something that Filipinos should not be ashamed of paying good money for. Now, if only I could say the same about other Filipino films... (3/5)

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

2005-05-21T18:24:00.000+08:00

cast: Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson

The good: bridges the gap between the two trilogys
The bad: still disappoints
George Lucas makes sure that Ep. 1 and Ep. 2 aren't repeated in Ep. 3 delivering a grandiose close to a well-beloved saga.

As you may know, Ep. 3 tells the story of how Jedi Anakin Skywalker embraces the Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader. There's also a war going on but that's not the focal point of the story.

The previous two Wars were largely criticized for lack of action and too much sleepy dialogue. The third episode features more lightsaber action just as the fans hoped. However, it doesn't feel like there is still enough action primarily for two reasons. First, there's still too much sleepy conversation scenes with at best decent acting with Anakin's inner struggle much too played out. Second, many of the battle scenes are slow, boring, and anti-climactic. Take for instance the initial space battle, there's a large fleet of warships on both sides battling each other but focus is unfortunately given to the Jedi spacecraft of Obi-Wan and Anakin. Also, during a battle between a Jedi Master and a Sith Lord in the middle part, it feels like an underwater lightsaber duel with slow moves and poorly choreographed action. I have gripes with the other fight scenes as well but these two are the biggest offenders.

Music also disappointed me because the music is still only suited for the actiion scenes leaving what should have been majestic dramatic moments feeling flat with no emotional backup to stir things up a bit.

Not all is wrong with the Force though as George Lucas still delivers a damn fine piece of work which is enjoyable to the bitter end.

You'll still be mesmerized with the special effects, be dazzled with the inherent coolness of the Jedi and the Force, and be intrigued with the magnificent universe of Star Wars, you'll walk away from the theatre feeling both satisfied and disappointed but the film still delivers as a triumphant close to an epic saga. (4/5)

*Fun Fact: Who is the only actor to appear in all 6 of the films? Why, its Anthony Daniels, or more appropriately, his voice as C-3PO of course.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening

2005-05-21T17:58:00.000+08:00

The good: stylish action
The bad: ridiculously difficult
Half-human, half-demon Dante returns once again to kick demon butt and this time its his butt which gets kicked more.

Right off the bat I'm gonna tell you that this game is excruciatingly initially difficult. I'm talking about several retries in even the first few levels so casual gamers stay away. I guess the developers listened to everyone's comments about the 2nd Devil (which was too easy) and upped the difficulty ante by several levels.

Stay with the game though and the rest of the game wouldn't feel as hard. In fact, if you go back to the levels and bosses that you've fought before, you'd wonder what made you nearly throw the controller in the first place. The action is appropriately frantic and stylish with crazy moves and combos. New to the game is a 'style' system where you get to choose from several styles which augment Dante's assortment of abilities. For example, choosing the gunslinger skill will allow Dante more moves for his gun repertoire while the trickster option (the best choice btw) will let Dante dash etc. However, most of the styles are pretty much useless as with most of the abilities which they provide. You'll only really use the trickster style and that's too bad.

Enemy types are lacking with only a few similar-looking monsters. The levels are also very disappointing, looking a lot like the levels in the first DMC with few variety. It doesn't help that the game forces you to do a significant amount of backtracking which is always a downer.

The moment to moment action is still fun although you'll find yourself running away from the enemies more than fighting them because even the regular enemies takes too long to kill and deals out too much damage. Good thing that the story is quite interesting and the cinematics are some of the coolest ever (I sure hope that a DMC movie is in the works) or I'd have given up in frustration.

For the next DMC, I'd like a more manageable difficulty level, more gun and sword variety, more enemy types, better level design and real puzzles (the puzzles here are a joke), as well as the chance to play as tomboy-hottie Mary. (4/5)

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

2005-05-21T16:31:00.000+08:00

The good: superb production values
The bad: more detailed explosions would've been nice
Being a veteran of three of the past 4 Ace releases ( I missed the 4th installment), I was quite expecting another quality air-time in this latest release. To my surprise, Ace 5 isn't just the quality flight combat game that I was expecting, it turns out to be one of the most enjoyable videogame experience of my life.

Ace 5 tells the story of two countries in the brink of a major war. You play as Blaze, young captain of Sand Island Squadron which just happens to be the first line of defense in the coming war. The story is told through numeruous and quite lenghty FMVs which are nothing short of beautiful as well as in the constant radio chatter during missions. And trust me, the story and the underlying characters, relationships and events is as chilling as any movie you'll see.

Missions are abundant and are varied enough that you won't feel as though you've played a mission before. You get to choose a wide assortment of real-life planes which are detailed to a almost picture-perfect detail. If only I could say the same about the terrain and explosions detail then this game would've been unbelievable. (5/5)

In Good Company

2005-05-14T15:18:00.000+08:00

cast: Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson

The good: good story
The bad: identity problem
Dennis Quaid plays an over-protective father who just got demoted when a business tycoon reorganized his newly-acquired business. Meanwhile, Topher Grace is a young, business hotshot who suddenly becomes the boss of Dennis, who's job he now has. This presents an interesting story which while not be groundbreaking, is enjoyable to the end.

But let's deal with the problem first. The film isn't really too serious to be called a drama, nor not too funny to be classified as comedy, and its romantic elements are thankfully subdued which makes this not romance. So it's a dra/com/rom which isn't unusual because a lot of movies are a mixture of genres. The problem in this film is that it never feels that all the elements mixed well and it comes to the expense of the film being unclear.

