Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
District 9 [film]
In the movie District 9, the aliens don't come to destroy life on Earth. They are not a natural loving tribe like the Na'vi in Avatar, either. The aliens are refugees that live in a segregated area, District 9. It's a chaotic place. It's run-down and full of trash. There's even a gang of human who reside there and take advantage of the aliens. The idea is interesting to me. It has some social implications, too.
Of course, human is greedy again, just like in Avatar. They want to use the alien weapons instead of mining this time, though. The main character is much more unlucky than the guy in Avatar. He accidentally becomes the most wanted subject. He runs and hides and loses everything he once had.
I guess whoever produced this movie like to play with makeups and special effects. There are gruesome alien body parts and exploding people. When the alien weapons are at work, they zap people. Zap, zap. Explode! Juices flow!
Besides the unusual setting, the story itself is rather simple. However, it does intrigue me to think about how people would react if we do have this type of migrants of outer space. Also, how are the refugees in the real world treated by the countries that accommodate them? Are some people afraid of them and some try to advantage of them?
I enjoy the film. However, because it has been compared with Avatar, I feel it is overshadowed by Avatar visually. I guess it's also because I watched District 9 on DVD instead of in the cinema. That made the zapping less impressive. :P On the other hand, I do feel that the story of District 9 is more original. The Hollywood heroism and love story in Avatar makes it more sensational but it's also more conventional. The ordinary and not always selfless protagonist in District 9 is somewhat more believable.
LC rates: 4 stars
Of course, human is greedy again, just like in Avatar. They want to use the alien weapons instead of mining this time, though. The main character is much more unlucky than the guy in Avatar. He accidentally becomes the most wanted subject. He runs and hides and loses everything he once had.
I guess whoever produced this movie like to play with makeups and special effects. There are gruesome alien body parts and exploding people. When the alien weapons are at work, they zap people. Zap, zap. Explode! Juices flow!
Besides the unusual setting, the story itself is rather simple. However, it does intrigue me to think about how people would react if we do have this type of migrants of outer space. Also, how are the refugees in the real world treated by the countries that accommodate them? Are some people afraid of them and some try to advantage of them?
I enjoy the film. However, because it has been compared with Avatar, I feel it is overshadowed by Avatar visually. I guess it's also because I watched District 9 on DVD instead of in the cinema. That made the zapping less impressive. :P On the other hand, I do feel that the story of District 9 is more original. The Hollywood heroism and love story in Avatar makes it more sensational but it's also more conventional. The ordinary and not always selfless protagonist in District 9 is somewhat more believable.
LC rates: 4 stars
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Super 8 [film]
Watching Super 8 feels like watching a movie when I was 12 years old. The setting is in the 1970s and the atmosphere has that vintage feeling. There's danger looming in the background. You don't know what it is. There are human stories involving the young characters and their parents, though some are simplistic and a bit of a cliché. Overall, it was an exciting cinematic experience. I kind of wish I were a 12 year old, though. I would be more fascinated by the movie. It'd be like watching Jurassic Park when I was a kid.
The story focuses on a group of kids in the 1970s. They are at a small train station to film their zombie movie using a Super 8 camera one evening. While they are shooting, a train derails. Lots of explosions and large flying objects remind us that it is actually a 2011 movie. Since this incident, strange things begin to happen in this rural town. Strange things… I better not spoil it. I'll leave you to watch it.
One thing that added to the thrill was that changes may happen abruptly at anytime during a scene. There were times when a character was speaking, a loud noise of some sorts cut the speech in mid-sentence. It then led to the next sequence. It made the pace exciting and made it feel more real too. (Note to the final film of Harry Potter, I expect something similar from you!)
The fast pace has its downside. Sometimes it felt like it was too easy. Especially because the main characters are 12 year olds, they seemed to have accomplished a lot in a short time while avoiding the adults and the danger. But it's a minor issue. It's fiction. Use a bit of imagination. And I'm sure I wouldn't find it odd if I'm 12 years old. Ah, I'm wishing I were young again.
Some scenes reminded me of Jurassic Park. There were weird noises and objects thrown into the air. You knew the danger was nearby but you didn't see it yet. I wished somebody would ask "where's the goat?" and a T-rex would appear. It didn't happen.
*spoiler alert*
The ending was the main thing that I felt let down. It was a Spiderman ending. Yes, I knew it was explained that they could do telepathic communication. But still… a Spiderman ending just made me feel that the situation was resolved too easily… sigh.
While I'm still in the spoiler section, I should take the chance and babble some more.
How unlucky can the sheriff be? By the way, his scene at the petrol station looked like Jurassic Park. Hehe.
"Drugs are so bad." Hahaha. That line made it even more like an old movie that was giving a lecture to the young audience.
One thing in my mind wasn't answered when I left the cinema. Where's Lucy? Did they find the boy's dog, Lucy?
*spoiler alert ends*
By the way, stay behind when the movie ends. The kids' zombie movie is shown when the credit rolls. Also, that kid who likes explosives is pretty funny for the whole movie. Hehe.
LC rates: 4 stars
The story focuses on a group of kids in the 1970s. They are at a small train station to film their zombie movie using a Super 8 camera one evening. While they are shooting, a train derails. Lots of explosions and large flying objects remind us that it is actually a 2011 movie. Since this incident, strange things begin to happen in this rural town. Strange things… I better not spoil it. I'll leave you to watch it.
One thing that added to the thrill was that changes may happen abruptly at anytime during a scene. There were times when a character was speaking, a loud noise of some sorts cut the speech in mid-sentence. It then led to the next sequence. It made the pace exciting and made it feel more real too. (Note to the final film of Harry Potter, I expect something similar from you!)
