Iron Man 3: Musings on Terrorism and America

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Amid recent acts of terrorism that has been happening to the United States, I cannot help but surmise that writers wanted a plot that is not only relevant but will also strike a chord to the American people.

Terrorism. What comes to mind when you hear the word? Wars, 9/11, bombs, Muslims-- I bet you even have a mindset in your head of what a terrorist is supposed to look like. Well, The Mandarin was portrayed in the television as a man in long robes, a beard, having an army of rebels located in dry regions of the world, and a rigid heartless expression. What you don't realize is that a terrorist could be anyone, can come from anywhere, and doesn't have to look like Osama bin Laden.


He could be an idealistic and seemingly harmless smart chap right from where you live, and from countless superhero stories (or even everyday life) you should know that the bad guy is not always who they should be, and even the purest of intentions can be corrupted by greed and desperation.

One would like to believe that the war is only happening in places such as Iran or Pakistan, but actually it can be much, much closer to home. As long as there are people who are being oppressed and treated wrongly, no one is safe anywhere.

Iron Man as a Symbol

Every Day by David Levithan (Novel) Review: A Curious Concept

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Rating: 3.5 STARS

I picked out Every Day by David Levithan out of curiosity seeing as it had a pretty intriguing concept. What if you woke up in a different body everyday? You're about the same age but you can either be a boy or a girl, and you have to adjust day in day out to the mindset of a different person, being someone but no one at the same time.

Somehow he can access the memories of the person so he's not left totally clueless. If he sticks to the routine then there's no problem, he'll just come and go with no one noticing. But there's also that other side of him that wants a kind of consistency in his life, which happens to be Rhiannon-- the person who made him realize that there's gotta be more to life than a daily existence being someone else.

(I'm talking like he's coming from a male point of view but he's actually neither. It makes sense since technically he's only a soul, going from one body to another, so it's safe to assume that he's bisexual in whatever body he assumes. Some might think this can be confusing but he actually really know who he is, he doesn't like a person based on gender but he likes a person as a person.)

Not a Love Story
Though despite what it says on the back of the book, it's not a love story, not in the sense that I thought it would be. It's more philosophical than anything else, like is what he doing moral and just how much can he meddle in other people's lives. 

Everyday he doesn't know what a person is facing and everyday he risks changing things, and he doesn't know what repercussions his actions can do for the person the next day. You might think that's ridiculous as not a lot can be changed in a day. But you'll be surprised just how much it can be affected, especially coming from the person who knows the value of a day more than anyone

A Lot of Resentment

Warm Bodies Commentary Movie Review: Just your typical Zombie Romeo

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I actually placed this commentary on youtube, check it out:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_ROlbR7w1s
So generally how love stories become blockbuster hits nowadays is to pair a normal human girl with a supernatural being-- never mind that in this case he comes in the form of a corpse. Hey, whatever works right? And I think the reason why guys would be a little more accepting of this scenario than Twilight is because a.) he doesn't sparkle, and b.) they're placed in the middle of a war torn Zombie Apocalypse. I think it also helps that the narration comes from our guy R, who's anything but the typical flawless leading guy you see in movies. He's expressionless, awkward, a bit gross, and to top it all off he's a Zombie that happens to eats human brains. Oddly enough, a Zombie guy point of view is quite refreshing. 


But apparently he's not your typical average Zombie. He's sentimental, very conscious of his lack of social abilities, and introspective as he strives to find meaning in his mundane day to day existence. And find it he did when one day he goes on a routine human eating spree with his Zombie friends, and there meets the girl who makes everything run on slow motion and switch on romantic background music.       

This is where Warm Bodies remind me a bit of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, where the seemingly hideous and frightening Zombie takes the beautiful girl in his castle, I mean, private airplane, and during their time together she realizes that the Zombie is not that scary after all. I think this can be the best parts of the movie when you see R being funny, endearing, and even cute. It's comical the thoughts that run through his head sometimes. But all good things must come to an end when she goes back and we see R being miserable again, like on the inside, because he pretty much looks the same either way.

