Harry Potter, goodbye my friend

About 12 years ago, my Dad dragged me into a bookstore, demanding I pick out half a dozen books. That was how he tried to get me into reading (to be honest, it didn’t really work out as well as he’d hoped). One of the books I reluctantly picked out was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which in my opinion was a great book for a 9-year old considering I had recently graduated from Enid Blyton. I read it. Loved it. And got hooked to the entire series. Now more than a decade later, it all ends.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is everything I expected it to be - exciting, action-packed, emotional, heart wrenching and most of all an epic and satisfying finale to an amazing series. There are plenty of good things about the movie. More than ever, the color and lighting suits the tone of the movie. It’s like the entire film has the Walden filter (if you’re on Instagram, you’ll know what I’m talking about) layered over it. Effectively, it makes the movie more heart wrenching than it already is. On top of this there are some absolutely gorgeous visuals. I was really struck by the pure beauty of this film. It’s probably the best shot of all the Potter films, and I love gorgeous-looking movies.

Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) probably gets more screen time in this movie than in any of the previous four, which brought me around to realizing that he does a fantastic job. Everything is convincing. His pain, his anger but most of all, his terrifying whispers. While on the point of acting, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have come a long way and finally give barely decent performances.

My favorite part of the movie was Snape’s story. It’s brief, concise and gets the point across but most importantly, it instantly built a sense ofaffection and close emotional connection for me. With that, it brings me to the content of the movie and my issues with how they were separated, making up part 1 and part 2. David Yates had two options - either film a long ass movie no. 7 or, split the last book up into two movies. Obviously, he went with option no. 2, which I believe to have been a wise decision. My problem is that there is too much content in the book to have been fit into one movie but on the other hand there is too little content to have made two outstanding movies. So this is a problem for me that can’t really be solved. Big props to Yates for making the best of it though.

Having cut the first movie off at a great point, part 2 essentially comprises scenes set in only three locations and only one day passes in the movie. Although massively eventful, the movie feels stretched, dragging the content out to fill up the allotted 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Having said that, I think this is a good movie on its own and if you’ve followed this from the start I believe you will be quite satisfied. I know I was. And to everyone who has grown up with Harry Potter, as I have, say goodbye but only for now. This is our generation’s Star Wars and we will introduce our kids to this. And when we do, we’ll experience, all over again, the magical escapism it’s brought us.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Teaser Trailer

When the first Transformers trailer was released, there was big hype. When the Transformers 2 trailer came out, there was bigger hype. Third Transformers teaser trailer? Not so much. After what was a disaster of a movie in the last one, expectations are down a little bit for Dark of the Moon. But I have to say, this is a pretty kick-ass teaser trailer. Love it. But of course, this tells us nothing of what the movie is going to be like.

So for now, enjoy the tease.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

I'm going to start this off with a very slight spoiler to anyone who hasn't read the books yet because it's pretty difficult to talk about a Harry Potter movie without mentioning any spoilers, much less the penultimate one. If you've read the book, you would know that Harry and gang don't return to Hogwarts for school at all. Instead, they set out to find the seven Horcruxes upon Dumbledore's instructions. This brings a whole different aspect to the movie, giving it a James Bond feel, somewhat. If you haven't read the book but this all seems familiar to you, that's because this movie starts off right from where the last one ended.

Splitting the last book into two movies was a smart move from Warner Bros. Good for the fans and good for the studio too. Win-win situation. Part 1 is a very good movie. It covers all the important stuff and creates a great platform for what's going to be an epic finale to the movie franchise next July.

This movie just sets everything up. The audience is filled in with the necessary information like the Horcruxes and Deathly Hallows, which will allow the action and pure awesome-ness to flow in Part 2. But as a result, some of the scenes in the middle part of the movie got a little repetitive and dragged out. The general audience may find it a little dull as compared to a Potterhead.