Now the film is still very enjoyable although if I have to say, this has stronger drama elements so don't expect to laugh your socks off. Acting is admirable with Dennis Quaid very convincing as the businessman-father while newcomer Topher Grace is charming as the goofy but surprisingly competent young boss while Scarlett Johansson is a treat just by herself. The film does tackle serious issues like bottomline thinking and layoffs in corporate America culture but it never feels grim, just serious. I'm afraid though that this is one of those films were moral issues like divorces, and pre-marital sex are sidelined in favor of just going about with the story.

Not really a special film by any stretch but a good watch on a slow afternoon. (3/5)

Mercenaries

2005-05-14T14:57:00.000+08:00

The good: action-packed missions
The bad: needs more gameplay mechanics
You're a mercenary on the employ of a private military organization who sends you to war-torn North Korea to capture its dictator leader. This backstory, while interesting at first, takes a backseat to all the gunfire, explosions, and just sheer mayhem which you'll inflict - through a wide assortment of guns, vehicles, and heavy firepower - on the North Korean mainland.

Comparisons to the Grand Theft Auto games are inevitable. You'll wander around two expansive maps choosing missions in any order you like, collecting and destroying this game's equivalent of GTA 'packages', and completing missions in a pretty much non-linear fashion. But this isn't really a GTA-type game. This game is far more action than plot-oriented unlike that game and the available options for your character is more varied and expansive here.

You have at your disposal the standard collection of firearms and support items like rifles, grenades etc. but the interesting gameplay mechanic here is that you have access to radio support which may be in the form of supply drops (medical supplies, ammo, even vehicles) and more importantly, heavy firepower assistance. Yup, for a price you'll be able to order artillery barrages, cruise missiles, bunker buster bombs and all sorts of other stuff which makes things go boom! And since every building is destructible here, there's lots of opportunities to witness fancy explosions.

Since you're a mercenary, you'll be able to choose which of the 4 warring factions you'll help. But be it the Allies, the South Koreans, the Chinese or the Russian Mafia (the NoKors are the only real enemy), you're ultimate goal is to kill or capture the so-called deck of 52 which are the military and scientific leaders of NoKor. You'll earn money for every kill, capture or successful contract which you'll spend in radio support.

I just wish that there were more to the game. There's a lot of potential here like having to buy more permanent upgrades to your arsenal, squad-controls, more tangible effects of the disparity between the factions and on a more technical side, better draw-in distance especially when in the copterts. But as it stands, Mercenaries is still one of the best action games I've ever played. (5/5)

The Amityville Horror

2005-05-11T15:57:00.000+08:00

cast: Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George

The good: appropriately tension-filled
The bad: just isn't very engaging
A remake of a from-whatever-age film about the supposedly true events of a family terrorized by demonic forces in a suitably creepy house, this film bucks the trend of contemporary horror and presents a bubblegum level of enjoyment... if a bit too shallow.

The highlight of the film is in the acting performances of the two leads. Melissa George gives a convincing portrayal as the mother of the family who has become disturbed by all the strange occurrences in their newly occupied house. However, giving the best performance of his not too broad career is Ryan Reynolds as the step father. His character seems to relive the past tragedy which befell the former occupants of the house and he both looks the part and plays the part (even if its weird that his character has full abs), brandishing a dastardly wicked set of eyes which adds all the more tension to an already high-stress film.

If all you're looking for in a horror movie is a few hours of tension well then this movie is just right up your alley giving a good dose of the usual pop-out-of-nowhere horror filled with increasingly disturbing demonic apparitions. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of engaging storytelling as there really isn't anything to the story rather than the initial premise. The little mythos towards the end helps little in producing a sense of character for both the important events leading up to the story and the film which chronicles it itself.

So what comes of as a visually engaging horror flick just becomes a forgettable two hours of...I forgot. (2/5)

*Fun Fact: Ryan Reynolds is Canadian and Melissa George is an Aussie.

Suikoden 4

2005-05-09T14:34:00.000+08:00

The good: well it bears the Suikoden name
The bad: boring battles; much too short quest
The Suikoden series is one of my favorite RPG series of all time so its no secret that I was eagerly anticipating this latest installment. I quickly ignored the Dreamcast-quality graphics in hopes of an epic, and long quest (as the Suikoden series is known for) as well as looking for the 108 characters as usual.

But the battles quickly halted my excitement as you only get to use 4 characters at a time instead of the usual 6 which limits use of the many characters you'll assemble not to mention the chance of finding character combos which is a gameplay mainstay of the series. The world map is the biggest offender though requiring you to haul your slow as molasses ship across huge expanses of water battling random encounters every 5 seconds. Its good that battles with the unimaginative enemies are quick and easy. Naval battles which serves as the army battle of the game also disappoints with its overly simple mechanics and too-easy bouts.

However, all this could have been forgiven if the quest was longer. This is the shortest Suiko ever taking only only about 25 hours if you don't take time to complete all 108 characters. This wastes the majority of your playable characters as you get to recruit the majority of them in the last stretch of the game when you won't have the chance to use them anymore.

This is one of the most disappointing games, RPG or not, that I've ever played and it saddens me that one of my favorite series is tarnished in this way. The sequel better be explosive. (3/5)

BloodRayne 2

2005-05-09T14:12:00.000+08:00

The good: interesting story
The bad: less focus on gunplay
The first Rayne pitched the titular character against hordes of Nazi henchmen and vampiric enemies in an effort to stop vampires from reigning dominion over men. You spent equal combat time using your blades and various World War era guns to lay waste to your enemies. The sequel continues the interesting storyline (this time she's hunting for her vampire siblings) but ditches (in a way) the gunplay.

