[Movie] Hunger Games

 A- (AMAZING!)

 4.5 (ADDICTION!)

Hunger Games won as the most anticipated movie of the year. Naturally, people have high expectations of it. Especially that the book is well-received by critics and has won quite a number of awards.

I'm a huge fan of the book myself. Heck, it's my top favorite YA novel right now. So you've got an idea on how excited I was when I found out that it's getting a movie adaptation? xD Yeah, so excited that I went as far as getting advance screenings for it *_* So yeah, I've finally seen it and....

It did not disappoint.

Well, of course, the novel's still better, but the movie still did it justice.

No wonder it's been getting high ratings from critics so far. Before it even premiered worldwide, it's already around 90%, Keep it high xD

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #011 (The End of Tiger & Bunny, and Looking Forward to Anonymous)

Oh yeah, believe it or not, I actually have a MAL account, haha! (Please add me if you also have an account there xD) It hasn't been updated for so long though (like the profile and favorites lists) but the anime and manga lists have been updated a bit. I am sure that I have not added a lot of titles in it yet.

I didn't update it because I was lazy. But now I see its significance... because I lose track of the anime/manga I've checked out and finished x_x (I had an offline list, but I can't find it anymore! Ahaha!) Especially on the manga! My god... Hopefully I remember to update my MAL as I update this blog.... 

[ ANIME ]

(LOLz! pic from all4humor)

(Tiger and Bunny - Episode 25)

It was very very touching... made me laugh while crying. Kotetsu is just awesome in everything, while Barnaby made me daaaaaaaaaaaaaaw (he's sooooooooo attached to Kotetsu). Their aliases fit them so much, 'coz Kotetsu is as badass as a tiger, while Barnaby's as adorable as a bunny xD Teehee~

I've finished the anime, and done with the critique/review. I had a hard time in deciding whether I want to give it a B, B+, or A-. I picked "A-" in the end, because unique shows deserve more credit, hehe.

[ MOVIE ]

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Anonymous speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds ranging from Mark Twain and Charles Dickens to Henry James and Sigmund Freud, namely: who was the author of the plays credited to William Shakespeare? Experts have debated, books have been written, and scholars have devoted their lives to protecting or debunking theories surrounding the authorship of the most renowned works in English literature. Anonymous poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when cloak-and-dagger political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles hungry for the power of the throne were exposed in the most unlikely of places: the London stage.

SH#T! I'm a sucker for controversial films; whether religious, political, or literary. DO WANT!!!! *_*

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #010 ("Disease Fighting Stuff" and some Novel Catch-Up)

[ MOVIE ]

Movie Web's having a Contagion goodies Giveaway:

THey look cool xD I like the description on the LED light; got me amused, haha!

Oh, I like the movie plot written in that Giveawar post. I'm hoping to be able to write plots that sound interesting in paragraph form... I got used to my own style, like what I did to my review, haha.

Anywayz, for those who want to know what Contagion's about, but with more details:

An international traveler reaches into the snack bowl at an airport bar before passing her credit card to a waiter. A business meeting begins with a round of handshakes. A man coughs on a crowded bus...

One contact. One instant. And a lethal virus is transmitted.

When Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minneapolis from business in Hong Kong, what she thought was jet lag takes a virulent turn. Two days later, she's dead in the ER and the doctors tell her shocked and grieving husband (Matt Damon) they have no idea why.

Soon, others exhibit the same mysterious symptoms: hacking coughs and fever, followed by seizure, brain hemorrhage...and ultimately, death. In Minneapolis, Chicago, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, the numbers quickly multiply: one case becomes four, then sixteen, then hundreds, thousands, as the contagion sweeps across all borders, fueled by the countless human interactions that make up the course of an average day.

A global pandemic explodes. At the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers mobilize to break the code of a unique biological pathogen as it continues to mutate. Deputy Director Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) tries to allay the growing panic despite his own personal concerns, and must send a brave young doctor (Kate Winslet) into harm's way. At the same time, amid a rising tide of suspicion over a potential vaccine-and who gets it first-Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard) of the World Health Organization works through the network of connections that could lead back to the source of what they're dealing with.

As the death toll escalates and people struggle to protect themselves and their loved ones in a society breaking down, one activist blogger (Jude Law) claims the public isn't getting the truth about what's really going on, and sets off an epidemic of paranoia and fear as infectious as the virus itself

[ NOVEL ]

( A Clash of Kings - Pages 576 to 600 of 708)

The only cool thing that Sansa ever did was PRAY for Jooffrey's misfortune.

Theon's such an idiot. He's not really a bad guy, but still... AND IDIOT!!! T_T

( The Shack - Pages 1 to 20 of 250)

I got curious on it because of the popularity. I've come across a lot of religious controversies in fiction, but not much on spiritual ones. So far it's so interesting. I looooooooove how the narrator tells the story. Ordinary things/actions sound like adventures and magic through his words. I'm hoping to continue this very soon~

[Movie] Contagion - Nothing Spreads Like Fear

Contagion

of Warner Bros. Pictures
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and Written by Scott Burns

CDC: There's a lethal virus that's been killing millions of people across the world.
Public: Have you found a cure?
CDC: No. We don't even know what is it.
Public: How could we prevent it?
CDC: Wash your hands and... don't let yourself be touched.

* CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

SETTING: Various Countries on Earth. Contemporary. ELEMENTS: Virus. Disease. Vaccine. Epidemic. GENRE: Medical. Political. Social. Thriller. Suspense. Mystery. DEMOGRAPHIC: Adult.

RATING: B+ (IMPRESSIVE!) FAVORITISM: 3 Hearts ---> LIKE

There is no need for zombies and bloodshed to make.... a good and terrifying disaster thriller~

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #008 (Reading is Sexy, C&H + GoT crossover, Creepy Webcomic, etc.)

This speaks truth:

Hiss a$$ is quite exposed... f*ck

I miss Dean Winchester of the Supernatural series... and I also miss reading.

[ NOVEL ]
( A Clash of Kings - Pages 371 to 575 of 708)

I'm almost done!!! w00t!

I love this more than the prequel. More supernatural phenomena going on; there's finally more sorcery than just plain politics. Not that I don't like the political stuff in the novel, I just prefer a fantasy series with more fantasy elements than political ones.

Arya's "human weapon" is such an interesting guy. Hopefully we'll be seeing more of him soon. I'm also curious on who she might end up with... my guess is Gendry... but we don't know about the guy she's betrothed yet... he might also be an interesting guy.

I'm hoping that Theon and Robb would meet already. Theon's obviously attached to the guy... (though I don't think he's gay), I wonder how Robb's gonna behave towards him when he finds out what he had done to his brothers.

Joffrey's so annoying... Sansa's so pathetic. Pfft, they're a pair, indeed.

And oh, speaking of the A Song of Fire and Ice series, I found something pretty interesting:

A CALVIN (as Jon Snow) AND HOBBES (as Ghost, Jon's direwolf) CROSSOVER!!! AWESOME!!! I LOVE IT!!!

[ WEBMANHWA ]

To horror fans, here's an interesting Korean webcomic to check out:

(click the image to see it... if you dare)

It's recommended to watch at night, around 11:20 PM would be nice.

You don't actually need to understand it to be freaked out, but for those who are curious on what the hell was going on, then a translation's available over here.

I discovered this last week. Since most horror comics don't scare me easily, I let my guard down on this one. And after scrolling it a bit I already got scared >_< It makes me feel weird to not finish a horror story, so I had planned to get back to it. On my next attempt, I failed.... but of course, I managed to read it in the end. It was good... still freaked me out even though I already knew what I'll be expecting. This is terrific~

[ MANGA ]

• Black Butler (chapter 60) - That twist about Undertaker's original profession was no longer a surprise (ah, the anime has spoiled that), but the twist on who's the one behind eveything was... something expected and unexpected at the same time, aahaha.
• Bloody Cross (chapters 9 to 11)- To be honest, I don't really read it anymore... except for the parts with Tsuduki... because he's so entertaining that I forget about everyone else, ahaha.
• Bloody Monday (chapters 4 to 5) - THEY'RE ENGAGED???!!!! O_O ... oh whatever, more of my beloved J, please. (I think J ships them though. Fufu~)

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #006 (Tiger & Bunny Marathon and Tekken Blood Vengeance)

[ ANIME ]

(Tiger and Bunny - Episodes 11 to 22)

Ahaha... I finally managed to marathon it. I missed this series so much~ During the marathon I've realized HOW MUCH I've missed. I'll try my best to be as updated as possible next time xD (though I kinda doubt on seeing the last two episodes that soon because I'm going somewhere around that time ^^;)

• Tiger - He's the dude who makes me laugh the most. Most adorable guy as well. I know he's not as stupid as he seems, but there was a time that I got disappointed the he didn't get that he was tricked even though it was pretty obvious... and it was just a few episodes after he had done something super impressive =_=
• Bunny - Such an emotional fella. It was so cute when he's finally admitting that he's having high respect towards Kotetsu~
• Blue Rose - Of all the dudes she could have a crush on, he choose "him"! Pretty girls falls for a guy not for his looks. I really love her for that, even if she's being tsundere about it xD
• Fire Emblem - Oh he always amuses me xD He's one of the girls! w00t!
• Sky High - He's soooo lame, and I find him very very very adorable for that. He almost had a love story... but as usual, I fell for a tragic pairing again *bangs head on the wall*
• Rock Bison - he needs more love~
• Dragon Kid - I really laughed when she apologized for being boyish when Blue Rose said that one of them (referring to Nathan) isn't really female, haha!
• Origami Cyclone - I'm proud of him~
• Lunatic - Ooooo.... tragic past... explains his odd personality. Oh poor darling *huggles the psycho*
• Jake - he is such an... ASS!!! And that was AWESOME!!!! I find it cool when villains are being jerks.... his kind of jerk-ness.... it's so amusing xD

Anywayz, even though some stuff in the recent episodes are pretty predictable (and sometimes Kotetsu's so smart then he suddenly goes unbelievably stupid =_=), it had still been very enjoyable and fantastic! Things are doing good so far, but I just wish Lunatic will have more role in the series because he's such an interesting character. Well, it looks like even in the recent episodes, there isn't much info on the super main villains yet... perhaps there'll be a second season? xD

[ MOVIE ]

(Tekken: Blood Vengeance)

I heard nothing but negative opinions about the recent live action film. This one, however, seems really promising.

