Movies In 1, 2, 3...

I haven't exactly been very diligent about updating my blog--well, what's new?--but that's all because I'm busy with work, work, work; and between all that I had to squeeze in some movie and TV marathon sessions. I'm halfway through the first season of Heroes right now. But then that's a story for another day. I did manage to get in three movies in the past week. I know it wasn't much but with the lack of time, I think it was kind of a lot. So here's what I think.

Bride and Prejudice
First, I'm not a big fan of musicals but when I do become a fan of one, it practically borders the obsessive level. That's what happened to Moulin Rouge! and The Phantom of the Opera which are both still faves of mine until now. So I have been waiting for years to see this movie. Literally! I've been wanting to watch it since it came out and that was more than a couple of years ago. My expectations prolly mounted up over the years that when I got to finally see it, I was disappointed big time. Aishwarya Rai was beautiful in it as ever and Martin Henderson was okay at the best as Mr Darcy. But the movie won't warrant a second viewing. Ever.

Evan Almighty
If I don't get to finish this post that means I've been struck by lightning. Is it blasphemous to say that I enjoyed the trailer for this movie more than I enjoyed the entire film? Because that's what I did. Oh, I'm sure there were points that I did laugh about but the movie did drag on a bit. And what's more, the special effects weren't so special. Saving grace: The Man Morgan Freeman--I just love, love, love him. And I did like the aquarium scene.

Premonition
Now, we're talking serious business. This thriller saved the movie maniac in me from eternal boredom over the weekend. Sandra Bullock is da bomb! Her acting was so real you could practically touch her character. Not to mention that you wanted to be there so that you could help her solve the mystery of what was really happening. And the plot was amazing--it kept me guessing right until the very end! If this isn't in your list of must-see movies yet, do yourself a favor and add it in. Better yet, stop reading my blog and go see it now.

Becoming Jane

If there's a will there's a way. Since I saw no indication of this film being shown here some time in the near future, I had to resort to watching it online. Sorry. *winces* But when (please, not if) they do show this movie in our theaters, trust me to be there lining up for a ticket.

Because I love this movie. Very much.

Becoming Jane tells the story of what would become Jane Austen's inspiration for some of the greatest love stories in English literature. (*Someday my Mr Darcy will come*la da da da*) And why her characters deserve such happy endings.

Having come from a untitled family, Jane's mother was desperate to marry her off to someone who could provide for her. But Jane wanted more, wanted to marry for love, and just about refused any man's attentions. Until Thomas Lefroy came to her life. They hadn't exactly started their acquaintance in the best of terms. But it wasn't long before they found themselves in love with each other.

Tom was nephew to a judge and was in London to study law. he lived on his uncle's allowance so he saw it only fit to ask for his permission to marry Jane. But before he could make clear of his plans, the judge read a letter (from one of Jane's spurned suitors in the country) of how the couple "behaved" when Tom was visiting the country. The judge never gave sanction for a between them.


Jane had no choice but to return home. But just when she learned that Tom was engaged to be married to someone else, he came back and asked her that they elope--that they could make a modest living even without his uncle's help. Then when they were on their way to Scotland, Jane found a letter from his mother thanking him for sending money back home in Ireland from his already stretched allowance. That stopped Jane short, thinking that she could never live with what their plans would do to Tom's family as he finds work and still have to support them. Jane's father had once told her that nothing could break a spirit as poverty could. Jane and Tom might be in love now but she reasoned out that that love could dwindle away amongst the struggle they were about to encounter.

What would have happened if Jane didn't leave Tom in that inn? Could she have written Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice if they'd married and she had to work for a living aside from her writing?

I think that what she did wasn't the bravest thing. But it was definitely most selfless as she thought of the situation of others above her own happiness. Not a lot of people can do that. And I may not be a fan of sad endings but that last scene was as close to a happy-ever-after as I could get from their story: Jane and Tom saw each other again many years later, with her already a famous writer and him a successful lawyer, with a daughter who was an avid fan of her work--and was named Jane.

No need to say that I cried watching this movie--their parting at the inn was heartbreaking. Anne Hathaway gave a great performance as Jane Austen, giving us a preview of what she can do with more mature roles. And James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy was more endearing than his already-endearing stint as Mr Tumnus. You don't wanna know how many times I've replayed that "I am yours, heart and soul" scene over and over again. And that kiss in the trail? Oh, sigh city.

(Supposed) Feel-Good Movies

I may have been a negligent blogger lately but the movie maniac in me haven't been left wanting in the past couple of weeks or so. And I actually had the chance to finally watch three of the movies that I've been wanting to see for months.

Because I Said So

I was expecting big things from this movie. I mean, what do you expect when you have Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Piper Graham, and Lauren Graham in one movie, right? But the movie turned out to be one big MEH. The character of a meddling mother could be a novelty but the way Ms Keaton's character went to extremes to find the perfect man for her daughter just scared the heck outta me. Trust me, I know the feeling of having the people around me feel more desperate than I am about my love life. Or my lack of it. And then there was Ms Moore's character--stringing two men along will never ever be classy. And sleeping with two men while waiting to see who the right and better man will never be a stylish thing.

Catch And Release
It's always to nice to have the chance to see Jen Garner not play the superspy or the superhero. So I took the chance to see this the first time I had. And once again, I found the film wanting. Jen was A-okay and found that Kevin Smith (of the Silent Bob fame) can actually talk. But then Timothy Olyphant's acting kept me wincing the entire flick. I know a lot of people actually liked this movie but I don't think there could ever be a happy-ever-after for this plot: fiance dies and months later (or was it just mere weeks?), girl falls in love with one of her ex's best friends only to find out that the the other best friend was also in love with her from the very start...blah blah blah.

Aquamarine

After watching the last two films, I was quite hesitant to watch this movie. I may not have watched a lot of mermaid movies but I think I might have seen one too many. But Tiff told me to just go ahead and see it--a third bad movie couldn't kill me. And thank God for it because I actually liked this. Who would have thought a mermaid flick could actually present a more realistic take on love and friendship? This film showed that love doesn't always happen at first, or even at fifth, sight; and that it happens out of growing together and knowing each other. And more importantly, that it takes more than distance to end a friendship. Watching Jojo and Emma Roberts onscreen made me wish I was young again and have them for my best friends.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

Lemme just say that I wasn't over the moon after I've seen this movie. I guess it was okay but I had such high expectations about it that after I did see it, it barely came up to par. But that's prolly also because of the fact that The Goblet of Fire was such a tough act to follow. 'Nuff said about that.

The movie did live up to what it promoted: "The rebellion begins." So that was mainly the focus of the entire movie. Well, of course, that was exactly what the book was all about. But there was more to it than that though and I felt that the movie didn't quite capture everything it was supposed to. But then again, we'd prolly be at the movie house the entire day. And, of course, we have to consider directorial styles as well.

The special effects were great. There wasn't a lot used as per the usual HP movie but whatever was employed were seamlessly done. From the practice sessions with the D.A., to the fight scene between the Deatheaters and the members of the Order, to the not-so-subtle encounter between Professor Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort--amazing all!


