Summer Movie Review 2008 # 12: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Hellboy is back and better than ever. Big red now battles enemies from the unknown in this second installment from director Guillermo Del Toro. Showing hints from creatures in Pan's Labyrinth, he creates another mystic world of the supernatural. He mixes humor with action combined with great storytelling. Truly, he is one of the better directors fully capable of doing these types of films. Ron Pearlman was a great character playing Hellboy, and Selma Blair compliments by playing fire starter Liz. Their chemistry was fun and full of humor. The story seems a little reminiscent of Blade II’s storyline. Still, it is one of the better comic book films to come out this year. A definite must watch for fans of the first one. Hellboy II: The Golden Army 8.5/10

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 11: Tropic Thunder

Hands down, this is simply one of the best comedies I've seen in a while. With an all star cast top billed by Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Robert Downey, Jr. It's hard not to laugh at some of the dire situations these people put themselves in. They play actors making a war movie in the mountains of Vietnam. When their prima-donna attitudes costs the director to lash out at them, veteran soldier Nick Nolte advises the director to take it to the extreme - have all the actors on set and film the movie in real life, only that it got too real. This is actually one of the better films I've seen this year. It's not the typical comedy where something happens and the audience laughs, it's made funny because of the situations and lines the characters engage in. With a load of cameos from Tom Cruise, Matthew Mcconaughey, Jason Bateman, Tobey McGuire, Alicia Silverstone and Jon Voight - this is a definite must-see for everyone. Applauses definitely go to Robert Downey, Jr for playing 'a dude playing another dude disguised as a dude'... Honestly, I can't stop laughing from start to finish. Tropic Thunder: 9/10

Homecoming 2008

Having had my annual vacation last June, I forgot to post some of the memorable things I did when I went back home. Here some of them:

Beans, Rais, Me and FJ

New additions to my DVD Collection

My two moms

Onch, Me, Beans and Raissa

Onch, FJ, Me and Raissa

Yes, I'm drunk

Yeah, I know. Me being drunk is not a good idea

Beans and Me with Nat at the background

ANI semi-complete

What are ya lookin' at?

The new love team

Me gettin' a facial

I don't usually drink, unless on special occassions

Staring blankly

The four faces of drunkenness

Me and Densie

Me and Glai

Rais and Me

Strolling around SM Clark

@ Starbucks

My grandma and granpa @ Manaoag

Me and my 'lola'

ANI Reunion Studio Shots

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 10: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

The O’Connell’s are back… with a new mummy… and a new Evy? While veteran Mummy actor Brendan Frasier still came along with John Hannah, a new bunch of cast members joined in for the new Eastern adventure. The plot talks of a Dragon Emperor entombed by a sorceress which, as always, was awoken again by the O’Connell’s. The story was typical and yet something was lacking in the way it was written. The film was written by Alfred Cough and Miles Millar, responsible for the Smallville series and the superb Spider-Man 2. However, this film feels like it was written with the action sequences in mind. Sure those scenes are spectacular, but it didn’t match the fun it had that the past two movies had. The performances were average and the new characters were actually just offered well nothing new… yes even the great Jet Li didn’t feel so great. It is a fun watch the first time, but that’s about it. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: 5/10

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 9: Kung Fu Panda

"Everybody wants kung fu fighting..." That song actually only reminds me of those Jackie Chan films, which feature out of this world martial arts. It may seem that this film is another animated flick deemed especially for kids, but it seems the creators wanted something for adults too. While the story was typical of any animated movie (outcasts turns into the hero in the end), it was executed in a fun and funny way. The voices were also great. Performances by Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman and most especially jack Black gave life the cute furry characters featured in the film. It was definitely a fun movie, and a good break from all the smash blockbusters shown this summer season. Kung Fu Panda: 7.5/10

