Movie Movie Movie

Last week, I went to see Mr Bean's Holiday.

Mr. Bean is heading to the South of France for a simple holiday in the sun. His voyage from London to the Riviera soon transcends into one of mischief and mayhem as he inadvertently creates havoc wherever he goes, culminating in an unscheduled and riotous screening of his own video diary at the Cannes Film Festival.

It's not as hilarious as it's series, but just OKAY for me. Not all his jokes are funny, most of them are predictable and lame.

For a family movie, it serve the purpose :)

3 1/2*

Movie-Movie-Movie

PAN'S LABYRINTH (DVD)
Richly imagined epic with PAN'S LABYRINTH, a gothic fairy tale set against the postwar repressions of Franco's Spain. It combines a historic and moral themes, Pan's Labyrinth unfolds through Ofelia's eyes, a dreamy little girl who is uprooted into a rural military outpost commanded by her new stepfather. Powerless and lonely in a place of unfathomable cruelty, Ofelia lives out her own dark fable as she confront monsters both otherworldly and human.

This really Alice-in-Wonderland-type for adult. I cried at the end. ;(
Very sad, unexpected ending...Directed by Hellboy's Guillermo de Toro, I give 4 1/2*



BORAT (DVD)
Sacha Baron Cohen - star of HBO’s hit comedy “Da Ali G Show,” takes his outrageous Kazakstani reporter character Borat to the big screen. In this hilariously offensive movie, Borat travels from his primitive home in Kazakhstan to the U.S. to make a documentary. On his cross-country road-trip, Borat meets real people in real situations.

This sarcastic-realistic-cruel-real-comedy man. He is BORAT, from Kazakstan (i failed my geograpy class-where the hell is this place-?). Leaving his native Kazakhstan, Borat travels to America to make a documentary. As he zigzags across the nation, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. His backwards behavior generates strong reactions around him, exposing prejudices and hypocrisies in American culture. In some cases, Borat's interview subjects embrace his outrageous views on race and sex by agreeing with him, while others attempt to offer a patriotic lesson in Western values. Wa-wa-wee-wa!

Hilarious. Jaw-dropping. Inflammatory. Dangerous. Subversive. Borat, a satirical Kazakh journalist caricature invented and portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen, has been called all this – and more. Borat became a phenomenon in the U.K. with the comedy series "Da Ali G Show," in which Baron Cohen's outlandish humor and razor-sharp satire on anti-Semitism, misogyny and racism, came to life through his creation's bizarre behavior and interviews.

Watch this movie -turn upside down for sure! hahaha... 4*


EPIC MOVIE (DVD)
The story centers on four grown-up orphans with very diverse backgrounds. One was raised by a curator at the Louvre, the second escaped from the perilous world of Mexican lucha libre style wrestling, the third survived a harrowing encounter with snakes on a plane thousands of feet in the air, and the fourth was once a member of the X-community. Together, the hapless foursome finds a ticket to Willy’s Factory, where they discover a shocking secret: Willy has been using orphans as a tasty, secret additive to his candy. Fearing that their lives are in danger, the quartet stumbles onto an enchanted wardrobe. When they peek inside, they are magically transported to the vast, far-away land of Gnarnia, where they meet a flamboyant pirate captain, some disturbed students of wizardry, and a wise-but-horny lion. Soon they realize that their troubles are only beginning when they learn of the evil White Bitch of Gnarnia that rules the land.

If you love Scary Movie, you surely love this 2 1/2*

300
In the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy.

Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, 300 takes over the screen like an invading horde. With all the gushing blood of a horror movie and the scope of a classic epic, the second film from Zack Snyder (who helmed the 2004 remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD) is an impressive visual spectacle. Gerard Butler (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) plays Leonidas, the king of ancient Sparta. The city is famous for its warrior philosophy, and Leonidas won’t kneel to the demands of Persia's King Xerxes (LOST's Rodrigo Santoro). Instead, Leonidas leads his 300-strong army against Xerxes's army of millions. Meanwhile, his wife (Lena Headley, THE BROTHERS GRIMM) campaigns in Sparta for the city to send reinforcements as she butts heads with the treacherous Theron (Dominic West, THE WIRE).