The cast. Whew! Talk about seeing them all grow up on screen. If I didn't know any better I'd swear they weren't the kids in at least the first two movies. How they've grown! Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville (this boy is tall), Ginny, Seamus, Lee, Feorge and Gred (LOL!)...even Dudders, Draco and his cohorts. I have always said that Sirius Black was one of my most fave characters in the entire series but now that he's gone, I think I'm having a fondness for Professor Snape. (Yep, he's grown on me. Wicked! I really liked the scene when Harry was being interrogated by Umbridge and he told Snape that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had Padfoot; and Snape had his usual deadpan expression on his face. LOL!) I hate me for that but there's just no helping it. Although I will give my opinion again after I've read TDH.

As for the new characters, Imelda Staunton played Professor "Hem Hem" Umbridge very effectively to make me hate so much pink in one frame. Ugh! And can Helena Bonham Carter get any more demented than in her role as Bellatrix Lestrange? Evanna Lynch may have been the perfect girl to play Luna Lovegood but the breathy voice really just freaked me out.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that this was a great movie (in comparison to the earlier installments) but it was, nevertheless, good enough. Better than other movies out there right now. And they did the trademark HP ending that will leave you wanting for more--until the next movie in, what, a couple of years? Waiting is never my strongest suit.

Transformers

Who would have thought that for someone who didn't know who or what Optimus Prime is, I would enjoy this film so much? Honestly, I just went to see it because I loved the trailer. Unlike the guy friends I went along with to watch Transformers last night, I wasn't singing the anime version's soundtrack all the way to the theater (and back!).

And boy, did I have fun or what! It was well worth the money I spent to watch it. I really felt blind going into the theater because I didn't know a thing about the cartoon version. I'm not exactly big on animation films, and especially nothing about robots for Pete's sake. But then I was impressed by the trailer when I first saw it and I was thinking of seeing if I have the time. But what the heck, when it arrived in the theaters last week, I just had to make time to see it.

I don't regret it one bit. Nuh uh. Of course, it didn't help my cause any since I practically worhip at the altar of Michael Bay--his Armageddon happens to be my all-time fave movie. So there. And yeah, I'm one of the few who saw Pearl Harbor more than once and will probably see it again. I think a new film from him would hardly disappont me. And then there's producer Steven Spielberg. One of the best there is although I was disappointed by that last alien movie he did with that short guy (don't ask me who). But he pretty much earned my respect once again after this effort to a point that I want my own pet Transformer in my backyard. That just is, I don't have one. A backyard, I mean.
Oh, and did I mention that Josh Duhamel and Tyrese AND Amaury Nolasco was in the film, too? (Yes, Lee, Sucre is in the picture!) Yey! But it's really hard to consider who the real winner of this film was--except for the studio, that is, once they're done counting how much the box office earning will be. Just about everything clicked the right way for this movie--it had all the right comedic wise-ass comments thrown in plus a little teeny-bopper romance. And then some really funny robots--watch them try to hide themselves when Sam first brought them home. Absurd! Bay also did his trademark speech scenes (Jon Voight as the Secretary of Defense) and those slow-mo takes he shoots in each film he does. And he happens to worship in the altar of big action sequences as well so it goes without saying that there's a plenty big explosive moments in the entire film. Love it!

Right. I have decided who the real winner in the film is--Bumblebee. I want a Bumblebee of my own. Really. If there ever was a scoundrel of a robot, it's a Bumblebee in all his glory. That stunt he pulled when Sam was trying to impress his crush Mikaela (played by the hot Megan Fox) was something else. Up until now, I still can't get the song "Baby, Come Back" outta my head. LOL! You have to see it because I wouldn't be able to do it justice if I try to narrate it .

So for those who haven't seen the movie, hie yourself to the theater nearest you, like, now!

Three Summer Movies Down

And a helluva lot more left to watch.

Why can't they just spread out the great ones during the entire year? Why do most good movies have to come out at around the same time? And then we'd be lucky to have at least one or two stray good ones the rest of the year. Not to mention that it's difficult to schedule them all in the space of just a few months. And damn if I can seriously review them all of them together except for these quickie ones I'm about to do. Shame!

Spiderman 3

Who'd have thought that I'd finally get myself to the cinemas and watch a Spidey film? I never did bother with the first two but since someone gave away free tickets, why not?

And I didn't regret it. Although I doubt if it will make it to my most fave films, it was actually a nice movie. Okay. It was great. (Or maybe that's just the free ticket talking.) Seriously, I quite enjoyed the whole thing. At least Peter wasn't his ultra-good boy self during the entire length of the film. I had a good laugh during his Fall-Out-Boy transformation. That was definitely a high point.

And then there's James Oh-La-La Franco. He thankfully had a bigger role in this story. Unfortunately, that led him to him getting killed right at the end. Party pooper! This had better be the last Spidey film 'cause it just wouldn't be right without his character in it. (No matter that he had assholeish tendencies.)

Plus: I love Topher Grace especially now I know that he could play the evil villain. Wicked! And let's not forget Bryce Dallas Howard who was hot in her blond mane--very far from her blind character in The Village or the chlorine-soaked creature in Lady in the Water.

Pirates Of The Carribbean: At World's End

Ahoy there, matey!

Wow! I mean, double-effing-wow! Director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer hit the prefect note for this final installment in their Pirates trilogy and mixed in just about every thing needed to make a blockbuster--action, adventure, fantasy, comedy, and oh, romance.

Keira Knightley was awesome once again as [Captain/King(?)] Elizabeth Swann. I must confess that I trooped to watch this because two hours or so to ogle Orland Bloom's Will Turner could definitely be a fixer-upper for any bad week. It was that and more. Orli's just too-too--too sexy, too hot, too damn sexy (worth to say that twice at the very least).

And I think that Johnny Depp deserves an Oscar win this time around for his superb performance of CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow. Hell, yeah! Nobody could've played the whacked-out pirate to perfection and Mr Depp did that in a way that it's hard to believe that Jack as being just a character. No one can certainly pull off making him look adorably cute trying to pull a ship on dry land.

Upside: Almost three hours of running time was quite enough time to cap off the entire saga. And I wasn't even surprised by the post-credits ending. I'm on to you, Mr Bruckheimer. (Just so you know, you didn't fool me one bit.)

Downside: See upside. Too much screentime to realize that Orli and Keira made for bad pirates. Baby-butt smooth skin just doesn't do it if you're supposed to be under the sun all day long, not to mention all that ocean air. But meh, don't mind me. LOL!

Fantastic 4: The Rise Of The Silver Surfer

I'm not one for comic books but I do enjoy its movie equivalents. I was kinda skeptical to see this since, as I've just seen Spiderman, the Silver Surfer just looked liked the Green Goblin in silver duds. On another note, I felt obliged to watch it on the big screen since I did watch the first one on it, too.

After Pirates' butt-numbing three-hour run, this seemed like a thirty-minute TV soap. But it was surprisingly good. Ioan Gruffud didn't look like the guy chasing puppies in 102 Dalmatians and Chris Evans didn't resemble at all like the stupid jock in Not Another Teen Movie. They've come a long way. Jessica Alba still looked good even if the blond hair wasn't really her and I was just thankful to see Michael Chiklis at least twice in the entire movie, to know that it was still him behind all that, uhm, rock.

But nobody can steal the thunder of the Silver Surfer (voiced by Laurence Fishburne) himself. He puts surfer dudes like Kelly Slater to shame and he makes me wish I knew how to skimboard at the very least.

Unlike the previous two movies here, this is definitely not the last part of the series (nor the last time we see Johnny in a towel, I hope). Dr Von Doom is obviously still alive and kicking although that thought doesn't worry me half as much as the thought of our planet about to be swallowed whole by some unknown cosmic force while I was doing something mundane, e.g. watching a movie or blogging.

