The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight, 4 out of 4 stars.

Batman (Christian Bale) confront with Joker (Heath Ledger) in "The Dark Knight".

The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan who brought you his masterpieces, a psychological film "Memento" in 2000, "Prestige" in 2006 and a great reboot of batman franchise "Batman Begins" in 2005. Now in 2008, he as a director and writer collaborated with his brother Jonathan Nolan came out with one of the year's best film "The Dark Knight". The film begins with a psychophatic clown who known as Joker (Heath Ledger), he rob a bank with a bunch of accomplice. After that, he kill all his accomplices just to have all the money and some fun then he escaped from the bank without people noticing. In the other side, there is a bunch of mobster having a meeting with Scarecrow (Villain from "Batman Begins"). Then batman (Christian Bale) cames and interrupt their meeting. To defeat crime, Batman, James Gordon and a new character from the movie Harvey Dent also known as Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart) are collaborating together. As a district attorney (D.A), he almost become a new hero in Gotham City and now he's in love with Rachael Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), an assistant in D.A and childhood friend of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). In the other side, all the mob bosses are having a meeting with a Chinese accountant, Lau (Chin Han). When they're meeting, Joker came in with a lot of grenades attach on his body. He proposes to kill batman for them and he want the mob bosses to collaborate with him. Lau go back to Hong Kong for some reason. To catch him, batman went to Hong Kong and retrieve him then deliver to Gotham City Police. Joker is growing inpatient, he told the Gotham if the batman didn't show up and turn himself in to the police, he will started to kill all the police officer. (I won't giving out too much of the plot) So batman, Gordon, and Harvey Dent planning together to catch the Joker. Although the movie didn't show us the flash back of how He (Joker) become Joker, but it shows us that how Joker influences the people around him and make Harvey Dent become Two-Face. First of all, this movie is more darker and more funnier than "Batman Begins". It has a lot of dark humor. This movie is 2 hour and 30 minutes long, you won't feel boring or draggy. Every minutes of the movie is very entertaining and sometimes disturbing. There is one thing I like this director is in every movie he make, there will be something about psychology. In this movie, there will be a lot of psychology thinking. For example the part where all the citizens are trapped in the ferry full of explosives. And they have to decide whether they want to kill others to save themselves or not. It tells us that killing someone is not easy and much more. From this scene, it also tells us that after saving the city in "Batman Begins", batman really change the mindset of the citizens toward him and each others. Other than that, the story of this movie flows very smooth and is very easy to catch up. From the beginning, we might not know why they do this why they do that, but the story will explain for you everything. Besides that, the character development in this movie is great. The director done a great job in it. It tells us everything about the characteristic and their mindset of the character. Yes, this movie is all about making choices, and mindset. Although Joker just tells us the story why he becomes Joker, but maybe one of it is right. And there is a quotes from Harvey Dent which is very inspiring that is "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." This movie has a lot of Academy Award winning actor and actress. So, the acting in this movie is very top-notch and very inspiring especially Heath Ledger. I'm quite sad that he passed away so fast. I can tell you that his acting in this movie is really unforgettable. He is the perfect fit for this character. His character is more scarier than the previous Joker in "Batman" in 1989. In this movie, he no need to fight some one or killing someone. He just need to talk, using his philosophy to influence or brain wash the person to work with him. This is the most disturbing and the most frightening character I ever seen within this few years. Heath Ledger really put a lot of effort to prepare this character as well as the others. That's the reason why I like this character and also hope that he will nominate in Academy Awards for his character. For action sequences, Yes there will be a lot of action sequences. I like the car chasing scene where the Joker using a lot of weapon trying to stop an armored transport car. The action is beautifully made. Other than that, this movie introduces Batpod which is a batcycle. It is the ejection from the tumbler he used in both batman film. It looks very cool and well designed. For music, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard done a great job in composing the theme. Through the themes they composed, it really defines the characteristic of the character and the corruption of the city. That's one of the reason this movie is darker than the first. Here comes an overall. This movie is really absorbing, disturbing, thrilling and it is a biggest achievement this year. Does this movie better than Tim Burton's version of "Batman"? Yes, a lot better in a way of performance, story, dialogs and others. And both of "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" is more realistic than previous batman movie. This is also one of the best comic book adaptation within this few years. Because this movie is too great until I really don't know what to write about it. It is worth to watch a few times in cinema and this is one of the year's best film.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Hellboy II: The Golden Army, 3.5 out of 4 stars

Hellboy and his team are ready to fight the golden army in "Hellboy II: The Golden Army".

