Screensucked

I was a Speller in Atlantis Productions' "Spelling Bee"!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:25:00 +0000

Last weekend, I volunteered as a speller in Atlantis Productions' staging of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City.

The Tony Award-winning play is known for getting audience spellers and having celebrity spellers in each show. (Obviously, I was one of the audience spellers. :P) The celebrities during our show were model/TV host Phoemela Baranda and TV star TJ Trinidad.

The experience of being on stage as guest speller was fun and memorable. I was given some guidelines by the production staff like what questions to ask and what to do on stage. One important reminder was to follow the instructions and directions of the cast members on stage.

I have to say that being a guest speller is a misnomer because you do more than spelling! Some of the directions the actors will give you are to do some very simple dance movements and actions like clapping and reacting to other actors. There's more, but I'd like to keep it a surprise for future volunteer spellers in later productions. :P It's just too bad that I didn't get a photo of myself on stage during the show.

If your comfortable being on stage and a good sport, I definitely recommend volunteering as a speller in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee if you get the chance at a production in your area.

Technorati: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Photo on Philippine Star

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:12:00 +0000

Yesterday, one of my good friends texted me saying that she found a photo of me and my girlfriend in the Philippine Star, one of the top daily newspapers in the Philippines. Like most people, I was surprised and immediately bought that day's issue.

I found the photo my friend was referring to at the Lifestyle section. The spread was about the recent premiere night of Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. The spread featured other personalities like celebrities and bloggers.

Of course, I'm happy that the folks decided to add the picture (although I'm still not sure why :P).

But it was one pleasant surprise. :)

Technorati: Philippine Star

7-Eleven Launches Big Bite Match Competitive Eating Challenge

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:36:00 +0000

7-Eleven recently the first competitive hotdog-eating contest in the Philippines. Dubbed as the 7-Eleven Big Bite Match, this contest will pit the country's top gastronomic challengers for the top prize of PhP 500,000.

In the recent media launch, competitive eater Tom "Goose" Gilbert came and gave a sample of how trained eaters consume hotdogs in very quick succession. In a face off against Filipino challengers, Goose bested them by eating 10 hotdogs in 3 minutes and 12 seconds. Talk about eating fast! :)

I've never seen a person eat that much hotdogs and I'm sure seeing the record holder of 68 hotdogs down the frankfurters would be a sight to see. Here in the Philippines, we may see our best eaters gobble up tons of Big Bite hotdogs in the finals on August 29, 2009.

--

Bloggers I saw in the event:

Technorati: Competitive Eating

Movie Review: Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:24:00 +0000

Family entertainment just took a good turn with Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

The third installment in the Ice Age series is definitely better than the second offering (Ice Age 2: The Meltdown) and the addition of a new character gave life to the adventures of the unlikeliest herd in the Ace Age: Manny (Ray Romano), Diego (Dennis Leary), Sid (John Leguizamo) , Ellie (Queen Latifa), plus Crash (Sean William Scot) & Eddie (John Peck).

Undoubtedly, the character, Buck the Weasel (voiced by Simon Pegg) stole the show. His crazy antics and oft-kilter behavior made the movie lively and could well be a star of his own animated movie. If you ask me, Buck's addition is like adding Puss in Boots in Shrek-- it was a franchise-saving move.

Animation-wise, the film is superb and since I watched it in Digital 3D, the film experience was tremendous. (More on the 3D experience later. My only nitpick is the over-all blandness of the story and the tiring slapstick of Sid. But bottomline is its a great family movie.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a must watch for parents and kids. And if you can watch it in 3D, take the opportunity! :)

Rating: 4/5

--

I watched this film in the newly opened Digital 3D theater in Trinoma Mall in Quezon City. The theater was packed with guests, media, and several celebrities.

I was very much impressed with the new theater and I hope that this technology could be brought to other Ayala cinemas as well. :)

Technorati: Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Movie Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:48:00 +0000

Two years ago, the first Transformers movie captured the hearts of fans of the 1980's cartoon and the robot action figures. As a matter of fact, it netted over US$300 million in box office receipts and generated momentum for a sequel. Heck, even oft-criticized Michael Bay was hailed for his ability to mix humor and mechanized action scenes.

What about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?

Let's just say if the Transformers is going to be a trilogy, this second installment is the weak movie that will let you hope for the third movie.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is overly long (2.5 hours!) and it could have benefited from more thorough editing. There are sequences in the final hour of the movie that could have been left in the cutting room. (Clue: desert action in Egypt). Plus, the plot is just unsatisfying, even for a fan like me. It involves the "All Spark" (again!) and the links of humanity's past to the Transformers, but it's just too winding and shoddy if you ask me.