With its gore and scale, 300 marks director Snyder as a possible successor to Peter Jackson's throne. Jackson also got his start in horror with BAD TASTE and DEAD ALIVE, and the two men share a penchant for ambitious battle scenes. The huge fights in 300 rival Jackson's efforts in the LORD OF THE RINGS films. David Wenham, who starred in two of the Tolkien-based films, plays Dilios, one of the Spartan soldiers. Though the cast doesn't boast any A-list stars, the actors ably fill their larger-than-life roles. In a film filled with men, Headley stands out as Queen Gorgo. She matches her warrior husband in strength, while showing love toward Leonidas and their son. Though there are scenes that demonstrate the humanity of the characters, 300 is undeniably about bravery and blood, and it succeeds because of the stylish depictions of both.
4 1/2*

Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah

Hari ini dalam sejarah. Kenapa? Sebab... selama aku idup, ni la firsti time aku kena jangkitan congivitus, klu dalam base Jawa Azrin cakap sakit mate dengan kemerahan dan rase gatal yg sgt tak menyelesakan, omputih panggil pink eye (??)...

Yaa....aku sakit mate tapi aku tak leh MC sbb this week aku kena wat morning report, tapi tak pe.. Next week aku cuutttiii.. yehhh yehh yeehhh (mcm Letch ckp pagi tadik) Balik kampung ...woo wooo wooo... balik kampung wooo..wooo..wooo...

Hari ni 15 Feb, Ghost Rider dah kuar kat GSC IOI Mall.. Nak g tgk la petang ni ngan Azrin, nak booking tiket ke tak ek? Gazette mcm menarik je citer ni, pelakon Nicholas Cage tapi heroin dia tak cam...

Ni sypnosis citer ni..



Ghost Rider

[Trailer]

Starring. Nicolas Cage, Donal Logue, Peter Fonda, Sam Elliott, Eva Mendes
[full cast]

Release Date.15th February 2oo7

Movie Plot.A motorcycle stuntman, Johnny Blaze, makes a pact with a dark force, selling his soul to save his girlfriend. When the bargain goes sour and the girl isn't saved, Blaze is transformed, gaining raging superpowers. Based on the Marvel comic series.

CO's Review.The idea of the dark, brooding vigilante has been explored in many comic books and movies. "Batman Begins", "Spider-Man" and "Hellboy" (known locally as "Super Sapiens") are more or less based on the same theme. And "Ghost Rider", another colourful character brought to life from the Marvel comics stable by director Mark Steven Johnson, reeks of his 2003 "Daredevil" and the 2005 "Elektra" which were largely roasted by critics and shunned by cinema-goers.

However, after sitting through the first half-hour of the movie, it is clear that Johnson has gotten his act together for this one. He has learnt from the mistakes of "Daredevil" and "Elektra" and has redeemed himself with "Ghost Rider", a tale about a stunt rider seeking a second chance after selling his soul to the Devil. Ironically, this is also the redemptive 'second chance' for Johnson as film-maker.

Young Johnny Blaze (Matt Long) is a carnival motorcycle stuntman who discovers that his father (Brett Cullen) is dying of cancer. In a bid to save his dad, Johnny makes a pact with the Devil (Peter Fonda as Mephistopheles), trading his soul for the old man's health. However, something goes wrong with the deal and Johnny (now played by Nicolas Cage) is left wondering if he really has a charmed life or whether a 'guardian angel' is looking after him as he manages to survive all manner of crazy stunts.

Of course, Mephistopheles is still calling the shots and soon Johnny is transformed into the Ghost Rider, a hell-blazing vigilante on two wheels. This is all part of the Devil's plan to get Johnny to take down his power-hungry son Blackheart (Wes Bentley) who wants to usurp the Devil's throne. Blackheart soon learns about Johnny's weakness - his love for his childhood sweetheart Roxanne (Eva Mendes) who is now a TV reporter. In his battles against Blackheart and the Devil, Johnny finds an ally in the Caretaker (Sam Elliot), a mysterious guardian of a cemetery who may be holding the secret that the evil villains seek.

The plot structure, about the legend of Mephistopheles and a ledger book of souls, seems cliched and trite, even according to comic book standards. However, Johnson manages to overcome this by making Johnny Blaze human and realistic - transforming him seamlessly from motorcycle-rider to fiery vigilante. For this, we have to thank Cage whose portrayal of the vengeful protagonist is both credible and sympathetic.

The special effects, especially of skulls and other stuff bursting into flames, are fantastic and mind-boggling. But what is most important is that the technical effects are never allowed to overwhelm the narrative. Johnson keeps a fine balance between stunts and story flow and even throws in humour and wit every now and then. We can feel the energy and fun even if we can't stomach the supernatural conceits.

Also, there is chemistry in the romantic tangles between Johnny and Roxanne and they should delight the women in the audience. Mendes, as an Everywoman caught in an unbelievable mess, lends solid support although her role is not quite as demanding as Cage's. It is also amazing that the casting department has managed to find lookalikes for Cage and Mendes in Long and Raquel Alessi, respectively.

All in all, "Ghost Rider" is a well-made effort which should appeal to fans of the comic book as well as the casual cinema-goer seeking top class entertainment.