I really enjoyed the way this film was shot. There are a few scenes that are simply awe-inspiring, one of which, very Tim Burton-esque when telling the story of The Three Brothers. The chase scenes through the forest as seen in the trailer is equally as awesome. The action and informational detail in this movie is so captivating that I didn't miss Hogwarts and all the magical exploration the first couple movies brought. As I walked out of the movie hall the feeling sunk in. We don't see Professor McGonagall, there are no classes, no Quidditch and no banter between Harry and Draco. I even missed Snape who had one scene in the entire movie. I know I'm writing this as if I didn't read the book. I know all of this happens but it's just so different when you get to see it all on the big screen.

To be honest, I liked the last movie more compared to this one but only because a lot of important stuff happened in Half-Blood Prince whereas The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is more of a build up, the quiet before the storm if you will. Because trust me when I say that shit is gonna hit the fan in Part 2.

There's no denying this. You MUST watch this movie. There's no two ways about it. This has been the movie franchise of the decade. People will be talking about Harry Potter when we enter the next century. Bring on Part 2 I say.

Movie Review: Unstoppable

Many would say Unstoppable is Speed with trains. I guess you could say that to a certain degree. But Speed will never be as ridiculous as Unstoppable. Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington), a railway engineer is paired up with rookie conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine) for their first day on the job together when disaster strikes. As they are out on the tracks doing what they do, the discover that there is another train that's unmanned and carrying toxic substances heading down to Scranton, PA, a city of high population. Against orders from higher up, Frank and Will go after the rogue train and try to stop it before it causes some serious destruction. This movie is based loosely on true events.

There are two things wrong with this movie - it's ridiculous and Chris Pine is in it. Chris Pine is awesome and I think he's a great actor, which is why it baffles me that he's in a movie like this. It isn't contributing to his push to being one of Hollywood's leading men like how Star Trek did. Then you say what about Denzel? He's one of Hollywood's leading men and he's in this movie. Well, to that, I say to you, he can do whatever the f*** he wants. He's Denzel! I really didn't get Chris Pine's involvement in this movie. I just couldn't connect with his character.

If I directed this movie, first off, it would be a crappy movie, and secondly, it would be half an hour long. The whole middle part of this movie is ridiculous and could have been done away with. But that would have been impossible because then we wouldn't have a movie. With such a premise, there isn't many ways to make a movie that wouldn't be ridiculous and having said all this, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and how Tony Scott shot it.

There is so much suspense in this film I almost soiled myself. Okay, maybe not, or maybe I did. Anyways, the way things fall together in this movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and really accentuates the cinema experience. If you're in the hunt for some brainless action and suspense, go check out Unstoppable. It'll be worth your money. And you could share with me your pants soiling experience. No? Okay, maybe not.

Unstoppable opens in theaters November 11 and I give it a 6 out of 10 Popcorns.

Movie Review: The Joshua Tapes

So it's been a while since I wrote anything here. I'd like to say I'm going to start updating regularly again, but my Mom taught me not to lie. So I'm not. However, I thought I'd break this lazy streak with a little somethin' somethin' from the local indie film scene. The Joshua Tapes was shot two years ago in 2008 but is only getting limited distribution this year. I don't really know why (maybe I should have asked during the Q&A session =/) but I think it was worth the wait. And I'd say this movie is worth your Ringgit.

The best thing about going into this movie was that I had zero knowledge on the film. I didn't see many posters/banners, I did not watch the trailer, knew nothing about the plot - all working to my benefit. I went into the cinema with a completely open mind, judgment-free, which was refreshing considering all the Hollywood marketing crap that gets flung our way before the movie even opens.

The Joshua Tapes is about three buddies coming together, after growing apart for some time, to go on a road trip to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Heightened emotions, flashbacks and hilarity ensue.

I really did not like the beginning of the movie. The whole shaky cam thing just put me off straight away. My first thoughts were "Is the entire film going to be like this?". It works fine later on as flashbacks but I thought the start would have been better if it was present day. In fact, I liked the first act of the film the least. The build up to the road trip took a little too long, the lines were starting to get on my nerves a little, especially from Ajeet. To be honest, Ajeet annoyed me all throughout the movie.