The only saving grace is the action scenes, which director Micheal Bay seemed to mastered the art of. A great deal of them involves the Autobots and Decepticons in human-like combat, and they are more fluid and dynamic. Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox reprise their roles and they provide the needed human element in the film. Not that they were excellent, but they were able to givea decent amount of humor and some romance in the robot battle-fest.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a huge drop-off from the first film. If the box-office results reflect the movie's over-all quality, then we have a film franchise that has fallen from grace.

Rating: 1.5/5

Technorati: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Movie Review: The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:21:00 +0000

First off, I'm not from New York City and I didn't watch the 1974 original film starring Walter Matthau. Too bad for me because I think those two things would have made the experience of watching The Taking of Pelham 123 much better.

Set in modern day New York City, the film is about the hijacking of a subway train by a loose cannon named Ryder (played by John Travolta) and how a disgraced Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employee (played by Denzel Washington) becomes the accidental hero. Like many films directed y Tony Scott, the movie features lots of fast cuts and hyperkinetic action that will satisfy the popcorn crowd.

But this film is no Die Hard-- the plot is hard to follow and the film, in my opinion, gets confusing as I had a hard time following the motivations of the hijack and Ryder's intentions. Likewise, the hero of the film is just too drab. Washington plays a family man, but I never got to root for him. (Heck, I found Ryder's ingenious plan more admirable!)

But the 2009 version of hijack classic is an update that makes sense today. From the energy, the technology, and the post 9/11 sensibilities, The Taking of Pelham 123 is a nice ride.

Rating: 3/5

Technorati: The Taking of Pelham 123

Smart Sandbox Media Event at A. Venue

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:04:00 +0000

Smart Communications, the Philippines' largest telecoms provider, held a media event for the launching of Smart Sandbox. The event was held at the A. Venue in Makati City, and it was well-attended by television, print, radio, and online media folks. The program was hosted by deejays Mo Twister and Mojo Jojo of Magic 89.9.

Since I've been part of the beta testing group of the new local social network, I've known almost all about the project and I've even posted my evaluation of Smart Sandbox. The surprise for the evening was the official release of the four different television commercials of SandBox (I think this is the first time a website in the Philippines will be given such promotional mileage). The new commercials star superband The Eraserheads, Ateneo basketball stud Chris Tiu, and celebrities Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Piolo Pascual, and Angel Locsin. Here's the old TVC Smart showed initially:

Of course, healthy contingent of Filipino bloggers were there. Here are some folks I saw:

If you were there, don't be afraid to gimme a poke, OK? :P

Technorati: Smart Sandbox

Movie Review: Drag Me to Hell (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:51:00 +0000

After doing the Spider-Man circuit, director Sam Raimi is back on the horror genre and fans should be happy-- Raimi's Drag Me to Hell looks like an instant horror cult classic.

Drag Me to Hell stars Alison Lohman as Cristine Brown, a bank employee who finds herself tormented by an evil spirit after publicly humiliating a gypsy witch. In the next three days Cristine experiences frightening visions and violent visits from the evil spirit, while trying to maintain her professional life and personal relationships. It is in that context where Raimi finds the nice balance between the scary gore-fest and campy humor.

At some point during the movie, I realized that it was getting a little more over-the-top and scary that I didn't take the film to seriously anymore and just enjoyed the jolts and the scares. I then had a glimpse of what Raimi was trying to do: come up with an old-school horror movie away from the "Ring's" and "Saw's" of the world.

And it looks like Raimi has succeeded: Drag Me to Hell is in the Top 50 rated Horror movies in the Internet Movie Database.

Note: The Philippine version of the movie has far too many cuts and edits. And that really diminishes the Drag Me to Hell experience.

Rating: 4.5/5

Technorati: Drag Me to Hell

Movie Review: Terminator Salvation (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:11:00 +0000

The Terminator is back!

But instead of machines form the future going back to the present day, Terminator Salvation is set on the bleak future, where the machines have taken over the world, and the human rebellion are fighting tooth and nail for survival. Christian Bale plays John Connor, the spiritual leader of the human resistance.

The film is action-packed, as with most movies helmed by McG-- the special effects are top-notch, there are sequences where the camera perspective will put audiences in a thrilling ride, and even a certain terminator we are familiar with makes a cameo. (let's call him Ah-huld).

