Frozen II Made Me a Fan

Frozen was a kid's movie with a simple theme of familial love aimed at kids to dispel the superficial notion of the idea of true-love's-kiss...well...I think Maleficent also did that...but yeah, cynical reinforcement through animated entertainment is always a good idea. Frozen 2 keeps the theme that true love's kiss is still stupid as in the paraphrased words of Idina, "I wouldn't idolize Ariel. Giving up her voice for a boy wasn't a very good idea." Although it wasn't a kiss that saved her, her naivety with boys caused her well deserved struggle. Let's admit it, a lot of Disney princesses were not very good role models prior to the last few ones. I want to throw an apple at Snow White, prick Aurora, cut Ariel's tongue, enslave Cinderella, and bury Jasmine in the desert...Belle...I like, she's a bit of an exception without discussing the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing. 

Growing up in the 90's, my Disney princess was Belle because unlike the others, her love story didn't take 3 days to turn into a full fledged romance, it took seasons. Although I do understand the timeline because we're talking about falling in love with a beast and not some prince charming...but you get the idea. There was friendship before love, and I'm an advocate of that! Puppy love is a pet peeve of mine, while love at first sight is overrated. And yeah, beast turning into a prince has always been my favorite Disney scene but was later ruined by Dan Stevens because the cartoon version was the embodiment of how I imagined prince charming should look like, not the lanky guy who doesn't suit well with a long blonde hair. Dan Stevens wasn't it. On the upside, I loved Emma Watson as Belle and liked the live-action version, it was a missed opportunity to capture that magical transformation moment. And so when Elsa came in as this regal but socially awkward super queen with a knack for design, I said screw Belle, I'm going with Elsa. She is by far the most powerful princess out there and she don't need a man to complete that point. This is repeatedly shown with her overcoming other elementals and taking on a tidal wave, twice. What I find fascinating in Elsa's character though is her impression on romantic love because she is where I'm at right now. There's nothing more fulfilling than going on an adventure of self-discovery without having to be a damsel in distress to any man. 

Me Before You

Some random conversations I had with the movie Me Before You:

Friend: Oh-ehm-gee! I can't wait for Me Before You!
Me: What's that?
Friend: A movie based on a novel that I'm reading.
Me: Ohhh~ (pretends to sound interested) Who's the actor?
Friend: Sam Claflin (with dreamy eyes and a wide smile)
Me: Who?
Friend: The guy from Love Rosie.
Me: Oh! Finnick!
Friend: YES! (shows movie poster)
Me: Nice! He got paired with the same girl from Love Rosie! They look good together.
Friend: No, that's not Lily Collins.
Me: Of course that's her!
Friend: Nope
Me: How can that not be her!?!
Friend: That's Emilia Clarke.
Me: Who?
Friend: You know, from the Game of Thrones?
Me: Noooooe...! (disbelief) 
*watches trailer*
Me: Oh-ehm-gee! I can't wait for Me Before You!

Book of Life

The first poster of Book of Life appeared in my local cinema months ago. At first glance I had mistakenly thought of it as a Tim Burton film, much like how I thought Boxtrolls was also directed by him. Let's just put, anything that is a dark rendered animation I assume Tim Burton is responsible by default. But by the end of the film it occurred to me that it did not have that magical Disney touch nor Brother's Grimm...grimness. No, it was distinctly beautiful in its own right that I'm actually glad that I decided to watch it in the big screen. Fox Animation did well on this one. The animation was flawless, even for supposed clunky wooden dolls running around doing chop-chop moves. The colors used--oh the gorgeous rendering of shiny glowing objects (because I'm obviously attracted to luminous stuff) that fills the background with flare--has mesmerized me throughout the film. The colors used remind me of videogames and locally published children's books, and that is always a good thing, personally. The soundtrack was also vibrant despite it being mostly acoustic ballads, thanks to the relaxing guitar plucking mixed with that velvety voice and Latin twang of Diego Luna--I ended up looping the song "I Love You Too Much" for at least an hour after the movie! 