Instead of the assortment of guns that you picked up everywhere in the first game, you'll only have access to one gun - dragon pistols - which will be upgraded with various mystical attachments as you progress through the game. The dual pistols effectively serve as normal pistols, machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers depending on which ammo type you choose. The problem is that ammo is counted as a blood reserve which can be replenished by feeding on enemies. When you run out of reserves, the gun drains from your health to fire.

Since much of the first half is littered with only pathetically weak enemies, most of which can be killed just by feeding on them and executing one of several feeding fatalities, there's very little use for your pistols. In fact, standard swordplay is also rare because harpooning enemies into environmental hazards is far quicker and more fun. Speaking of harpooning, the game relies too much on harpoon puzzles where you have to harpoon several enemies on an obstacle to progress like when the still spinning rotor blades of a downed chopper is blocking your path. And while its fun for the first few times, it just becomes plain annoying when you have to do it in almost every level.

Level design doesn't help matters any - their generic (how many sewer levels do we need?), devoid of innovation and repetitive. For example, in one level I've lost count of just how many lifts I took in order to get to the top. Graphics are also a downer because they're only technically decent and aesthetically quite ugly.

But that's not to say that the game is horrible; far from it in fact. Boss battles are great requiring use of your vampire abilities (which you'll rarely use in standard levels), and the second half of the game dishes harder and more interesting enemies like ninja vampires. Its too bad that just as you're starting to get immersed in the story and gameplay, the game ends abrubtly at only around 7 hours. (3/5)

Shadow of Rome

2005-05-08T15:36:00.000+08:00

The good: gruesome combat
The bad: lame stealth sequences
Capcom has always been known for its gory games. In fact, they seem to have the trademark for the "contains explicit violence and gore" warning before every game title screen. Shadow of Rome, an action title set in gladiatorial era Rome is no exception.

The game is divided between two characters, and you'll get to play them in alternating sequences of the storyline. Agrippa, who is the burly Roman General turned gladiator (hmm where did I see that?), handles the action sequences while friend Octavianus sneaks in and out of Roman locales.

The stealth sequences do a good job of advancing the storyline as well as giving players a break from the more stressful and blister-inducing fight sequences of Agrippa. However, Metal Gear Solid this game ain't and the stealth here is passable at best. Compared to the gladiatorial contests, Octavianus' part seems underdeveloped and limited.

But the fast. exciting, and ferocious combat that you'll undertake in the action part of the game is one of most purely visceral you'll ever experience. Heads are cut off; limbs fly like houses being demolished by a tornado; and blood is spilled whenever a sword is swung. And with a wide variety of ancient weapons (the halberd being especially gruesome), and different takes on the gladiatorial rounds (hostage rescue, animal fights, team battles), the main game never really gets old. Boss battles are especially fun, each requiring serious skill and strategy to be beaten - weekend warriors need not enlist or you'll be crying at the hardships you'll have to endure in this game.

This game is quite long too taking me over 18 hours to finish. For the sequel, let's hope Capcom give more life to the boring stealth sequences while taking the action part to the next level. (4/5)

Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime)

2005-05-07T15:18:00.000+08:00

The good: wondrous story
The bad: the ending is...lacking
Mankind's appetite for consumption has taken its toll on the nature and as a result, a war between the forces of man and the forces of nature is ensuing. Meanwhile, a young man named Ashitaka kills a boar-god in defense of his village. He becomes infected with the evil which enveloped the god and he sets out to try to find a cure.

At over two and a half hours, Mononoke tells a dazzling tale about the conflict of men and nature. And as such, the animated gloss gives way for a serious adventure which has significant parallelism with our times. How can mankind co-exist with nature? What responsibilities do we have? These are just some of the questions which will pop up in your mind as you witness the unfolding of the tale.

It helps greatly that the animation is as usual wonderful with extremely creative touches not present in most other animation. Hollywood has a long way to go before it reaches the level of animated story-telling which Japan has in droves.

If you stay away from the lackluster English dub (Claire Danes is merely decent, and Billy Bob Thornton is horrid) you'll find a film, which may not be as great as Grave of the Fireflies and Spirited Away is still right up there with the best films, animated or not, of all time. (5/5)

*Fun Fact: The film is top 132 in IMDB's list of the top 250 movies of all time.

Need More Books

2005-05-07T15:08:00.000+08:00

I love books. I really do. There's nothing like the exciting feeling you get as you flip through the pages eagerly awaiting and anticipating what's gonna happen next. Its too bad that books are so expensive and I'm left to scrounge up for second-hand books which are about 1/3 of the sticker price. The only original title that I have is Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code which I find appalling for religious reasons.

My favorite authors are Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton. Clancy for his military and political novels and Crichton for his mixture of suspense, sci-fi, and imagination. Clancy novels that I've read are as follows: The Hunt for Red October, Red Storm Rising (which JRF still haven't returned), Patriot Games, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of all Fears, Op-Center, Op-Center: Mirror Image, Op-Center: Games of State. Crichton novels would be: The Sphere, Congo, Disclosure, Airframe, Jurassic Park, The Lost World.

I'm currenty reading Dreamcatcher by Stephen King.

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

2005-05-07T14:52:00.000+08:00

The good: great graphics; smooth gunplay; fantastic humor
The bad: short-lived single-player experience
If I rated this game based on its humor alone, I'd have to give it a 5, but as a game, well, the title fails just short of the mark.

Gone are the multiple characters that you play as in previous Splitters in the main campaign. This time, you get to play exclusively as Vin Diesel-lookalike Cortez for the 13 levels of the quest. The story, while nothing special, is filled to the brim with extremely engaging humor courtesy of some weird Scotsman and a robot with a 'tude. However, you'll stop laughing when you realize how pathetically short the game is. I finished the game in both the hard and normal modes, completed all the challenges and the arcade league matches and all it took me was a measly 12 hours.