If you take Terminator Salvation by itself, it's a very good summer movie. But what hurts it is its need to tie everything the previous three Terminator movies together and fails to clearly answer some key questions. This will definitely confuse folks who have not watched the previous films.

As I've said, Terminator Salvation is an excellent sci-fi film, but be ready to be disoriented a bit. The film starts on a new thread on the Terminator mythology, much lie what a rest button does to a machine.

Rating: 3.5/5

Technorati: Terminator Salvation

Movie Review: Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 23 May 2009 07:07:00 +0000

After watching Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, I thought I heard a big thud. When I checked, it was the film’s huge drop-off from its enjoyable predecessor.

To be honest, you can liken the this sequel's drop-off to Men In Black 2’s tremendous slide from the first Men In Black film.

What happened to Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian?

The film was supposed to be more interesting, since the backdrop is now the Smithsonian Institute, the world’s largest museum. There were definitely more historical and larger-than-life characters, but the absurdity of the plot and the rather shallow story eventually gets in the way. The lightweight quality of this film made this a snooze-fest for me.Heck, most of the jokes were derivatives of gags from the first film.

Ben Stiller seemed like he held back on the comedy and focused more on being the “accidental hero” once again. Amy Adams is a delight as always, and the rest of the cast (with the exception of Hank Azaria) were forgettable.

Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian makes for decent family entertainment, only is you leave your inclination for logic and consistency outside the movie theatre.

Rating: 1.5/5

Technorati: Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian

Movie Review: Angels & Demons (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:56:00 +0000

A few years ago, I read Dan Brown's Angels & Demons after finishing The Da Vinci Code, and my evaluation back then was that I found Angels & Demons better than it's sequel.

A couple of days age, I watched the film adaptation of Angels & Demons and my assessment is that it's a much better film better than its prequel, The Da Vinci Code.

If that just sounded confusing, don't worry: I'm just channeling my inner Dan Brown. :P

Anyways, Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon is back in a movie that surely will get the attention of the Catholic church, but this time, he spends most of the film deciphering clues about the secret society Illuminati and tracking down a murderer in Rome (as opposed to raising issues questions about Jesus Christ and the Holy Grail). This thriller is much tighter than its predecessor and the mix of Renaissance-old intrigue and going around the Vatican make for good entertainment.

However, I found the movie a bit too long (I really felt all, and I think there was something lost in the adaptation of the because I remember the story of Angels & Demons much more compelling when I read it. Also, take the "facts" presented with a grain of salt, because 1) there are a lot of inaccuracies and 2) this is a work of fiction.

But nonetheless, Ron Howard's Angels & Demons is a gripping thriller that may be the best grown-up entertainment this summer movie season.

Rating: 3.5/5

Technorati: Angels & Demons

Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:28:00 +0000

I gotta be honest here: I was never really a Star Trek fan.

To wit: I've never watched any of the previous Star Trek movies, I've never really enjoyed the USS Enterprise adventures, I've never participated in the whole Kirk-Picard debate, and I've always thought that Star Wars was better.

But after watching the J.J. Abrams version of Star Trek, I'm ready to boldly go where I've never gone before.

This film is such a slick, and action-packed update that I think it's a good study for making sci-fi material into box-office gems. I think the movie has a great amount of exhilarating sequences, the right amount of humor, and, of course, space scenes that would make fanboys sigh. I also like how the film was able to integrate the 1960's look, from the clothes to the technology design (notice the ships' designs)

As far as the ensemble cast goes, I found Zachary Quinto's Spock much, much more interesting than Chris Pine's James T. Kirk. The rest were given ample attention, but the ones that stood out were McCoy (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), and Scotty (Simon Pegg).

There's really not much to dislike about this version of Star Trek. If this latest version of the franchise is the new start of the film franchise, Star Trek will live long and prosper.

Rating: 5/5

Technorati: Star Trek

Movie Review: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:38:00 +0000

In an age of mashups and remixes, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past offers an intriguing variation: A Christmas Carol, The Rom-Com Edition.

Matthew McConaughey stars as Connor Mead, a relationship-phobic playboy who attends his little brother's wedding. The not-so-surprising catch is that Connor sees nuptials the way Scrooge views Christmas. Connor's cynical view of relationships and desire to stop his brother's wedding mystically summons the ghost of his uncle Wayne Mead (played by Michael Douglas). In order to correct the error of Connor's ways, Wayne arranges three ghosts (which represents the past, present & future) to visit Connor. And from there, you already have an idea what would happen.

