Movie: Happy Feet

	Studios:	Warner Bros. Pictures
	Release:	November 17, 2006
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Kids/Family, Musical/Performing Arts and Animation
	MPAA Rating:	PG for some mild peril and rude humor.

This is a musical animated movie, with songs mostly from or inspired by the disco era. The story starts with a community of emperor penguins, who place a big importance on song and singing. Unfortunately for Mumble, who had a little mishap while he was still in his egg, he couldn't really carry a tune. He still likes music though, and expresses his feeling through dance. That's why the title is "Happy Feet".

As a young penguin, the others tolerated him. As he grew up however, his being different caused some troubles and it came to a point where he had to leave the community. Outside of his community he comes across the Amigos - a band of penguins who belong to the Adelie group, AND who like to dance.

The Amigos thinks Mumble is accidentally cool and he finds acceptance among the Adelies, who by the way has also harbored the odd Rockhopper penguin, Lovelace, who has styled himself a guru of the dubious kind.

Mumble learns to accept and be proud of who he is, and after a series of adventures, is reunited with his flock and gets Gloria - his childhood friend who now becomes his sweetheart.

This movie, apart from being entertaining has a lot of lessons to impart.

The most obvious lesson is that you may think you're very different, but if you actually expand your horizons, you'll find that there are others like you who may even find you cool in their circle.

Another lesson is the effect of man's steady and persistent encroachment on the area supposedly reserved for wildlife. This has slowly ensured that said wildlife remain on the endangered list, if they don't make the jump to extinction.

On the side, we learn little bits and pieces about emperor penguins ... like the male penguins are the ones who incubate the eggs.

Robin Williams plays more than one role here and is as funny as ever - his performance in this movie is a bit subdued compared to the one in Robot City, but it fits well with the penguin characters he plays anyway.

Movie: Open Season

	Production Co.:	Sony Pictures Animation
	Release:	September 29, 2006
	Genre:	Comedy, Kids/Family and Animation
	MPAA Rating:	PG for some rude humor, mild action and brief lanuage.

Funny tale of how Boog, a grizzly bear who grew up in captivity, ends up being released into the wild - no thanks to the antics of the mule deer Elliot.

Although this film has a lot of laughs, it still underscores the ill effects of domestication of animals, who because of either their nature, size, or by law, are eventually released into the wild.

This film shows Ashton Kutcher can really be funny even if he's only a voice-over.

Movie: Monster House

	Studios:	Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
	Release:	July 21, 2006
	Genre:	Kids/Family and Animation
	MPAA Rating:	PG for scary images and sequences, thematic elements, some crude humor and brief language.

Compared to recent animated movies that rely heavily on cheeky jokes and references to people or events outside of the movie (translate: current events or past fads), the dialogue of Monster House refreshingly remains centered on events happening within the movie.

It doesn't aim to make the most number of jokes/gags either. There are funny characters and funny moments, but this movie really aims to scare. It wouldn't scare you out of you wits though, the fear factor here is on the mild side of the scale.

If you're looking for pure/all jokes fun, this movie isn't for you. If you're after major scares, this movie isn't for you either. If you loved reading those mystery/horror books for kids, or enjoyed episodes in Twilight Zone that were mildly scary, then you'd probably like this movie. I did.

The main character, DJ, is a pre-pubescent boy whose pre-occupation with spying on the scary house across the street borders on unhealthy obsession. When he actually witnesses the house gobbling up people, few are inclined to believe him. Standing by his side on his quest to uncover the truth, and maybe even save the neighborhood, is his best friend Chowder, and the prep girl Jenny who ends up joining the two boys after they saved her from the house itself.

The kids' main suspect as the person behind all those gobbled up people is the lone occupant of the scary house: Old Man Nebberccracker, who has earned fame as the meanest man in town. He doesn't like anybody going near the house, and has taken lengths to scare away people.

In a stunning twist to the tale, the real antagonist is the house itself: which is actually possessed by the spirit of Nebberccracker's dead wife. The children realize that the old man is actually protecting people in his efforts to scare them away from the house. I found the back story as to why the wife has chosen to haunt a house lovely, and how the children find out the truth is well written/executed in my opinion.

In the end, Nebberccracker and the kids cooperate to end the nightmare by killing the house. This could only be done by extinguishing the fire which in this case is the house's heart.

All ends well - the house "dies", people are saved, and Nebbercracker turns out to be a really nice neighbor when he's not worrying about an angry ghost-possessed house.

Book: Eragon (Inheritance Trilogy, Book One)

	Author:	Christopher Paolini
	Genre:	Fantasy
	Publisher:	Knopf
	Year Published:	2003

For the first few paragraphs, the book comes across like a fanfiction paying tribute to more established fiction novels like Lord of the Rings. Once you get past that, then Paolini's originality starts showing through.

The book is written by a teenager, and the lack of world experience shows up here and there. This is also a strength, however, as the main character is also a teenager, and his view and emotions perfectly reflects that of a person that age.

There is a story that needs to be told, and Paolini manages to keep me interested enough to turn to the next page.

Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest

	Studios:	Walt Disney Pictures
	Release:	July 7, 2006
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Adaptation and Sequel
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for intense sequences of adventure violence, including frightening images.

I was skeptical that Disney could do a good sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean ... I was after all surprised that the first one was good AND a hit, given that pirate movies and movies based on theme parks were not in vogue at the time it was made.

Johnny Depp's wacky Jack Sparrow carries the movie, as usual. Jack Davenport's James Norrington has devolved into a drunk and actually ended up in Sparrow's crew. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) are still figuring out what their relationship exactly is ... Sparrow's flirting with Swann muddles things up (Turner and Swann are a comfortable couple, Sparrow and Swann has more sparks).

