Voltron Force. Episode 1

There seems to be a resurgence in everything 80s right now. And this is probably one of the better ones. Although the animation is not as good as the new Thundercats. But unlike Thundercats, this isn't a reboot. It's a continuation.

Yes, that's Keith. Retaining his mullet from the eighties.

So there's actually a Galactic Alliance academy. The new characters are actually cadets there. And there's one new black character.

Not to be racist, but the whole old crew was white.

So far, there's only two new characters. And all the guys in the old crew are here. So where are the girls? Where's Princess Allura? Probably in Episode 2.



*pics from VLC

Captain America: The First Avenger

The things I did not like about Captain America:

1. The historical inaccuracies
There were no black people in World War II.

Well, technically, there were. But they had their own batallion. You see, there was this thing called segregation, people. Black people did not fight side-by-side with the whites. If you don't believe me, see Band of Brothers. Everything I learned about World War II, I learned from Steven Spielberg. Just kidding.

P.S. I don't think there were Asians in World War II, either. Even those from Fresno.

See? No black people. Nor Asians.

Being A Nuffnang Blogger is the Hottest Thing Since... Cowboys. Or Aliens.

Okay, we just want to watch Cowboys & Aliens. Because it stars Harrison Ford. And Danny Craig. (Danny?)

To explain the title: Once upon a time, cowboys were hot. American kids used to play this game called Cowboys vs. Indians (nope, not a Supreme Court case). The jocks were always the cowboys. The nerds and the losers were Indians. That's because being a cowboy is cool.

Christian Bale was a cowboy. And Christian Bale is hot.

Then came the 90s. We had this fascination with the unknown. Well, that was popular since the 50s, but it was only when our technology actually reached a point bringing Star Wars to reality did we come to embrace everything from the great beyond. Remember The X-Files? Aliens were hot then. As well as Agent Scully, of course.

It's the eyes. And the lips.

Also, we are required to say that Pizza Hut now offers Hot on the Dot Pizza deliveries: 30 minutes AND hot (as indicated by the thermally activated sticker you place on the pizza box upon receiving your pizza) or your pizza is FREE!

So please, please, please, give us free tickets. Because we want to see Han Solo whoop James Bond's ass.


P.S. We are also required to say this at the end of this post: Dial 911-11-11 if you want your pizzas Hot on the Dot!




*pics from Miss Strangelove and Wikia

New ThunderCats Series. Episode 1

As you may or may not have already read, I am not particularly convinced that the world is need of a new ThunderCats series. But in the interest of Science (yes, Science!), I decided to check out the first episode that premiered last Friday anyway. (Also because my previous rant about the announcement of the new series got a lot of hits over the weekend.)

So let's start with the bad:

• I spent the first 10 minutes thinking I had accidentally downloaded a Furry version of Vision of Escaflowne or El Hazard. What is this world? This is not ThunderCats, by Thundera!



Welcome to Agrabah. City of mystery, of enchantment.

• The citizens of Thundera are complety ignorant of all things, "technology". Seriously, guys? The whole reason the original ThunderCats were alive when their SPACESHIP crash landed on a distant planet was because they were in SUSPENDED ANIMATION.
• Also, for some reason (and this is what irked me the most, honestly) Tigra is Lion-O's older brother (their father is a Lion, in case you were wondering) but it's Lion-O who is the crown prince. How does that even happen? Is Tigra a bastard? Was he adopted? Should he be renamed Ligra? Tigra's also a lot less ghei in the new series, boo. I liked that he was kinda sexually ambiguous before. Oh, was that just me?



Bromance

• I also can't get over just how anime everything looks. Haha.

On to the good:

• It takes getting used to, but it's actually very well done. The design of the castles, the buildings are gorgeous. The animation is fluid, although the incorporation of CGI with the 2D stuff isn't as smooth as it could be.
• I am also a little relieved that nobody looks like wrestling rejects anymore. No one's in speedo's yay! The costumes don't look as bad as I originally thought they did in the teasers, but Panthro still looks too much like Jet from Cowboy Bebop.