This movie is directed by the visionary director, Guillermo del Toro who brought you his masterpiece "Pan's Labyrinth" in 2006. This is a sequel to the 2004 movie "Hellboy". The film begins with some flash back of a young hellboy. His father was telling him a bedtime story about an ancient battle between human and mythical creatures. Then he's talking about the crown which can take control of the unstoppable army called the golden army. The golden army killed all the human until the truce was made. So, the crown was break in to three pieces. Three pieces a going separately to human and elves. Then, the golden army are buried somewhere and became a legend. Then in the present, Prince Nuada the elf prince of underworld is trying to awake the golden army, so he made his way to find all three pieces of the crown. First, he kill his father. Then he took the second pieces from the auction house. The final pieces is from his twin sister Princess Nuada. Princess Nuada escaped and rescued by hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his team member Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and a new character Johann Kraus (Seth McFarlane) who is a psychic. They are the member of BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense). After saving Princess Nuada, Abe Sapien found himself are in love with Princess Nuada. Later, Princess Nuada hide the pieces in the BPRD headquarters. But, things are not going as well as they want it to be. Prince Nuada discovered his sister location, then he kidnapped her for the third pieces of crown. After that, all of them travel to the place where the golden army are buried. For saving the Princess Nuada, Abe Sapien gave the third pieces to the Prince. Then Prince Nuada awake the golden army, then hellboy and his team fight for their life to save the world. Hellboy also confront with Prince Nuada and facing with a difficult choice whether he want to follow the life he knows or the unknown destiny that blinds him. First of all, when I first time watch the trailer of this movie, I think this will be a very cool movie. After I seen it, this movie is not as cool as I expected but it's cool anyway. This movie is really funny. It's more funnier than the first of course. What I'm really admire is the director done a great job in maintaining the comedy element with the actions but sometimes it feels "too much". He combined both of the element in a very good way. I just can't believe I watch this movie before watching "Hancock". Up until now, I still haven't watching "Hancock", based on my analysis, I can say that this movie will be a lot funnier than "Hancock". Other than that, in his other masterpiece "Pan's Labyrinth", he focus more in plot progression, visual effects, acting, character development. That's the reason why it became his masterpiece. In this movie, I can't say it is perfect, he didn't focus much in the plot progression instead of visual effects, actions, and character development. This movie has a very stunning visual effects especially the part where the hellboy destroy a giant creature at the Manhattan streets. The creature looks very bad ass but turn out to be very friendly when it's dead. The action sequences is great also, it has a great fighting scenes between hellboy and Prince Nuada which is very fast and intense. And the fighting scenes is the part where the movie looks very cool. Besides that, it has a lot more new weird creature than the first film which is very new for us and most of them is unimportant. For acting, Ron Perlman really fit for this character. His acting is great. The chemistry between him and Liz is great. And I like the part where hellboy drink beer with Abe. From there, it shows us the chemistry between both of them are getting much more better than the first film. Overall, this is a movie which delivered a lot of actions, and it is more funnier, more smashing and more new elements than the first film. This is great adaptation which is I really expected from Guillermo del Toro.

College Road Trip

College Road Trip, 1.5 out of 4 stars

Eshaya Draper, Martin Lawrence, and Raven-Symone star in Walt Disney's "College Road Trip".