*******

UNINTENTIONALLY MISSED: The Last Mimzy. I was quite intrigued by the trailer when I saw it but it only showed for one week and I didn't get the chance to see it. I still don't know if that was a good thing or what. So if anyone had seen the movie, your thoughts about it will definitely be appreciated.

INTENTIONALLY MISSED: Oceans' 13. I didn't really warm up to Ocean's 12 so I wasn't inclined to see this on the big screen. I guess I'll just watch this at home but there's no way I'm not gonna see it. I'm not ca-razy!!! We're talking Clooney, Pitt, Damon--and then there's that freaky Pacino guy this time around.

WILL NEVER MISS: Transformers; Ratatouille; Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix.

Flame on!

Music & Lyrics

I was excited to watch this movie because I was curious as to how the nearly fifty Hugh Grant would look and sound when singing. We all know he can dance, right? (Remember Love, Actually?) He came out and did it with taste, as always. No wonder I love his movies--and it's not just because of the British accent either. Add the eternally lovable Drew Barrymore to the equation and I knew it was going to be one heck of a feel-good movie. And it assuredly didn't disappoint me.

It started funnily enough with clips of Alex Fletcher's (Grant) '80s group. I can't explain it but there's just something about new wave that tickles my funny bone. And I love the concept of their concept--to feature a member of a former famous boygroup that topped the charts twenty years ago. I know VH1 and countless many reality shows do it these days. But then reality reality shows and cable TV weren't part of my vocabulary twenty years ago so I couldn't relate. This movie entitles me to see of what's to come not too many years from now of my former boygroup heroes. LOL!

So Alex will endeavor to write a song for the current pop sensation Cora Corman (Haley Bennett)--a cross-breed between Britney Spears and, well, Britney Spears (in her better years, I might add). But even enlisting the help of someone working for Hallmark didn't work out until Sophie Fisher (Barrymore) came into the picture. Well, she just came in to water Alex's house plants, really.

The next thing they knew he was putting music to Sophie's words. (That was after they highlighted Alex's age by showing Sophie's much older sister, played by Kristen Johnston, as a big fan of Alex's old group.) Okay, so they were working greatly enough to finish the song before the deadline--until such time the tantric Cora wanted to put a Hindi twist to the song. When Sophie asked for the song to remain as it is, arrangement-wise, Cora demanded the ending to be changed. It just wasn't working for her.

But Sophie felt that the song was already complete and Alex insisted they still change it, wanting to ensure his comeback by giving in to Cora's whims, so Sophie walked. When showtime came, she was assailed by hurt just like when an ex-boyfriend wrote a eventual bookseller based on a "fictional" budding writer when only Alex's name was announced as the songwriter of the winning song during Cora's tour opening concert.

But all's well that ends well. It was an entirely different song--which proved that Alex still has the songwriting touch. And when the time came for their song to be performed, it remained originally the way they wrote it. (And I had to laugh out loud because Cora still managed to do her signature wiggle while performing a ballad. LOL!)

And did I mention that I'm crazy about the song? Who wouldn't be if it ran something along:

"All I wanna do is find my way back into love..."

Movie Marathon

The Devil Wears Prada
I apologize to the big fans of this film but I just didn't like it. Story-wise, it was meh. Although I have to admit that it was a technically very well done movie but other than that, it left wondering what the hype was all about. And, oh yeah, the clothes--and Emily Blunt--weren't bad either.

Night At The Museum
I never thought I'd ever enjoy a kids' movie at the current movie mode I'm in until this one. I really enjoyed this whole thing. I liked the entire concept of things in a museum coming alive at night. Museums are cool enough without that thought. The dinosaur [skeleton] was a dear! LOL!

The Lake House
So Keanu Reeve and Sandra Bullock have amazing on-screen chemistry. But this movie turned out pretty ordinary to me. It could be romantic but I just don't think that it worked for me that the lead characters could meet up--or not--depending on the convenience of the story.

Poseidon
I still remember seeing the old version when I was a kid. But it took me quite some time to watch this. Being someone who doesn't know how to swim, I was afraid I'd feel claustrophobic watching all that water come in. And I did. But imagining myself drowning in Josh Lucas' baby blues helped. And Emmy Rossum is such a cutie!

Blood & Chocolate
Good one. It can never aspire to be the greatest movie or the even the greatest werewolf movie ever. But it managed to keep me awake. I'll have Hugh Dancy in chocolate any day.

Apocalypto
If there's a movie I regretted not seeing on the big screen, it's this one. I love this Mel Gibson creation. In fact, I love all his directorial creations. Gory but nice. Gore that is essential to the film is really something. As for the chase scene--wow!

Step Up
I can never use enough of and Channing Tatum in one sentence. And I don't think I'll ever tire of watching this dance film--and of Chan shaking his sexy ass. Jenna Dewan is one lucky girl.

House Of Flying Daggers

I was ecstatic to finally see this film after my sister sang praises for it months ago. Damn, but this film made me believe in love as if I'm a teenager all over again. Love the visual effects and the play of colors in the entire length of the film. I must admit, it (loving the flick) was pretty predictable since I haven't hated any Ziyi Zhang movies. And Takeshi Kaneshiro proved that I could actually term a (how do I say this without sounding offensive?) chinky-eyed person cute.

300

Damn the critics. I almost didn't see this movie. But since I've been waiting for this film since November, there was no way I'm gonna miss it.

And I'm glad that I did see it. I didn't enjoy Sin City but this Frank Miller creation really got me going. LOL!

The sight of half-naked men during the entire freakin' movie was really something to remember. So I'm sure to get a copy of the film as soon as I can so that I won't have to do with just remembering. Hell, no.

But the whole thing was a great movie experience. The visual effects were amazing and the comic-book feel to it only added to the appeal of the film. Gerard Butler, as King "Tonight we dine in hell" Leonidas, may not win an Oscar for his performance here but I really think he did his role exceeding well.

As for those metal-clashing, blood-splattering, head-rolling scenes--sheesh, I didn't know I'm such a warfreak of sorts--I really enjoyed those. I never thought they were morbid. Rather, I thought they were brilliantly done. And that hard metal soundtrack during those battle scenes? That did me in when I was watching the trailers but hearing it and putting it together with the rest of the film was out of this world.

One thing that put me off, at times, was the narrator. It was unnecessary in some parts, I think. But since it was part of the graphic novel thingie (LOL! forgive me), it has to be in it. But it never detracted charm from the movie. And most of the film did leave some great impressions. One of my most favorite scenes was the Persian arrow shower (so what if I wanna call it that?), when the Spartans stayed underneath their shields for protection and warfreaks that they were, they started laughing because they were really enjoying the thrill of being in battle. Another one would be the scene right before that--when they terminated the Persians when they first faced each other. Amazing choreography. Seeing the phalanx formation (albeit altered for movie purposes according to the director to "look cool") was actually quite nice--I've often wondered what it really looked like in action since world history high school. Now I have a vague idea.

Awesome in three characters: 3-0-0. I highly recommend it.


ON A SIDENOTE
One of the main reasons why I was so excited to see 300 was knowing Rodrigo Santoro was gonna be in it. Although now I regretted not researching on that further. Because I still have not reconciled this:

...from this:

Maybe not ever.