I live for your touch

  I whisper your name night after night
I love you too much

The end credits was also catchy as it was sung by one of the happy couples who makes beautiful music together, Us The Duo. Urgh! If only I have a knack for music...makes me feel bitter to know their love story--Michael and Carissa Alvarado's--they even sang "No Matter Where You Are" at their wedding! >_< 

As for the movie...

The movie is a straightforward love story with that usual against-all-odds thing going on, but the theme also taps on death with the involvement of Mexico's famous fiesta Dia de los Muertos. There's an obvious tap on Mexican folklore, with the characters and terms being said. The skulls in the movie were more vibrant and ornate than Alexander McQueen's, far different from Jack Skellington's anatomy as well. There's the occasional humor mix of slapstick for the kids, and lines like "Why are you telling us these things!? We're only kids!!!" for the older folks like me. I actually found myself chuckling, especially at the emo kid.

Although there are some setbacks when it comes to character attributes, particularly on the supposed villain Xibalba, because he practically gave up nearing the end of the movie. He basically just stared at the hero and did nothing--wait--a lot of villains actually do that to help end the movie! My bad. Even the rivalry between the two leading men seemed confused many times, often overshadowed by their genuine friendship. What I did like was the portrayal of Manolo though, as his character didn't seem too linear unlike most leading men. He was like the wooden action figure of Prince Charming, only more well-rounded and a better version of. I also liked Joaquin, he was awkwardly charming and voiced sound's exactly like Channing Tatum! I also liked the characterization of Maria as this strong-willed woman, yet also hopelessly romantically inclined...a rather believable depiction of a modern-day woman. Other than the minor-forgivable setbacks, it's a delight to watch.

So watch it! Even Rottentomatoes certifies its freshness.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The success of Catching Fire is proof that when a film adaptation of a book is followed according to how the story was written many will be pleased. I may not have read the book, but my friends did and they loved the movie as much as I did. Not only was it a good adaptation, it was also a good movie. After leaving the theatre I wanted to run back and watch it the second time if only we weren’t so hungry since we skipped lunch for the 1pm screening. Prior to the meeting I received a text asking me if the movie date was a go. I immediately replied, “Yes, let’s meet an hour earlier so we can watch the movie ASAP. Watching the movie is an urgent matter.” That is because most of my friends watched the premier and so we were missing out as the hours ticked by. And in the words of my friend’s justification towards our fasting, “Dahil Hunger games panunorin natin kelangan hungry din tayong manunuod.” Because the movie was 1pm and we were there by 12nn and wanted nothing else but watch, we ended up eating lunch at 4pm in Brickfire which by the way served terrible steaks but satisfied my jalapeno stick craving.

I suppose what got me so much into the movie was that it reminded me of Final Fantasy VIII with the whole armies and artillery and military vibes and marching beats and costumes and the train—oh yes the train…just like Timber. They transported me into a world that I really liked staring at visually but dread to be a part of. It is because of this movie that I became a Jennifer Lawrence fan…and ended up watching hours of her interviews on YouTube. Now I know why Hollywood is in such buzz stalking her all over. She may talk a lot but she’s darn funny. You may get annoyed with her constant jabber but then she says sorry and then you’re back to loving her again. This is the first time I saw a Jennifer Lawrence movie wherein I watched it from start to end since I didn’t watch X-Men First Class, watched Hunger Games only on its last 30-mins, and chose to skip Silver Linings Playbook. After Catching Fire I scrambled to watch the movies and all her interviews. Now, I’ve watched two out of three and find nothing but admiration for the actress who seem to space out and include a gross topic in every show—she even talks about her uneven breasts! If Johnny Depp fits the role of Jack Sparrow like a glove, then J.Law fits the role of Katniss Everdeen like a pantyhose. Plus this is actually one of the few occasions that I am fangirling about the whole Peniss (Peeta-Katniss) romance because of Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson’s undeniable chemistry onscreen. If Bella had chosen Jason over Edward I’d probably just roll my eyes thinking, “that bitch!” But the thought of Katniss ending up with Gale would cause me to cry out, “injustice!” I used to find Josh irritating as he often lands the role of a whiney little brat and use his voice to annoy me, now we’re okay because I can watch him act and not roll my eyes. Liam…well…I’ve always found his big brother the hotter hunk so I won’t talk about him. Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth were awesome as Haymitch and Effie. Jena Malone made for a cool Johanna. Francis Lawrence…thank you! And the soundtrack was also spot-on.