The story once again has two main antagonists and both are new characters. Lord Cutler Becket, played by Tom Hollander, takes over Norrington's previous role as pursuer of the Black Pearl - and all pirates in general. The mythical Davy Jones, played by Bill Nighy, is the other antagonist. Davy Jones is the captain of the Flying Dutchman and has the key to what Sparrow and Turner are after in this movie... the Dead Man's Chest.

We learn that the Dead Man's Chest contains the heart of Davy Jones ... which he carved out after he was heartbroken. Davy Jones placed his heart in a wooden chest, buried it somewhere secret, but kept the key with him always. As long as the heart continues to beat, Davy Jones lives. The simplicity of this legend is that Jones would be forced to serve anyone who has the fortune to get hold of the heart.

Davy Jones' crew are either men who died at sea who chose to serve him rather than face what's in store for them in the "afterlife", or men who offered to serve him in exchange for favors. One of the latter turns out to be Will Turner's father who chose service to Jones rather than endure the curse of the black pearl. Jack Sparrow also made a deal with Davy Jones and at the start of this movie, he learns that his time to serve the Flying Dutchman is near.

Will's promise to save his father, Jack's attempts to escape his fate, and Norrington's hopes of reclaiming his honor, are the motives that drive all three to go after the chest. This results in a mad goose chase that is probably the funniest action scene in this movie, especially since they dropped in the two formerly cursed misfits from the Black Pearl's crew (the thin guy who used to pop out his eye, and his stockier friend) as wild cards.

At the end of this movie, there is no question that a third installment is coming... Norrington has turned over Davy Jones's heart to Becket who now has the means to rule the seas and terrorize pirates, Sparrow dies, but Turner and the Black Pearl crew learn he could still be saved after a visit to the priestess/witch(?) Tia Dalma (played by Naomie Harris), AND Captain Barbossa is back from the undead to head the Black Pearl in its next quest to retrieve Jack Sparrow from the world's end.

Movie: Superman Returns

	Studios:	Warner Bros. Pictures
	Release:	June 28, 2006
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for some intense action violence.

The story takes place after the 2nd Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve, and I think it is a tribute to the better Superman movies (speaking for myself, I can't remember what happened in the latter Superman movies). After a long absence, Clark Kent aka Superman finds that Lois is married to someone else, who by the way isn't the father of her son. Though not specifically mentioned, it is implied that Jason could have been fathered by Superman... conceived during that bed scene in a previous movie where Clark had to choose between being an ordinary human or keeping his powers.

Brandon Routh does not only look so much like Christopher Reeve, but he pulls off the switch between confident Superman and the bumbling Clark Kent well. Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane on the other hand is only mildly similar to Margot Kidder's. Kevin Spacey captures the essence of Gene Hackman's portrayal of Lex Luthor without looking too much like a copy. James Marsden plays a very likeable Richard White that I forgive him for disappearing too early from the last X Men movie.

Richard White is actually a bigger hero in this story - supportive father to a kid who's not his son and supportive husband to a woman who's probably still in love with the implied real father of her son. If that isn't enough, White got enough movie action and lived through it even though he had no superpowers.

There are cool computer graphics, and I think everyone will remember the bullet hitting Superman's eye sequence.

I think Superman Returns will have no problem reviving the Superman franchise just as Batman Begins revived Batman.

Movie: Over the Hedge

	Studios:	DreamWorks SKG
	Release:	May 19, 2006
	Genre:	Comedy, Kids/Family, Animation and Adaptation
	MPAA Rating:	PG for some rude humor and mild comic action.

This one has a lot of laughs ... mostly on dialogue. Hammy has most of the visual gags. The storyline itself is a bit lame and it tries hard to make the moral lesson obvious. A lesson can be learned in a good story without showcasing or putting the spotlight on it.

Memorable moment? The spiel on humans and food. Absolutely hilarious observation on human behavior. Talking about food, I think it's amusing that Vincent the bear's favorite Spuddies looks so much like the Philippine Spuds from Jack 'n Jill, the Sour Cream and Chives flavored one, specifically.

Movie: X Men 3, The Last Stand

	Studios:	20th Century Fox
	Release:	May 26, 2006
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Sequel
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language.

The ending of Xmen 2 obviously hinted of Phoenix rising in the third one. Phoenix in this movie though is nowhere near the Phoenix I saw in the cartoon series. It's a total bummer she ends up killing Cyclops in the first quarter of the movie.

Now Storm looked like a woozy in the 2nd movie that it's delightful to see her fury in this installment ... we finally see a Storm that deserves to command the Xmen with the departure of Professor Xavier. Ah yes, Professor X dies too ... although that scene after the credits gives us hope of his return.

An extraordinarily big number of mutants were packed into this movie. Some had good exposure, others were just for show. The scenes with the young Angel were good, but if one is to expect real action from the adult Angel, then you'd be disappointed. Rogue didn't do much either. Wolverine only has one thing on his mind for half of the movie... get to Jean Grey. It's almost like a male dog who could think of nothing but get near a bitch in heat. Oops... sorry if the words shock the prim ones, but I couldn't think of anything better to describe it.

Overall, the movie's entertaining. I must admit though that it has less impact on me compared to the first two movies.

Movie: Da Vinci Code

	Studios:	Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
	Release:	May 19, 2006
	Genre:	Drama, Thriller, Adaptation and Politics/Religion
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references and sexual content.