But I guess that's what movie magic is all about.

The Sleeping Dictionary

I saw this ancient film (it came out in 2003 so why not?) on cable and liked it instantly. I was pretty intrigued by the title and the fact that I never heard of it in 2003. But obviously it was a direct-to-DVD film.

Sleeping dictionaries were, well, what their name suggested. It was the 1930s and the British was making headway in colonizing Sarawak in Malaysia. For the foreigners to be able to communicate with the locals and learn their customs right away, a "sleeping dictionary" was given in to their disposal. These were local women that could speak English. I'd say it was more convenient in more ways than the reasons I gave. Because the sleeping thing? That was added into the equation to hasten the learning process of the colonizers in learning the local stuff. Selima (Jessica Alba) was the sleeping dictionary given to John Truscott (Hugh Dancy). But English gentleman that he was John refused to touch the beautiful local who he later found out was half-British, a daughter of a Briton and his sleeping dictionary.

But Selima's constant presence in John's temporary jungle home only meant that he was gonna fall in love with her sooner or later. It happened sooner and then they were spending their nights together and talking about an impossible future together. Because the British does not allow marriage between one of their own and a sleeping dictionary.

Life only only became more difficult for the couple when it became clear that John's superior, Henry Bullard(Bob Hoskins), and his wife, Aggie, had other plans for the promising young man--they want him to marry their daughter Cecil (Emily Mortimer). But John adamantly refused and was only too willing to let the world know that he loved his sleeping dictionary and that he intended to marry her instead. That was where he went wrong because Selima's life was threatened if they pushed through with it. Faced with that, John left Sarawak and eventually married Cecil in London a year later.

And here's an Addison catch: I could not hate Cecil. She was in love with John already and was only too determined to have him fall in love with her knowing that he was already in love with someone on the other side of the world. And John honestly put enough into their marriage to make it wok. Then duty came a-calling and they had to go back to Sarawak. Cecil didn't pitch fits but was rather excited to work as a teacher in the local school. Thank God for that because I didn't want to start hating her then.

But when they got back to Sarawak, John got two surprises: Selima had married a young tribe warrior and had a son. But the kid had blue eyes and too much fair skin not to be John's kid. John still loved Selima but when he started spending time with her again it was to know his son. But Selima's husband read it the wrong way and attempted to slit John's throat one night. In so doing he bagged himself an execution.

It was amidst the trial for Selima's husband's crime that John learned that Henry was really Selima's father and that she was really Cecil's half-sister. And that Aggie had stayed in Srawak all these years not out of duty to her country or to her husband but to keep him from being with his sleeping dictionary, Selima's mother.

And then Cecil told John he was letting John go. Their relationship had nowhere to go seeing how John still loved his local beauty. She admitted that she could never make him love her as much as he loved her sister. And besides she suspected she was pregnant with his child and for her, that was enough. John helped Selima's husband escape from prison and would be running away with Selima and their son. But that was after Henry--and Cecil--finally acknowledged their relationship with Selima. (See why I liked Cecil's character so much?)

The story ended with John and his family living in a tribe that was outside the British control. Or at least somewhere they could stay safe and stop looking over their shoulders--especially since Aggie was determined not give John his happy ending.

The movie made for good TV although I still think that: what if Cecil was really pregnant? What would the kid think? Why did daddy leave and went with another family? But I think with the depth of John's character would not allow any children of his to grow without knowing him. And wasn't it on Grey's Anatomy where I heard that being with someone who can't love you back is far too lonelier than being alone? Although I wanna think that Cecil was able to find her happy ever after, too.

The Da Vinci Code

Finally! I was able to see the film and I'm glad that I did. More likely because I really wanted to have my say about it. But mostly because I really, really loved the book.

And the reason I didn't watch it when it was in the cinemas was because I was afraid my opinion of it would be affected by the critiques of others. Some said that it was okay, some said it didn't come up to par. To top it off, there was too much to-do about it and I was pretty sure my opinion would be affected by that alone--I know from experience that 80% of films with huge promotional works usually fall short of expectations. So, I decided to wait. And the moment I found this at the video shop, I wasted no time to watch it.

It was a good movie, even a great one. It even felt like I hadn't read the book because it still surprised me in some parts. *Snickers* That's probably because I told myself to totally forget the book and just watch the movie version as a totally separate entity. That way, I wouldn't end up comparing each frame to each page. Thankfully, it worked for me. Although I admit that Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors to ever walk this Earth, I am not one of his biggest followers. But I loved his Dr. Robert Langdon. Some people said that the character came out aloof. I say: He pulled off a distant persona and yet still made Langdon likeable. Aloofness is probably some people's twisted interpretation of the character's stoicism. And Hanks did a two-thumbs-up job! Audrey Tautou was great, too. I think she's just too cute though for her role. I mean, she was too cute to look like an agent and a cryptographer, even an amateur one. But I'm sure that added to the allure of her character.

Now, there was Sir Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing. He did an excellent job--as usual. If one hasn't read the book or hasn't had any idea as to who his character really was, one wouldn't really know what he was up to. I was somehow confused as to how to react to his latest character though. Being Gandalf in the LOTR trilogy, he will always have my almost-worshipful admiration. But the last movie I've seen of him was X-Men 3: The Last Stand--and I always thought Magneto funny. Blame the barmy costume! And Paul Bettany made one heck of a scary Silas. The character was already scary in the book so seeing him do all the scary stuff on the screen was freaky.

So no, the movie wasn't okay. It was amazing! Although I don't wanna talk about the plot since it was controversial enough. But I have to say that I love, love the idea. And if its prequel Angels and Demons does get produced, I definitely will watch it on the big screen. After all, I loved it even more than the Code itself.

John Tucker Must Die

When I thought I was over teeny-booper flicks, films such as She's the Man changed my mind. But then I see something like John Tucker Must Die and I wish I'd stuck to war movies instead.

I expected a lot out of this movie because I used to really, really like Jesse Metcalfe. I thought he was smoking hot before his (what seemed to be waxed) eyebrows got to me. And I love Sophia Bush--I think she's the (hands down) cutest and most likable "Brooke" on the face of the Earth. That said, I expected big from this film. I dunno about y'all but the whole thing just fell flat. I'm probably getting cynical in my old age (24 is old, right?) but the time I spent watching this one was overflowing with unappreciated sophomoric humor. Needless to say, I didn't like that.

When I first heard of what the gist of the film was, I was intrigued. Who wouldn't want to get back on hoo-hoos anyway? But going to extreme lengths and spending too much time and effort to do just that is not anywhere in my priority list. Forget the dumbass and move on with your life, girl!

So no, I don't recommend you watch it unless you're me at 12--in which case, you'll definitely have a laugh. If you must see it though, wait till it's on cable. Please.

Failure To Launch

I was never a fan of Sex and the City and the few times I watched some of its eps were solely to kill time. So I really had my doubts if I would last this entire movie without getting bored because as you can tell, I am not exactly a fan of SJP--that's me versus the entire world.

But I really enjoyed this film. I was surprised at how much. Well, not really. Was Bradley Cooper reason enough? For me, he was. But it wasn't just him, it was the whole package that blew me away.

Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker) was hired by Tripp's (Matthew McConaughey) parents in a bid to make him want to move out of their house. Apparently, failure to launch is when a guy fails to flee the coop well past after they were supposed to. Obviously, Tripp's parents were not happy about the situation. It was really an intriguing concept because in Filipino culture, parents try to "hold on" to their kids for as long as possible. Some even want them not to move out even after they get married. Not that I approves of that but that's just how it goes. I say Paula's job was one of a kind--pretending to be in a relationship with guys who had failed to launch up to the point when they want to move out and live on their own. Without them knowing, she was actually helping them build their self-esteem and self-confidence as well. I think this was really a tough job.

And when she had to work on someone as hot and charming as Tripp, the job just got tougher. This time around, she went beyond what was supposed to do--and slept with the subject. In the clients' home. Awkward!

So they fell in love. Unfortunately, she was found out by one of his friends, Ace (Justin Bartha) and hell broke loose. (Computer genius Ace's romance with Paula's cynical and jaded best friend Kit (Zooey Deschanel) was fun to watch.) But then their friends realized that they were made for each other, so they worked to have them in one room. Trapped that way, Paula opted to explain her part while Tripp listened. Of course, when one was tied down to a chair with his mouth taped, what else can one do but listen?

Lemme just say though that what happened to Matthew McConaughey's character was probably also due to his mother's part in babying him. Doing his laundry and breakfasts at that age? C'mon. I've done my own laundry since I was 11 and although I'm still living at home, no one in our house has ever been waited hand and foot like that. That has helped a lot during those times I had to live in boarding houses when school, and then work, required me to.

Failure to Launch was a beautifully made picture about friendship and unexpected love. If you haven't seen it, you really ought to. Soon.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

It wasn't a question of whether I wanted to see the movie or not. Considering I have seen the first two installments, I almost felt obligated to watch this one. I may not know how to drive but I like fast cars. Duh! I watch F1 races on TV and know who Danica Patrick is.

I wouldn't have minded if Mr Baby Blues, Paul Walker, starred in this picture. Minded? Hell, no! But of course, I have no problem with giving way to young blood.

Lucas Black was okay in this one, I guess. But I liked him more in Friday Night Lights. His character, Sean Boswell, was a crazy dude. The first sequence had him in a race where he ran his car through houses under construction. For that, his mother had to bail him out of jail by doing a cop. Just stupid. So then she sent him to his father, a Marine stationed in Tokyo. And what does he do the first chance he got? After the old man told him to stay away from racing, he stupidly accepted to race the Drift King and wrecked someone else's car!

And I didn't like his love interest, played by Nathalie Kelley. Her Neela looked and felt too fragile, and the character was somehow out of place. If you'd seen the first two movies and the girls in them, you'd know what I mean. And I was hating the villain, the Drift King, so I guess he was doing a good job...until his uncle, the Yakuza boss, confronted him about their "territory collection" discrepancies. He got teary eyed and it was not a nice touch. I got into the movie enough to feel bad when Sun Kang's character, Han, got killed. But since he was screwing the Yakuza, it was bound to happen sooner or later. He did a good job in training Sean do the drift though.

I've been hacking the movie so you can tell I didn't really like it. But there were three saving graces. One, the special effects were great. They might not have been as much of a novelty as before but each Furious movie has something different in them so they still have a Whoa! factor. Two, Bow Wow. Twinkie just cracked me up with his facial expressions, especially when he and Sean picked up his car. He looked so excited and it turned out that his car looked as far from a race car as it could be. And he was also an enterprising young American--capitalism in action. Three, the Vin Diesel cameo. It was so unexpected that I, uhm...giggled. That which you're never supposed to do when watching a fast-car movie such as this.

The reason I was not feeling much of the movie was that it looked too familiar. I had seen the Japanese film Initial D earlier this year. Although I can't remember reading "drift" somewhere in the subtitle, that was definitely what they were doing. They might even have shot on the same hill--or maybe it's the only place to do the Tokyo drift.

I don't recommend this if you feel like watching just any film. But if you are looking for the odd guy movie for the weekend, this'll do nicely. Check out the soundtrack while you're at it.

Lucky Number Slevin

This is a crazy-ass movie. Another surprisingly good one this year. I did hear about it being mentioned here and there but the promotion wasn't over the top. Thank God for that or I might have hated it before I even saw it. I practically forgot about it but when I got the chance to see it, I'm glad I took it.

At first I felt so dizzy. At times I felt that the plot got too murky and mysterious for me--which was more than half the fun, really. And as the film goes and the cliche 'the plot thickens' was put into good use, there was no other choice but to get hooked.

Who in bloody Mary is Nick Fisher? So Josh Hartnett's character got mistaken for Fisher--who owed The Boss $96000. Morgan Freeman played The Boss--who offered 'Fisher' a job to pay off the debt. The job was to kill the fairy son of The Rabbi. Ben Kingsley was The Rabbi--who the Boss thought had his son killed. And then The Boss hired a professional to kill Fisher--without him knowing that the professional was also working for The Rabbi. Bruce Willis was the hired assassin, Goodkat--who was actually working with someone else to do in both The Boss and The Rabbi. Apparently, the two former close friends had a family killed in 1979 when Slevin turned out to be not so lucky. And yeah, Lucy Liu was Lindsey--Nick Fisher's neighbor who keeps us from totally forgetting that Josh's character is not Fisher. What a mess. Crazy, crazy, crazy!

Josh Hartnett is just too angelic looking that I couldn't believe he agreed to kill The Fairy. And Morgan Freeman is an absolute teddy bear and seeing him as someone villainous is always weird. Ben Kingsley was intense as usual--have you seen him in a bad acting job? Just a one? And don't forget Bruce 'No, Harry, No' Willis.

That's already four reasons to see this movie. If that's not enough incentive, then check out the production design. The wallpapers in Nick Fisher's apartment were absolutely 110% whacked! And the dialogue...I just cracked up I almost forgot this was not supposed to be a comedy.

And then you ask, who is Nick Fisher?

Goodkat will tell you: " He's just a loser."

Quick Reviews

I haven't been to the video store in a while so it was only natural to practically raid it the first chance I got. There were some movies that were surprisingly good; while some didn't live up to the hype.

--Tristan + Isolde
I wasn't familiar with this story so I was pretty excited when I got my hands on this one. After all, my sister was gushing about it after she saw it in the cinema a while back. And now I'm glad I didn't go on her recommendation. I mean, it was fine at the start because the period piece thingie is always a big thing for me. But when Isolde (Sophia Myhles) got married, it went downhill from there for me. Infidelity, adultery, and the rest of their lot just turn me off--whether I find it in a book or a movie, whether it's fictional and most especially when it's not.
Saving grace: James Franco. Because, well, he's hot James Franco.

--Eight Below
Mixing Paul Walker with those huskies was absolutely lethal! I love dogs and watching the kind of ordeal that those guys went through was heartbreaking. It was impossible for all eight to have survived but I would have preferred the story to have ended that way. Although it was wonderful enough that there were six left. And Mr Walker was hot (as usual) even in frigid Antarctica.
Verdict: Will watch it again and again.

--Casanova
I was hankering for this one since I so loved its trailer. But it took so long to get to the local theaters. And then I found out their run was over. It only showed for a week--and justifiably so. The visual FX were too rough and the plot was kinda weak.
Chemistry: Definitely lacking between Heath Ledger (Casanova) and Sienna Miller (Francesca Bruni).

--Nanny McPhee
Another movie that turned me off from having children--especially more than one. It will be an absolute nightmare. Although the movie came short of my expectations, it was still a good one. I liked the colorful sets and costumes. Outrageously funky! But I personally don't want to see Colin Firth in a father role in a while yet.
My own ending: The father should have married Nanny McPhee!

