Watchmen

Watchmen, 3.5 out of 4 stars

Laurie Jupiter (Malim Akerman), Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and Rorshach (Jackie Earle Haley) in "Watchmen". They're not a superhero, they're just an ordinary men who trying to balance the imbalance.

Before I have a further writing, the first thing I must tell you all is "Watchmen" is not a superhero movie and there is a reason in it. "Watchmen" is an adaptation based on comic book as the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. This movie is directed by Zack Snyder who brought you his visually stunning "300" in 2007. The beginning of the movie shows that how the superheroes who call themselves Watchmen, Edward Blake the comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Adrian Veidt the Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), Dr. Jon Osterman the Doc. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), Walter Kovacs the Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), Daniel Dreiberg the Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), and Laurie Jupiter the second Silk Spectre (Malim Akerman) are formed and they're working for the government. Then it shows the historical event which have a connection with the Watchmen for example the assassination of JFK and much more. Then the movie jump to the scene where the policemen are investigating the murder of Edward Blake. Rorschach believe that someone are trying to eliminate the masked hero in the city. So he's trying to convince and warned his retired teammate. All of them reunite and trying to investigate the murder but in the end it end up nothing. So Rorschach investigate the murder alone but he himself is framed for murder. After being rescued and escape from the prison, Rorschach found out that the whole situation are just a deception. First of all, it's really hard for me to truly explaining the plot because it is a 2 hour and 45 minutes long movie and I don't want to be a spoiler. This is a great movie, because it is very similar with the previous 2008 hits "The Dark Knight". It has a lot of value in this movie, of course "The Dark Knight" is much more entertaining than this one, but the value which trying to give is much more deeper than "The Dark Knight". The word "deeper" in the sentence means it is much more difficult for some certain people to understand the whole movie. I watch this movie with my friends and we all concentrate watching it because if you want to truly understand the whole value in this movie, you can't even miss a small part from it and we notice that a lot of people who watch half way end up walking away from the cinema. Other than that, I envy the character development of each character in the movie. It really takes it's time and carefully explain each of the character mindset. For example, in the movie Rorschach is a person who think that people who commits crime must face punishment and dead. Other than that, America citizen think that Doc. Manhattan is a god, but he tell himself that he's not a god, the whole universe is so big, to them I'm just a termite. Throughout the film, it shows that he's not interested in saving the world because he just a termite, why he want to care about the people who will die or alive, and the thing he did previously is nothing. This indicate that, what we really did in our life is nothing. He also stated that, everything doesn't has an end. It means that if you stop a war, no matter what it will happen again, just like economic recession, They're just an ordinary person who trying to balance the imbalance. Talk about "balance", I think you all know what I mean. As for the Edward Blake the comedian, the movie explain to us that he's just a guy who makes people laugh but in real life, he is very sad and depress. This indicate that for him, life is a joke. Of course for some people will spawn a very sensitive question, "What is the purpose of living in this world?" Maybe I'm the one who think too much. Yes, my friend also think a little too much, after watching this movie, we had a conversation about this topic and it's never end. Because of this conversation, we're finally and truly know the whole meaning of this movie. It doesn't have ending. Other than that, in my opinion this movie doesn't have a villain. For example Adrian Veidt the Ozymandias, many people will think that he's a villain. For me he's not. He is a person who think that killing a million will safe a billion. This kind of thinking which may apply in certain situation in real life. Besides that, there are two scene which I think is very meaningful, which is the scene where Rorschach having a conversation with a Psychologist and the scene where the psychologist looking up to the sky before the chaos (I won't tell you what it is) happen. It explain to us that you think you've seen everything? we actually haven't seen anything yet. This movie also contain a lot of humor and of course blood and gore. The director in his previous movie "300" he uses a lot of chroma key technique, in this movie he uses a few. But the result is good, he is a talented director who know how to use a great visual to explain to us the dark side and the bright side of the story. I like the way he uses the yellow smiley to uncover the meaning of the movie. This is a 2 hour and 45 minutes long movie and I think it is very rich with values and in order to fully understand the whole meaning, it worth to see a second times. Actually, I'm planning to watch it a second time. Do I encourage you all to watch this movie? For certain people I will and for some people I will not. You have a question? Do ask me. But in the end, just don't think too much.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, 1.5 out of 4 stars

Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li in "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li". Does she look like a street fighter? No, she just a girl who know how to fight well, that's all.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is an action film based on Street Fighter video games and the story is about the character Chun-Li's history and more. The film is directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak who previously directed "Romeo Must Die" in 2000, "Cradle 2 the Grave" in 2003 and "Doom" in 2005. The film begins with Chun-Li as a child, she was interested learning Wushu from her father. So, her father teach her a lot of Wushu and some dicipline. Her father is a businessman. One day, her father has been attacked by Bison (Neal McDonough) and Balrog (Michael Clarke Duncan). Years later, Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk) now is a popular pianist. One day, she received a scroll with an Ancient Chinese text in it. After a while Chun-Li found out that she must find a man named Gen (Robin Shou). After Chun-Li met Gen, Gen told her that he can find her father who has been trapped in Bison's prison. So, Chun-Li must learn some martial arts and learn how to control her anger in order to safe her father. First of all, this is one of the worst movie so far in 2009. There will be a lot of street fighter fans who really felt disappointing after watching this. The whole movie doesn't focus on Chun-Li at all. Chun-Li doesn't has a lot of screen time in this movie. It shows that Chun-Li is not a street fighter at all. She just a girl who know how to fight well, that's all. Besides that, the story telling is not good, it too focus on both of the investigators, Nash (Chris Klein) and Maya (Moon Bloodgood) who investigate some murderer in that particular places, and in the end they team up with Chun-Li to fight Bison. It just pointless. And the dialogue between both of them are stupid and very unnecessary. Besides that, the movie is just 1 hour and 30 minutes long. Audiences don't want to hear both of them just talking crap, but what they want is to see a lot of action. Other than that, I personally think that Kristin Kreuk is just a miscast. She can't speak mandarin well. It feels very weird when you see it. From the beginning of the movie, Chun-Li as a child and she can speak mandarin very well. But why when she become teenager she can't speak well? It just wrong. Despite that, there will be a few of fighting scene which I think is not intense enough. The fighting scene is not unique and no excitement at all. And also there will be a lot of gun fighting scene which is more than fighting scene. The gun fighting scene also very unnecessary in the movie, it just too long and pointless. Or should I say the whole movie is pointless. Some of the action scene are dragged too long just for making the movie long enough to see. I personally don't know what is wrong with the director, his previous work for example "Romeo Must Die", the fighting scene is very unique and very fresh although it looks very fake, at least it has a lot of fun. There is one thing that I can promise you which is you can't get any fun from this movie. Overall, "This movie contain a lot of cheesy dialogue, draggy, pointless, and in the end it just wasting of your time."

Punisher: War Zone

Punisher: War Zone, 2.5 out of 4 stars

Dominic West as Jigsaw in "Punisher: War Zone", and you don't want to mess with him because he will cut your throat by using a wine glass.

Many people thought "Punisher: War Zone" will be another bad movie since "Max Payne", but it's not. This movie is better than I thought it might be. I'm quite surprise actually. This movie is directed by Lexi Alexander. The film begins with Billy Russoti (Dominic West) are having a party with mob boss Gaitano Cesare. Then Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) has infiltrates the party. Russoti escaped to the recycling plant. Castle then infiltrates the recycle plant and accidentally killed an undercover agent, Donatelli. He died on the spot. After having a fight with Russoti, Castle thrown Russoti in to a glass crushing machine and Russoti ended up disfigured. After recovered from injured, Russoti called himself 'Jigsaw' then regroup his gang and frees his brother Looney Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison) to have a revenge on Castle. On the other side, Castle team up with his partner, Microchip (Wayne Knight) to investigate the next target of Jigsaw. After that, Castle found out that in the past Donatelli has in charge of Jigsaw's money. So, Castle must quickly prepare everything and stop Jigsaw from harming Donatelli's family before it's too late. First of all, this is not a bad movie actually. This movie delivers a lot of fun. Fun means a lot of action. The action sequences in this film is unique and stylish. Other than that, the action sequences sometimes contain a few humor in it. There is a few part where makes me laugh out loud and I really enjoy the laugh. Besides that, there is a lot of action film which using shaky camera technique for the action scene so that the action scenes are intense, but this film doesn't have it. The film cinematography is good. It doesn't use shaky camera technique for the action scene but still the action scenes are very eye popping and intense. Besides that, the performance delivered by Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle is great. He is a perfect fit for this character. Although the overall acting is acceptable, but his performance is great, he really shows the characteristic of Frank Castle. In my opinion his performance is better than Thomas Jane as Frank Castle. Other than Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle, Dominic West's performance as Jigsaw also very good. His acting is very top notch and really put effort in it. Wow, this film seems great huh? Although it is a good movie but in my opinion, the story telling in this film is not very well. Sometimes it's too focus on other character which is not important instead of Castle. What safe this movie is Donatelli's wife and kid. If both of them doesn't exist in this movie, the movie will be suck. Besides that, this movie is just too much blood and gore. There is a lot of blood and gore, for example a wood impaled a person eye, Jigsaw piercing a guy's throat by using a wine glass, Looney eating a guy's kidney and more. This is a short review actually because I don't know what to write about this movie anymore. So the overall for this film, "This is a good action movie which gives you adrenaline rush, but it is bad when it comes to plot and character development."