I like this movie better than I like the book. Simply because the Langdon here is more skeptical than the Langdon in the novel. Impressively, the movie's scene that pays tribute to Mary Magdalene actually brought a tear to my eye - which didnt happen when I read the book in 2003. As in the novel though, the final answer to their quest is pretty obvious to the audience way before the characters realize it ... and they're supposed to be specialists in their fields.

If you haven't heard of the book this movie is based on, you'd probably find yourself wanting to read it just so you could understand the story better. I'm warning you though, the book starts out promising but all in all is nothing more than an adventure novel that strings together all those lunatic fringe theories surrounding Jesus. And those theories are probably old... the one about the paintings surely. My grandmother, who was born in the 19th century and died mid 1980s told me when I was little that the paintings of Jesus usually have hidden meanings and I should take notice of the hand gestures. I don't recall much of what she was explaining because I was below 10 years old and I just categorized that topic as too weird to pay attention to. I remembered my grandmother at once after stumbling across the Templar Revelation in the late 90s. Apparently, other people have an obsession with those paintings. I still find it too weird.

Not that Da Vince Code hasn't touched on an "obsession" of mine. I call this the movie that made those "lost gospels" popular and therefore expensive. Which slows down my book collection, no thanks to the outrageous prices.

Anyway, I'm more into hunting the pseudepigrapha these days (ever heard of Jubilees?) as I already have some of the new testament "lost books" (the Infancy gospels are truly bizarre). I saw a compilation of pseudepigrapha in the DLSU library, but I was studying then and despite borrowing it for about two weeks, never really got to read it. At least I know it is available, and I'm figuring out where I could get my copy (I was too shy to ask the librarian then, ok?). The upside to all these interest in the books these days is that more of them are popping up. Insanely, they pop up one by one now whereas before you're more likely to find a compilation.

My grandma had little to do with this interest. It resulted from a required term paper in Biblical Theology where the professor assigned each student a different book from either the apocrypha or the pseudepgrapha. Unlucky for me, the gospel I had to write on is remembered only because it existed but no text has survived time. I found a number of "lost" gospels in the SSC College library but not the one I was supposed to write on. I found them very interesting and made a note to have my own copies if I could find and afford them.

Movie: Ice Age 2, The Meltdown

	Studios:	Twentieth Century Fox Animation
	Release:	March 31, 2006
	Genre:	Comedy, Kids/Family, Animation and Sequel
	MPAA Rating:	PG for some mild language and innuendo

The first Ice Age Movie explored the dynamics that make a frienship work. By the end of that movie, you could call the three misfits a family.

Manny, Sid and Diego are back... and this time Manny's got to deal with the opposite sex. Enter Ellie. The moment she appeared, I had a feeling she doesn't think she's a mammoth. The surprise came when I learned she thought she was a possum! Anyway, while Manny is trying to know Ellie, and convincing her she's a mammoth like him, the background story is that the wall of ice that has protected their valley is cracking (yo Scrat, what've you been up to?) and everyone is trying to get to the "ark" before the water crashes in.

The most hilarious scene comes from Scrat at the end of the movie. He is knocked out cold and finds himself in squirrel heaven. Just when the golden acorn is almost in his grasp, he finds himself back in the mortal world, resuscitated by Sid.

Movie: V for Vendetta

	Studios:	Warner Bros. Pictures
	Release:	March 17, 2006
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
	MPAA Rating:	R for strong violence and some language

Like most heroes that first see light in comic books, V is a mysterious character. In this vision of post-nuclear holocaust Britain that gave rise to a tyrannical form of government, V is the vigilante whose acts have earned him the title of terrorist. For someone accustomed to a lot of action in a sci-fi/comic-book-based movie, the pacing of this one is rather slow as the movie tends to examine the psyche of the hero more than move the viewer along a straight story line. I'm not complaining though, as this treatment is apt for the character, who is more a romantic hero rather than the rogue type.

I must say though that the costume of V must have worked better in the comic books. In this movie, I find the wig a bit funny - almost annoying, but more on the funny side.

Movie: Nanny McPhee

	Studios:	Universal Pictures
	Release:	January 27, 2006
	Genre:	Comedy, Kids/Family, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
	MPAA Rating:	PG for mild thematic elements, some rude humor and brief language.

Mischief meets its match in Nanny McPhee. This movie takes me back to the days when childrens' stories aim to teach a lesson, before Disney made everything so rosy. Oddly enough, the story reminds me of Water Babies (the novel by Charles Kingsley, not the band). Why? It's about teaching kids morals and manners. Kids may find some scenes awful or frightening, but they only show consequences of bad decisions. Unlike Charlie and the Chocolate Factory though, every kid here learns their lessons.

Movies on Cable: Connie and Carla

	Studios:	Universal Pictures
	Release:	April 16, 2004
	Genre:	Comedy
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual humor and drug references

Women pretending to be gay men impersonating women. It's been done before. Remember Victor/Victoria? In this movie, the catalyst is that the two leads witnessed a murder. To escape pursuers, they cross states and set up new identities ... as men.

The movie has cute moments. Enough to make me chuckle and giggle here and there.

The problem with this movie is that Nia Vardalos' curves are more on the earthly woman side, and most female impersonators I have seen tend to go for the model-type female bodies (big breasts, skinny everything else). You may say that there's Dame Edna and Nathan Lane in Birdcage ... I still think that had these characters been younger, they'd still go for the big-breasts-skinny-everything-else look. Toni Collette could have pulled it off bodywise, except that her character's too shy that it's hard to reconcile with a man who's flamboyant enough to impersonate a woman. In other words, the actresses they picked to play Connie and Carla just didn't convince me as much as Julie Andrews did in Victor/Victoria.