Too bad my Hwoarang doesn't seem to be in it... but the trailer looks really great~

Hopefully it gets released in my place (though I find that unlikely *sigh*). I really look forward to seeing it *_*

Off-topic 1: I'm still trying to get used to the new blogger
Off-topic 2: It's already September?.......... NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #005 (Hunger Games Trailer & My August 2011 New Novels)

Some Hunger Games teaser first:

THAT'S IT???! UUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Anywayz, now about the main topic of this post:

I used to buy a lot of novels (on sale) almost weekly, but I don't get to read majority of them that soon x_x So because of that (and also because of budget issues), I've been trying my best to limit the books I buy xD The number of books that I used to buy in just two weeks now took me a month! I'm improving... little by little... haha!

So here are the interesting novels I found (most interesting at the bottom) and hopefully they have been worth buying, even if they're discounted:

1. I, Juan de Pareja (Elizabeth Borton de Trevino)
   I like stories about artists. And I find the idea of a slave wanting to become one pretty intriguing. Social discrimination issues~
2. Wish Riders (Patrick Jennings)
   The plot had bored me, to be honest. But the Cinderella reference and its mention that it deals with folklore drew me in somehow. Not to mention it got positive reviews... it might be good.
3. The Witch's Trinity (Erika Mailman)
   Ahaha... I suppose stories about women being accused for witches capture my interest... and it has something to do with Season of the Witch *just watched it*
4. Fingers (William Sleator)
   The horror in this seems to be YA-level (or maybe it is a YA novel, just didn't seem like it).... so it might not be that scary... but I like horror stories related to music~
5. Living Dead Girl (Elizabeth Scott)
   Sounds like a zombie novel but not about a zombie kid in school, or about some virus outbreak. Unusual enough for me.
6. Glasshouse (Charles Stross)
   I blame the cover. It's so... blue... Well, the blue and white/gray color mix made me see my favorite color combination (blue and silver). It got me attracted... and I don't get to read much SF novels, so I picked it up at once, haha!
7. Luna (Julie Anne Peters)
   At first I thought it had something to do with the moon, or the goddess Luna. But it turned out to be about a boy who claims to have been a girl... interesting~
8. The Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster, Hercules Barefoot: His Wonderful Love and His Terrible Hatred (Carl-Johan Vallgren)
   A "monster" being treated cruelly by "servants of god" and he gets a love story with a beautiful girl? Interesting enough for me~
   It got so many negative reviews though... had me a little worried
9. The Shack (WM. Paul Young)
   It seemed to have had a lot of positive reviews.... and the plot intrigued me. Hopefully it's as good as it seems.
10. The Pull of the Ocean (Jean-Claude Mourlevat)
    Three sets of twin boys... and a story about brotherhood... can't... resist.
11. The Egyptologist (Arthur Phillips)
    Fiction related to Egypt and its history and mytholgoy... can't resist~ It's an international bestseller too, so it might be as good as it seemed~
12. Sepulchre (Kate Mosse)
    Religious references and discovering secrets of people from history.... oh these kinds of plots always make me thrilled.
13. Al Capone Does My Shirts (Gennifer Choldenko)
    Seems hilarious! And it's got an awward! It's gotta be good~
14. The Great Stink (Clare Clark)
    The titles sounds... EPIC! Haha! (And someone from war now working on the sewers? o_o Pretty unusual... I like that)
15. The Little Book (Selden Edwards)
    It's about a timetraveller who gets to meet famous people like those from the field of literature and psychology!!! MY TYPE!!!!

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #004 (Focus: Arakawa Drama Ep5)

[ LIVE ACTION DRAMA ]

(Arakawa Under the Bridge Episode 5)

Happy to see a Sister and Maria moment! Well, it's kinda similar to the anime, except that in the anime, Maria hadn't been chasing Ric around Sister like kids and there was no scene of Sister being "protective" on the eggs that Maria gave to them o_O And instead of the nosebleeds in the anime, Sister just turned blue in the drama. Ah well, their encounter is still fun. The actress totally got Maria's laughs, haha.

I'm kinda disappointed on the Ric x Nino scene... Nino got mad at Ric for a pretty shallow reason =_= That's not the Nino I know!!! But ah well, at least they had been right on how Nino acts when annoyed. (Too bad it was just a tree, her AniManga version climbs an electric post, hehe)

I'm not happy on how weak Billy in the drama seems to be.. compare to the AniManga version, who was cool ALL the time. But ah well, at least he's not perfect... and more character development/screentime for him. Looks like something happens to him in the next episode... Ric's super worried.

Next episode seems to be rich in Ric x Nino moments. They used the anime pics for Ric's storyboard on his "planned perfect date" xD Hahahaha! OMG, can't wait (the "distancing" scene!!! Bwahahaha). They'll definitely have more romantic scenes compare to the anime (Ric carried her [his animanga version was epic fail in his attempt to carry her like a princess, haha!])