Overall, it's a pretty solid production with a very promising story. I just don't understand why it had to be a ThunderCat remake. You could replace all the 'Cats with original characters and still have the beginnings of a great animated series. I will admit, I got chills the first time Lion-O did the whole, "ThunderCats, HOOOOOOO!" bit.

Thunder, thunder, thunder, ThunderCats! Kamehameha!

So yeah, maybe I will tune in for next episode. For, you know, Science.



This review originally appears in Teluete's awesome blog, Gab Can Fly. Check it out.

Music Icons: Amy Winehouse

She died at the age of twenty-seven. That in itself is a sad thing. That she probably died of a drug overdose doesn't bother me. It's part of a rock star's lifestyle.

What's sad is that we will never be able to hear any new music from this promising new artist. If you don't think she's promising, let me just remind you that her 2006 album Back to Black made her the first British female to win five Grammys, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. Your argument is invalid.

Anyway, just as Heath Ledger's death deprived us of the chance to ever see any more of his great performances, so has Amy Winehouse's death deprived us of the chance to ever hear any new songs from her. She could've revolutionized music if she wanted to. She could've written the next timeless rock song. And she could've gone to rehab. But she said no. (I really had to put that in there.)


Amy Jade Winehouse. 14 September 1983 - 23 July 2011.


*some info from Wikipedia
pic from Clash Music

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. 3D

I watched this in 3D, despite knowing it was converted, because I thought it would feature a Wile E. Coyote-Road Runner short, which was supposed to come out with The Deathly Hallows Part 1. But since Warner Bros. didn't release that film in 3D, they just released the 3D short with Yogi Bear. Which of course I did not watch. Bummer.

Anyway, something good actually came out of watching this in converted 3D. I have realized that converted 3D isn't all that bad. Why? Because it's fake. Hold up, let me explain.

When you shoot in 3D (using two cameras), you are mimicking human binocular vision. So unless the stereographer does hyperstereo shots (meaning intense, unnatural 3D), the viewer will see the scene the way he sees real life. And after several minutes of looking at a scene which looks like real life, you'll forget you're watching a 3D flick. That is why we need hyperstereo─to jolt us out of our boring reality.

Converted 3D, on the other hand, is so fake, you know it's not real. Which is actually better, because you won't get used to it, and you'll be going, "Oh look, it's actually 3D" every couple of minutes. So it's basically like the filmmakers never want you to forget that you're watching 3D, so they show you crappy converted 3D, which actually has a better stereo effect than non-hyperstereo.

"You lost me at 'stereographer'."

So on to the regular review.

Now that the Harry Potter franchise is over, let us take a moment of silence and remember everything we've lost.

Matthew Lewis' Baby Fat

The Elder Wand

The Resurrection Stone

Quidditch

Voldemort's "No Hug" Policy

Fans Lining Up For the Movie

Tom Felton's Hairline

*Some info from IMDb
pics from Pop Culture Zoo, Tumblr, Swoonworthy, Your Props, Google Search, Blogspot, J-14, and Reuters



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow: Part 2. UK/USA. 2011.


Rating: Seven out of ten.
3D-ness: Six and a half out of ten.



You may also want to check out the other reviews of Deathly Hallows: Part 2 by Sue Denim and Mary Quite Contrary.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

THE LONG GOODBYE


I watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the last of the series, on Day One of its world release, and again two days ago. The movie had HP fans crying (no, I'm not referring to myself), and not because of what was going onscreen. It was their long goodbye to childhood coming to an end.

Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was all the action left out in the first part. Ultimately, the series ended with a quiet that didn't show much rejoicing, but rather like a sigh of relief when a heavy burden is lifted. I approve of this direction. It serves to balance the heavy bulk of action. You can see it used as a transition from the aftermath to their 11-year-old selves, as they escort their own children to the train station that first intertwined their friendships and eventually, their fates.

Casting has always been one of the stronger points of the Harry Potter movies. Snape, played by Alan Rickman for the entire stretch of the series, shined brightly in this last one. The misjudged. The underdog. The hopeless romantic. I loved him as a villain and I love him even more in this twist. He gets to have heart-wrenching breakdown scenes as the good guy while able to shift to the coldness of his old character in fluidity. Its crazy beautiful! The second movie of Deathly Hallows could have been named Harry Potter and Severus Snape, and I wouldn't mind. Another fine revelation is Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom, who has grown from a nerdy kid to a promising ruggedness reminiscent of Clive Owen.