Frost/Nixon

Frost/Nixon, 3.5 out of 4 stars

Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) and David Frost (Michael Sheen) in "Frost/Nixon".

After the disappointment of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", here is another Academy Awards nominated historical drama based on the real interviews of David Frost and former President of United States, Richard Nixon. This film is directed by Ron Howard who brought you his masterpiece "Cinderella Man" in 2005. He also the one who direct "The Da Vinci Code" in 2006. The film begins with some reports and news about the Richard Nixon who involve in Watergate Scandal. I'm not gonna to tell you what it is because it is a sensitive issue and I myself also not really deep inside the story of Watergate Scandal. Then the film cut to the scene where Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) making his resignation speech. On the other side, David Frost (Michael Sheen), he is just finishing his talk show "Frost Over Australia". At the back stage, he's watching the television which shows Nixon is leaving the White House. So, he ask his producer to have a interview with Nixon. After Nixon accept the interviews, Frost hired two investigators Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt) and James Reston Jr. (Sam Rockwell) to find some information mostly on Watergate Scandal. So, the climax of the film is the Frost/Nixon interviews. The interviews that place at the house of Frost's friends. The purposes of this interviews is to give Nixon the trial he never had. First of all, this is a great movie, as I say the climax of the film is the intervies so this film mostly focus on the Frost/Nixon interviews. And the director handle the plot progression very well. It doesn't feel bored or tedious. Besides that, the whole set is just simple but very absorbing. Other than that, the screenplay is amazing although some conversation is fiction. This movie doesn't need any character development. It just need a great screenplay to reflect the characteristics of the character and their mindset. And there is no good guy or bad guy in this movie. It is a very thoughtful film and I like it. Throughout the film, I enjoy every minutes of it, and the interviews between both of them is just thrilling and awesome. The acting is just top notch especially Michael Sheen and Frank Langella. They really understand the role of each real life character and bring it to the screen and they did it very well. Despite that, I really wish I give this movie a 4 stars rating, but I think this movie lack of some important imformation about the Watergate Scandal. It doesn't explain much about it. So, people who really have no idea about Watergate Scandal, they will not fully understand the whole movie. Overall, "This movie is very well crafted and exciting. Genuinely gripping."

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 2.5 out of 4 stars

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) and Daisy (Cate Blanchett) finally meet each other and they are falling in love in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

The 81st Academy Awards is over, and "Slumdog Millionaire" won 8 awards. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" just won 3 awards. I really have a high hope for this movie until yesterday. Do I like this movie? Yes, but I like this movie as much as I hate this movie. Is it a really nice movie? Yes it is, and of course there is a reason why I hate it. This movie is directed by David Fincher who brought you "Panic Room" in 2002 and "Zodiac" in 2007. I'm quite surprise that he is also the one who directed "Alien 3" in 1992. The story begins with a baby was born and his appearance are different from other child. He looks very old just like an old man. When the baby was born, the father quickly abandon the baby at the nursing home. Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) who work at the nursing home decide to take this baby as her son and named him Benjamin Button. When Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was still a kid, he meets Daisy. Both of them always playing together and even Daisy's grandmother teach Benjamin how to play piano. Througout the story, Benjamin begins to grow younger and younger. The rest of the story is all about how he live his life and how he gets his first love, and the person he met when he is working at the tugboat. Then he also get caught in World War II, and how he survive it. Besides that, the story also explain to us how Benjamin meets Daisy (Cate Blanchett) and there is a love story between both of them. Yes, this movie has a great story. The story telling is amazing throughout the whole film. The plot progression is very well done and very smooth. When I watch this movie, I totally get caught in to the story. The good thing about this movie is it really shows the timeline that exactly when the World War II strike the whole world, and when the first America rocket was launch and others. Besides that, the acting is really good especially Cate Blanchett, she really shows the emotional part of her character in the movie, and she did it well. Other than that, the cinematography and the set design is very well done although I think "The Dark Knight" should win Best cinematography in the Academy Awards. This is why I like this movie. But before you have a further reading, first I have to tell you the next thing that I write will contain a small spoiler. Why I hate this film? I keep telling myself this is a great movie, it is very beautiful made movie. Until when I see the ending, I totally lose hope for this film. Why? Because the ending is not logic at all. It doesn't apply the "Logic" for the ending. Okay, I'll make it straight. People born as a baby and die as a person. We die when we're old and of course as we know Benjamin die when he looks younger. But, Benjamin born as a baby also, and how come he die as a baby? Human body cannot shrink until become a baby. This is impossible, and the whole concept is wrong. Yes, it is a fantasy movie, but for me it really leaps beyond fantasy barrier. And it is totally wrong!! I mean it! The ending is ruining the whole movie. Despite that, the whole movie only care about the story telling but it didn't care much about the character inside the story. I think I should stop by now. There will be a lot of people who like this film, but in the end it still depends on what you want or hope from this film. And let me tell you, there is no lesson to be learn from this film. Overall for this film, "This is a great drama with a great story telling but it leaps beyond the fantasy barrier and end up too unrealistic."