--Aeon Flux
And there goes the curse of Oscar! Well, that's what they said but I thought the movie was kinda nice even if the genre wasn't my favorite. It didn't exactly have the wallop that other sci-fi movies have but the Charlize Theron stunts make good company for popcorn. And there was a love story, too.
Look for: the Stuart Townsend cameo.

--Brokeback Mountain
Olive still cannot get through the whole thing without turning the player off. What's up with that, girl? And boys (I can't call them men for this very reason) getting grossed out by the movie was just ludicrous. I bet they have the exact opposite reaction on lesbo scenes when the truth of the matter is: this movie has more soul than five regular love stories put together.
Shoutout: Grow up, people. And then watch this one.

--Green Street Hooligans
As a football fan, I thought I had an idea about hooliganism. Then a friend who's currently in England told me how absurd the situation really is. So when I saw this flick, everything clicked right into place. Although it wasn't a surprise at all because footy fans are passionate about their sport. Charlie Hunnam was hot but I still have to unFrodize Elijah Wood.
Afterthought: I hope I will have the chance not to wear the ManUtd jersey other than at old Trafford when I wake up and find myself in England one of these days.

--Reeker
Even if I hate horror movies, I do rent out one from time to time for the peeps at home. As usual, the general plot in this one was just the same with the rest of all the gazillion horror flicks out there. The antagonist here was a reeking spectre who, well, kills. I dunno what was the point of that exactly. Did that make him any worse than the other serial killers who didn't reek before they went for the kill? Suffice to say it stunk like the title. And I'm embarrassed to say that I crushed on Scott Whyte when he was on Mighty Ducks 2 and seeing his name on the cover was the reason I chose this one over the other available 'scary movies.'
Scott Whyte: Was a bloated disappointment.

--When A Stranger Calls
I have seen Camilla Belle in two previous movies and think that she's hot. She's a great actress and a beautiful kid, too. Here, she was all grown and did a convincing job as a scared babysitter trying to brave out some scary calls. I pretty much enjoyed the movie until the end proved to be an uber anticlimax.
Fallout: With the caller's ubiquity during the runaround, what turned out to be a lack of character history and build-up left me breathless--with disappointment.

She's the Man

I just had the best time watching this footy flick! Well, if it is about footy then there's always a 98% likelihood that I'll enjoy it. But this came as a total surprise because I really thought that I was done with teenybopper flicks a long time ago. I guess that will never happen considering I myself am stuck at the age sixteen. Haha!

And Amanda Bynes is always sooo adorable. I was never a Nick fan but I have always enjoyed her movies. This time around she played Viola who, after the girls' soccer team from her old school got scrapped, pretended to be her brother Sebastian so she could play in the rival school's boys' soccer team and prove to her old school that girls can play in a the boys' team. So as her brother (played by Justin Kirk) went to London to pursue his music, Viola moved to his new school, as him of course--and found herself roomies with one hot hottie. Now, Channing Tatum as Duke was absurdly delicious. The thought of him and those lips (oh!) never fail to put a silly grin on my face. That's why I try not to think about him when I'm in public! And he was also the school's soccer team captain. I lurve team captains! And another plus--he looks wickedly good enough to pass as Wentworth Miller's baby brother (although there's absolutely nothing babyish about him, if you know what I mean).I definitely had a ball watching Viola, as Sebastian, become quite the ladies' man. And Duke was something of a character--tough on the pitch but sensitive on the inside. I'm mush! And one of the funniest scenes was when the guys found Viola's tampon stash. She told them that the tampons were good for stopping nosebleeds and that, guess what?, Beckham uses them for that purpose. Atta girl! Of course, you'd see Duke later on sporting one after a nasty nosebleed.

So, I won't spill anything more about the plot 'cause anyone who hasn't seen it deserves their fun. Lemme just say that it was ridiculously cute. You're probably thinking that I'm biased sine it is a football movie but I don't think so. It was one of those really great feel-good movies that you want to go forever.

And no, I don't like cheese. Do you?

The Prince & Me

Thank God for cable TV. I just saw the movie there the other day and I remembered that I wasn't able to blog about it the first time I saw it last year. So here goes.

Good movie. It's not exactly uber great but it definitely was not a waste of my time. If you know me then you'd know that I love romances. That goes especially true when royalty is involved. I practically hunt for these books and I just gobble (there's no better word for it) them all up like mad. The movie gave me the chance to have a break from the reading but at the same time still enjoy a good story. And we're not just talking about any royal peerage but a Crown Prince who became King.

Luke Mably played Prince Edward of Denmark--who went to rural Wisconsin to 'find himself' which really meant to get away from the constant attention of the paparazzi. I liked the accent, and the near-pale but ruddy complexion was very Prince Harry. Julia Stiles was Paige Morgan--who was a John Hopkins hopeful bent on saving the world. Julia never fails that's why I love her movies--and there's just no not liking her.So while 'Eddie' rusticated, he and Paige fell in love. Then he had to go back to his country; but not before he was outed by the paparazzi. Hence the best point of the story (IMHO)--how strong a character Paige was. It takes a lot of guts to go after a prince--the Crown Prince!--but she did it. And when it was almost all said and done, she opted out to follow her dreams and be her own woman. But the new King was prepared to let her be that, as long as she wasn't far from him. Of course, if you're Queen no one can tell you you can't be a doctor, too.

We grew up on fairy tales and on believing in them. But when we get older, reality starts to sink in--and reality tells us that fairy tales are nothing but lies. But what the heck, do you really believe that? Because if you do, then you don't believe in finding your Prince Charming and living your happy ever after. And that's sad. Because it's highly likely that your Prince Charming is just waiting for you so he could make a truth of his fairy tale. Fancy that.

Superman Returns

I finally had the chance to see the movie. At long last. I was still in high school (which was a million years ago) when I first heard that a new Superman movie was in the works. At that time, producers were looking at Nicholas Cage to don the tights. I remember thinking: oh. Not that I have anything against Mr Cage but the thought of him wearing the S suit didn't do it for me. Fast forward to 1006 and the Man of Steel has finally made his comeback!

And what a comeback it was! Brandon Routh was--tsss!--hot. Most of the time, hot does not even do him justice. He's just too good to be true. *Sigh* But there he was--in tights, no less. Which was only right because an un-superhunk wouldn't have worked. And he did an amazing job filling in those tights, uhm, shoes. No, boots! Jeez. Even if he himself admitted that his similarity to good ole Christopher Reeve was what netted him the job, no self-respecting casting director would have given it to him if he weren't able to do some decent acting. It's hard to believe that he was a virtual unknown prior to this project. (By the way, can you spot him in Christina Aguilera's What a Girl Wants video?) He looked like on old pro on the screen, his presence palpable. I just hope that he doesn't get trapped in the Superman stereotype. Although it's possibly too late to hope for that.And then there's Kate Bosworth. In real life she gets to snog up with Orlando Bloom. Then she gets to play Lois Lane to Routh's Clark Kent. Can a girl get any luckier? She's not just pretty but also did one heck of an acting job. I loved her when she surfed the blue crush and when she won that date with Tad Hamilton. Here she got to play a more mature role and did it splendidly. The brunette 'do helped her pull off the job because with her blonde looks, it would've been impossible to pass her up as someone's mother, let alone a four-year old's (unless she had the kid at twelve). Now that I think about it, Orli is one lucky guy.