Truth be told, I got fed up with the books because of the major letdown after Goblet of Fire (Book 4). I think it was also a financial move that the books were stretched to seven books, to kick back out of the worldwide demand of the HP generation. Anyway, the narrative development was growing old and it didn't sit well with my budding artsy-fartsy brow back in college. That was what growing out of something felt like. Or maybe Book 4 just had my hopes up too high, left unmatched by the rest of the series? Maybe. Still, it was a huge chunk of my childhood, and I felt teary-eyed knowing that a decade was spent with Harry Potter in my life, and knowing how the books helped me deal with preteen angst towards the gargoyles I live with (I mean it, they really do look like gargoyles). The child, as a wizard, gives the other child-wizards a chance to have control over an adult-dominated world, to level with the adults whenever their authority becomes abusive and unbearable. Not all parents or guardians have the capacity or desire to nurture others. Unlike children, who know instinctively how to be children, it seems parental instinct is hard to come by these days (a.k.a. my theory of the overwhelming success of the HP series).

From a boy who once lived in a cupboard under the stairs, Harry Potter gave children a world where they are called upon and are seen in the promise of what they could be, rather than whisked away and treated like a nuisance. All children around the age of ten who grew up reading the books must've felt a tingling in their hearts: "Maybe I am a wizard!" I know I did.



You may also want to check out the other reviews of Deathly Hallows: Part 2 by Sue Denim and Sting Lacson.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

It's time to stop delaying the inevitable. 

Seven, books, eight films, more than a decade of the magic that is the Harry Potter universe. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 was the calm before the storm and the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2  is the big, grand, epic finale. But allow me to rant a bit:

Spoilers abound. But really, who doesn't have even the slightest idea?

Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) gigling "I've always wanted to use that spell" is, I think, completely out of character. Granted the Hogwarts' Deputy Headministress has a bit of punk in her persona, she has more sense than that, especially knowing that all hell is about to break loose.

But it was a blast to see her and Mrs. Weasly kick ass.

The before-we-die kiss between Ginny (Bonnie Wright) and Harry (Daniel Radcliff) was forgettable. And so was Ginny, which is a bit sad. And speaking of kisses, the most awaited kiss between Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emma Watson) would have been nice if the camera showed the lip-lock.

And not just "the most awaited" shot of Ron's red hair. Pffft.

Overall, it feels a bit rushed. Although I agree that the cameras should follow Harry and Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), I felt a little robbed of the essential aspects of the Battle of Hogwarts. The whole grand battle is seen more in a macro scale: You see the massive number of Death Eaters and giants storm the castle, but we miss out on seeing Fred (Oliver or James Phelps?), Remus (David Thewlis) and Tonks (Natalie Lena) die. I thought the whole idea of splitting the book into two films was to be able to have time to show what counts, be it the magnificent special effects or the gravity of emotions that the story holds.

That's it, I swear, no more rants.

But all that said and let go, it may very well be a fitting end to the Happy Potterverse. I maybe just expected that it'll be too faithful to the book (Yes, I know films are different!). But it's not at all bad. Not bad at all.

My eyes were dry up until the scenes after this.  

The child actors have grown physically into and connected with their roles and it's evident that they gained experience acting side-by-side with most talented actors. Fiennes was really effectively evil. Bonham Carter playfully displayed her acting range. Ciaran Hinds as Aberforth Dumbledore and Kelly MacDonald as Helena Ravenclaw were unexpectedly awesomely cool. Special mention, though, to Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape, who as an actor and a complex character really stole the show for me.

"Eee-qual-ly..." guilty of making the audience sob in terror.   

It's bittersweet to bid farewell to Harry, Ron, Emma, Draco (Tom Felton) Neville (Matthew Lewis, who has a bit of a Clive Owen-feel now that he has shed the baby fat and has facial hair, plus a good sense of British humor), Ginny, and Luna (Evanna Lynch), and to Hogwarts and The Burrow. But as J.K. Rowling said, "Hogwarts will always be there to welcome us home."