The film is decent escapist fare, but the problems with Ghosts of Girlfriends Past start with the lack of sparks between McConaughey and his leading lady Jennifer Garner, and the lack of originality. There's really no twists, no surprises. There's the requisite mushiness, but it fails to carry the movie.

It's too bad that remixes like Ghosts of Girlfriends Past fail to recognize the idea behind remixes-- something fresh should spring from the new derivative.

Rating: 2/5

Technorati: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Häagen-Dazs Escape to Hawaii

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:05:00 +0000

A friend of mine, the brand manager of Häagen-Dazs in the Philippines, invited me to the launch of one of the ice cream brand's flavors last May 8, 2009 at the SM Megamall Atrium.

Häagen-Dazs' new flavor is called Macadamia Nut and to celebrate the arrival of this new flavor, the Escape to Hawaii promo was launched, where lucky customers will have the chance to win a vacation to Hawaii. The launch was marked by nice Hawaiian-inspired musical numbers, treatments from The Spa, and of course, a sampling of the Macadamia Nut flavor Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

I tasted the new flavor and it reminded me of those macadamia nut candies from Hawaii. I think you should try it out. :D

Technorati: Häagen-Dazs

Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:39:00 +0000

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is that kind of movie that puts me in a weird spot when I blog my movie reviews. I've been a big fan of the X-Men comic books since I was 12 (although I'm not that high on Wolverine), and I find it hard to separate the fanboy perspective from the movie fan/geek perspective. But I'll do my best. :P

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a prequel to the X-Men trilogy and (as the title indicates) focuses on how Wolverine became the indestructible brawler everybody loves. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Logan/Wolverine and he gives the role credence, thanks to six adamantium claws. But his performance couldn't save a so-so story.

Take the archetype of the "fierce warrior with a heart," which Wolverine fits the template, and add to that how the stereotypical "soldier who retired but was dragged back into the war" shtick molds the story, then you have film cliche. But what I found enjoyable about the film the super-powered battles and action. I also found interesting characters (from the mutants to the mercenaries like Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool) and seeing them bounce around the film with their powers appealed it my fanboy side.

With X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I realized how Wolverine could be a cornerstone of a the X-Men film franchise, given better material. But this film is an OK start. Just a quick note: There are many deviations from the comic book versions so be warned!

Rating: 3/5

Technorati: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Movie Review: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:42:00 +0000

I was quick to dismiss Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day as a period chick-flick but after watching it, I thought it was a surprisingly good film. What I find also surprising is that the novel the movie was based on was written 70 years ago.

The story is set in 1930's London where Ms. Pettigrew is an out-of-work and homeless British governess who stumbles into Delysia, an American entertainer with big ambitions. We see the dynamics of the odd pair that happens in only one day: Ms. Pettigrew is thrust in Delysia's glossy world of cocktail parties, lingerie fashion shows, and affairs with men, and Delysia is in an internal tug-of-war between her career and personal life until Ms. Pettigrew gradually shows her the way.

The story may be as basic as a 1930's film, but the core of the film are Frances McDormand as Guinevere Pettigrew and Amy Adams as Delysia Lafosse and they are the reasons why this film is delightful. Amy Adams is just stunning and a delight to watch in the movie.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a feel-good film in the spirit of the classics-- good romances, easy to like characters, and, of course, a happy ending. Good to watch on a movie date. :)

Rating: 4/5

Technorati: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Movie Review: 17 Again (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:44:00 +0000

Zac Efron's first release that's not part of the High School Musical franchise is proof that he has the talent and charm to carry a film, especially one that's targeted to young teeners.

17 Again follows the footsteps of Big and 13 going 30, where the protagonist a version of himself/herself but in a different age. In this case, 30-something Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry) mystically becomes the 17-year old Mike (Zac Efron) and he tries to figure out what he must do return to his normal self. As a teenager again, Mike encounters his two children and helps them cope with teen pressures and bullying, and he also gets another chance patch things up with his wife. (Doesn't that sound too familiar?)

For some, Zac Efron in a movie is enough. but for good measure, Zac is surrounded by great talents like Thomas Lennon, Leslie Mann, and Melora Hardin (of The Office fame) to keep things a more interesting. But despite how many times Zac Efron flashes his smile and the funny situations the film presents, the story is pretty predictable and lightweight. And oh yeah, there's the occasional dance number. (ack!)