As for the murder witness arc, it's just too obvious they put it there just so there's a decent reason Connie and Carla would even think of pretending to be female impersonators.

Movies on Cable: Batman & Robin

	Studios:	Warner Bros. Pictures
	Release:	1997
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Crime/Gangster and Sequel
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13

When it comes to movies, few ever get past the 3rd installment, and of those who do, not all become "hits". It happened with Superman, and unfortunately, the same goes with Batman. Batman and Robin is the fourth movie of the series that started in 1989, and compared to the successful first movie, this one has a different director and a different actor playing the lead role. The tone is not as dark as the first one, and is actually threatening to go on the "campy" side. With the appearance of Batgirl, it's also accumulated too many protagonists... too many characters sharing the same amount of movie time - ergo less time to develop each one.

Good points: Like the previous three movies, every scene here is a pretty picture. It still is a visual treat and it is still entertaining. It just pales so much compared to the other three.

TV Series Rerun: Coupling

	Network:	BBC2
	First Run:	May 2000 to 2004
	Genre:	Comedy

I discovered this series last year ... as a rerun. I enjoyed the few episodes I did catch and was overjoyed to discover they are repeating the series again. Which means I can watch it from the start.

I like the guys in this series ... all are CUTE. Their characters have horrible flaws, mind you, but they still end up adorable because of the actors playing them I guess. I LOVE Jack Davenport. There, I've said it.

The funny thing is, the women here don't have as much flaws as the men, but they tend to come across as annoying bitches at one point or another. Which is in contrast to the women portrayed in F*R*I*E*N*D*S - for example: Monica is one control freak and is much more a nag than Susan, yet you end up loving Monica more than Susan. However, I think that if I met someone like them in real life, I'd like the Susan over the Monica.

Is this the British FRIENDS? Superficially, perhaps. It centers around a group of 20-something people, 3 of them male, and the remaining 3 female. The tone and topics however are entirely different. As the series title suggests, much of the discussion taking place here revolves around sex. You have to hand it to the Brits to attack the subject in a manner that is amusing rather than offensive.

Movie: Syriana

	Studios:	Warner Bros. Pictures
	Release:	December 9, 2005
	Genre:	Drama, Thriller, Adaptation and Politics/Religion
	MPAA Rating:	R for for violence and language.

It's not everyday that you see George Clooney and Matt Damon in a movie with a political statement.

Syriana shows us how the lives of several people in the Middle East intertwine, and whether they are led by greed or idealism, all of them are walking a dangerous path. In the end, everyone is a victim.

This movie came out last year, and it is probably being shown in the Philippines only now because of the Academy nominations.

There is violence, although the blood that flows is implied rather than shown. The effect on the audience is just as heavy ... which shows that a movie need not be gory to have an impact.

Nothing is really resolved at the end of this movie.

The question that hangs on everyone's head is: will we let this go on? If that is one of the moviemakers' objective, then they have succeeded.

Movies on Cable: The Whole Ten Yards

	Studios:	Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
	Release:	April 9, 2004
	Genre:	Comedy, Crime/Gangster and Sequel
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for sexual content, some violence and language.

The Whole Nine Yards was a charming action comedy. I expected the same with the sequel. What I saw however were jokes stretched thin. I found the Jill character (played by Amanda Peet) extremely annoying. Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry still have the comedic chemistry going on ... but sadly, that wasn't enough to make this a really good comedy.

Movies on Cable: Starsky and Hutch

	Studios:	Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., Dimension Films
	Release:	March 5th, 2004
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime/Gangster and Adaptation
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for drug content, adult situations, partial nudity, language and some violence.

When I was a kid, Starsky and Hutch was one of the few shows I liked on TV that was not a cartoon (Charlie's Angels was another one). I didn't have a problem with the comedic tone of the movie version of Charlie's Angels, so I didn't have a problem with this Starsky and Hutch movie being a parody of the TV series.

One reason I watched this movie is because the leads are played by Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson ... who have established themselves in comedy, and whose Zoolander team-up is still fresh in my mind.

There is actually a case to be solved here, despite the gags. This is still a cop movie, after all. We get chase scenes, hilarious undercover work, a meanie that's played seriously by Vince Vaughn, and the cool spy who knows his grass played by Snoop Dogg. Loved Snoop Dogg in this film, I wonder if he's just as cool in other movies. Hope he doesn't get into more scrapes with the law. That could hamper his career if he's not careful.

As with other Stiller films, the humor here is green or even vulgar at times. I think that some scenes were even censored and edited out of the version shown on cable TV.

DVD Movie: The Myth

	Production:	Wonder World Corporation Limited
	Release:	September 23, 2005
	Genres:	Action/Adventure, Art/Foreign and Science Fiction/Fantasy
	MPAA Rating:

This is the first time I remember Jackie Chan starring in a non-comedic movie. The movie does have funny moments but it is mostly a drama about love and honor between two people that stretched through time. Those expecting the usual Jackie Chan movie will be disappointed to find themselves watching Chan as a serious Qin dynasty general for half the movie.

Jackie Chan plays an archeologist of sorts named ... haha .... Jack. Jack has strange dreams that lead him to chase after artifacts and legends of the first Emperor of China (Qin Shi Huang) ... the same emperor who had numerous terra cotta warriors buried with him. Jack would find out that he is an incarnation of Meng Yi, a general of the said ruler, who had fallen in love with Princess Ok Soo, one of the emperor's wives or concubines, while she was placed under his charge.