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 gets an eight out of ten because Snape made me cry and because it is the last of its kind and we will all miss it. And because the child actors in the series kinda grew up fairly decent.


*Photos from daemonsmovies.com



You may also want to check out the other reviews of Deathly Hallows: Part 2 by Mary Quite Contrary and Sting Lacson.

Temptation Island (2011)

This was a remake from a 1980 cult classic, which was originally a Fox TV series (thanks Google!). I believe I wasn't one of the cult though.

T.I. fans, headed by their cult leader.

I didn't even know who the actresses were in the original.

I was thinkin' that she might be one of 'em, but she ain't.

This flick was just total nonsense. The plot just revolved around a bunch of people gettin' stuck on a desert island (in Pagudpod?), starving, hallucinating, and havin' sex. There was even this editing glitch wherein the Manila Sunshine (a shampoo brand or sunblock, whatever...) Model Search promoter or somethin' (an elderly lady in the film named Mrs. Syjuco, who I believe was one of the original cast) went up to the catwalk to do some announcements. Then the next shot showed her once again seated beside the catwalk. Now WTF GMA editing crew?! You guys can do better than that!

My favorite actress was of course, Ruffa Mae Quinto. She was the comic relief and brought life to an otherwise dull remake.

Without her, this film's a bust.

Marian isn't just a pretty face. I didn't know she could be wacky, too, which is absolutely a turn-on for men like me. Her actions could be extremely unrefined, not suitable for a woman with her looks. But she's able to pull it off! I'm not turned on by her palengkera voice though. Like an elderly woman shouting out stuff that she sells.

Like Echo, Marian was also originally discovered in the marketplace.

Solenn is a traitor. I didn't have the hots for her, at all! But as the movie went along, she seemed to transform into something like a gummy bear, somethin' yummy, or something of that sort.

Solenn is actually part Hebrew, and could trace her roots back to Judas Iscariot himself.

Heart Evangelista shouldn't be in the roster at all. She ain't sexy. And Lovi Poe? I can't say anything because there's really nothin'. They could've just swapped someone like Rhiann Ramos and some other Star Struck chick in their places.

There you go.

This movie really wasn't anything except for a few laughs. 4/10 for me.




*images from williambranhamhomepage.org, dahandahanlang.com, http://3.bp.blogspot.com, http://3.bp.blogspot.com, http://1.bp.blogspot.com, http://stbrigidccd.com

Ten Life-Changing Films

(Published in the Philippine STAR, p. Q-2, 10 Oct 2010.)


I have been asked to come up with a list of ten films that inspire change. All for the greater glory of mankind. This forced me to think then if I should enumerate the standard, feel-good, awe-inspiring movies that will make you want to change the world after watching it. There are lots of those, of course, like Schindler's List, or Gandhi. But then these are films about people who caused change. Inspiring though I'm sure they were, the films themselves did not really inspire the change. What I am looking for is the cinematic equivalent of Noli Me Tangere, a film that has actually caused change, and not simply a film about causing change.

There are some films that I would want to include here, but although they have caused change, those changes were not for the greater good. One example is The Godfather, a case of life imitating art imitating life. Modern day mob practices were actually inspired by this movie, with several high-profile mob bosses claiming to be huge fans of The Godfather. But since it’s about organized crime, which is a bad thing, it does not make it to this list.

And since this is just a straight-up enumeration, I will not be ranking the films. This is, after all, not a Top Ten list; just a list of ten films that have caused change. And for a semblance of order, I shall list the films in chronological order, from the earliest to the latest.

Bagets (1984)

I did not want to complete this list without mentioning at least one Filipino film. Fresh from the shackles of martial law, Philippine cinema finally gives the Filipino youth a chance to stretch their legs. Bagets gave birth to the matinee idols of the eighties, influencing everything from fashion to speech, and it has actually succeeded in making youth-oriented movies very popular at the box office, unlike the serious adult-oriented films of the seventies.