Its too bad because the graphics are a sharp improvement over the previous Splitters and the gunplay is more fun than ever thanks to the myriad of guns ranging from six-shooters to high-tech plasma guns of the future. The main game also benefits from a new time-warping gimic where you'll experience a scene playing as 'past' Cortez and then later on as 'future' Cortez. Its a fun gimmick which should be done more often in other games.

As it is though, Splitters is still a fun game especially if you have friends to play with but the short but sweet single-player campaign lives a lot to be desired. (4/5)

Syphon Filter: Omega Strain & Musashi: Samurai Legend

2005-05-04T18:17:00.000+08:00

The good: lots of weapons and missions
The bad: respawning enemies
Note to developers: next time you're gonna include cheap, respawning enemies who reappear just after you've killed them, DONT! It takes away completely the fun of disposing of them in the first place thereby removing the need for gunplay in favor of just running past the baddies. It also doesn't help the lock-on system is useless as you can empty and entire gun clip at point blank range without hurting your enemies. The incomprehensible plot which would make Tom Clancy dizzy rounds up the entire package. (2/5)

The good: nice cel-shaded graphics
The bad: much too formulaic
You hack, you slash, beat boss, explore town, talk to townsfolk, repeat, rinse, and sleep. That's basically all there is to Musashi and unlike its PS1 predecessor, there's no charm nor character here. Granted most games have a formulaic set-up, the beauty is when you don't feel like there is a formulaic set-up. It doesn't help that your skill-duplicating abilities (imitate enemies' combat moves) is pretty much useless as you can defeat enemies using just your sword rendering most of the skills useless. Enemies, of which there are about 5 just with different skins, poses no real challenge as do most of the bosses. Which means, that without any worthwhile secrets, the game is only 15 hours long maximum which is actually good since the repetitive nature of the game will wear you out after only a few hours. Too bad because I really loved the first Musashi. (2/5)

Kingdom of Heaven

2005-05-04T17:46:00.000+08:00

cast: Orlando Bloom, Evan Green, Liam Neeson

The good: marvelous production values
The bad: littered with so many pointless scenes
Director Ridley Scott tries another Gladiator and succeeds...yet fails at the same time. He brings us again to ancient times this time around during the period of the Holy Crusade when Jerusalem was at the center of it all and Christians and Muslims where at it each other. Production values-wise, this is one of the most breathtaking films you'll ever witness beating similar war epics like Troy, Alexander, even the glorious LOTR trilogy. Everything from the helmets, swords, banners and flags, to the mesmerizing sets depicting Jerusalem and its neighboring towns and fortresses are brought to life in grand fashion; and when you witness the armies of both sides assembling and preparing for war with the gold cross glistening at the background, you'll appreciate what Hollywood artisans are truly capable of.

But everything is almost for naught as the film itself is boring, and crammed with pointless dialogue. Gladiator, the better work of Ridley Scott was also filled to the bones with dialogue but everything made sense and all merged into one big picture. Kingdom, on the other hand, feels more like Alexander (without the gays) with its superfluous scenes about the hero's struggle which never really takes center stage despite getting so much focus. The problem lies with the film's identity: is it about a man struggling to find God and rising up to serve him once more? or is it about the nature and history of the Crusade itself? Without an answer to this, the film goes two ways and tries unsuccessfully to inject both into itself.

Adding to the problem is Orlando Bloom's less than stellar acting coupled with his boyish looks which distracts from the otherwise grim and brooding feel of the film. Liam Neeson plays another master-who-imparts-knowledge character but his service is...well..very short. Also, I nearly laughed when the film turned from a serious narrative about the period into a conspiracy by evil royals to take control of Jerusalem (why does every Hollywood film have to have a bad guy? Can't they learn from their Asian counterparts?).

Watch if only for the thunderous battle sequences and grand production values. (3/5)

*Fun Fact: The commander-turned-king Marton Csokas of the film is also the baddie from the first xXx and Mr. Smith towards the end of Kangaroo Jack. And if you're wondering who the voice is behind the mask of the Jerusalem King, well its none other than Edward Norton.

Casshern

2005-05-04T12:15:00.000+08:00

cast: biggest names in Japan (supposedly)

The good: how many times can you say, WOW!?
The bad: boring first half
In the near future, a scientist has discovered a way to rejuvenate dead corpses but government leaders, fearing the discovery, turns down the project. But of course, someone out there is probably interested in the secret and when all hell breaks loose with the project, mutant-humans suddenly rebel against the government. Insert Power Rangers-wannabe Casshern and you'd have the makings of a kick-ass action/sci-fi/drama flick.

And yes, I said drama. Because underneath all the fancy 3d and gloss (more on that later), the story is really ripe with serious moral, ethical, and emotional discussion and sadly much of the first half is dragged down by these. But when it comes to the action, oh boy, trust me you have never seen anything like this. Casshern beats the living hell out of any Hollywood flick when it comes to presenting a seriously uber-cool atmosphere pampered with the trademark Japanese anime flair which would make even your girlfriend drool. The film also uses a Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow-esque film style where actors play out on computer-generated imagery and the effect here is much, much better than that film.

From the Dante of DMC lookalike main baddy (well, he's not really bad), to a scene where that character dresses himself in a flag with the camera panning for a wide shot of the bustling metropolis, to the way Casshern slices vertically a poor robot with again the camera zooming in close-up to his face, Casshern just screams "Coolest movie ever". If you don't believe me, just check out the trailer at rotten tomatoes.com and see if you're not interested.