College Road Trip is a comedy directed by Roger Kumble and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film begins with some introduction of life lesson by a police officer, James Porter (Martin Lawrence), then he said that the trouble occurred when choosing a college which suitable for his daughter. 4000 colleges in the U.S, he wants his daughter, Melanie Porter (Raven-Symone) to study at college which have a good academics, campus safety, short distance from home and he repeated again that the most important is distance from home. So he choose Northwestern University. Then one day, Melanie received an offer which is there will be an interview with selected student including her at Georgetown university. The whole family were happy about it except her father. James was thinking about the distance of the University, which is 700miles away from home. Melanie thinks that she have an opportunity to learn how to be independence. So she plan a road trip with her friends to Georgetown University, but her father insisted on escorting her. Soon, Melanie found out that her trip are turning to a nightmare and there will be a lot of conflicts between both of them. This movie is family comedy genre film, the story sounds good but it turns out to be a boring, and unfunny film. This movie has a goofy plot which is sometimes it wants to make the audiences laugh and it fails to do it. It is so stupid until I cannot laugh at all when watching it. For example the part where a pig screws up other people marriage party, and every scene which include the pig is unfunny. It is so uninteresting because some of the pig movements are made of CGI. Other than that, the whole road trip is feels like no energy at all. It is just because of the stupid plot, it destroys the mood of the movie. The acting is fine, Raven's acting is full of energy but Martin's acting is not as well as I expected. The chemistry between both of them is fine and when almost reach the ending there will a part which is quite touching. I can say that, the actor are enjoying acting in this movie but the audiences are not enjoy watching it. The only few scenes which give the audiences the energy is the part where Melanie singing in the tourist bus with a bunch of crazy tourists. And there is a thing that I don't really understand, which is both father and daughter can do a perfect parachuting without a special training. This is impossible. Audiences sometimes seek for logic when watching a movie especially family genre film. This is a family genre film, many people whoever it is will like to watch it. And for people who like it sure hate me because I personally think this movie "Boring and sucks!".

Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro, 3 out of 4 stars

Will Ferrell and his team in "Semi-Pro". Are they Pro? Just wait and see.

Semi-Pro is a comedy directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell. The story of this film is set in 1976, it sounds like this is a true story but it's not. From the beginning of the movie, it started with a song called "love me sexy" sing by Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell). Jackie Moon is a singer, and he used the profits from the song to form a basketball team in ABA (American Basketball Association). He formed his team and the team called the Flint Tropics. One day, the ABA commissioner has announces that the ABA will be merged with the NBA. He told Jackie that there is only 4 teams will be absorbed into the NBA and the rest of the league will terminate operations. Tropics, is the worst team in the league and is impossible to make it into the NBA. So, Jackie has to do something to make his team to reach the top 4 in the league. But after few days, the commissioner told Jackie that his team must also have a stable fan base and must have 2000 fans attend in every games of the season. So, having a great talent in promoting, he begins to promote his team by wearing animal suits, dancing at the basket ball court and others. Then they play the games to make their team to the top 4. From the first 10 minutes of the movie, I found out that this film is not really funny for me, the jokes are quite lame actually, but the movie started with the song "Love me sexy" and I like it very much, the lyric is very funny and because of this song, it cover up the joke which I think is not funny. Until now, I still thinking about this song. This movie has a goofy plot, when almost reaching the middle of the first half, the movie started to have fun and I laugh all the way until the end of the movie although some parts are stupid and gross. Besides that, I like the spirits of the Jackie Moon in the movie. He give his team a strong spirits, tell them how to teamwork with each others and also three words "ELE" which is "Every body love everybody". Will Ferrell who also act in "Blades Of Glory", he done a good job by giving the sense of humor in this film. His acting is nice but still not as great as in "Blades of Glory", he didn't use his full talent to give the audiences more surprises and it feels like some of the idea are already seen in his previous film. Overall, despite having a goofy plot, this movie is really funny and enjoyable. I really enjoy every minutes of this film.

Witless Protection

Witless Protection, 1 out of 4 stars

Larry the cable guy and Ivana Milicevic star in this witless film, "Witless Protection".

Witless Protection, is a comedy directed by Charles Robert Carner. The story is about a small town sheriff, Deputy Larry Stalder (Larry the cable guy). One day, he's having an afternoon tea with his friends, then suddenly he spotted a high class woman named Madeleine (Ivana Milicevic), she has surrounded by four mysterious FBI agents. He knows something is wrong about them, so he set a trap and trying to save the women by kidnapping her. After that, he found out that Madeleine is actually a witness of one of a crime case in Chicago. Then both of them have to travel to Chicago to solve the case. First of all, all I want to say is this is one of the worst film in 2008. From the beginning of the film, it looks friendly to us, and some scene are laughable. After a while, you will found out that this movie is really stupid in the way you cannot imagine. This film has a lot of stupid conversation and that was still fine, but their action, their technique they solve the problem, and their mindset is really stupid. I didn't spent a lot of time laughing in this film when I watch through the whole 1 hour and 30 minutes. I think there is about 30 seconds of the scene from the movie that I really laugh which is from the beginning and after the first half of the movie . After the end of first half, it started to become a bit boring because of the stupid plot and it sometimes very insulting. But the only thing I like is the chemistry between Larry and Madeleine in this film, which is quite nice actually and the rest is a trash. This is really a soulless film. Overall, this film is really mindless, witless and it is consider one of the worst film in 2008.