I suppose I finally got the idea that the trilogy is a violent romantic tragedy destined to have a bittersweet ending as the plot of the bigger story is being laid out in this movie. I want to narrate the movie in the best way possible because I liked it so much but I don’t know how because I didn’t read the book and I was so engrossed in the film that I just want to watch it over and over again because I now have a girl crush on Jennifer Lawrence because of her performance…so here I go:

Catching Fire is the continuation of Hunger Games, although this movie had gotten so much better and the though I am keeping myself together because Mockingjay Part 1 is still 300+ days from now—and since Catching Fire had such an abrupt ending I will too—The End.

The anticipation of the next two instalments is making me want to scream Katniss-style (when she found out she will be a tribute the second time.) It was such a terrible cliff-hanger that I actually thought about reading Mockingjay…but of course I don’t read novels so I ended up reading wikia instead. The only thing missing now is to watch the narrative on the big screen since I trust the team can do the book justice this time. I shall end this with a suggestion from Josh Hutcherson on what to do while waiting for the next instalment, “Improve upon yourself, become a better person.”

*photos were from Hunger Game's Facebook page

Gravity

Gravity has intrigued me with its trailers since I first saw it. Effective teaser. Then I found even more reason to watch it because it's Sandra Bullock, then George Clooney. Yes, Sandra Bullock played more interesting roles than Mr. Clooney whose character is one-dimensional more often than not. One sad fact about watching this movie is that I didn't get to watch it in 3D. It could have gone from a 9 to an 11 out of 10 had I seen it in 3D...oh regret, I feel you.

It's one of the very few 2013 movies that actually got a 97% critic approval rating in Rotten Tomatoes...and those guys are vicious. They also got pretty high grades in other movie websites.

The setting may be out there, but Sandra's in-your-face acting was controlled enough not to set you off the edge. The story gives you a different perspective on a glimpse of man's nature represented through Ryan. If it wasn't such a big budget film with big screen names, I could have mistaken it for an indie film with how it was presented. The movie scared me more than Insidious 2 because the fear I felt was raw. Although the possibility of me being in the same situation as Ryan is as remote as me going to space, it made me feel glad I didn't pursue on my dream of becoming an astronaut. I've never seen space more up-close than this, and it is beautiful as it is dangerous. 

Note to self: Don't go to space.

The camera at times would shift into a first-person view that will either amaze you or freak you out. But mostly it's otherworldly. There's a lot of buzz from critics, all for a simple reason...it's a good watch. They did good. Nuff said. Watch it. 

Insidious 2

At a time when I was in need of a serious scare, I ended up laughing. Not necessarily a comedy, but when a friend suddenly yells, "si Ms.Minchin!" after the ghost slaps a little kid wearing a wig and growls, "Don't you dare!" it does tend to be funny.

I never got to watch Part 1, but I think I get Part 2 without having to see it. There are several parts intertwining the two movies, and it impressed my friends who watched the first movie. Me? It was okay. 

There are a couple of scary scenes, this one in particular:

The Croods VS Epic

Both movies premiered around the same time, so I missed both. It wasn’t until last week that I finally got to watch them.

Here’s a quick narration of the movies:

The Croods is about getting from Point A to Point B with life-lessons to be learned in between. Point A is the cave, Point B is paradise.

Epic is about a skeptical girl who is forced to believe when she suddenly becomes the 'chosen one' to protect a very special bud from dying or turning into evil. 

Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

I kinda-sorta liked Mortal Instruments the movie since I wasn't able to read the book. I'm not crazy about it, but I do like the whole concept of involving angels and demons and other folkloric characters...I'm not so giddy about werewolves and vampires though, but they'll work as extras...so fine! To my friends who read the book though, they felt betrayed as the movie confused them in a way that they didn't know what was going on since the movie did its own version of combining books 1 and 2 while deleting scenes in between. Can't relate!