With 20 minutes more action and 20 minutes less dialogue, I would have given this a 5, but you know what, I'd give it just that. (5/5)

*Fun Fact: Utada Hikaru fans should now that the theme song for the movie is Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro. Also, if anybody finds a dvd copy with english subs of the film, let me know asap!

90 and counting

2005-05-04T11:37:00.000+08:00

I've had my PS2 for around 3 years now and I've played and finished quite a number of games. I've finished 90 games so far and 14 unfinished for varied reasons including broken disc, loss of interest, and my favorite, "this is too freakin' hard" (ahem, grandia extreme). I would have played and finished more if not for financial barriers and a few months of non-playing (I didn't play a single game for one semester and then for about 3 months when my unit broke); plus the fact that I also have a life to live. I've listed the games which I have completed by genre and I'll be reviewing new games as soon as I've finished them so wait for that. And, oh yeah, my favorite genres are FPS, RPG, Adv, and Strat/RPG, but I've completed so much more action games because there are so much more action games being released. Go figure.

First-Person Shooters (FPS)
- Goldeneye: Rogue Agent; Medal of Honor: Rising Sun; Rainbow Six 3; Project: Snowblind; Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm; Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection; Killzone; Ghost Recon; Timesplitters 2; Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter; Medal of Honor: Frontline; Warhammer 40k: Firewarrior; James Bond 007: Nightfire.
Role-Playing Games (RPGs)
- .Hack: Infection; Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits; Shadow Hearts; Shadow Hearts 2: Covenant; Xenosaga; Legend of Legaia 2; Summoner 2; Suikoden 3; Grandia 2; Final Fantasy X; Final Fantasy X-2; The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age.
Fighting
- Capcom vs SNK 2; Tekken 4; Virtua Fighter 4.
Simulation
- Harvest Moon
Action/RPG
- Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance; Baldurs's Gate: Dark Alliance 2; Kingdom Hearts; Dark Cloud; Dark Cloud 2; Dual Hearts; X-Men Legends.
Adventure
- Silent Hill 2: Paradise Lost; Silent Hill 3; Restless Dreams
Strategy/RPG
-Shaman King: Power of Spirits; Front Mission 4; Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.
Strategy
-Kessen 2; Pacific Theater of Operations 4; Kessen.
Action
-Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; Megaman Anniversary Collection; 007: Everything or Nothing; Blood Will Tell; Psi-Ops: Mindgate Conspiracy; Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone; Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando; Zone of Enders; Shinobi; The Getaway; Maximo vs Army of Zin; Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; Enter the Matrix; Bloodrayne; Samurai Warriors; Ghosthunter; Gungrave: Overdose; Dynasty Warriors 4; Ape Escape 2; Twisted Metal Black; Robotech Battlecry; The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; Grand Theft Auto 3; Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven; Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow; Splinter Cell; Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; Hitman 2; Maximo; Winback: Covert Ops; Tribes: Aerial Assault; Starwars: Battlefront; Ratchet and Clank; The Bouncer; Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
Action/Adventure
-Extermination; Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; Legacy of Kain: Defiance; Onimusha 3: Demon Siege; Castlevania: Lament of Innocence; Rygar: The Legendary Adventure; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; Headhunter; Run Like Hell; Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny; Devil May Cry.

Can this be Love?

2005-05-02T16:40:00.000+08:00

cast: Hero Angeles, Sandara Park

The good: tell me if there's any
The bad: that people are fooled to watch this crap
What justifies a 1 rating for a film? Bad Acting? Bad cinematography? Bad storyline? Boring fight sequences? Well, movies sometimes deserve even a 2 with all those negatives combined. What makes a film deserve a piss-poor 1 is when it is utterly unwatchable, put-you-to-sleep-boring, and "I wanna get out only after 30 mins" crap, that's what.

It is really of no surprise that a Filipino film turns out to be bad. But even Let the Love Begin wasn't this bad. I can forgive the bad acting, I can forgive the hodgepodge of TV stars and personalities, I can forgive the false assumptions and the cultural mistakes (Koreans getting eeky on intenstinal foods? Come on they eat live scorpions for crying out loud!), I can forgive Hero Angeles sporting a long hair-do even though he's a nursing student, I can even forgive the again blatant advertising (paload nga 25, my number is ....), but what I can't forgive is the penchant of Filipino networks in releasing one bad romcom after one bad romcom. And they say the Filipino movie industry is dying because of piracy, yeah right!

Filipino movies are crap, pure and simple, and this film is a testament to that. Sad that other Fil films like Jose Rizal and Crying Ladies have to share the same "Filipino Film" title as this one. (1/5)

*Fun Fact: there is no fun to be had in this film.

Hana and Alice (Hana to Arisu)

2005-05-02T16:19:00.000+08:00

cast: Yu Aoi, Anne Suzuki

The good: funny, cute and distinctly Japanese
The bad: some dragging moments
When friends Hana (Suzuki) and Alice (Aoi) develop a crush on the same boy, they soon get entangled in a series of events which may just break their friendship. And incidentally, their crush gets amnesia after banging his head against a low hanging shutter. Hana, sensing an opportunity, decides to fool the boy into thinking that she is his girlfriend.

While the plot could have been made in Hollywood, everything else about the movie could not. From the gorgeous Japanese backdrop, to the silly humor, and a style which just screams "totally Japanese!", you'd wonder how you are able to watch the same old, same old Hollywood romcoms.

Anne Suzuki plays admirably as a desperate teen desperately trying to keep her crush on her side through desperate means which often plays out in desperate scenes. However, Yu Aoi steals the film from under her nose not just because she is utterly beautiful, but because her cute, innocent candor warms my heart. The movie is clearly geared towards the female audience but boys should not be left out if only to see Yu Aoi. The movie is really very unique and different from what you've accustomed to and its done in a very polished manner.