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 8: The Dark Knight

My most awaited movie of the summer turned out to be my most favorite film of the year. In this sequel to Batman Begins, we find Bruce Wayne dealing with the increased political and corruption in Gotham City. Along with that, a new kind of smile is lurking in the streets and he must stop it before he ruins the city. The story’s premise is simple yet it expands in a way that it shines a light on everyone’s desire to make Gotham City a better (or worse) place. The movie’s main quote “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” is played vey well throughout the film. As one tries to keep making the rights things, eventually in the end it’s him who becomes the villain. Watching this film definitely was fun, it combined a nice mix of action, great performances and storyline. Director Christopher Nolan definitely has a talent for writing and taking the Batman franchise on a darker tone. Performance need not to be mentioned as they were all superb. With an all star cast, each actor definitely gave their best for the part. Christian Bale was awesome as the Dark Knight, yet I still find it weird that he has a much lower voice when he’s Batman. Michael Caine has a less prominent part in this film, yet every scene that he’s in makes up for it. Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox was the all time creator of Batman’s weapons and armor and he plays the part with intellect and seriousness. Rachel Dawes is now played by Maggie Gyllenhaal taking the role previously played by Katie Holmes. I think Maggie played a better role in this, emphasizing that she’s no damsel in distress, even when she is. Detective Gordon played by Gary Oldman has a bigger part in this film and this clearly shows that he’s the right man for the part. Harvey Dent or most commonly known as Two Face, has an appearance in this film and Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal is another one that you shouldn’t miss. And who wouldn’t forget Heath Ledger’s excellent performance as The Joker? He simply breathed more life into the character. His no empathy for killing combined with slapstick humor makes it one of the most memorable performances in the film. Surely everyone agrees with me as this is one of the best films of the year! The Dark Knight: 9/10

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 7: Hancock

Nearly every summer movie has at least one or two superhero movies showing. While Hancock advertised itself as a superhero film, one thing is noticeable: this is not your ordinary superhero. Will Smith plays John Hancock, an alcoholic superhero that does more damage to the city than its criminals. Rejected by society, a PR agent played by Jason Bateman offers his services to change his image and ultimately regain the people’s trust. I actually liked the story, in which it really focuses in trials that a superhero faces and not in an epic way. Expect no major action scenes or villains talking to themselves. This is a different kind of superhero movie. It was also great seeing Charlize Theron on the screen again. The story is simple yet it offers a fun watch especially for families. Hancock: 7/10

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 6: Wanted

First of all, I had to admit I had a hard time getting the director’s name since it is so hard to spell. Timur Bekmambetov. There, I’ll just mention him once. This is the director’s first American movie and based on his last projects (Day Watch and Night Watch), this surely is an action combined with a unique style of directing. In Wanted, James McAvoy plays Wesley Gibson, an average guy looking for more exciting things to do in life – until he is approached by Fox (Angelina Jolie) who tells him that his has a blood of an assassin and asks him to join them in pursuing the guy that killed his father. Sloan (Morgan Freeman) is the one who gives their assignments, which is given by the ‘Loom of Faith’. Superb action scenes with a touch of humor make this one of my favorite films of the year. Every shot was great and though the plot was somewhat predictable, I still enjoyed the film and actually went on to watch it over and over again. Kudos to Angelina Jolie, who looks sexier doing action films which was her benchmark for films when she started. Wanted: 8.5/10

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 5: Get Smart

After last year’s Bruce Almighty failed to impress critics and moviegoers, Steve Carell gets another chance at a summer blockbuster with Get Smart, a remake of the 60’s (?) TV show that they said wasn’t even a hit. The plot is so simple a 12 year old can write it. In it, Maxwell Smart has to eliminate a rogue agent out to kill every secret agent out there. While they’d promise hilarious antics along with smashing stunts, in the end the movie felt hollow. Not even Anne Hathaway’s uberly hot looks can save the film. A thin plot and unfunny jokes make Get Smart not a smart watch. Get Smart: 5/10

Summer Movie Review 2008 # 4: The Incredible Hulk

After learning that Universal is planning to reboot the Hulk franchise with a new cast and crew, I was a bit skeptical. But lo and behold, I was pretty amazed by how this movie was presented. Rip roaring nonsense action all throughout. Some may diss off this new film with no story or plot, but overall it was an enjoyable ride. The effects were definitely better and I surely liked the new actors playing the parts. Edward Norton was great in the portrayal of Bruce Banner, along with Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross. William Hurt was also better than Nick Nolte in playing Betty’s father out to destroy the Hulk. The Abomination, played by Tim Roth was definitely a better villain than the last film. All out action and mayhem ensure in this summer blockbuster from the director of The Transporter. A must watch for fans of the comic books. The Incredible Hulk: 8/10

Updates, updates, updates

I guess there's a huge gap between my last and present post. Work has been very busy since I went on vacation and I nearly forgot to update this blog. Now that everything is in order, I shall be finishing the summer movie reviews I made of this year's summer blockbusters. Some movies were not in the list as I intentionally do not want to watch them.