17 Again is a harmless Zac Efron film that will melt the young girls hearts. Guys and boyfriends beware.

Rating: 3.5/5

Technorati: 17 Again

Movie Review: T2 (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:00 +0000

I think T2 (or Tenement 2), starring Maricel Soriano, is a pretty innovative film because it is breaking open an new genre: The Horror-Drama genre. For a horror film, it's too little on scares, but it has too much poignant and light drama scenes, especially during the long set-up in the beginning.

T2 is the story of Claire (Maricel Soriano), a social volunteer, who helps kids to be adopted and find long-lost relatives of children in foster homes. She's an emotional wreck because her husband (played by Derek Ramsey) is preparing to end their marriage. In a way to escape her troubles, she volunteers to escort a child to his adoptive parents.

In one of her trips, she encounters Angeli (Mika Dela Cruz), a despondent child who always seems to be surrounded by supernatural phenomena (can you say cliché?). Claire takes her from the province into her aunt's home in Tenement 2 (T2). By this time in the story, the story is half-way through and the scares director Chito Roño weren't working for me any more. (Perhaps I found it too implausible that Claire was not too spooked by the events surrounding her and Angeli).

If you plan on watching T2, please know that I think it is a sub-par horror film whose only saving grace is the cameos by John Lloyd Cruz and Carmen Soo.

Rating: 2/5

Technorati: T2

Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:28:00 +0000

I'm quite baffled that a film like Slumdog Millionaire gets to be shown here in Manila almost nine months after its initial release.

In case you haven't heard, Slumdog Millionaire was a slam sunk at this years Oscars-- it won Best Picture and Best Director for Dan Boyle.

Unlike Doubt or The Reader, the film is not buoyed by powerful performances by the lead actors. But rather, it's the story and the collective performance of the cast that sticks. The premise of the film is very interesting-- how can an uneducated tea maker from the slums of Mumbai get on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and seemingly know the answers? The film takes a Forrest Gump-like journey where we see the experiences of Jamal (played by Dev Patel) build into his limited knowledge and count when it really matters.

The film scores another point on the use of Mumbai as a backdrop for the film. I don't think the movie will be as effective if another locale was used (say, London or *groan* New York). You empathize with Jamal and root for him till the end.

Slumdog Millionaire. It's a great film you should't miss. (Speaking of can't misses, stay until for the ending credits for the Bollywood-inspired production number for "Jai Ho.")

Rating: 5/5

Technorati: Slumdog Millionaire

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Leaked!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:10:00 +0000

Score another point for movie piracy as X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked online almost one month before its intended release.

Reports have said that an "incomplete and early version" of the film starring Hugh Jackman found its way into P2P sites and that the FBI is trying to find the original source of the leak. Film producer Fox said that the version that was leaked was still very rough-- it still had special effects missing and had temporary sound.

I'm a big fan of the X-Men film franchise (well, except the last X-Men film) and this is a big blow to the film. Online reviews have appeared and they have slammed the upcoming Wolverine film. I just hope that Fox will be able to turn the movie around with re-shoots and better special effects.

My crazy theory: There is the possibility that the leak came from Fox and they want to generate enough buzz to promote the film... much like a viral video. The film, prior to the leak, had not been in the radar of many fanboys. Let's see how this will unfold.

Technorati: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Movie Review: Fast & Furious (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:26:00 +0000

I was a big fan of 2001's The Fast & The Furious, but not the two sequels that followed. Now that Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are back to reprise their roles from the original, is it enough to hotwire the franchise?

Fast & Furious tries to bring back to the elements that made the street-racing genre-- adrenalin-pumping chase scenes, very fast cars, and big crashes. The required ingredients are there to make it a nice street-racing movie, but it lacks in almost every other aspect (story, acting, dialogue, etc.). It seems to me that the mandate of the producers to the creative team is "Make the car stunts the stars of the movie!" (BTW, Vin Diesel is a producer of the movie).

Director Justin Lin tries to inject the story with human emotion (anger, romance) but the cars overtake the humans. You'll find it hard to sympathize with both Vin Diesel and Paul Walker because either the film doesn't devote that much time for you invest emotionally and root on them or the actors are just not convincing. There's a token twist in the story, but it's hardly compelling.

Fast & Furious is an average action film that doesn't match the speed and intensity of the previous model.