That's not to say that the film is without fault: the film suffers from a dragging middle part when you see only Hana for an extended period of time and then only Alice. Also, the script is ripe with references to the boy's amnesia and the girl's attempt to create a false past. The girl's say so many "this is where we first met, remember?" lines that the boy would have guessed already what's going on. These are pithy gripes though and the film as a whole performs charmingly. The ballet scene at the end alone is worth watching the whole movie for. (4/5)

*Fun fact: Yu Aoi is now officialy my crush. If you happen to find a copy with english subtitles of this film, contact me immediately please!

The Interpreter

2005-05-02T15:56:00.000+08:00

cast: Sean Penn, Nicole Kidman

The good: two Oscar winners in one movie!
The bad: as political thrillers go, this one fails to impress
When Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman stars in the same film (don't really like Kidman though), you should expect something special. And acting wise, the film delivers with Sean Penn's usual troubled character role and Nicole Kidman's surprisingly cool accent. The rest of the film, however, ain't nothing very special.

United Nations interpreter Silvia Broome (Kidman) overhears a planned assassination attempt to a visiting African nation tyrant in a UN meet in the near future. She turns to Secret Service agent Tobin Keller (Penn) and the whole "is-she-telling-the-truth-or-just-making-it-up" twist starts. However, since the film is billed as a political thriller and not a psychological thriller, this twist is useless because its obvious that there will be an assassination attempt. Furthermore, its very easy to guess what's gonna happen next which is always a bummer. I was cursing the director for directorial mistakes early on when I felt I already knew most of what's gonna happen (and I was right).

But my movie-guessing skills aside, the story really isn't all that exciting, although it ain't half-bad either, its just plain generic with none of the tension and intrigue you'd expect from a political thriller. Also, that label is also a bit misleading because the political side is woefully underdeveloped in favor of Silvia's past and role in the upcoming events (wink, wink). Sadly, the mediocrity of the script and the directing only serves to supplant the otherwise noteworthy acting performances of the two leads. (3/5)

*Fun Fact: Sean Penn's story partner, Catherine Keener, also played Al Pacino's ex-wife and Evan Rachel Wood's mother in S1m0ne.

xXx 2: The Next Level (State of the Union)

2005-04-29T16:22:00.000+08:00

cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube

The good: explosions, explosions!
The bad: Ice Cube replaces Vin Diesel
Xander Cage (Vin Diesel in the previous xXx) is now dead and a replacement is underway. Enter Ice Cube.

Now, I'd rather call Jennifer Lopez an actress than Ice Cube an actor. From Torque, to Ghost of Mars, to Anaconda, Ice Cube always manages to irritate me. Thankfully, there's not many Ice Cube (and his dialogue) in the film so that's atleast good.

The plot is paper-thin and the slightly-experienced movie-goer will probably guess the future events during a critical plot twist. But this is rather a good thing because the previous xXx got busy with a lot of mindless talk and not enough action. This sequel ups the ante of the action and drops down on the talking, thank you very much (hey, its fun not to think in a movie once in a while)! What you'll get are a lot of silly stunts, extreme explosions, shooting galore and a sense of lil bit of amnesia after you exit the theatre (you'll forget about the film the second you walk out of it).

The problem comes in two folds. First, Ice Cube is no Vin Diesel. The first movie was pathetically laughable but it HAD Vin Diesel. It was idiotic but it HAD Vin Diesel. These one is generally better but HAS NO Riddick!
Second, the explosions, stunts, and visually-helped action scenes are ridiculous to the point of absurdity. I'm no military expert but Tom Clacny tells me a few things. Tanks cannot evade turret shots of other tanks like an F1 car. Tanks cannot be made subject to jet conveyors (you know, the ones in aircraft carriers) because their too friggin heavy. Cars do not get additional speed when they lose their tires and run instead on a bullet train track. Tanks cannot be lifted by the things you use when setting up your private vehicles. Top-secret defense installations have guards (lots of guards with heavy firepower, not flimsy pea shooters!).

But if you ignore all these things, well then watch as long as you dont bring your girlfriend with you. (3/5)

*Fun Fact: I already forgot the movie and everything in it. Triple what?

The Jacket

2005-04-29T15:56:00.000+08:00

cast: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley

The good: Adrien Brody's acting
The bad: disappoints beyond measure
Movies with a great premise but with poor execution greatly breaks my heart for when you get excited about the possibilities of storytelling, you end up getting just a grandmother tale.

The Jacket is about a soldier who nearly (or did he?) dies during the war and returns to the US only to be stricken with a bad dose of luck when he gets wrongfully acussed of murder. Fortunately, he escapes jail time on an insanity defense but gets sent into a mental hospital instead. In here, one of the doctors places him in a severely unorthodox method where he is put on a straight jacket and locked up in a morgue cabinet for a few hours. The interesting part is that he travels through time (or does he?) into the future and meets up with the girl (now a lady in keira) who he helped just before the murder incident he was accused of.

Interesting and intriguing to be sure but the elements just dont fall into place. Psychologically, adrien's character is clearly not insane although the director tries nonentheless to try to stir things up a bit. Sci-fi wise, the time travelling isnt explained nor even hinted at, it just happens. No clues aside from the aforementioned insanity clause which doesnt work because adrien is obviously not insane. Therefore, the movie is just suspenseful enough to hold you till the credits are rolling but doesnt make you think (well, actually it does because you'd be wandering what the hell is happenning) or flinch in your seats.

To add to the confusion, adrien experiences a sort of visual recounting of events that happened before because he is now an amnesiac which does nothing to heighten the tension but only serves to irritate with its length and terrorizing-to-my-ears sounds. All in all, The Jacket is a good project handed over to the wrong team. (2/5)

*Fun Fact: Keira Knightley is only 20 years old and sure doesnt look like it.

