halfwhiteboy

"It is done." Okay, so let's just get past whatever feeling of disgruntlement you may have about your childhood being ruined by this revisionist take on Sleeping Beauty, shall we? I won't call it a spoiler because we were already made to expect something different from the classic Disney villain, that perhaps Maleficent wasn't pure evil after all. The film explores Maleficent's early days as a young fairy, how she befriended the peasant Stefan, how this guy would later break her heart--and steal something from her--and of course how she ends up cursing Aurora into a death-like sleep. Aided by costumes and prosthetics, Angelina Jolie essays the title role with perfection. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role but her. She even doesn't have to do much because even when the scene just requires her to sit or stand, it's Maleficent that we see. But of course Jolie nails those action sequences, and ably shows emotion when called for.

Superman may be the granddaddy of all superheroes but I've always felt this disconnect from him. Maybe it's because he's an alien. He's also just so... super. Yet he can also be so lame. Nonetheless, I was excited for Man of Steel . After Superman Returns failed to reignite the franchise, a reboot seemed like the most logical way to go for Warner Bros. In Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder takes us back to Superman's origins in Krypton. He sure didn't rush his introduction and he really took his time on the dying planet, which had me thinking how long before this film gains traction. Following his lengthy prologue, Snyder avoids a linear storytelling approach by cutting straight to a scruffy Clark Kent at sea, very much like one of those men from Deadliest Catch on Discovery but very timid, and where the audience gets its first glimpse at Kal-El's heroic deeds. From here on we are taken on a journey, however abrupt, of a man trying to fit in, intersp...

Iron Man 3 is not really a sequel to Iron Man 2 but rather a follow-up to that blockbuster fun ride that was The Avengers . The film takes place after the events in New York City ( Remember that alien invasion action extravaganza? ), which was repeatedly referenced throughout the movie. Apparently it has left Tony Stark scarred, who's now suffering from sleepless nights, panic attacks, and even a bit of paranoia. This third installment in the Iron Man franchise takes on a very Tony-centric approach, and as such, we see a lot of Robert Downey Jr without the tin suit, something reminiscent of the first movie -- heck, even more than the first movie! It was a clever treatment in which we get to see Stark as the real hero, with or without the suit. It was nice to see him make do of what he has, to see gadgets fail, and to once more bear witness to his creative genius. Ben Kingsley as "The Mandarin." While the film attempts an introspective ride, it stops itself shor...

So yesterday I had to watch the final installment in the Twilight series with My Bibe. I wasn't really expecting anything but my, oh my, was it one extended piece of nothing but fluff. Spoilers be damned but the two-hour film went just like this: Bella was getting acquainted with her new life as a vampire, the Volturi got wind of Renesmee, the Cullens embarked on a worldwide search for "witnesses," an imaginary fight ensued, and then everyone went home. And oh, what followed was an extended audio-visual presentation (AVP) showing  all the cast members since the first Twilight movie, much like how local teleseryes  do it in their final episode.

Agent 007's latest outing has been heaping praise and at the same time raking in money at the international box office (it has yet to be shown in the U.S.). And rightfully so! I daresay that  Skyfall is one of the best Bond movies ever made in the franchise's 50-year, 23-film history. Daniel Craig as James Bond. [ Source ] Since the 1960's, we all know James Bond to be this suave secret agent with a license to kill. Always perfectly dressed, he's got all the coolest cars and gadgets, and always gets to bed the most gorgeous of women with nary an effort. Bond had single-handedly made being a spy aspirational and such a cool occupation. But the world has changed a great lot since then, and director Sam Mendes has pretty much put this premise front and center, even questioning MI6's relevance in today's world where no one even knows who the enemy is anymore. With cyberterrorism and all, how can Bond keep up? I have to stop myself here to preclude myself f...

So there's much hype -- at least among Filipino people -- surrounding The Bourne Legacy , the fourth installment in the highly successful Bourne franchise. Well, that excitement obviously stems from the fact that a good chunk of the film was shot here in the Philippines, which is hardly a preferred shooting location for a Hollywood film. But how was the movie without the titular character played by Matt Damon? After Damon bailed out on a fourth Bourne movie, they brought in Jeremy Renner. It's no secret, however, that he does not play Jason Bourne but Aaron Cross, obviously a totally different character. Cross is an Outcome agent, one who's enhanced physically and mentally but who has to keep his regular dose of blue and green pills to stay this way. Unlike Bourne, he does not have amnesia.