The fast pace has its downside. Sometimes it felt like it was too easy. Especially because the main characters are 12 year olds, they seemed to have accomplished a lot in a short time while avoiding the adults and the danger. But it's a minor issue. It's fiction. Use a bit of imagination. And I'm sure I wouldn't find it odd if I'm 12 years old. Ah, I'm wishing I were young again.
Some scenes reminded me of Jurassic Park. There were weird noises and objects thrown into the air. You knew the danger was nearby but you didn't see it yet. I wished somebody would ask "where's the goat?" and a T-rex would appear. It didn't happen.
*spoiler alert*
The ending was the main thing that I felt let down. It was a Spiderman ending. Yes, I knew it was explained that they could do telepathic communication. But still… a Spiderman ending just made me feel that the situation was resolved too easily… sigh.
While I'm still in the spoiler section, I should take the chance and babble some more.
How unlucky can the sheriff be? By the way, his scene at the petrol station looked like Jurassic Park. Hehe.
"Drugs are so bad." Hahaha. That line made it even more like an old movie that was giving a lecture to the young audience.
One thing in my mind wasn't answered when I left the cinema. Where's Lucy? Did they find the boy's dog, Lucy?
*spoiler alert ends*
By the way, stay behind when the movie ends. The kids' zombie movie is shown when the credit rolls. Also, that kid who likes explosives is pretty funny for the whole movie. Hehe.
LC rates: 4 stars
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The King's Speech [film]
我一直覺得英國王室很可憐，一出生下來就注定一輩子被大家關注。感覺起來很不自由，沒有什麼自己的選擇。不能穿著拖鞋到便利商店買茶葉蛋。
之前全世界放映威廉王子和凱特的婚禮，我覺得他們結婚也要結給全世界看真是辛苦。
The King's Speech 這部片更是印證我的想法，英國王室的成員沒有權力，沒有自由，孤獨。戲裡幾句話精簡地點出他們的無奈：沒有權力收稅，沒有權力指揮軍隊，只有責任在一些公眾場合講講話，看起來體面，就像是演員一樣。
主角 King George VI 就是這麼衰，生在王室，唯一的工作就是偶而在公眾場合講講話，偏偏他口吃，就是做不好這唯一的工作，而他也不能像平民自由換工作。
太太 Bellatrix 看 Mr Darcy 演講這麼吃力很想幫他忙，所以找了 Captain Barbossa 來幫他治療。[1] 喔，角色搞錯了，不過這部戲還真的有一堆在別的電影裡出現的英國演員。其他還有演 Dumbledore 的，還有 Guy Pearce。連 BBC mini series 版本的 Pride and Prejudice 裡的女主角都來了。Colin Firth 和 Jennifer Ehle 隔了十五年又合演一部戲。我都懷疑讓他們碰面的那一幕是編劇故意放進去給我們這些 Pride and Prejudice 的 fans 看的。
Anyway，這部戲真的主要就是看 Colin Firth 和 Geoffrey Rush 演戲。故事本身簡單、溫馨。不過由於主角口吃，有時會覺得步調慢，要有耐心。
國王總算有個平民好朋友讓我覺得溫馨。皇后一路支持國王也真是好妻子呀！(按個讚)
香港翻譯片名叫「皇上無話兒」真是會讓人聯想到別的東西。
是齣好電影，不過我不覺得特別好，我自己是不會選它為奧斯卡最佳影片啦！
LC rates: 4 stars
Notes:
[1] Bellatrix 是 Harry Potter 的角色；Mr Darcy 是 Pride and Prejudice 和 Bridget Jones's Diary 的角色；Captain Barbossa 是 Pirates of the Caribbean 的角色。
之前全世界放映威廉王子和凱特的婚禮，我覺得他們結婚也要結給全世界看真是辛苦。
The King's Speech 這部片更是印證我的想法，英國王室的成員沒有權力，沒有自由，孤獨。戲裡幾句話精簡地點出他們的無奈：沒有權力收稅，沒有權力指揮軍隊，只有責任在一些公眾場合講講話，看起來體面，就像是演員一樣。
主角 King George VI 就是這麼衰，生在王室，唯一的工作就是偶而在公眾場合講講話，偏偏他口吃，就是做不好這唯一的工作，而他也不能像平民自由換工作。
太太 Bellatrix 看 Mr Darcy 演講這麼吃力很想幫他忙，所以找了 Captain Barbossa 來幫他治療。[1] 喔，角色搞錯了，不過這部戲還真的有一堆在別的電影裡出現的英國演員。其他還有演 Dumbledore 的，還有 Guy Pearce。連 BBC mini series 版本的 Pride and Prejudice 裡的女主角都來了。Colin Firth 和 Jennifer Ehle 隔了十五年又合演一部戲。我都懷疑讓他們碰面的那一幕是編劇故意放進去給我們這些 Pride and Prejudice 的 fans 看的。
 |
| Top: The King's Sppech (2010); Bottom: Pride and Prejudice (1995) Picture source: here |
Anyway，這部戲真的主要就是看 Colin Firth 和 Geoffrey Rush 演戲。故事本身簡單、溫馨。不過由於主角口吃，有時會覺得步調慢，要有耐心。
國王總算有個平民好朋友讓我覺得溫馨。皇后一路支持國王也真是好妻子呀！(按個讚)
香港翻譯片名叫「皇上無話兒」真是會讓人聯想到別的東西。
是齣好電影，不過我不覺得特別好，我自己是不會選它為奧斯卡最佳影片啦！
LC rates: 4 stars
Notes:
[1] Bellatrix 是 Harry Potter 的角色；Mr Darcy 是 Pride and Prejudice 和 Bridget Jones's Diary 的角色；Captain Barbossa 是 Pirates of the Caribbean 的角色。
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