[ MANGA ]

Magic Kaitou Special - I knew it that Kaito's mom is no ordinary woman! She's almost as hott as Shinichi's mom (Yukiko's still my favorite though, ahaha). Aaw man, why was Aoko unconscious the whole time... Kaito already had the idea of kissing her but... aaaagghhh.... I hate it with Aoyama-sensei teases me with my fave pairings in his series. Such torture.
Number Chapter 38 - Tekirai caring about Toneriko is soooooo obvious now. Oh the shippers are gonna be happy. Ah well, I'm more concerned about my Mizuto. He didn't appear much unfortunately =_=

[ MOVIES ]

Woman in Black News - Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe's gonna be in some suspense/horror thriller. Well, I'm not really a fan of that actor, but I can't get these types of story plots off my radar xD

Fright Night Spoils - Seeing the comparison between the vampire dude in this movie to Twilight's Edward made me more convinced that this vampire movie might be worth watching, haha.

[ NOVELS ]

Fabelheaven Chapter 1 - I tried the first chapter because the other books of the series were on sale. I wanted to check if it's the type I would want to collect. But so far it got me bored x_X

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #003 (Focus: Misoragumi Manga and Arakawa Drama)

MANGA

Houou Gakuen Misoragumi (volume 1 to 3) by AKI Arata

My name is Kei, and I really love girls.
I attend an all-boys school, which doesn't have any girls.
Of course that's bad, especially since I'm actually a girl.

I had been interested to read this manga for a long time because of its popularity, but the "girl in an all-boys school" gender bender cliche is so overused that it didn't make me that motivated.

But last night I just thought of reading it because I was looking for a manga to try, in random.

So now I got hooked.... aaaaahhh!!!!

The heroine was very convincing as male... and that alone makes this series already so different from a lot of gender bender manga. The hero's sadistic to her though, but this is shoujo, so I won't be surprised if he actually likes her since back then... and they're so gonna be canon.

So yeah, though it's quite refreshing, it still follows some cliches... but I don't mind, this is freakin' entertaining anywayz. The masochist got me disturbed the most... but it also made me laugh so hard, haha!

This has been very enjoyable to read (Usassy is sexy!! BWAHAHAHHA!). I find Kousuke very adorable, but I guess my favorite is none other than that thespian/cosplaying dude... he's so... PRETTY... and wacky! Hahaha!

LIVE ACTION DRAMA

Arakawa Under the Bridge (Episode 4)

For the first time I didn't get annoyed on a Kappa recap.... his "swimming" was so hilarious xD Hahahaha!

Ric finally showed more of his arrogant side in this episode (he thinks that "Nino's treasure" has something to do with him).

Nino's fight against the fish was very amusing xD It was cool that the live action drama didn't exclude Nino's snot when she sleeps, haha!

This episode is more focused on Billy and Jacqueline though. They had waaaay more character development in the drama than their original adaptations *_* I'm pleased (do that for my favorite characters as well, please).
Oh, the drama decided to make Billy originally without the bird face... the animanga implied that he's already wearing it in his yakuza days x_xNow that's more believable.... I almost believed that the drama will be trying to make this realistic somehow until I saw Billy and Jacqueline transforming then flying as birds ^^; LOLz

NEXT EPISODE HAS SISTER x MARIA (possibly more Ric x Nino too) SQUEEEEE!!!! Next week is taking forever =_=

OTHERS

[ANIME - Mawaru Penguindrum]
There was no episode last week, so I was very sad ;_;

[NOVEL - A Clash of Kings {page 311 to 370 of 708}]
I'm gonna miss Renly... only because his Rainbow Knights idea was really amusing xD

[MOVIE - Adventures of Tintin: Secret fo the Unicorn] T
he "unicorn" thing was enough to make me highly interested in this, even though I'm not that familiar with the original adaptation, ahaha!

Fandom Blurbs 2011 #001

 Fandom Blurbs shall be my quick updates/fangurling of each of my main fandom. Ideally I would be able to do this every other day, but for now I shall just think of posting something like this when I feel like it.

ANIME
	Natsume Yuujinchou 3 (Episodes 5 & 6) The fifth episode was very adorable. I'm not that pleased w/ the sixth one though (Natsume had been such a loser, ahaha) but I like it for Natori's appearance (posing infront of his own billboard, LOLz) and it was so amusing to watch Nyaanko hitting Natsume just to make the boy to not to get into trouble xD

NOVELS

Monstrumologist (Prologue to Chapter 2) I saw its sequel on sale, but I haven't read this yet. So in order for me not to regret the second book, I thought of checking this out first but... hhhmm.. I find the prologue intriguing, but the few chapters after it got me bored x_x Hmm... maybe it will get interesting again later. There has to be a reason for its high reviews. A Class of Kings (page 310 out of 708) Theon got pwned by someone he tried to seduce so badly, I was so amused xD Ooo... it appears that Mycrella had a crush on Robb? If she's as nice as she appeared, that would've been cute. Tyrion's such a smartass~