Set eight years after the events of The Dark Knight , Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy comes full circle with The Dark Knight Rises . As has been said, it's peacetime. Gotham's crime rate is at an all time low and everything seems alright. However, it all but seems like a lull between the storm because a carefully-orchestrated grand plan to bring the city down has been brewing all along. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has been reduced to a cane-toting, bearded recluse, languishing in sorrow inside his now-rebuilt mansion, Wayne Manor. His co-conspirator in the cover-up surrounding Harvey Dent's death, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), has likewise not been the happiest either. Then the arrival of Selena Kyle (Anne Hathaway), who's been referred to in the film as a cat burglar but never as 'Catwoman,' suddenly pulls Wayne out of his hermit life. Soon enough, everyone else in Gotham is jolted by the brazen -- and very public -- terrorist ma...

My Bibe and I watched Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter last night. I went to the cinema with nary an expectation other than the twisted premise of America's 16th president living a secret life as a hunter of the undead cool (I still wasn't eager to watch Spider-man). Produced by the eccentric Tim Burton,  Vampire Hunter  is directed by Timur Bekmambetov, he who tried to make us believe in curving bullets in  Wanted . I haven't read Seth Grahame-Smith's novel, so I just went with the flow. The film to me is a great balance of visuals, action sequences and sound. I wouldn't call it a horror movie but this triple combination scared My Bibe a few times. It was graphic novel-ish in terms of treatment, and I'm not complaining. Though some may regard all those vampire-killing sequences as overly choreographed -- especially since a lot of them are in slo-mo -- they're cool to watch. That scene where Abe was chasing a vampire amid a hundred stampeding hor...

One thing more fun about the Philippines -- however fleeting -- is being able to watch Marvel's much-awaited The Avengers more than a week before its big May 4 opening in the U.S. I wasn't able to watch it on opening day here because I was busy but I was happy nonetheless to be able to catch it yesterday at eleven in the morning. Yes, 11am. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a movie that early since college. It was pretty obvious in Marvel's previous outings that they've been trying to tie everything together to an eventual Avengers film. In the last Iron Man flick, we were already introduced to S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury and Agent Coulson (even if that sequel was not up to par with the first one). Black Widow also already made an appearance there. Tony Stark was likewise there at the end of the last incarnation of the Hulk  talking about a team being assembled. S.H.I.E.L.D. was also very prominent in Thor , and Stark Industries was just as active in Captain Am...

And that was the end of it all, a decade of Potter madness that permeated my mind and of countless others. While it's undeniable that splitting J.K. Rowling's seventh book into two films was a money-making move by Warner Bros., I say that with what director David Yates gave us, it's justified. Although I am a fan, I'm taking a step back to afford a more objective view of the film I just watched. By watching  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) , it's already assumed that either you've read all the books, or you've watched all seven films preceding it, or both. There's no time here to explain things anymore. Having been too familiar with the series already, it's a bit difficult to say whether someone with no Potter  knowledge whatsoever will enjoy the film. Okay, so maybe not. They may be in for the ride but they surely will only end up asking tons of questions. Who's Harry? Why is Voldemort so mad at him? What are horcruxes ? Why c...

My Bibe and I watched  Transformers: Dark of the Moon  last night at Greenbelt 1. We don't normally go out on weeknights anymore but I made an exception with this one. Personally I think the movie is worth watching if you're looking for something fun (not necessarily funny, though). If you're looking for noteworthy dialogue, character development and fine acting, remember that this is a Michael Bay film. So you'll have to expect lots of grand set pieces, long camera crane shots, action sequences, special effects and explosions (heck, GQ just even called him "the most explosive director of all time" in its July issue!). Don't think too much and just enjoy the ride. And don't bother sitting through the end credits, especially after seeing that extra clip played early on. There's nothing waiting for you there. Dark of the Moon  was definitely better than  Revenge of the Fallen , but still far from the wit, charm and magic of the 2007 origin...

Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class – I really had to quickly get that during the few seconds in the film when what WALL-E stands for was shown. I find Pixar’s latest offering depressing, though. In fact it’s upsetting. While I was all starry-eyed following cute little WALL-E as he went about his daily routine, a few minutes into the film and I forgot about him and saw what was around.