Wanted

Wanted, 3 out of 4 stars

Angelina Jolie as Fox, an assassin from Fraternity in "Wanted".

This film is loosely based on the comic book miniseries as the same name by Mark Millar and it is directed by a Russian film director, Timur Bekmambetov. This film stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. The film begins with some brutal shootout which is some audiences will think it is ridiculous. Then the film focus on a guy named Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) who is an accounts manager work in a firm and he always bullied by his boss. Then his life change in a sudden after he meet Fox (Angelina Jolie) who save him before he was killed by an assassin named Cross. Wesley has been told that Cross has killed his father and want him to join the assassin group known as Fraternity. Before become an assassin, he was been trained brutally so that he will become a killing machine. After completed the training, he has to complete a few mission which is killing people. Before he's on the way to kill Cross, he realize that everything is not going the way he expected and he's going to find out who's the one who set him up. First of all, the story of this film is good, it has explain the history of the assassin group in the beginning. Other than that, it has a plot twists at the second half of the movie. Besides story, the action sequences is awesome, the only thing I can say is "Woow". Before you're going to watch this movie, you have to put your logical thinking at your home first, then only you can go watch it. It has a lot of stylish action which is impossible to do it in reality and when you watch it you'll just say "Woow" in every action sequences appear in this film. Besides that, there will be a lot of blood and gore in every action sequences, it is too great until we do not care about the story telling and keep on waiting for the action. This film also sometimes funny and sometimes dumb of course in a good way. I think it is really fun and it makes the audiences feel like the adrenalin is really pumping through their vein. This film also used a lot of jaws dropping CGI effects and it used a lot of stunt work too (I think so) and this is the elements which gives this movie a lot of kinetic energy. Besides action sequences, the acting is fine especially James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, but I'm quite admire the acting delivered by Morgan Freeman. Overall, a great action thriller which delivered a lot of stylish action, kinetic energy and violent. Stylistically cool!!

The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl, 2.5 out of 4 stars

Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson as the Boleyn girl in this historical drama, "The Other Boleyn Girl".

The Other Boleyn Girl, directed by Justin Chadwick and it is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Philippa Gregory. The film begins with two sister Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) and Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson), they are living their life peacefully at the country. At the other side, King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) has lost his son after his son was born. Both of the sister's father Sir Thomas Boleyn and uncle the Duke of Norfolk decided to choose Anne who is unmarried to become King Henry VIII 's mistress in order to increase their family status. Then both sister fight against each other for Henry's affection. First of all, this movie has a good story but not perfect in some other way. It told us the history of Anne Boleyn who after get birth a daughter named Elizabeth, Mary Boleyn and King Henry VIII. The story also tells us the 16th century aristocrat which the rules are made perfectly for them, the culture, and even their mindset. From the first half of the film, the plot progression are predictable. I personally like the second half, the story started getting more intense which have the feeling to keep on watching. Despite the predictable plot, this movie has a great solid performance delivered by Natalie Portman, she's really have a great acting in this movie. She shows her fear, her hatred and more just like act in her previous film "V For Vendetta". But the only thing that I not really admire is the chemistry between the two sisters. Besides acting, I personally don't really like the cinematography. The technique is like filming an action movie and it make this film feels like it is not a really historical film. It sometimes doesn't get a perfect angle of capturing motion and others but the lighting is good. Meanwhile, the costume design are nice. The costume and other elements are really fit for this movie and it also define the characteristic of the character in the movie. Both of them (Natalie and Scarlett) looks gorgeous in this film. Overall, this is a good historic drama about love, hatred and betrayal. Really entertaining and touching.