MANGA

Watashi ni XX Shinasai (Chapters 23 to 27) Ugh, my guilty pleasure. Shigure's unbelievably oblivious about Mami's feelings; while Yukina's unbelievably ignorant about love. She still doesn't get it much even though she already somewhat has. Aaagghh! Ah well, despite the torture, I love the recent events. Oh Shigure, so cuuute~ Kimi to Boku (Chapter 16) Kaname's so lovable~ And LOLz to their bias to Shun xD

MOVIE

Immortals This is now my MOST anticipated movie this year *_* I knew that it deals with Greek mythology, but only recently I found out that a lot of the gods, goddesses, and mythological characters are gonna be involved *_* I want! I WANT!!!! Hunger Games I saw the pic of the Peeta actor in costume and.... ME NOT WANT =_= Katniss and Gale looked great though. But why my favorite character is.... waaaaah!!! Now I'm kinda worried about how Cinna's gonna look ;_;

TV SERIES

Ouran High School Host Club (Episode 1) Hmmm... the live action was really... weird. It didn't have much... errr... impact on me. No, I'm not the "animanga-version-is-always-better" type, but the execution in the live action drama is just... not as fantastic. It wasn't as crazy as the animanga adaptations seemed.... yeah, that might be it. The Haruhi actress looks very Haruhi... but doesn't act that Haruhi to me. The actor for Hani is beyong adorable though... kyaaaaa~ (The rest of the cast looked weird for me o_O)

Lincoln Lawyer, Red Riding Hood, and Rio (ft. Super 8)

I've been watching films from the past and also recent ones. I found it difficult to make a post for each, so I decided to do them in batches~ Each movie batch would have 3 quick movie reviews then 1 featured upcoming movie. Here goes:

Super 8

The trailer's cool~
Though many people would be pretty frustrated for keeping the "monster" a secret xD I don't mind since it's more intriguing and exciting that way (don't spoil all the good stuff in trailers~) but I'm honestly bothered on the "EIGHT" in the title.... It sounded like a superhero movie...was it referring to the kids? *didn't count though* What made them "super"? Aaaahhh!!!
Either way, I still highly look forward to the movie~

127 Hours, Coraline, & I Am Number Four (feat. Red Riding Hood)

I've been watching films from the past and also recent ones. I found it difficult to make a post for each, so I decided to do them in batches~ Each movie batch would have 3 quick movie reviews then 1 featured upcoming movie. Starting with this:

Red Riding Hood

I was so excited when I saw its trailer for the first time because I absolutely LOVE fairy tale adaptations~ This story having dark elements made me much happier~
I changed my mind when I learned that it has a love triangle (AGAIN!!! UGH) and there were freakin' loads of kissing scenes.... gawd.
But I changed my mind AGAIN when I realized that fairy tales originally have sexual elements/references in the first place. Besides, aside from the lustful scenes, it also seems to have a lot of horror and dangerous stuff Alright, bloodshed! w00t! which is just appropriate to a dark fantasy~ I really like it if Red Riding Hood isn't as innocent as she is popularly portrayed~

Knight & Day, Tangled, & The Tourist (feat. Sucker Punch)

I've been watching films from the past and also recent ones. I found it difficult to make a post for each, so I decided to do them in batches~ Each movie batch would have 3 quick movie reviews then 1 featured upcoming movie. Starting with this:

Sucker Punch

For anime watchers, the sailor outfit thing would definitely remind them of Japanese school uniforms and also Magical Girl shows like Sailormoon. I'm already tired of those and would have ignored this film if it's just the same thing; but fortunately, it isn't. The main cast of this film are amazons in a crazy action fantasy setting. What instantly grabbed my attention to this is that the leading character was confined in a mental hospital! Psycho warriors? I'm so in~ Hahaha!

	Knight and Day An ordinary woman gets involved with the dangerous adventures of a crazy secret agent.... or is he? RATING: C+ (A fun parody of a knight and princess relationship in modern times!) FAVORITISM: 3 Hearts ---> They were fun... most fun when they switched places I hope it was intentional, because I really like the idea of exagerrating the qualities of a perfect knight who will always be there on time to rescue the girl and of a princess who is a damsel-in-distress that's often useless and gets into trouble a lot. But the film hadn't really been as funny nor as exciting as what it appeared in the trailer. Many of the scenes were quite boring... I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected.
	Tangled An animated adaptation of Rapunzel's story wherein she's a princess and her prince charming is a thief. RATING: A- (One of the best Disney Princess movies~) FAVORITISM: 5 Hearts ---> Maximus rocks and Flynn is mine~ It was a fun and exciting version of Rapunzel's story! It's not only romance, but there's also magic and adventure! The ending might be a little cliche and some twists are so expected, but at least victory isn't just from miracles and luck all the time. The main characters aren't the only ones who get to do the cool stuff~ I love it that this film's Rapunzel is the type of princess that could really be admired: she has beauty, wisdom, and GUTS. Hooray for the power of frying pan! And Maximus is the best animated horse ever! Haha!
	The Tourist An American tourists travels to Europe and falls in love with a woman... who is a lover of a wanted mobster. Unfortunately for the main character, the bad guys think that her criminal lover is him. RATING: B- (PRETTY GOOD!!) FAVORITISM: 3.5 Hearts ---> LOVE The setting in this film is the best. True to its title, watching it felt like having a quick tour in Europe. Makes you appreciate the beauty of the countries featured in the film~ And oh boy I love the tourist stereotypes in it. The film's so amusing~ (Poor Americans, haha!) The romance seems to be too fast but even if it was quite expected, I really like the twist in the end. I find their love story more romantic when the secrets were revealed.