Hansel and Gretel Movie Review: Just Somewhat Badass

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If you've ever been told fairy tails as a kid then it's likely you've already heard of Hansel and Gretel's story.

Once upon a time they were left lost in the woods and while trying to find their way back they see a house made out of candy. They begin to happily eat but would then soon discover that it was actually owned by a cruel witch who happens to eat kids like them. The witch  then fattened Hansel up with treats. But when she was about to roast him alive, Hansel and Gretel worked together to push the witch into the fire, and they lived happily ever after.

But wait, that can't be right, how could that be a happy ending? There's so many unanswered questions! Why did their father leave them in the forest? Would they ever find their way back? What would their profession be when they they grow up, I mean they had to earn a living right? So, what happens to them next?

Okay, if you've read up to this point then you can tell I'm no longer talking about the original Hansel and Gretel recorded by Brother's Grimm, but the very latest one where Hansel and Gretel grow up to do what they do best (and are very much well known in the world of fairy tales for), kicking witch butt.


Now, I thought it was a particularly cool concept, and the poster with Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton holding weaponry looked downright kick-ass. Also, with the popularity of twisted fairy tales like Fables and Once Upon a Time, it's not odd that there would be an influx of movies with this genre. Like Snow white and the Huntsman, Hansel and Gretel was just begging to be adapted into a live action flick. 

Frankenweenie Review: Creepy Cool with Heart

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You can't possibly think how a plot so simple can be very touching-- the unique bond between a boy and his dog. It was nice how Tim Burton was able to really capture how close Victor was to his dog,  so it wasn't so hard for the viewers to understand why he would go to extreme lengths to get Sparky back.


I think the reason why Tim Burton was able to evoke that kind of emotion was because the story is loosely based with his own relationship to his dog as a kid. Then I can almost imagine a young Tim Burton making crude stop motion with a cheap camera as a kid, just as Victor was in the start of the movie. It's not hard to see why Frankenweenie would be so close to his heart, a product from an idea almost 30 years ago.
 
FRANKENSTEIN
Obviously, the movie is a parody of the early book/movie called Frankenstein, which I thought is pretty cool in itself. But I liked how Victor Frankenstein here wasn't portrayed as a mad scientist or anything like that, he couldn't be more normal, a quiet loner who just happens to be really good in science. I also liked that here Victor wasn't repulsed by his 'creation', no matter what his dog has become, he will always be Sparky, Victor's best friend. Never mind that the whole town won't exactly agree with that. I thought the other references were also pretty cool, such as the hunchbacked Edgar "E" Gore, and Elsa Van Helsing. There's also Elsa's dog who looks a lot like Frankenstein's bride, puppy love if you ever saw one.  

TIM BURTON TOWN IN BLACK AND WHITE
Now there's a bit of subtle comedy, and everything is toned down. The setting is a typical middle town suburbia where you think nothing out of the ordinary or even interesting ever happens, a Tim Burton signature right there. Just later on will you see how not normal the town can actually become to how downright creepy it could be-- and I think the fact that it was black and white added to that overall effect.  

Ruby Sparks Review: The Girl of your Dreams Come True

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Ever written something you were so passionate about, that you wanted so much, that suddenly it just came true? Yeah I think not. But wouldn't that be out of this world? Calvin certainly thought so. 


You see, Calvin's this guy who made one best seller in high school and after 10 years he still has writer's block. Then one night he had a dream about this girl, and inspiration struck! He wrote and wrote and wrote about him and this girl, Ruby Sparks. Then just when he was to bring over his manuscript, there she was in his kitchen. Yep, he literally just met the girl of his dreams.

2012 Movie Hits and Misses

Tweet As 2012 comes to an end, let's look back at the year and see which are considered hits or misses in the blockbuster movie industry!

World Wide Gross Sales (2012) [Box Office Mojo]: 
1. Marvel's The Avengers ($1,511.8)
2. The Dark Knight Rises ($1,081.0)
3. Skyfall ($1,000.2)
4. Ice Age: Continental Drift ($875.1)
5. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 ($799.3)
6. The Amazing Spider-Man ($752.2)
7. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted ($742.1)
8. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ($686.7)
9. The Hunger Games ($686.5)
10. MIB 3 ($624.0)

-- I have to say, congratulations to the top 3 for getting over 1B in sales, and Skyfall ($1,000.2) for being the first James Bond movie to do so!