We know that the real Qin Shi Huang had many wives/concubines, and upon his death, they were buried alive with him. We also know that the emperor spent the last years of his life looking for an elixir that will allow him to cheat death.

These were woven into the movie in the character of Ok Soo, the emperor's concubine who was locked in the tomb with the other concubines after his death, but did not die because she took the elixir of life. She waits patiently in her prison for Meng Yi, who promised to return and save her. She would not know that Meng Yi would die, and that it would take centuries before his incarnation as Jack would find her again.

The story or the concept is beautiful as it mixes myth, romance and tragedy. The execution wasn't consistent though. Some scenes border on being silly, and at those times I'd cringe as they ruin the illusion that the viewer is also living the fantasy.

The movie isn't bad. It's not mind-blowing good either. It did make me interested in looking up the Qin dynasty - which is a good thing for those who work towards making others appreciate the history and culture of China.

Movies on Cable: 2 Fast 2 Furious

	Studio:	Universal Pictures
	Release:	June 6, 2003
	Genres:	Action/Adventure, Thriller, Crime/Gangster, Sequel and Sports
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for street racing, violence, language, and some sensuality.

In the first movie, undercover cop Brian O'Connor let the criminal Dominic Toretto go, and because of that, we find at the opening of this movie that he has lost his badge. When a case requires infiltrating yet another street racing scene, O'Connor is called and given a chance to win back his badge by going undercover again. O'Connor agrees on one condition: he gets to pick his partner. His chosen partner turns out to be Roman Pearce, a childhood buddy who's got a police record - and part of O'Connor's demands is that Pearce's record would be cleaned if he cooperates. Enter Monica Fuentes, another undercover agent who may just be sleeping with the enemy.

Honestly? Anyone who's seen the first movie will not watch this sequel because of the story (the first movie didn't have a good storyline either, but is was better than this one). You'd watch this movie because you want to feel the adrenaline rush again.

Movies on Cable: Around the World in 80 Days

	Studios:	Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures
	Release:	June 16, 2004
	Genre:	Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures
	MPAA Rating:	PG for action violence, crude humor, language.

Jackie Chan playing Passepartout in an adaptation of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days? That is one indication that this film will not be faithful to novel. Passepartout in the novel is French, Passepartout in this movie is Chinese. Both have a shady past though that lend complications to Phileas Fogg's attempt to go around the world in 80 days. Ofcourse, with Jackie Chan in the lead, we get more of mysterious China than mysterious India.

With that out of the way, it is easy to enjoy this film. It is an action - comedy, which is Chan's forte ... and I have loved Jackie Chan movies even before he started working with US studios. To balance the action and retain that Western flavor of the movie lest the audience start feeling they're watching a purely martial arts movie, Steve Coogan plays the clueless Phileas Fogg adorably.

A number of actors make brief appearances in the movie ... like the Wilson brothers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Rob Schneider playing yet another disgusting character as only he can.

Movies on Cable: The Core

	Studios:	Paramount Pictures
	Release:	March 28, 2003
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Thriller
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for sci-fi life/death situations and brief strong language

Writing sci-fi with outerspace, another world, or another time as the setting has got to be easier than making the audience believe the story is taking place on earth and in the present.

The premise: a series of natural disasters has been attributed to the fact that the earth has stopped rotating. A group of people with helpful specialties have been assembled to take part in the dangerous endeavor of going to the earth's core and jumpstart the mechanism that will make the earth rotate again. The preparation for the journey is impressive. Then we get to the journey itself.

It's like watching the movie "Lost in Space". A mission gone wrong, an egocentric scientist who turns out to be some sort of villain, men dying to save the mission, and finally a brilliant plan to get out of the mess they got themselves into. They have to put in some sort of romance in there too. These are elements that are staple in commercial movies ... but their combination in this movie just didn't strike the right balance. The story suddenly strikes you as silly, and you'd have a hard time trying to ignore the ridiculous just to enjoy the movie.

DVD Movie: Winnie the Pooh's Many Adventures

	Producer:	Walt Disney Productions
	Release:	March 11, 1977
	Genre:	Kids/Family
	MPAA Rating:	G

I had access to Winnie the Pooh while growing up ... but I became an avid fan of the character when the cartoon series were shown on TV. I bought the VHS tape of this movie and was in love with it instantly, which is why when I saw a DVD version, I bought it - VHS and Betamax tapes have, after all, gone the way of antiquity. Unlike the cartoon series, which is written a group of writers, the material in this movie were taken from A. A. Milne's own work.

Kids may love the movie because of Pooh's jolliness, the songs, and the fun adventures. I, as an adult, love this movie because of Pooh's simpleness. Part of what attracts me to Milne's work are the narrator's "asides" or comments, that give the reader an objective observation of what the character is really up to as opposed to what the character thinks he or she is doing. It wouldn't be Milne if they took the comments out and just focused on the action. This is one thing that you cannot find in the cartoon series. It is the mix of taking things literally, yet with a wink, that makes me giggle and laugh ... and I'll never tire of watching this movie.

The end, where Christopher Robin tells Pooh that he had to go to school, was poignant ... it represented that point in everyone's life where the non-stop playing gives way partially to the serious business of learning... and every adult knows what follows after school... going to work and losing a bit more of the child in you.

This is one movie to pop into the DVD player if you want to just relax and enjoy as if you were a child again.