But was James Marsden's character, Richard White, really necessary? Of course, Superman would've died without him. But that's neither here nor there. Why didn't they make the character not to be in love with Lois? Why not create a character who's just an honest to goodness friend who happens to know how to fly a plane? I love James Marsden and his character both but Superman is one heck of a rival. This character is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. And Kevin Spacey did a creditable job as Lex Luthor. He had some big shoes to fill seeing as how effective Gene Hackman was in that role in the 1978 version. I can still remember how scared I was of him when I first saw that flick when I was around five or six.

All in all it was a great movie experience for me. It's not the bestest and it won't be my mostest favorite but in the scale where ten is the highest, it definitely is on the better side of seven. Director Bryan Singer did an X-tremely wonderful job in making it--and in piecing together a story after the comics 'killed' Superman off. Except for one shot where Superman looked too 3D, the FX in the movie were super as well. Nice. Can't wait for the next one. Yes, believe you me, this won't be the last time we see Mr Faster-Than-a-Bullet on the big screen.

My 25 Picks

My list, my opinion. I'm sorry if you had seen one (or all of them) and didn't really like it (or all 25). But if there's a movie here that you have not seen, I closely recommend you go ahead and see it. Soon. Or right after reading this.

So let's count them down...

25) Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Since Romeo and Juliet has become so overrated, I consider this my favorite Shakespearean work that has graced the big screen. This was Kate Beckinsale's debut film and she was just lovely in the role of Hero; while Robert Sean Leonard, as her wronged lover Claudio, was a dream come true. Shakespearean actors Kenneth Branagh, as Benedick, and (his then real-life wife) Emma Thompson, as Beatrice, were in their element as usual. And the lovely cast didn't end there. Denzel Washington was charming as Don Pedro of Aragon and Keanu Reeves was in a villainous role as Don John. Lovely!

24) The New World (2005)
You should see this if only to watch Q'Oranka Kilcher give a very powerful, very riveting performance as Pocahontas. And the sounds of nature in this one is pure heaven. We all know that John Smith never married--which is very un-Colin Farrell (if you know what I mean). But that made him perfect for the role because he always has this roguish look (both on and off screen) that makes you wonder of he just loves to play with a woman or if he simply loves her. And Christian Bale as John Rolfe was another dream come true. This movie was wonderfully made and tugs at your heartstrings like crazy. I could not watch it after the second time because it was too emotionally draining for me. But I'm gonna get a copy because I'm sure to watch it again--be it ten years from now. I could never say no to a true love story.

23) Wicker Park (2004)
Those Josh Hartnett eyes makes you wanna melt. Sheesh! As Matthew, I would give anything to be his Lisa. Now, Diane Kruger played her beautifully. And Rose Byrne, as Alex, was the villain I love to hate. Love does move in mysterious ways--but a lot freakier and darker here than most. Even with all the human factors involved in the trickery in this movie, it showed though that Fate still has a hand in (re-)uniting souls together.

22) King Arthur (2004)
Period pieces are my kind of movies. Add Clive Owen as the mythical Arthur, Keira Knightley as Guinevere, and Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot and we are all set. Produced by his holiness Jerry Bruckheimer and with a tagline about 'the story behind the legend', there's no way this one won't be included in my current list.21) Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
Believe it or not, I love war movies. That especially goes with stories set within the main conflict--like this one. Gene Hackman, as Admiral Leslie McMahon Reigart, was amazing (as usual) and Owen Wilson was so un-Owen Wilson as Lt. Chris Burnett. I just love him! And recon gone wrong was a cool plot. The twists in the movie were so unexpected--hence, a twist...duh!--I almost had a heart attack everytime I thought Burnett was gonna get caught. My fave scene has gotta be when he hid in a mass grave. Damn!

20) Iron Jawed Angels (2004)
Movies based on true events are cool. But those that are tastefully done are the best. And this HBO Original fits the bill quite nicely. I loved watching Hilary Swank portray Alice Paul because not only did she do it magnificently, it was also a relief to see her not trying to be a boy for a change. Frances O'Connor, as Lucy Burns, made it look so 'easy' to be a heroine by forcing Washington to listen to their cause--right of suffrage for American women. And picketing the White House--during wartime America--has gotta be the focal point of both the movie and the real events that inspired it.

19) Black Hawk Down (2001)
This is here purely for selfish reasons: It's raining men! Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Ron Eldard, Ioan Gruffudd, Carmine Giovinazzo, Enrique Murciano. Ahem. Okay, back to Earth. Fantasy-causing reason aside, it's a Ridley Scott film and produced by my friend Jerry B. So what more could you want? So not many people enjoy two hours of whizzing bullets, RPGs launching, 'We got a Black hawk down' squawking on the radio, blown body parts, and dead soldiers. But those are the sounds and sights or war. No use sugarcoating it.

18) Frequency (2000)
There's no denying it, I love Jim Caviezel. That might sound sacrilegious because we all know he played JC. But this was the movie that made me first notice him. Dennis Quaid played his dad and it goes without saying how lovely-looking their family was. Now, what would you do if you found out that you can talk to your father and even yourself from 30 years ago through an old (but the same) ham radio? This film is all about justice and second chances with a sci-fi twist.
17) Crazy/Beautiful (2001)
Teenybopper flicks are not my cup of tea. But there are a handful that standout. Like this one. Kirsten Dunst plays Nicole Oakley, a congressman's daughter who was on the fast track to the crazier side of the crazy life. Then she met and fell (hard) for Jay Hernandez's Carlos Nuñez, a straight A student from a Mexican family, who rode the bus to school and hoped to get into flight school. And while he got crazy about her, beauty's father 'warned' him from her if he wanted to realize his lifelong dream of flying. But love is a powerful thing and by the end of the movie, everybody won.

16) A Walk to Remember (2002)
No need to explain about this Mandy Moore-Shane West flick. Really. If you don't know Jamie Sullivan and Langdon Carter, let me just give you a shoutout: "How was the trip from Mars? Or was it Pluto?" For me, this isn't a teen movie. It just so happened that the story was in a teen setting. No thanks to the efforts of Nicholas Wring-My-Emotions Sparks. But I doubt if it would have been as poignant and packed a lesser wallop had it been written any other way.

15) The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
My fascination of Jim Caviezel continued as he played Edmond Dantes/the Count of Monte Cristo. Not to mention that I really do worship at the altar of period pieces. From the great storyteller Alexander Dumas (for those who need this newsflash: he wrote The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask), it was an instant hit the first time I saw it. And I still love it now--after no less than the fifteen times I've seen it. After all, revenge is a sweet thing.