-- It's sort of surprising that there is such a big gap between Marvel's The Avengers ($1,511.8) and The Dark Knight Rises ($1,081.0), but I guess the latter could have earned more if Christopher Nolan allowed it to be shown in 3D. He said he doesn't know anyone who likes 3D, so in effect he exchanged a bit more income for overall viewer satisfaction, and I do respect him for that. 

-- Up until now I'm still baffled as to why Ice Age ($875.1) is doing so well, especially since I didn't like the first one. Well maybe now that it's on its 4th, might be worth checking it out again. 

-- As for the end of the Twilight saga ($799.3), no matter what haters say, I still say it was an awesome way to end the series and that it did the book justice. 

-- I'd definitely say that Andrew Garfield trumps Tobey Maguire just because I like Spider-Man ($752.2) to look cool rather than dramatic and pitiful.

-- The Hobbit ($686.7) actually did more than I would give it credit for. I guess it comes with the hoard of loyal fans to the Lord of the Rings. 

-- For Hunger Games ($686.5), I still say it would have left more impact if it was a little more violent like Battle Royale, alright a LOT more violent. But man did Battle Royale left an impact on my childhood, yes I was 12 then. 

-- MIB 3 ($624.0) was a little more touching than usual, with the same brand of humor and appearance of gross aliens we've come to love in the series.

Just the Movie for the End of the World

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In celebration of the end of the world (12/21/12), I thought it would be fitting to watch Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. What better way to end it all than just kicking back with some popcorn and watching a movie?


Truth be told, I've never given much thought on what I'd do if the world did end today.  Maybe I'd do all the things society wouldn't normally let me do. Go on a road trip with complete strangers, get so wasted in a party and wake up somewhere else entirely, get high until you see bright lights, have completely no inhibitions, and just end up doing whatever the heck you want-- and all those other stuff that looks like so much fun when it's done by rock stars. But yeah... I don't think I'd like to have absolutely no recollection of supposedly the last best days of my life (^_^;).

The Hobbit Review: Some Nostalgia but Nothing New

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To be honest, I wasn't too excited to see The Hobbit. Would there be anything new here? How can it possibly be cooler than The Lord of the Rings? I mean, The Hobbit, even the title sounds weak~! And exactly what is J.R.R. Tolkien's fascination with puny leads is beyond me. Okay fine, that IS how most stories go, finding true power in unlikely places... how even a simple Hobbit could change the course of history.

Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. That is not what I've found. I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I'm afraid, and he gives me courage. (It still has its power lines I'll give you that.)

 There they set forth on a journey to reclaim the Dwarven Kingdom.

So I went to see The Hobbit on theaters anyways, if not just to see what the hype was all about. Now with Peter Jackson on the helm once again, you can pretty much expect the same feel as LOTR (less other epic characters like Aragorn and Legolas that I came to love in the series).

To Watch is to Believe

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Movement. Wow. Up and above the sleigh, in and out of pillows and windows, from rooftop to rooftop, popping up chimneys, swooping down rabbit holes... if they ever make a Dreamworks park with a Rise of the Guardians ride, I'm down for it! Besides the top notch animation, the visuals were a delight. I would definitely recommend watching it in 3D or IMAX. I can't even imagine the effort they put into making every bit of this film come to life!



In any case, I think I was sprinkled with some happy snow dust since I was stupidly smiling after. Definitely a movie that would make you wish you were a kid again. Magical, magical times... I could almost remember waiting for Santa every Christmas eve. I never did catch him, elusive fat fellow that he is, but there would always be presents waiting for me when I wake up. And now I know how Santa does it, with his big curious eyes of wonder and Yeti helpers. 

Jack: I always though the elves made the toys.
North: We just let them believe that. (Looks to elves playing with Christmas lights) Very nice... Keep up good work! 

So there's North, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Sandman... but who has ever heard of Jack Frost?