Fandom Diaries: I Am Number Four (in watch list; not in read list) and other reading stuff

I really liked the trailer of the I Am Number Four film, so it was automatically in my Movies-I-Wanna-See-Soon list. I like alien stories, and seeing a blonde Number Four reminded me of Numbuh 4, who is a favorite character of mine from the cartoon series, Kids Next Door.

When I found out that it was actually based on a novel series, I looked for the book. But only the movie tie-in version was available:

When it comes to novels, I prefer the original editions... not the movie one =_= So no matter how curious I was, I decided not to buy it.

Later, as I thought about it, I felt that it was a right decision not to buy that novel. Why?

1. The employee of that certan bookstore said that the book was good. The two previous books I've bought from that bookstore... which are also recommended by an employee of it... turned out to be CRAP. It was deja vu.... I don't want to waste money on crap again.
2. Majority of the reviews say that the book wasn't really that impressive.... most of its fans are because of the movie... particularly on the ACTOR. The fangurls just want to see Alex Pettyfer shirtless ^^; Ah well, I'm not his fangurl... and even if I was, I'm more of a story person... I'm more into good stories than sexy actors when watching something ^^;

So what I ended up buying yesterday instead was 07-Ghost volume 4 (I really love this manga xD) and Percy Jackson & The Last Olympian (finally the paperback version is out!).

I really really miss the Percy Jackson series... and with the last book finally on my hands, I could start ready the sequel series soon xD The first few pages of it really excited me~

For now, I shall focus on marathoning the Septimus Heap series (which I also love~ Sep is such a darling~) then I shall finish Percy's series xD But before that... catch-up on my anime watches (also those reviews, wah), wheee~

Jonah Hex: Everything Was Boring... Except For That Psycho

by DC Comics, Legendary Pictures, Mad Chance, Weed Road Pictures
(distributed by Warner Bros.)

Jonah Hex: Turnbull killed my family. Turnbull made my face ugly. Grrr....
Quentin Turnbull: Try to kill me.... if you can~
Lt. Grass: I so don't wanna do this, Jonah Hex, but the President told me to ask for your help.
Jonah Hex: Don't wanna.
Lt. Grass: Turnbull plans to destroy the world!
Jonah Hex: Ah, I get freedom and I can have my revenge on Turnbull? Such a sweet deal~ I'm on it.

RATING: D+ (DISAPPOINTING!! Waste of potential...)
FAVORITISM: 2 Hearts --> DISLIKE (But to Burke: 3.5 Hearts --> LOVE)

Violence. Dark Mystic Stuff. Corpses.

The trailer can make you want to hurry to watch it but starting it can make you hurry to finish it as soon as possible.

Well, it's not really that bad.... but it had been really really boring.

Tron - Legacy: USERS RULE!!!

1989!Kevin Flynn: Two friends and I created a new world in The Grid. We had been doing a lot of cool stuff. Can't wait to show it to you, son.
1989!Sam Flynn: I'm thrilled, dad, but.... you suddenly disappeared! How could you break your promise T_T
2010!Sam Flynn: My old man's dead... but I have to do something about the injustice that's going on on the company that dad had left.
2010!Alan Bradley: Sam... I have news for you! Your father sent me a message... on my pager! He says you should go to the arcade!
2010!Sam Flynn: Don't wanna. *goes to the arcade and sees secret hideout* Ooooooo.... *does something and his surroundings suddenly changed* Where the hell am I...?

RATING: C+ (NOT BAD! It was pretty cool but...)
FAVORITISM: 3 Hearts --> LIKE

Interesting story concept, but I hope the it hadn't been that predictable or cliche. Characters are pretty charming but.... strangely not that memorable. Action scenes are awesome though~

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The Movie's Better As Usual

Edmund: I'll be much happier in Narnia than being stuck here in England.
Lucy: Rejoice, Edmund! The two of us are back in Narnia!
Caspian: Happy to see your majesties again. You're now boarding the Dawn Treader and I'm on a quest to find the seven nobles who journeyed to Aslan's country during my father's time. Care to join me on my journey?
Edmund: Absolutely!
Lucy: We have to take care of our extra company as well though.... our cousin was brought along with us.
Eustace: My cousins have kidnapped me!!! Bring me home at once or else I'll be telling the British Council!!!

RATING: A- (OH MY GOD! Amazing, fantastic, oh really wonderful!)
FAVORITISM: 4 Hearts ---> ADORATION

Like The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian, the recent movie adaptation of the next installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series is much better than the source material. Biggest applause to the writers (or any other staff that's involved with the script, storyboard, and the likes) and the CG artists (because the special effects are really fantastic~) of the movie!

[ Animation Review ] Despicable Me

COMPANY: Illumination Entertainment
DIRECTORS: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
WRITERS: Ken Daurio (screenplay), Cinco Paul (screenplay), Sergio Pablos (story)
When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds himself profoundly changed by the growing love between them.