DVD Movie: Beautiful Boxer

	Distributor:	Regent Releasing
	Release:	January 21st, 2005
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Art/Foreign, Drama, Biopic and Sports
	MPAA Rating:	NA

I borrowed the DVD because I was curious why people were talking about it. Turns out that the movie is based on an actual person's story. The movie is made in Thailand, therefore the language is Thai, and I have to deal with English sub-titles in order to understand what is being said. A good thing that I am watching this in DVD so I can repeat the movie ... one could miss the action if pre-occupied with reading the sub-titles. The first time I played the movie, I paid attention to the sub-titles in order to understand the story. To really enjoy and appreciate the movie, I recommend watching it again, this time not paying much attention to the sub-titles as you already know the plot.

The story is about Nong Toom, a Muay Thai boxer who has captured the fancy of people because s/he was gay, and after retirement from the sport, had sex reassignment surgery.

Born Parinya Charoenphol, Nong Toom came from a poor family. As a young child, he was sent to Buddhist monastery but he did not last long and was sent home. Even then, he already thought of himself as a girl trapped in a boy's body. It seems that one of the influences in his life is a gay or transsexual person whose home he would often visit, and whose beauty he idolized and aspired for. His dream to have a sex change operation may have been born at this point in his life.

Nong Toom began working at an early age to help his family financially. When it was discovered that he had skills/potential to succeed in Muay Thai, Nong Toom took the chance to train in a boxing camp as succeeding in the sport means earning big money.

Initially, no one in the camp knew he was gay. When he was outed, instead of being turned out of the camp, his coach accepted him for what he is. Nong Toom would soon start winning matches, and slowly, he started wearing make-up in the ring. As a make-up wearing boxer is a novelty, and Nong Toom was a fierce fighter, his effeminate ways were tolerated, and even accepted. Nong Toom soon became famous.

After his retirement from Muay Thai Boxing and undergoing a sex change operation, Nong Toom became an actress and a model.

I understand now that some would be turned off at the idea of a man who had surgery to become a woman (and the same people would be turned off with women undergoing surgery to become men). This attitude in itself will prevent them from appreciating the other aspects of the movie.

Beautiful boxer is not a movie about a male boxer who was effeminate and soon had surgery to be female. This movie is about the journey of a boy, who had always thought himself different - a boy who had always admired the beauty of women enough to want to be one. No matter where his life's journey took him, this boy kept to his dream and kept true to himself, even risking ridicule, and came out victorious. The uncomfortable situations that Nong Toom found himself in were funny, yet also touching. The movie did not dwell on the character's sexual identity, rather it dug deeper and showed us the soul of the character, allowing the viwer to emphatize with Nong Toom regardless of gender.

DVD Movie: Herbie Fully Loaded

	Studios:	Walt Disney Pictures
	Release:	June 22nd, 2005
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Comedy, Kids/Family and Sequel
	MPAA Rating:	G for General Audiences

Maggie Peyton's off to college but what she really wants is to be a race car driver, like her dad, Ray. Dad thinks it's dangerous for her and refuses, besides her brother is already the driver of the Peyton racing team.

Enter Herbie, an old VW who's seen better days and is now spending his days in a junkyard. Ray has taken Maggie to the junkyard to buy her a used car that she can use in college. With extreme determination, Herbie manages to end up being bought by Maggie.

Maggie soon realizes that the car has its own mind. Since this is a Disney movie, Maggie is pleasantly surprised, as opposed to freaked out that her car might be possessed. If Hermione Granger was around, she'd admonish Maggie for using an object with a mind of its own. But Voldemort lives in the Warner Brothers lot, so we go back to Maggie who's allowing her buggy to dictate what she does next ... getting noticed in the racing circuit as Maxx and getting the ire of the current racing champ.

By the end of this movie, Maggie is supposed to have proven that she can be a race car driver, but I don't know if I should put much weight on this development considering that she's driving a very special car who has claim on half the fame she's gonna get in the racing circuit. I consider it a subtle form of cheating.

Now if you are capable of shutting off that logical brain of yours for one and a half hours, you can actually enjoy the movie as the gags are indeed funny.

DVD Movie: Mozart and the Whale

	Distributors:	Nu Image/Millennium Films
	Release:	October 21, 2005
	Genre:	Drama, Romance and Biopic
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for sexual content, language and some thematic material.

Donald (Hartnett) runs a support group for people affected by autism, and Isabella (Mitchell) is a new member of the group. Donald's autism is very pronounced while Isabella may pass as an average, normal person until prolonged interaction with her reveals that there is something strange with the way she interacts with people. Based on summaries on the internet, both have Asperger's Syndrome (AS)... although I think the portrayal of Isabella is the one more representative of the condition, as Donald comes across as everyone's idea of what autistic people are.

Donald and Isabella fall in love, but the quaintness here is how they deal with the emotions and expressions of love, because they naturally have problems with interaction (a given when it comes to AS or other forms of autism).

The portrayals are endearing. Admittedly, the movie could be a drag. If you would plot or graph the action, it would be one flat line ... the conflict is how they deal with falling in love given their condition, but there is no climax to the story... you just realize you've reached the end.

Why the title? The two characters attended a costume party ... Isabella came as Mozart, Donald came as a whale.

DVD Movie: Nicholas Nickleby

	Studios:	United Artists Films
	Release:	December 27th, 2002
	Genre:	Drama and Adaptation
	MPAA Rating:	PG for thematic material involving some violent action and a childbirth scene.

I haven't read the Dickens novel this movie was based on, so I cannot say if the adaptation stayed true to the source. I can say however that the movie does follow the Dickens formula of miserable kids going through hard times before finding a kind family/sponsor that would help them improve their lot.

Charlie Hunnam playing Nicholas provides good eye candy, and his acting doesn't hurt either. Jamie Bell as Smike was brilliant.