Revolutionary Road (2008)

Revolutionary Road, 4 out of 4 stars

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in "Revolutionary Road". Which road will you choose? A road to where you live with a normal life and you have a job to support your family or a life that your wife will support you and the family so that you can discover what you truly want?

Academy Award nominations: Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Supporting Actor

"Titanic" is the story about two person with different social classes who fall in love with each others. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet previously work together in "Titanic" now act as husband and wife in "Revolutionary Road". This film is directed by Kate Winslet's real life husband, Sam Mendes who brought you a psychology war film "Jarhead" in 2005. The film begins with a party, Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) meets April (Kate Winslet). Both of them talking with each others about their future undertaking. After that, the film skip to the scene where Frank attend to a show. I'm not gonna to tell you what happens next. The film shows that both of them are husband and wife and they have a childrens. The films also shows that Frank have a job. He work as a salesman in "Knoxx". His life seems very miserable because he is not interested in this work, but he's good at it. So, one day during Frank's birthday, April tells Frank that they'll move to Paris to start a new life where April work as a secretary and she will support Frank. Of course there is a reason in her decision. Their friends heard about it and think that their decision are immature and totally unrealistic. Why April make this decision? And how Frank react by this decision? This film will explain it all. I will not tell you the whole story because I think it is very interesting and I won't spoil it. First of all, the story is simple and easy to understand, it is about life. What kind of decision we make now will affects our future undertaking. Besides that, I really like this movie is because it gives us a lot of freedom to get inside the character mindset, and it gives us a lot of time to think what they think. Honestly it's hard for me to think about April's mindset and I think April's decision is immature. Besides a great story, the director done a great job in plot progression and the character development is great throughout the whole film. The acting is very top notch especially Leonardo DiCarpio. His acting is great and I really dissapointing he didn't nominate for best actor in Academy Awards. This is a drama genre film, and I really enjoy watching it. "This movie is simply one of the year's best film."

Bolt (2008)

Bolt, 3.5 out of 4 stars

Bolt (John Travolta) and Penny (Miley Cyrus) in "Bolt".

Academy Award nominations: Best Animated Feature

Three weeks just passed. I spent my three weeks celebrating Chinese New Years with my friends and family. Now, I had to get back here and write some reviews for the Academy Awards nominated film in this few days. First, I would like to review "Bolt". Why? Because this movie is cute. "Bolt" is directed by Chris Williams and Byron Howard. The story is about a dog named Bolt (John Travolta). It has been modified by Penny's father and it has super powers. One day, Penny's father has been kidnapped by Doctor Calico (Malcolm McDowell). So, Penny (Miley Cyrus) and Bolt have to establish a plan to save her father. Before I continue writing the plot, I had to write Spoiler warning right? But I'm not doing it because I'm not going to tell you the plot anyway. So, it will be a short review. First of all, what I need to say is "Why so serious?". This film is for kids and family. The beginning of the film is just look very serious. For us, it is a joke but for kids it just not funny. It feels like you're watching a spy thriller animation. It's just not a big deal anyway. After few minutes running times, the film totally change from action packed to comedy. It happens too fast. Besides that, the story is quite nice actually. The story really have some great value which is we must face the truth instead of escaping it. Other than that, friendship is very important in our life and we must appreciate it. Besides that, I have a friend who told me this film is just "Okay" because she think that the Rhino (Mark Walton) ain't cute because of the voices are too rough. For me the voice is perfect, it really fits for that character, because the voices define the characteristic of each character inside the film. The plot progression for this film is very smooth, and the character development is very good. The audiences sure will enjoy watching it. Overall,"This is a movie which suitable for all ages and contain lot's of fun!"