Hooray to a wonderful children's show that focuses on a "villain" this time, rather than the usual superhero. It's so refreshing to see something different (imdb)~

I love it that even though the main character was made to be as despicable as possible, instead of getting annoyed, you find his actions entertaining instead. Haha! It has been much easier to warm up to him when he begins to open up his heart.

Though I admit that I think it would be better if our main character is crueler than how he was portrayed in the movie, I considered that this is targeted to children. It's nice that they kept the rating, even with the mean acts. Haha!

I find the ending appropriate as well. It's also better for children to see the reality that nobody's born evil and consider the possibility that even mean-looking parents can be such loving people.

Story-wise, some parts didn't seem to have been explained that well or has been pretty odd to me at least. Like, how could the main character not get any police notices for driving and parking like that? (It's quite... too unrealistic) And how did the girls get ballet lessons if they're orphans (Is there a school that teaches ballet for free? (It's quite unlikely for them to be sponsored by the orphanage at the show)

Nevertheless, the laughter that it brings to the audience made up for whatever it lacked. Haha! The minions were so adorably crazy! They had been so amusing in whatever they do! The part when they wanted to have a goodnight kiss cracked me up the most, haha!

Then about the girls, I'm relieved that they haven't been the extremely annoying parts. I think I'm a combination of those three: I'm an elder sister like Margo, I'm as morbid as Edith (haha!), and I adore unicorns almost as much as Agnes does (UNICORN STUFF TOYS ARE SO FLUFFY I COULD DIE!!! Hahahahah!). Surprisingly, I even think I can relate to Dr. Gru as well... especially on the way he criticized the storybook. Haha!

All characters here have been charming in their own way. I believe that like me, many others, whether children or adults, could relate to them, whether in personal or in experiences.

This movie had been very fun to watch. It's highly recommended =D

B+ (WOW! I am very impressed!)
A wonderful and entertaining film for all ages. The idea's impressive and the story's well done. And everything else is 100% fun~
4 Hearts ---> ADORATION
I ADORE THE MINIONS!!! AND HOORAY TO UNICORN LOVE!!! w00t!!!!

[First Sighting] Shutter Island

I've heard about this movie since last year, but I thought it was just a simple horror movie. But when I saw its trailer for the first time when I watched the Lightning Thief movie, my jaw dropped.

It was so . . . thrilling.

The year is 1954 (so in a way it's historical, my type), U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, (cop partners! Sweet! And this also means action! Gun action! Yay!) have come to Shutter Island, (people in a secluded/isolated area for crime-related reasons have their own cultural and behavioral pucularities . . . interesting) home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane (I am highly interested in stories about criminals and psychiatry stuff~ Yaaay!), to investigate the disappearance of a patient (detective investigation!!! Oh how much more is this gonna please me?). Multiple murderess Rachel Solando (a female murderer! You don't encounter that often in movies) is loose somewhere on this remote and barren island, despite having been kept in a locked cell under constant surveillance (That's so mysterious~). As a killer hurricane bears relentlessly down on them, a strange case takes on even darker (darker . . . I love that), more sinister shades(I love creepy stuff!)—with hints of radical experimentation, horrifying surgeries, (I love creepy stuff! Though tortures and medical experiments horrify me the most . . . then this means good horror material for me then. Sweet~) and lethal countermoves made in the cause of a covert shadow war. No one is going to escape Shutter Island unscathed (now it's some sort of an escape adventure and a survival game! Awesome!), because nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is remotely what it seems (I'm curious of what that phrase meant~).

I fell in love with the trailer! I want to see this so badly!!!! I think some people have already seen it, and the earliest official release date that I've seen is later this month. Sadly, in my country it won't be released in theaters until April . . . guuuuhh . . . this wait is horrifying. And no, I don't want to watch an awesome movie through streaming or through those cheap DVD's. It has to be seen on full screen. But that wait . . .what torture . . .

But recently I found out that it's actually based on a novel! And I see it being successful and highly praised by critics. Oh goodie! Makes me want to read the book soon! I'm so hunting for it on Friday.

[Movie Review] Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief

I had enjoyed the first book of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. Naturally, the movie was something I would look forward to. I was supposed to be watching it with some of my college friends on its showing date, but I wasn't sure if our plans would push through. It did, but I didn't know. So I only managed to watch it after making my mother accompany me the following day.

The movie turned out to be . . . quite a disappointment.

STUDIO: 20th Century Fox
DIRECTOR: Chris Columbus
STARRING: Logan Lerman, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Sean Bean, Catherine Keener, Rosario Dawson, Steve Coogan, Kevin McKidd
It's the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters have walked out of the pages of high school student Percy Jackson's Greek mythology texts and into his life. And they're not happy: Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Even more troubling is the sudden disappearance of Percy's mother. As Percy adapts to his newly discovered status as a demi-god (his father is Poseidon), he finds himself caught between the battling titans of Mt. Olympus. He and his friends embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief, save Percy's mom, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

It didn't meet my expectations. Okay, let me make this clear: I'm not the "book-versions-are-always-better-than-movie-adaptations" type of person; but in this case, the book was a hell lot better, story-wise.