The story centers around Nicholas Nickleby, and it begins after the death of Nicholas' father. A country gentleman who managed to provide his children with good education and upbringing, the elder Nickleby died penniless and left many outstanding debts. His wife, daughter Kate and son Nicholas were forced to turn to his rich brother Ralph for help. Ralph however does not give things freely and would rather that they work for their food and shelter. Ralph brought the country Nicklebys to him in London, temporarily gave them shelter, but immediately had them looking for jobs to sustain themselves. Given his pride and idealism, Nicholas would immediately find himself at odds with his uncle.

Being learned in languages, Ralph sends Nicholas away to a boarding school to teach young boys. There, Nicholas is appalled at the headmaster's treatment of the boys. Even the headmaster's wife and children took part in the punishment. One of the boys that regularly gets punished is Smike. Nicholas takes pity on Smike, as he does not know who his parents are, and barely remembers anything apart from his life in the school. Nicholas took it upon himself to show Smike the only kindness the kid ever remembers receiving from anybody. Here we see how wonderful an actor Jamie Bell is, as he portrayed Smike as a kid who's deformed not only by the numerous punishments he's been subjected to, but also by his insecurities. Smike lived in an attic for the first years of his life before he was brought to the boarding school ... after that, no one ever came back for him. The kid never knew how it felt to be loved, and he probably didn't think himself worthy of it. It is not long before Nicholas would openly defy the headmaster when it comes to the matter of "punishment". Enraged at the cruelty he is witnessing, Nicholas gave the headmaster a good beating then took off. Being protective of Smike, Nicholas would spirit the child away from the school and together they headed for London.

Nicholas is kept updated of his mother and sister's welfare through his friend Noggs. A secretary to Ralph Nickleby by virtue of his unpaid debts, Noggs isn't loyal to his master and is actually sympathetic to the plight of Nicholas and his family. Noggs would inform Nicholas that the headmaster's daughter had written to his uncle, telling her version of how the headmaster got beaten up. Nicholas would leave London and use the name Nicholas Johnson to stay away from his uncle's wrath.

Nicholas and Smike would work in with a theater company in order to support themselves, which turned out to be a successful venture as playing leading man fit Nicholas perfectly. Nicholas' happy days at the theater would immediately come to an end when news of his family prompts him to fly back to London, dragging Smike with him. Enraged at the advances that a friend of his uncle made at his sister, Nicholas beats up the man and takes Kate and his mother away from his uncle's clutches. Nicholas finally reunites with his family and added Smike to it.

Once more out of a job and going back to theater out of the question, Nicholas goes out to look for a vacancy and meets the Cheerybyle twins who hire him. Nicholas must have hit the jackpot here because meeting people like the Cheerybles in real life is rare. Finding favor with his employers, Nicholas is able to provide well for his family and the country Nicklebys are happy once more... and Nicholas even found time to be smitten by a beautiful lady.

The bad guys have not taken the back seat though. The old headmaster finds Smike and had him locked up in a closet before the same person who helped sneak him out of the school freed him. Uncle Ralph tries to make Nicholas' life miserable, using his influence or calling in old debts. One of the saddest part of the movie, and the one which made me cry, was Smike's death.

However, despite the sad turns in the story, all ends well. Nicholas and Kate marry their respective loves, and the bad guys fall on misfortune. Ralph Nickleby would kill himself ... grieving after finding out that Smike is his son. As fate would have it ... Smike really was home with his family when he joined the house of Nicholas Nickleby.

Movie: Underworld Evolution

	Distributor:	Screen Gems
	Release:	January 20th, 2006
	Genre:	Suspense/Horror
	MPAA Rating:	R for pervasive strong violence and gore, some sexuality/nudity and language.

To start off: even in the first Underworld movie, I liked Selene (Kate Beckinsale) better than I liked Michael (Scott Speedman).

Michael gets more action in this second installment, but he still is, like the movie, dependent on Selene.

If the first movie had two clans always fighting each other, we find in this movie that the ancestors of both clans were twin brothers who were close to each other. One (the vampire) has woken up and is looking for the other (lycan) who is locked up. Selene would find herself battling the first and strongest of the vampires.

To spice the story up some more, the writers decided to add the twins' father as the first immortal who is neither vampire or lycan, but moves about as a normal human being, cleaning up after the mess of his offsprings' descendants.

Cool premise. The execution wasn't that great but it was still entertaining.

Cable Movie: Radio

	Studios:	Revolution Studios
	Release:	October 24th, 2003
	Genre:	Drama, Adaptation and Sports
	MPAA Rating:	PG for mild language

I don't think this movie was released in the Philippines, despite having well-known actors Gooding and Harris in it (Philippine theaters are more willing to screen a US movie that has well-known actors). It doesn't actually look like the kind of movie people would take time to watch in a movie house, but something one wouldn't mind watching on cable TV.

Cuba Gooding plays Radio. The character got his nickname because he collects ... you guessed it - radios. His mother says he is slow, which also means mentally retarded, and most of the time Radio acts like a child. Radio has a routine which includes going around town pushing his shopping cart. The town folk generally keep their distance from him, and the meaner ones make fun of him - it is unfortunate that Radio is both a black man and a mentally retarded person living in 60s or 70s where race could be a big issue and people had little understanding or tolerance of "special" people. Radio is very fortunate however to have a mother who solidly supports him.

After years of watching Radio pass by the football field on his daily routine, Coach Jones decided to talk to the guy. As talking with Coach Jones becomes part of Radio's routine, so is Radio being slowly integrated by Coach Jones into the lives of townspeople. Radio becomes a familiar face in campus as he hangs around Coach Jones and his football team. Coach Jones had to deal with many people who are uncomfortable with Radio's presence.