7th International Silent Film

I got to watch my first silent film last night thanks my friend Mar and Elma who were kind enough to give me the extra ticket. Going there, I had no idea what I was gonna see nor hear. I was expecting to sit in a dark room, watch a black and white film, and hear my blood sloshing at sheer silence of the experience. Seeing what I saw and hearing what I heard made me so wrong...my expectations were quite naive, but the festival made my week. It was that awesome!

The Great Gatsby

from www.konbini.com

The Great Gatsby is a movie about Gatsby's great love for a woman. It seems as though the measures he took just make make her believe he's worthy of her were nothing short of grand. The movie delights you with stunning production sets and elegant costumes. It lifts your spirit up with the grandeur of upscale parties then slowly drags you down the more you get to know the characters until you're left with the heavy feeling of witnessing the fall of social climber all in the name of love. What makes it so much bigger than a love story are the involvement of themes such as oppression, domestic violence, social division, adultery, and money--lots of it.

The things that's worth the watch are the sets, the parties, the costumes, and the quotable quotes. Of course, the actors were a good fit to their roles in the movie--if only Leonardo DiCaprio made his accent a little more un-intentional especially when saying the line, "owd spowt." 

The movie is about Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Daisy (Carey Mulligan) but you see it through the eyes of Nick Carraway (Toby Maguire) as a witness to both sides of the story as someone being, "both within and without." But for me, The Great Gatsby the movie is represented in the persona of Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki) as a lavish woman who loves the intrigue and being present in the commotion of it all. She knows the secrets, but the character never interferes in the organic unfolding of the story, rather is part of the story that makes it beautiful.  

from edenliaothewomb.tumblr.com

Oz: The Great and Powerful

1. It's a Disney movie and comes true with their recurring theme of "happily ever after."

2. The script was written with good humor.

3. Mila Kunis was noticeably plump in the movie. 

4. Frank/Finley was one of the best sidekicks Disney came up with.

5. Glinda the "good witch" was obviously a big flirt. Peg: naughty librarian.

6. James Franco made Oz one cheesy character throughout the movie.

7. China Girl was one of the beautifully made character for the fantasy-ness of Oz.

8. I got the impression that there was a sense of urgency in ending the movie. Scenes were abrupt and just in a hurry to roll out the credits.

9. I clearly heard a child yell, "YUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" during the kissing scene.

10. I wish I watched it in 3D. . .

As we left the theater Ana mentioned as to why Disney allowed Oz to give an impression that it's okay to be cunning/deceitful and lie as long as it's for the greater good. I disagreed and explained that the movie's point was that there is good in all of us even if we believe that we are eviiiiiil. Well, how ironic of me to say that. >:)<

Les Miserables

Les Miserables is memorable to me in a sense that it gave me some of the darkest days and sleepless nights a few years back. I was 3rd year or 4th year   high school when I was tasked to be the scriptwriter of a 20-minute play, the Les Miserables. As an ignorant high school student, it was the first time I heard of the term, and reading the plot had caused so much confusion that I never really understood the story even after writing the script. 

Now, after seeing the 3-hour movie, I finally understood that the story was as confusing as the script I did. A lot of characters, multiple plots, and a span of over eighteen years of story progression...I just did the impossible, make a 20-minute-12-page script for Les Miserables. 

Here are my observations of the movie:

1. About half-way through the movie I realized that it was a musical because they were all singing even in times that they shouldn't. "Oh I was shot!" -Éponine. And after seeing wikipedia and the 50 songs of the movie, I knew they were darn too many!

2. I became a bigger Amanda Seyfried fan after she hit those high notes without losing breath or cringing.

3. I finally understood the irony of "I Dreamed a Dream" thanks to  Anne Hathaway's rendition. I always thought the song wasn't as tragic as she sang it.

4. Javert has a thing about walking on the edge of really tall places and singing there. Sad that Russell Crowe's voice didn't match the beautiful melodies of his songs. I wish Gerard Butler was Javert.

5. Éponine was the classic example of being friendzoned.

6. Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen were perfect for the role!