I don't mind if the movie writers don't include some events from the book, or if they add or change things that happened. I find it necessary because books are movies are really very different materials. But to ruin the story is just . . . unforgivable.

The movie's story overall has become your typical fantasy adventure story with the overused cliches and stereotypes . . . not to mention the plotholes and some events that are just there to waste screentime. Let me specify several of my complains:

• Why do they love to encourage the youth to break the rules? Yes, Harry Potter does that; but please don't force to include that on Percy's story as well. What is so difficult in making Percy be placed on a quest/mission instead (like what was done in the book)? His reason on wanting to go to the Underworld in the movie was hell pathetic compare to the actual reason he had in the original material.
• What's with the adventure of collecting pearls to go to a certain location? It was more dangerous and interesting on how things went in the original material: They were on the run and Percy was a wanted criminal. Doing the mission had been more challenging, since they also have to go through the traps and fight monsters along the way.
• I can understand if they want to make Percy so perfect for having the main character position but that scene . . . oh come on. The part wherein they have to bribe Charon to take them to the Underworld . . . how come Grover was the one who mistakes that mortal money would work on the guy while Percy had the drachma idea? Grover was the one who should know better since Percy is just new to this type of world. Yes, making it Grover to be mistaken is funnier, but if it doesn't match his character background is just so wrong.
• I don't mind if the characters in the movie are different from what I've imagined they'll be . . . but drastic character changes just ain't goof. How come I don't feel Chiron and Annabeth as intelligent individuals? (Or maybe it's just me) Yes, Percy does the thinking at times, but not all the times. And with Percy, why wasn't he as hilarious as in the book (Or maybe he made me laugh more of because of his narration)? Is there difficulty to make the main character as funny as the comic relief sidekick??? And Poseidon . . . he doesn't act like one of the main gods . . . and the humanity thing added in his character just makes me think that the movie just wants to exaggerate the family drama. *facepalm*
• Oh please, the mastermind in this movie is so "threatening". It's honestly so vague for a mere character to be such a big threat in the story. In the book he was actually caught, but he had a powerful boss. That's a more convincing villain.
• How things ended in the movie had been too easy. Things worked out way too simply. The one who had given proof in the original material was from one of the higher gods . . . that is something I find more acceptable for Zeus to see as more convincing than the one from the words of a mere demigod.
• Zeus' lightning bolt was mentioned as the strongest weapon ever, right? But there was no mention in the movie that how a powerful weapon had been easily stolen by a mere individual from a powerful god (the book gave such. It was simple, but makes sense). Moreover, if it is indeed the most powerful weapon, then the one who's using it should be invincible and its destrutove force is really great (the book mentioned that it's more destructive than an atomic/nuclear bomb), right? But well, Percy and his opponent both had used it in the movie, and it was just like a normal shotgun or something. Most powerful weapon indeed.

Oh there's a lot more to tell, but basically my point is, many of the characterizations seemed so wrong, and the story changes ruined the brilliance of the story in the original material. If the movie writers couldn't come up with something better, they should have just sticked to the book's main plot. I don't see how difficult it would have been . . . Harry Potter had managed that, why can't this one? The main plot was already so good, so why the stupid change?

With how the story went, it doesn't seem like we could be getting a sequel (mastermind revealed, most mysteries "explained", what else to look forward to?). But if there ever will be and the writers will be doing the same horrible job on it, I'd rather not want to have the sequel created. My dreams of seeing the third book (my favorite one) have now shattered.

On the bright side, if you're just after the visuals; I say it was really awesome! The special effects were really cool and the fight scene was awesome. I think they're the scenes really worth watching in the movie. They had been so fantastic!

And despite my complains on many of the story/character changes, I did like some changes. Persephone made an appearance in the movie, and she was a pretty fun character. Grover was the one I had been most proud of. In the book, I see him as useless and pretty lame. I only see him as useful for a couple of times and I only find him excellent when it comes to reading emotions. But other than that, he sucked. But the Grover in the movie was different. He was COOL and HILARIOUS. He's the comic relief sidekick and he did a good job on that in the movie. In other words, I find Grover much mroe likable in the movie.

Another awesome part in the movie is the one with Medusa. I'm not being biased on Uma Thurman . . . but she's really done a good job as Medusa. It had been really fun to watch. And haha, and the comedy scenes that involve her head had been very amusing~

Overall, the movie could have actually been great if it weren't for the horrible work on the story and the characterizations. I'm not saying I know better than those writers . . . but if how things went in the original material had been so much times better than the movie adaptation, then I see the movie adaptation as a FAILURE. I don't recommend this movie if you're after the story, because it's something too typical. Not much is new from it. If I hadn't read the book, I would've labeled it as a "Desperate Harry Potter Wannabe". But since I know that it hasn't been like that in the original material, than I'm not doing so. However, if you're just after the cool visuals and you ahve time to waste, this movie is certainly something enjoyable to watch.

C- (SO-SO! Very average and typical whatever!)
The story and characterizations were horrible and disappointing but the other stuff ain't so bad. It just became an average movie though.
3 Hearts ---> LIKE
Despite my disappointments, I had enjoyed it. And perhaps my love for the original material had avoided me to completely dislike the movie.