The film picked up in the second and third acts and got way better. Just not Ajeet. I didn't really get his character. What I thought was that he was the troubled soul - angry, bitter, suicidal. Sure there were hints of those in the character, but bitchy stood out the most. Ajeet could have been played by a girl and it wouldn't have made a difference. It felt as if I should have sympathized with Ajeet, but instead I was so annoyed by his character and at one point wish the other two had kicked him out of the car. At least then Ryan and Reza would have had more time to talk about their problems.

I really enjoyed how the flashbacks sort of acted as the antagonist in this movie, bringing up dirty secrets and problems. The only thing was that these problems and secrets are never really brought up, discussed and resolved in the present day parts of the film. It did leave me wanting more, which is a good thing.

All the stuff I wish were different in the movie aside, I really did enjoy this movie. The humor, when it did pop up, was incredibly hilarious and I found myself laughing more than I thought I would. Putting the bitchiness of Ajeet aside, I enjoyed the car scenes, the back and forths between Reza and Ajeet, the crazy emotions, the sarcasm and even the awkward silences. The thing I loved the most about this film was the dialogue and how it was presented and brought through. I could relate to so many things that were said in this movie, not by what was said, but by how it was said. Everything felt so natural and just right. Maybe because it was all so Malaysian.

I had such mixed feelings about the ending it hurt me so bad. After such a roller coaster ride of a movie, there was a sense of calm and serenity in the ending. On the flip side, there was an exorbitant amount of unanswered questions, unrevealed secrets and unresolved problems. That was quite unsatisfying for me, just because I expected so much more from the movie.

Instead of seeing this as a shortcoming, I see it as room to grow into and potential. There were endless possibilities with this movie and big ups to the writers of the movie. I hope The Joshua Tapes is a sign of more to come from the local indie film scene.

The Joshua Tapes open in three cinemas - GSC Mid Valley, One Utama and Pavilion on September 30 and will be showing for two weeks only. Shake up your movie-watching routine and go catch this local production. You might love it, you might hate it. But what the hell.

Free Resident Evil: Afterlife Passes With Friendster Fizz

Remember the Friendster Fizz deal I posted a couple weeks ago? Free passes to go see Step Up 3 were up for grabs. This time around, the Friendster profile is giving all of you a chance to win passes to go see Resident Evil: Afterlife. It is a video game adaptation and also the fourth installment of the movie franchise.

Afterlife continues as the world is ravaged by an infectious virus and victims are turned into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Although a deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation escalates, Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend, Claire (Ali Larter). A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes Alice and her comrades to Los Angeles, but when they arrived, the city is overrun by thousands of Undead –and a deadly trap waits.

What do you need to do to win a some passes to go see the film? Well, you need to be the first 80 fans to send an e-mail to contest@friendster.com on why Resident Evil is the best movie franchise ever in less than 25 words.

You could also win a 16GB Sony Walkman and cool Resident Evil: Afterlife stuff. Just dress up as a zombie, makeup and the works, and post a photo of yourself on your profile. Then just drop a comment on the Friendster Fizz profile. This contest closes on September 1. Good luck!

For more info, go to friendster.com/friendsterfizz

Movie Review: Repo Men

Repo Men, at it's core, is about selling your soul to the devil. A company called The Union manufactures and sells bionic organs and body parts to people who are in dire need for them. In most instances, these people cannot afford to pay the astronomical prices for these artificial organs and are faced with ludicrous interest rate plans. If they fall behind their monthly payment, repossession agents are sent after them and their artificial organs are essentially harvested from their bodies and taken back by The Union. Jude Law and Forest Whitaker play best buddies who work as repo men for The Union.




This movie is all over the place. It starts off light-hearted, then goes through a whole depressing, emotional phase and ends in very gory fashion. The premise is interesting enough (they always are) but the constant change in direction of the movie completely put me off.

I don't really see what the casting director saw in casting Forest Whitaker together in a movie like this one. I must say Jude Law brought his A-game in this one. His character is chock-full of charisma and underlying sarcasm. Forest Whitaker looked completely out of place and ultimately became an annoyance.