7. The movie felt 158 minutes long. My bum hurt at the end of it.

8. My friend beside me was crying in most parts.

9. The only one not miserable enough was Cosette...why she's the logo of the play is not fully understood.

10. Hugh Jackman deserved his Golden Globe.

Life of Pi

When a story taps into the question about man's purpose of existence and God, then the story blows up far beyond the straightforward context of the simple storytelling. In this case, Pi's life became far more ambiguous than man's innate nature to survive. For a story that's about survival, it turns to something involving faith, a question on life, and humanity. I haven't read the book...so I have no basis of comparison.

I didn't realize that there was so much water-time involved, until my friend mentioned that about 80% of the movie was at sea so at the end of it he feared sailing even more. I wouldn't argue that because I'd much rather die than endure the hardship that Pi had to go through to make it out alive...but then again, when you see the end of the movie, that he had a good life after the incident, it makes you wonder...is it worth it?

I wish I had watched the movie in 3D because the movie, beyond the intricacies that goes on between Pi and Richard Parker, was visually appealing; especially the part where glowing jellies floated beneath his boat, and with the whale suddenly leaping off the water, could have been beautiful in 3D--but to my friend, he simply felt like he was going to drown. I love the sea when I look at it, I never get sick...just don't put me in it.

The story was summarized at the beginning when old Pi said, "I found my faith in Vishnu, but I found God's love in Christ." then he said something I had forgotten about. It made me understand why a man chooses to have three religions: because religion was made to get people to feel closer to God, and if that is how he sees Him, then who am I to argue? My impression? He's very open-minded Hindu-Christian-Muslim.

Now see how the movie makes you think deeper than you're supposed to? That's why it's beautiful, because it is.

The Rise of the Guardians

Frankly, I watched the movie because of Dream Works' rendition of Jack Frost. White-haired sexy dude with beautiful grey-blue sparkly eyes who has the awesome power of ice and levitation. Not bad. And I wasn't surprised when many agreed that Jack Frost was enough reason to watch the movie. He didn't disappoint either, he had so much screen time throughout the movie that there's so much reason to stare into a trance. 

Other than him, the CGI was wonderfully rendered, very reminiscent to those videogames I once played. Reminded me of Kingdom Hearts, actually. How I miss those days...so nostalgic was the graphics that it was just the right adventure-fantasy-animation fix I needed.

Basically, the story is for kids because I didn't relate much to it...nor basically put in much thought to figure out. Okay, it's about finding one's core purpose...which I highly doubt kids can relate to either. Throwing in a question about one's purpose in life and relating it to a cute mystical being threw me off the meaning of the story, I was there for the action and lots of Jack Frost. 

To actually defend what I said, half-way through the movie the kids in the theater had gotten annoyingly noisy and restless because they wanted less talk, more action! Personally, I found the first fight between Pitch, Sandman, and Jack more appealing than the slapstick one in the end. Fast-paced and enough violence for the kids! 

The other characters weren't so bad either: a mime-badass Sandman, a Russian-inspired Santa with tattoos, an out-back Australian Easter Bunny who seemed to have had it rough, a frisky hummingbird-humanoid Tooth Fairy, and a Tim Burton-inspired-Cullen-eyed-boogeyman antagonist named Pitch. I say that's A+ for the concept...if only the mermaids and the chupacabras made cameo appearances then the fantasy-ness of it all would have been a level higher.    

The children, those who played a role in the movie, were the ones you'd find in old family cartoons because they were pretty helpless and stupid--I mean yes, they did save the guardians because they overcame their fears in the end (oops! spoiler!) How easily they gave up on believing in everything because they couldn't find the eggs on Easter was a WTF moment...can't blame them though...HA...kids.

Another notable detail and the lack of it made think that this movie was made to be designed as a game--I think they have a game out on Xbox now--were the realms of the guardians...so action-adventure-RPG-like! I barely got to see each of the worlds in the movie though. Who knew that the Easter Bunny lives in an Aztec ruin?

Now, I know it's for kids...so I was disappointed that the most Tooth Fairy and Jack could do is hug, "accidentally." I was actually expecting that Tooth's feathers would slowly shed off to reveal her human face as kids lost faith in her bribing skills in the near end. How cute would it had been if they developed the romance a little further? A forbidden love between two powerful guardians? Kids? No? Fine...I'll wait for Part 2. 

