A Trafficker in Climaxes

There are a lot of things that could be said about the movie including how it is, in my opinion, the best prison break movie that graced the screens for the first time in years. It is a well-weaved and wonderful tale of mortality and the pains (and pleasure too, I guess) of leaving childhood behind. Funny and tear-jerking – Toy Story 3 has that unbeatable combination that Pixar is starting to perfect with its long line of excellent full-length feature films. It’s the kind of movie that all filmmakers should strive to make.

Toy Story 3 was worth all the hype. It was well-animated and very moving, especially towards the end. I had to keep myself from bawling with the ending but it’s also worth noting that even the credits solicited some LOLs.

All in all, the Toy Story series is a really nice trilogy that displays, more than anything else, the leaps and bounds by which Pixar has grown. It might even be my favorite trilogy (with LOTR coming in close second).

From the innovation, fast-moving entertainment, and broadly relevant themes of the first Toy Story movie, to the second film, we are presented with the product of how Pixar makes a commitment to quality at any cost. The emotional impact of the story in the third film was also deepened which mixes excellent entertainment with powerful and deeply moving ideas behind it in the same way that their recent films (Up, Wall-E, etc) have excelled at doing.

There are a lot of great films this year but Toy Story 3 is my favorite, so far. Also, if you are my friend and you decide not to watch it (and watch Karate Kid instead), I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.

O hai there. I’ve been very busy lately. Running some errands and doing some mature adult-y things that I find fascinating and scary at the same time. Let’s just say that I’m in the middle of something exciting right now and if the whole universe conspires to be on my side, I might jumpstart an entire life filled with things that I love doing and I know I’m good at. I hope I don’t mess it up though. *crosses fingers*

A lot of cool/interesting things happened to me lately. One of them was Kick-ass. The movie finally docked on local shores and I couldn’t be more stoked to see it. I guess every nerd who has read the comics went apeshit from all those awesome trailers and cool costumes and ingenious casting. Chloe Moretz, Aaron Johnson, McLovin and yes, even Nicolas Cage were excellent in the film. Every scene Cage was on was hilarious and IMO, that was his most enjoyable movie since Con-air. And I’ve said this so many times already, but movie Hit Girl > comic book Hit Girl. I can’t wait to watch Moretz grow up.

The movie differed a lot from the comics but not in an awful way. I’m usually forgiving when it comes to comics/book adaptations because I understand that the experience that blows you away when reading a comic or a book is hard to capture on the screen with moving people and stuff. A movie doesn’t have to be entirely faithful to its source when it comes to the plot but the over-all vibe should still be there.

I don’t really know where I’m getting at. @_@ I am bonkered and tired but I guess what I’m trying to say is that Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman did a wonderful job with the screenplay. They transformed the movie into something comic book fans and non-fans alike would love. I especially enjoyed all those little pleasant surprises and the first thing that came into my mind when I saw the film for the first time (I watched it twice, hrhr) was to thank the writers for a job well done. I’ve never enjoyed a movie like that in years (okay maybe not years, but w/e).

I’m listening to the movie’s OST right now and even that is awesome. Srsly. I hope they keep making films like this. If you haven’t watched it, then DO!

Lol CSI meme! ILU 4evar. You get me by the balls every time.

I am pretty pleased with the Oscars this year. Most of my bets won and I am so glad that Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director and The Hurt Locker won Best Picture. I lot of people have expressed disappointment over Avatar’s failure to bag the big prizes but I have been rooting for the underdog all the way. It is also very heart-warming to see an excellent, low-budget film that failed to achieve commercial success triumph over one of the highest-grossing movies ever. Heh.

I also didn’t like Avatar. Come’on, unobtainium?! Seriously?! HAH, Na’vi fans. If my schadenfreude was sex, it just had a round-robin of orgasms.

A lot of people doubt The Hurt Locker’s resilience to the test of time. Will it become a classic? Yes, it probably will. With its representation of the war in Iraq and Bigelow being the first female Best Director winner, that’s not something you can shake off easily. It’s a deserved win in both categories too and if my vote would’ve mattered and I needed to be objective, I would have picked it still.

But Avatar aint and will never be a loser. That movie is going to have a lasting impact in its own right and quite possibly even a larger one at that. Even though it’s lacking on story (hello, Pocahontas), it’s an achievement in what movies can do and it was a pleasant film to watch from start to finish. Also, all those box office records! Awards or not, it sure has earned its place in cinematic history.

Alice in Wonderland is the first film I’ve seen on the big screen this year. It made me realize how much of a pirate I’ve become. I was genuinely amazed at the Dolby Digital Surround sound which I have forgotten after watching too many pirated movies at home and on my PC. Regardless of how excellent I claim my speakers to be, it still doesn’t amount to much compared to the movie experience a 140pesos ticket can give you.

Moving on, Alice in Wonderland is a movie by the often excellent Tim Burton. It is a loosely-based adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass which also happen to be two of my favorite children’s books. Having heard of this film in its pre-production state two years ago has made me into a giddy fangirl, something that often happens when two of my most favorite things are combined (banana and nutella, Scott Pilgrim and Edgar Wright, tea and cake, etc etc).

Lewis Carroll’s books are first-rate works of fiction that have captivated my imagination when I was young and something that I have found to be amazing with every read. Every rereading is always a different (and better) experience. As a young girl, I was fascinated with Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter and the whole fantastical world of Wonderland. When I was older, I was impressed with all the strangeness, the subtle mathematical references and Carroll’s general ability to weave something logical out of something psychedelic and crazy. The books are fun for kids and filled with philosophies and truisms for adults. It has produced a number of cinematic and television adaptations, several comic books and has planted itself as a staple in popular culture.

It is therefore not surprising how the movie was hyped from the very beginning. Burton signing up to be the director is one thing, casting Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp, as the Red Queen and Mad Hatter respectively, is another. People expected the movie to be the greatest evarrr and for good reason. However, the first few days of its screening have generated a number of undesirable comments and responses from the books’ fans. They say that the movie lacked the edge of Carroll’s works, it was too centered on the hatter and blah blah blah.

As for me, I enjoyed the film so much more that I wanted and expected myself to be. I am glad to have watched it on the big screen because the visuals were stunning. The colors, design and concept were excellent and if CGI was candy, I need a root canal. The story was, unfortunately, not to die for but I never really thought of Tim Burton as a solid storyteller (hello, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) so I wasn’t expecting much. The movie lacked the edge and the crazy logic of the book and at the last hour, everything felt like a mash-up of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter Pan and Zelda. It was like a children’s movie on crack.

Although not the best storyteller, you have to admit that Burton is a visionary and a good actor’s director. I honestly can’t think of a better director to have delivered the world of Wonderland as well as he did. The actors all did a wonderful job of portraying the roles too. Depp was excellent (and looked like Madonna), Hathaway was okay, Wasikowska was fine and well-casted for the role (her wardrobe was to die for!) but  Helena Bonham Carter stole the show, as she often does.

Over-all, I’d give it a four out of five. I am generous like that.

P.S. Avril Lavigne was WAILING during the credits. Awful OST is awful. I take back my four and give it a 3.5 instead. hmph.