The gore in this movie is excessive and unnecessary to say the least. And there is an exponential increase in the bloodshed in this movie. By the end of the it, the floor had enough blood to fill a blood bank. The gore in this film is completely unexpected. Any of the pre-release marketing buzz, although there wasn't much of it, had very little indication of how inappropriate this film would be for the faint-hearted. Even the first half of the movie served no notice of the gore that was to be expected.

Having said all this, in some weird, creepy, crazy way, I was quite entertained by this movie. Although the humor could have been better and the movie could have been shorter, I felt a thrill watching all the mindless violence and the crappy B-grade plot organization with A-list actors.




The movie is executed poorly but interesting nonetheless. It's a weird one because despite my less-than-flattering review of the movie, it's worth a watch. Jude Law does a great job and if you're a fan of the dude, it's as good an excuse as any to go see the movie.

I give Repo Men 5 out of 10 Popcorns.

Movie Poster: Due Date

Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis and Jamie Foxx. Can you get a better combo than that? I don’t think so. Along with director Todd Phillips who did last year’s smash summer comedy The Hangover (also starring Galifianakis), they bring this year’s supposed big comedy- Due Date.

The teaser trailer for the film was released about a month ago and the poster was just made available on the web a few days ago. I think it’s very Hangover-ish, don’t you? You can check out both the poster and trailer below.

High-strung father-to-be Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) on a long road trip in order to make it to his new child's birth on time.

The trailer wasn’t incredibly funny. But it was okay because I’m a big fan of Zach Galifianakis. He has his moments. The due date on Due Date is November 4 in Malaysia.

Free Step Up 3D Passes With Friendster Fizz

Do you love dance movies? More specifically, do you love the Step Up franchise? Well check this out. There’s a brand new profile by Friendster called Friendster Fizz dedicated to giving out freebies such as movies preview passes, movie premiums and much more.

They are starting this giveaway with free movie passes to the preview screening of the much anticipated dance flick, Step Up 3D.

Moose (Adam G.Sevani) who missed his flight back to Baltimore when the Maryland School of Arts (MSA) goes to Paris for an international dance competition. He soon makes friends with an American away from home and beautiful French sophisticate. They introduce Moose to the red-hot Parisian underground dance scene, and before long he is wowing the local dancers with his unique moves as they prepare for an underground dance competition. With time running out before the big event and their routine stolen by a rival crew, Moose turns to his loyal MSA crew in Baltimore for help.

Can Moose, the MSA crew and the French crew pull together a new dance number at the last minute? And will it be good enough to beat the world’s best street dancers? Will Moose kiss the frog?

Personally I’m super excited for this movie. Forget the plot. Forget the characters. Forget the dancing. Think of the 3D. I know I’ve said I hate all these gimmicky 3D movies of late, but Step Up 3D will be different.

There are essentially three types of 3D movies in cinemas right now:

1. Film shot in 2D and later converted into 3D
2. Film created in 3D and exported in 3D (eg. animations)
3. CG effects combined with #1 above (eg. Avatar)

Step Up 3D won’t be anything like these because the film was actually shot using proper 3D cameras. So expect an incredible cinematic experience when you watch the movie.

All you have to do to stand a chance to win these free preview passes to the movie is become a fan of Friendster Fizz and post a comment stating why you would love to win those passes. Like these peeps right here.

The contest closes on August 18 so what are you waiting for? Check out Friendster Fizz now! Oh and pssst, by the way, if you post creative dance poses on their profile pages, you might also win additional Celebrity Fitness vouchers.

Check out the Step Up 3D trailer below.

Movie Trailer: Jackass 3D

via slashfilm.com

Oh my goodness. I LOVE Jackass and it's back for a third installment and in 3D! I know I've stressed my discontent with 3D-converted movies in the past but I don't care I want to watch this movie in 3D. It's gonna be HILARIOUS!

Unfortunately, there isn't any plans for local distribution of the movie. Bahh! But it gets an October 15 U.S. release.