This movie has both tearjerking (Radio's mom dies) and silly moments (Radio becoming some sort of mascot for the team ... despite Coach Jones saying that Radio isn't a mascot). Gooding shows some good acting here, so does Harris - even if the character of Coach Jones isn't clear or consistent to me.

DVD Movie: Bewitched

	Distributor:	Sony Pictures Releasing International
	Release:	June 24th, 2005
	Genre:	Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for some language, including sex and drug references, and partial nudity.

Rather than make a movie about the TV show, this movie is about a real witch being cast as a witch in a TV show remake of "Bewitched". Nicole Kidman plays the witch Isabel who was discovered for the role of Samantha in the Bewitched TV show by Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) - the egocentric actor who will play Darrin, Samantha's husband.

Wyatt would prefer that the spotlight be on him, and becomes competitive when Isabel is getting more attention than he finds preferable. So from initial attraction, Isabel and Jack begin to fight. Isabel has the advantage here as she really is a witch and therefore has powers.

The movie started out with a lot of laughs that petered out in the end.

Movie: The Family Stone

	Studios:	Fox 2000
	Release:	December 16th, 2005
	Genre:	Comedy, Kids/Family and Romance
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for some sexual content including dialogue, and drug references.

Moviewatchers will always have big expectations from any movie that has a big cast with recognizeable names like Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker and Dermot Mulroney ... and a movie released in December that centers around a family is expected to deliver entertainment with dash of the holiday spirit.

When the movie ended, all I could think of was "eh...". Frankly, the movie was already tiring by the time it got to the middle I was wishing it would end already.

The action in this movie? The swapping ... the initial couple we had at the start of the movie ended up with a different person at the end ... and they keep it in the family (two brothers end up with women who happen to be sisters too).

DVD Movie: White Chicks

	Production Co.:	Wayans Brothers Entertainment
	Release:	June 23rd, 2004
	Genre:	Comedy and Crime/Gangster
	MPAA Rating:	PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language and some drug content.

I've liked the Wayans brothers ever since "In Living Color" (Jim Carrey was part of the cast).

White Chicks is their brand of humor, and unless you're some movie critic looking for aesthetics, this is one movie to put in that DVD player when you want a good laugh.

Men dressing up as women has been done before. The Wayans brothers put a twist to this by making black men impersonate white women.

Marlon and Shawn play FBI agents Marcus and Kevin Copeland, who are sent on a simple baby-sitting mission, but end up impersonating the spoiled Wilson brats they are "protecting". The two don prosthetics from hair to toe and do a decent job of acting like women.

The writers threw in complications like: Kevin's wife not knowing what his job is and making the wrong assumption that he's seeing another woman, especially when she saw Marcus dressed up as a white woman in the hotel the two agents are staying in; Marcus falling in love with a woman while on the job so he finds ways to change costume whenever she's around; and my favorite complication is sport jock Latrell Spencer falling in love with Kevin in disguise (Latrell thinks "she" is a white woman with a black woman's ass).

Latrell, played by Terry Crews, has got to be my favorite character in this movie. He's a black guy who identifies himself as otherwise. Even his taste in music is distinctly "white". It was hilarious when he was outraged to find "niggers" in the clubhouse. This is the first time I've taken notice of Terry Crews, and thanks to this movie, I recognize the actor now in the other movies or TV shows.

Movie: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

	Distributor:	Walt Disney Company
	Release:	8 January 2006 (Philippines)
	Genre:	Action/Adventure, Art/Foreign, Drama, Kids/Family, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
	MPAA Rating:	PG for for battle sequences and frightening moments.

I love the Chronicles of Narnia books ... I have my friend Rachel to thank for recommending "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" when we were in grade school. After reading that and realizing that it was the first book of many, I patiently waited my turn at borrowing the books from the library.

When I was already working, I bought all the books in the chronicles so that I have my own copy ... I still read them when I have nothing better to do and as I revisit Narnia, I keep in touch with the child in me.

I was therefore excited when I first heard that Walden was going to make the first book into a movie. When I finally heard that the movie will soon be released, I wondered if the movie was good .... I want it to be good so that Walden would make the next book into a movie also.

The movie deviated a bit from the book but the differences in my opinion are forgivable. The actors playing the children were adorable ... and it is wonderful to find out that they can act. The children portrayed the Pevensies perfectly. I imagine the young girls will be gushing over William Moseley and Skandar Keynes.

Tilda Swinton as a blond witch is one deviation from the book. She was sweetness, menace, and raw ambition. So yes, although she wasn't my vision of the witch, she was great in this movie ... except for that one scene where her camp is preparing for battle and she was talking with the minotaur ... it looked like the queen was too tired to listen to strategy, making the scene funny in my opinion.

James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus was a bit disturbing for me though. His attempts to befriend Lucy then abduct her sounded like the modus operandi of a pedophile. I should have seen that while reading the book.

The animated creatures that played key roles in the movie were done well. Aslan looked majestic. He was a work of art. I have to say though that the same meticulousness wasn't seen in the creation of lesser characters.

The battle scene was great. Tilda rocked - as usual. The Pevensie boys turned into men on the battlefield.

I've got a bit of a problem with the older version of the Pevensies ... the ladies looked like what Susan and Lucy would turn out to be, but the men had little resemblance to the child actors playing Peter and Edmund.

The ending, with Lucy realizing that the professor knew of Narnia, was lovely.

I hope this movie makes enough money to justify making movies out of the other books.