Rating: 2/5

Technorati: Fast & Furious

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart Fired from "New Moon"!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:15:00 +0000

There have been reports that Twilight stars Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart have been fired from "New Moon," the sequel to the successful teen-vampire drama.

Producers have cited the gross lack of professionalism of the pair. Said one anonymous source close to the production: "Robert Pattinson had been peen a pain in the a** since filming started. He actually thinks he's Edward Cullen-- he hired Michael Jackson's dermatologist to get that scary pale look 24/7 and ordered deer blood to replace his bottled water. He also commanded the production staff to burn all DVD's of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire"

Said another producer: "We let Kristen Stewart go because she had major insecurity issues and it was getting in the way of filming. She had her agent force the special effects team to make her look like Paris Hilton, sound like Miley Cyrus and controversial like Rihanna. She actually welcomed our move because it gave her the chance to accept the role for High School Musical 5."

The producers said that they are replacing Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart with Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley) and Lindsay Lohan respectively.

April Fools!

Technorati: New Moon

Movie Review: Knowing (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:18:00 +0000

A lot of movies in the past has explored life as a series of pre-determined events and events that happen for a reason. This fatalistic outlook is very romantic in the sense that films tell us that no matter what the odds are, fate would find a way to put us in a better situation.

Knowing is a movie that looks into the possibility that life is already written and also looks at the other side-- where life is just a complete mess of randomness, a big glop of accidents and coincidences. Also throw a lot of apocalyptic and extra-terrestrials mumbo-jumbo, then you have a film that tries to say a lot of things. And that makes Knowing a big disappointment, despite Nicolas Cage's subtle performance.

Watching Knowing is like watching a patchwork of different genres-- thriller, action, and sci-fi, only that the pieces don't fit well. The films start of a mystery, where you wonder what the heck is going on with the predictions a girl made in the 1950's that all came true. Then it becomes an action-thriller where the disaster scenes are just riveting and, even disturbing. But when it devolves into a sci-fi "end of the world" epic-- all bets are off.

If I knew beforehand that Knowing would disappoint... well, you get the picture right?

Rating: 1.5/5

Technorati: Knowing

Movie Review: Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Dreamwork's Monsters vs. Aliens seem to be poised to be a major player in the CGI animation movie space this year with a very interesting concept, but it falls really flat... like the the blue blob character that always gets flattened. (Well, that character is named B.O.B., and he is voiced by Seth Rogen.)

The film has a couple of good things going for it: (a) the voice actors are just superb, with the aforementioned Seth Rogen, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Colbert, and Rainn Wilson; (b) the concept of bringing together a rag-tag team of Classic sci-fi monsters a la The Justice League or X-Men is just irresistible. So why do I think the movie is so-so?

The story is just too plain, nothing out of the ordinary for me: The film deals with the transformation of bride-to-be Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) into "Ginormica," the 49 foot woman, and her joining the elite team of monsters that the U.S. government is keeping. She initially hates her situation, but thanks to the bond she develops with the other monsters and their mission to save the planet earth from an alien attack, she learns to love herself as a "monster." Ho-hum.

The film does have its share of laughs, courtesy of B.O.B., but other than that, it's really standard fare family entertainment humor. If you probably don't expect much as you enter the cinema, you'll be fine with Monsters vs. Aliens.

Rating: 2.5/5

Technorati: Monsters vs. Aliens

Movie Review: Taken (2008)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:52:00 +0000

A conversation that took place in my head:

"Liam Neeson unleashes a full can of whoop-ass in the action film Taken."

"Hey, isn't that the movie where Neeson vows revenge on a group of kidnappers who took his daughter? Isn't that too anachronistic of an action film? Like 1980's anachronistic?"

"Yeah, but it works. Liam Neeson channels his inner 'Dirty Harry' and Steven Segal and brings action back to basics-- no big explosions, but high on broken bones and twisted necks."

"Fine. How about that Maggie Grace girl? She played that bitch Shannon in 'Lost,' and I heard she sucked big time in the film."

"Well, unfortunately, yeah. She was supposed to play a 17-year old girl, but she wounded up portraying a lanky, uncoordinated 13-year old who wishes for ponies on her birthday."

"Ugh. Sounds bad. But I still can't over the death of her character in 'Lost.'"

"Yeah, but good thing the story is plausible and it's set in Paris. So you'll see a lot of baguettes and the occasional scenic shot of the Eiffel Tower."

"Mmmm... baguettes..."

Rating: 3.5/5

Technorati: Taken