Has past and footwear issues.

   

Edward Cullen tim-burtonified. 

Has an ink addiction and belly issues.

Flattering hips but lacked boobs.

Small but terrible--also pretty quiet.

An Easter Bunny gone bad.

It's Adventure Time!

 

Can I just mention how this seemingly randomly-thought-of-cartoon is genius!? If you're my age...the kind that is waaaaaay past the normal cartoon-watching-age but still enjoys the idea of watching non-people characters portray non-stereotypical roles for a non-linear story, then may I suggest this is the cartoon for you? It ain't anime, and it ain't kid-friendly either.

The characters are so diverse that J.R.R. Tolkien could learn a thing or two about how fantasy characters go. I mean, dude, the Land of Ooo (a well thought of name btw) have candy people, hug wolves, slime people, peanut people, woobeewoo villagers, party bears, spiky people, you name it and they'll probably make them happen on the next season!

Jake the Dog and Finn the Human

I've come to know them for the first time when my senior (a 30 year-old guy) asked me a year ago if I watched a cartoon wherein a kid with bunny ears go on adventures with a dog that bloats and stretches as like crazy. 

I said, "no" and went on with my life.

It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I got so bored with my life that I actually gave it a chance...from then on I didn't look back. Amazingly enough, I've asked some of my friends if they watch the toon and they admittedly can't help but say it's a cool thing to watch.

Oh my glob! It's Lumpy Space Princess!

I mean, where can you find a character such as LSP presented in such an unflattering fashion yet come out as an unbearably charismatic biatch!? She's a floating pink lump with a low monotonous vibrato that I had mistaken for a boy when she first appeared onscreen. Her voice irritated me at first, but this cartoon, the creators just somehow knew how to draw you in that now I take her as this really bratty "it-girl" who manages to make me laugh.

Marceline Abadeer, the Vampire Princess

My favorite character though is Marceline. She's a thousand-year-old vampire rocker chick who has a beautifully jazzy voice and preys on the color red. She's cool because she sings about anything, including how she felt when her daddy stole her fries. Haha. She shape-shifts into a lot of scary things and seem to enjoy the idea of messing with everyone's head. Now that's cool!

Season 4 Episode Finale "The Lich" was like...what the fu**--

I've watched several episodes at this point, and somehow at the back of my mind was always a nagging question as to why the heck Cartoon Network would show this kinda cartoon to kids? I mean seriously, the theme may be about adventure, but certain episodes just makes me doubt its un-child-friendly nature. And then of course, I slapped myself for being so slow...this cartoon ain't catered to kids! It's for people like me who watch cartoons despite being old-er. No wonder there aren't any underage kids posting in forums and making fanart. Of course, that's why I'm so into it--it is my kind of cartoon! 

Finn and Flame Princess's first kiss in "Burning Low"

Now, this is the kind of romance that caught my attention, the ironically adorable kind. Here's the scoop: since Flame Princess and Finn's elemental attributes are polar opposites (fire and water), when the two kissed, it triggered a reaction that could only be described as apocalyptic. The whole beauty of their romance is in the way they touch, how Finn gets burned when he touches her, and how his effort to subdue her flames pains her. I mean, seriously, kids won't appreciate that and won't squeal at the scene wherein Finn kissed a rock and gave it to her so she can kiss the rock to receive the kiss...but I know I did. Talk about a hopeless romantic.

Prince Gumball and Fionna (gender-swapped)

The creators are so into making Adventure Time so whatever that they even did an episode with the idea of a fanfiction being openly told by the Ice King. They did a gender-swapped version of Finn being the heroine Fionna and saves Prince Gumball from the hands of the evil Ice Queen. It is in occasions like these that makes the loop-holes and introduce new possibilities for their fandom to feed on and make new fanfictions and fanarts that will make this franchise last that much longer. And this is why this cartoon is so addicting and so...different perhaps? With that said, I can only hope you give this cartoon a chance to be part of your adult life--an alternative from those boring teen series that makes the point in pointless. 

P.S.
Did you notice that my banner has a Finn fairy leaf butterfly in it?

Disclaimer: All pictures and above mentioned characters belong to Cartoon Network.