14) The Harry Potter movies
--The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
When I went to see the movie, it was pure adventure for me. I had not read the books at the time so I was basically just satisfying my curiosity. What's all the fuss about this kid Harry? But I actually had fun.
--The Chamber of Secrets (2002)
I really had a great time watching this second installment in the series. It was great watching Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as Hermione, and Rupert Grint as Ron all grown up but at the same time, still oh-so charming as in the first.
--The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Up until the sixth book arrived, the third book was my favorite of all Harry Potter books. Because Sirius Black (played by Gary Oldman) was my most favorite character of all. Admittedly, Alfonso Cuaron did a great job making the transition from a mere kids' movie to a darker (kid's) movie--because no matter how you downplay it, Harry Potter's is really a dark story. But there was just something lacking in it that I could not put a finger on. So I was never able to connect to it as much as I had with the first two.
--The Goblet of Fire (2005)
My most favorite Harry Potter movie yet. It was a wonderful interpretation of the book version. I missed Dobby though but it was understandable. Otherwise the movie would have been more than five hours long. Nevertheless, it captured the most important parts, the ones that matter to prepare us for the next adventure. And all the kids looked all grown-up--and played the part, too, what with the Yule ball and the crushes. Personally, after I saw it I became slightly anxious. The fourth book/movie is the pivotal part of the series. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is back. That means three adventures more to go and the next thing we know there'll be no more books/movies to wait for. Anticipation is half the fun--that's part of the charm of this franchise. And I just want it to go on and on and on...

13) Notting Hill (1999)
America's sweetheart Julia Roberts is Anna Scott, the world's sweetheart who falls in love with Hugh Grant's Will Thacker--a travel bookshop owner from Notting Hill. They meet, fall in love, and (surprise!) the paparazzi plays third wheel. The story is all too common in the celebrity world but it was told in funny yet tasteful way there's no way you wouldn't not see it from start to finish. Not to mention that the lead actors are the best in the dramedy genre.

12) Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Another period piece, another drooling session. Okay. I doubt if Crusaders looked half as good as Orlando Bloom did in the role of Balian. But that's really beside the point. Seriously, this is a wonderfully made movie. The production did an awesome job on the costumes, the sets, and the battle scenes. It was not an us, us, us movie at all and it was great to have had a peek at what was on the other side. You know what I mean, right? (But I won't discuss that point any further because religious statements, no matter how nicely said, almost always get to be taken the wrong way.) Although nothing beats Orli in his tanned glory, another reason to see this movie is Jeremy Irons. As Tiberias, you get to see just how good a thespian he is.
11) Ice Age (2002)
Fun, fun, fun! That's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the Ice Age experience. The pink little thing made me cry, Diego was a big heart in a fierce persona, Manfred was simply cuddly, and I'm in love with the adorable Sid. And Scrat, my big-eyed, acorn-loving troublemaker always broke the ice. Pun intended. Before a scene got too serious, Scrat would be there and I'd be all smiles again. I have never been a big fan of animated films but I just couldn't refuse this one--and those innuendoes. A certified tae kwon dodo!

10) The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Musicals are not on top of my weekend movie marathon priorities. But this work of Andrew Lloyd Webber is just the right piece for me to change my mind. It was definitely a breath of fresh air to see Gerard Butler, as the Phantom, singing. And Emily Rossum was just angelic as Christine. I really enjoyed the times I was watching this one, singing along with the soundtrack. "Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime..."

9) The Passion of the Christ (2004)
There's no probably in it--this is one of the most controversial film of my generation. And will most likely be for the next several years to come. There's nothing like religion to get people's reactions, violent or otherwise. From the first time I read about it in a Mel Gibson magazine interview several months leading up to its release, I couldn't help but feel interested, awed, intrigued. And rightly so. You almost forget that it was just a movie. But it got its message across--gathering from the atmosphere in theaters, from people in tears after seeing the film, even from the many who thought it was a poor account of what really happened. I was glad the Vatican gave it a thumb's up because even though I'm not even slightly religious, I would certainly would have felt guilty when I say it was rightly done. And now it has become a family staple for Holy Week viewing alongside The Ten Commandment and Ben Hur.

8) The Patriot (2000)
Great plot--another period piece, plus the family story factor: check. Great lines--from drama to humour: check. Great performances--Mel Gibson's is reason enough: check. Hunk red alert--Heath Ledger: a big, fat check!

7) Goal! (2005)
A game-winning Goal! for the makers of the film.

6) Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
The books are effing expensive so I guess the movie was the next best thing. I was very intrigued when the trailers of the movie first came out. But I never expected for the movie to be that good. What with the voice of Jude Law as Lemony Snicket, Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, Meryl streep as Aunt Josephine...And the children in it were just fabulous--Emily Browning as Violet, Liam Aiken as Klaus, and Kara and Shelby Hoffman as Sunny (ga!). It wasn't a laugh-my-ass-out kinda fun but a damn-that-felt-good kind.5) Finding Nemo (2003)
Now, I certainly had laugh-my-ass-out moments during this one. Probably 75% of the time was because of the unforgettable (pun not intended) exploits of Dory. From "He went that way. Follow me" to "Conscience, am I dead?" to "...his son Fabio." And there were two Pinoys involved in the animation process--in creating Dory and the fishtank, no less (did you see the bahay kubo?) And the lesson in the story wasn't hidden in some allegorical catch--listen to someone who knows better or suffer the consequences if you do otherwise.

4) Moulin Rouge (2001)
Another musical. But I really don't mind. And although I'm not a sucker for un-happy endings, I guess the movie couldn't have ended any other way. I never thought Ewan McGregor, who played Christian, could sing. If so, not even that well. Same goes for Nicole Kidman, who was Satine. But then again, thespians of this caliber are capable of anything. And so they pulled off those duets gloriously well that it was hard to imagine them not singing in their following films.

3) The X-Men movies
--X-Men (2000)
I watched the first installment the day before mid-terms exams started during one of those college semesters. I couldn't wait for the weekend and had to watch it then and there. It didn't help that when I was young, three years worth of 30-minute Friday evening TV viewings were spent on the X-Men animated show. And the movie version was great. I almost forgot that they had an all-star ensemble because to me, they were just the X-Men. And by the way, I passed my exams.
--X-Men 2: X-Men United (2003)
It was the same cast plus a lot more people. It was more fun--mutants versus humans. But since the humans in this case were of low-as-scum variety, you'd pardon me if I root for the other side. Bad part: Jean Grey died. Good part: Jean Grey died. I just know the writers have something bigger planned for the third and (supposed) last movie. Phoenix , anyone?

2) The Lord of the Rings trilogy
--The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
A couple of months or so before it came out, I started to see it's trailer on just about any channel on TV. Obviously, the whole world was fascinated with the idea of a trilogy coming out December of '01, '02, and '03. By the time I saw the movie, I was caught hook, line, and sinker. And I went crazy about a lot of LOTR stuff. Short of learning the Elvish tongue, I still probably went overboard. Come to think of it, there's an Elvish tongue that--Oookay. Stop.
--The Two Towers (2002)
Another fantastic movie experience. Perhaps for some (me included) it dragged a bit when Treebeard was in the scene but it wasn't his fault if Tolkien wrote him--and the rest of the Ents--that way. But if you were a gazillion years old, you'd probably talk that way, too.
--The Return of the King (2003)
All the people who worked on the trilogy--from the actors to the crew to the seemingly millions of extras--finally got their well deserved, albeit expected, Oscar Best Picture honors in this one. I won't name names because I'm sure each and every one of them did a splendid job wherever aspect of filmmaking they were involved in to piece together this masterpiece. There were two words my cyberfriends described the LOTR: ROTK experience. Some people might get offended by the term so if you wanna know what it is, you can call me, send me a text message or an e-mail, post a comment, what have you.

1) Armageddon (1998)
Ad astra per astera.

There's a good likelihood that all the titles in this list do not appear in a critic's list of favorites but I've never claimed to be one. I just have pure good fun whenever I have the time to watch any of these.

(Originally posted at The Kookie Jar.)