Ring of the Nibelungs (Kingdom in Twilight)

2005-04-29T15:31:00.000+08:00

cast: Kristanna Loken

The good: good set design, costumes
The bad: lackluster story
At first glance, one will think the movie is nothing more than a cheap LOTR rip-off. Well, supposedly this was one of the inspirations of author Tolkien for writing the multiple oscar-winning trilogy so you would think an action packed, epic tale is in the cards? Well wrong!

Nibelungs is more a romance tale than a typical fantasy flick. The story centers around 4 individuals, all of whom are of royal blood, entangled in a love quadrangle. So what starts of as an interesting fantasy action epci degenerates into a lot of dull, boring conversations. To its credit, the romance part doesnt really start until about 45 minutes into the film which means that 45 minutes is all the enjoyment that you will get.

After the hero slays a dragon guarding a vast trove of treasures and gold (The Hobbit, the precursor to LOTR finds a similar tale wherein Bilbo Baggins - Frodo's uncle - sneaks into the lair of the dragon Smaug to find lots of treasures) and thus gets the titular Ring of the Nibelungs, the movie goes straight downhill. Nevermind the bathing in the dragon blood for the hero thus clothing him with an impenetrable skin with a slight weakness of course because a leaf fell on his upper back before he took a dip into the dragon blood (Achilles of the Iliad had the same predicament, remember the achilles heel?) because no more action will be witnessed. Well there is still some but their minor and boring.

Even the Ring doesnt really fit into the story because as i've said, much of the story revolves around the love between the king, the other king, the sister of the king, and the far-away queen. Its a mess so dont bother to ask.

Bad things aside, the film does sport fairly decent production values with good sceneries, props, and costumes. They even managed to pull of the army vs army scene not unlike troy or alexander but sadly the scene is wasted because no battle actually takes place.

If you're looking for fantasy action, watch again LOTR. Romance? Look for crappy J-lo movies. (2/5)

*Fun Fact: Samuel West, who plays King Gunther in the film is none other than Frankenstein in Hugh Jackman's Van Helsing.

Finding Neverland

2005-04-26T14:24:00.000+08:00

cast: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet

The good: moving, touching, awe-inspiring
The bad: ...
Everyone loves Peter Pan so everyone should see this film about how author JM Barrie created him. Nominated for best film in the concluded 77th oscars, this film earned wondrous praise from the harshest critics and rightfully so as this is one of the best dramas you'll ever enjoy.

Johnny Depp is probably the best actor of our generation and he shines alongside Kate Winslet and his story kids with a display of amazing sense of character. Johnny Depp is JM Barrie in this film and it is utterly believable. The acting by the supporting actors are also top-notch particularly young british actor Freddie Highmore as Peter, from which Barrie derived the name Peter Pan.

Furthermore, the production design plus the costumes brilliantly transports viewers to JM Barrie's time creating a sense of closeness and relation. The creative ways of melding the story as it happened and how Barrie imagined it coupled with the inspiring music will make your skin hair rise.

Wonderfully scripted, directed, orchestrated, acted, and shot, this film is a crowning achievement and would move any sane person into tears. From the 5 nominated for best film in the last oscars, I already saw The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby plus this one. Of the three, I'd have to give the statue to this one. (5/5)

*Fun Fact: Freddie Highmore will appear alongside Johhny Depp once more in the upcoming Tim Burton flick, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Also, Finding Neverland was nominated for a total 7 oscars and one for best original score.

Guess Who?

2005-04-26T13:58:00.000+08:00

cast: Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac

The good: charming performances by lead actors
The bad: not enough laughs
When a black girl finally introduces to his strict father her long-time boyfriend, events take a turn for the worse as the father finds out that the boyfriend is white!

This is the story of Guess Who starring Ashton Kutcher as the boyfriend and Bernie Mac as the father. At its heart, this is just an ordinary romcom (romance/comedy) perfect for that date you've been thinking about. And as you would expect from the premise of the flick, there's plenty of white guy vs. black guy humor which fortunately isnt taken to such a level as to make it offensive for either race.

Sadly, that conservatism also proves to be unfortunate as there's few big laughs in the film. There could have been more Ashton and Bernie moments which are the highlight of the film. In fact, the girlfriend and the wife could have been sent to a vacation and no one would care. Strong and charming performances from the two leads make the film very enjoyable for the casual movie goer. (3/5)

*Fun Fact: Zoe Saldana, who plays Ashton's girlfriend, is the immigration girl from The Terminal and the rowdy pirate from Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl...

Sahara

2005-04-26T13:39:00.000+08:00

cast: Matthew whats-his-name, Penelope Cruz, Steve Zahn, William H. Macy

The good: steve zahn humor
The bad: lack of focus
Adventure films are a dime a dozen and few rise up to the occasion. Sadly, Sahara is not one of the few as its nothing more than a sub-par, thrill-free, confused romp through boring locales.

At first glance, Sahara might seem like a rip-off of Nicolas Cage's excellent National Treasure which was inspired by semi-historical civil war period America. Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey), is a treasure hunter who is out to find a legendary iron-clad boat from the civil war era which is believed to have been shipwrecked somewhere in Africa. Now, this premise is quite tasty but the whole movie isnt really about this tasty plot, but rather about a bland save the world from pollution plot with the usual evil businessmen conniving with evil tyrant.

The film, therefore, goes in two directions as Dirk with partner Al (steve Zahn) sets out to find the ship while Eva (Penelope Cruz), a WHO doctor, tries to find the curse of a "plague" which is infecting the local populace.
Obviously, the two points somehow meet but to the expense of an extremely boring and slow-moving middle part. Besides, what few action scenes the movie has are quite frankly boring and not up to the pace of even standard act/adv films.

There's precious little dialogue which is sad because what this movie needs is more references to the history which semi-inspired it just like National Treasure did. If there is a saving grace it is the slight humor which Steve Zahn conveys. While Matthew seems like a paperboard character, Steve is alive and entertaining.

Overall though, this film aint worthy of your ticket money. Watch one year from now in HBO or wowow instead. (2/5)

*Fun Fact: Lambert Wilson, who plays evil businessman Massarde in the film is, of course, the all-too frence Meruvingian from the Matrix flicks.

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi )

2005-04-25T15:50:00.000+08:00

The good: overabundance of creativity
The bad: lame ending
Its rare to see a japanese film being recognized in the academy awards. Blame it on the still apparent discrimination agaisnt animated films of foreign origin. While they go about handing awards to mediocre animation like the incredibles, they ignore deliberately all those from the other side of the pond. But this isnt supposed to be a complain-complain post so I'll get to the film.

Spirited Away blew audiences away with its splendid animation beauty, its superbly crafted story, its level of detail and creativity and amazing sense of exploration. It finally put a Japanese anime film into the pedestal of the aforementioned awards body by winning the oscar for best animated film back in 2002 (i think).

This studio ghibli film from director hayao miyazaki chronicles the events that chihiro, a ordinary girl, witnessed and experienced during a chance trip into a otherworldy setting. She soon finds out that the world she has trespassed into is full of mystery, adventure, character, and for anime virgins, weirdness. Her parents, for example, get turned into pigs when they ate food from that strange realm. She then sets out in finding a way to survive in this world while simultaneously finding a cure for her parents.

Breathtaking is simply the right word to describe this film. The level of creativity bubbling from every scene is downright staggering! This film will bring out the best in every person's creative mind. And its not all art either, the story is simple but sweet. It doesnt babble on serious themes like other studio ghibli films but rather celebrates this world. True, the setting of the story is on another realm, but it is clear that the exagerrated potrayal of its environs is a reference to our own world, with all its beauty and variety. Those who are open-minded enough to try an animated film which doesnt rely on boring humor and 3d generated visuals would be stupid to pass off this classic of an anime. (5/5)

*Fun Fact: Back in '02, Spirited Away not only won the oscar for best animated film but also won all the categories in which it was nominated including best film in the Annie awards - the animation equivalent of the grammys for music. Its currently top 39 in the IMDB top 250 best films of all time.

Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka)

2005-04-25T15:48:00.000+08:00

The good: fantastic story thriving with deep emotional overtones
The bad: to be honest, can't think of anything
I just watched a japanese animated film called "grave of the fireflies". been itching to get my hands on this title for a long time. thanks to my personal supplier landon for the dvd. anyway, this film was released like ages ago (1988 i think) but the quality of its entirety remains intact up to this day.

the film is set during world war 2 at war-torn japan. it features two kids (setsuko and seita) who gets orphaned when their military father died at sea and their mother getting killed during an air raid. needless to say, they have to depend solely on each other for survival. the ensuing scenes throughout the whole film screams with emotion, reality, and tremendous message. Everybody should just see this movie. Its not only one of the best anime films ever, its one of the best films ever. (5/5)

*Fun Fact: Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert called this film one of the best war films of all time. IMDB lists this film as the top 151 of the 250 best films of all time.

The Ring 2: Samara

2005-04-25T15:26:00.000+08:00

cast: Naomi Watts, David Dorfman

The good: tell me if there's any
The bad: no thrills, no frills, no anything
I hate to bash on the directing quality of this movie because it was directed by a japanese - a hideo nakata I think. But the poorness of the directing is apparent in its entirety and it alone proves to be this film's downfall. scenes are dragging, nonsensical, and leaves a "what is happening?" taste to the viewers. the poor acting by lead Naomi Watts also drives another nail into the coffin. Her character is stupid enough and her acting just compounds it.

one example of this movie's stupidity: naomi watts discovers that samara is back to her cruel ways when she finds out that a copy of the "videotape" has emerged. she burns the tape hoping samara will go the way of the dinosaur which is stupid because since when did the paranormal get affected by burning? in any other horror flick this might have been a little bit believable, but with the backstory of the original The Ring, its hard to believe that the character would actually believe that this would end the curse. moving on, her child gets all weird and wouldnt want to talk to her. she senses the problem but doesnt do anything. come on girl its samara!

later on, she sees samara in her son's room and a burning tree figure in their ceiling. of course they go out but she still doesnt seem to have a clue as to what's going on. horror flicks are almost always stupid but this one goes way overboard.

even if you're a fan of the ring series, this doesnt really add to the mythos. nothing new in terms of the tale is added and its just plain dissapointing. watch the jap versions instead. (2/5)

*Fun Fact: David Dorfman, who plays Aidan (the kid) in the movie is also the weird kid from Texas Chainsaw Massacre...

some intro...

2005-04-20T17:04:00.000+08:00

i'm a self-confessed pop culture junkie. I love movies, books and videogames and i'm recently into anime and certain tv shows.

i've been into these stuff for as long as i can remember so i decided to keep a log of my pop culture happenings so check this blog out from time to time because im gonna update it often.

i'll review movies that I watched or movies which I have watched before, also animes and tv shows. i'll also review games and books as well as list what's been happening with my quest to experience as much pop culture as possible.

i have another blog, master-ryu.blogspot.com, and that's more of the serious stuff. check it out also. see ya! and feel free to voice out your opinions or comments!