ReviewColumn's rating :

12 Rounds, released on March 29, 2009 in the United States, is the latest WWE film hitting the box office. The movie is directed by famous director, Renny Harlin. Daniel Kunka writes the story, whereas the WWE champion John Cena is the hero of the movie.

12 Rounds (2009) has a very thrilling plot, it tells the story of a vengeance in an adventurous manner. Miles Jackson (Aidan Gillen) is an untraceable terrorist who kidnaps the girl friend of a police detective Danny Fisher (John Cena). The terrorist forces him to do 12 rounds of dangerous plots, which are carefully planned throughout the streets of New Orleans. The ticking clocks and the crude consequences accompany him during each round. The terrorist wants to take his revenge against the police officer with this dangerous trap. This is a 108-minute long movie, which will thrill the audience with the near-impossible puzzles and endeavors of the police officer.

John Cena will make all his predecessors proud with the movie 12 Rounds. His performance in the movie is extraordinarily outstanding and the film will prove to be a biggest bust of his career. Through the character of the police officer, John Cena is efficient to fill the void created by the actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal and Bruse Willis, in the film industry. John Cena is very heavy with the actions in this movie.

The movie is beautifully packed with the action scenes, which include rappelling down a building with a bomb, driving the truck through a crowded city street, stopping the run away trolley, etc. All the action scenes in the movies surprisingly make sense and thrills the viewers. The crazier stunts of the movie offers the sensible explanation for the viewers as the context of the movie is depicting the unorthodox strategies provided by the terrorist in such a manner that the hero should never be able to re-unite with his girl friend. The actions of the movie are able to put the audiences in the edge of the chair.

All in all, 12 Rounds (2009) is a very entertaining action flick for all type of viewers - gents, women and the teenagers. As it comes under the genre of action movie, you can expect a lot of car chases and a little drama and romance. You will find it worth the ticket you pay for and never get bored or irritated all throughout the movie.

Click here to buy this movie
Rate this movie, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

John Cena 12 Rounds DVD US $8.00 0 Bid Sale Ends In: 3h 59m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

12 ROUNDS EXTREME CUT JOHN CENA US $2.75 Sale Ends In: 1d 4h 33m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

OFFICIAL JOHN CENA WWE WRESTLER 12 ROUNDS MOVIE POSTER US $9.99 0 Bid Sale Ends In: 1d 5h 27m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

If someone were to ask for one word to describe this movie, there would be none. Some movies need a lot more than just a word to portray them and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) certainly falls into the category. Coming from the stables of a director with precedents like Se7en and Fight Club and the writer of Forrest Gump, the movie owes it central concept to a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nominated for a record 13 Academy awards or Oscars as they are popularly called, the movie won three of them apart from the numerous other laurels it received since it was released in December, 2008.

Spanning hours and continents, the movie is an epic tale of love and discovery for a man who is born old and ages backwards. They say fact is stranger is than fiction but when fiction is brought to the world with such outstanding performances, you tend to believe otherwise. Abandoned by his father and born as a man who looks to be on his death bed, Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) learns to fight his fate with his surrogate mother Queenie (Taraji Henson) who adopts him and grows young as he watches his family and friends age. The movie showcases his adventures with life as he travels the world growing stronger by the day, making new friends while losing others. The other constant thing apart from Benjamin Button in this movie which, like Forrest Gump covers so many different facets, is Daisy (Cate Blanchett), the woman he loves and with whom his fate seems to be intertwined.

As has been said numerous times, there is no doubt about the fact that the technology used, the CGI and makeup, are marvelous to say the least and without them, the movie could not have done justice to the brilliant concept of Mr. Fitzgerald. But overshadowing the technological marvels are the performances of the movie’s protagonists. You can use technology to make a man in the mid forties look 80 years old and a 40 year old woman like a 19 year girl but you need performances that would convince the audience about the same.

You do not need to be a Pitt or Blanchett fan to like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and the only things someone could come up with against it would be trivial stuff that you should not be worried too much about if you are going to watch a movie. The movie is a bit longer than two and a half hours and there are moments where you may feel like it stalls but those are compensated by the ones where it enthralls.

A note here for the fans of Fitzgerald. The movie is only loosely based on the story and does not follow it completely. If you go with the expectation to see the story brought to life, you would be disappointed. Do not compare it with the book; it’s the central concept only that has been taken from the book and not the story itself.

Watch it and see how life is lived even when it’s not what you expected it to be. And of course, its not often you get to see a man age backwards.

Click here to buy this movie
Rate this movie, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button DVD 2009 Brad Pitt US $4.00 2 Bids Sale Ends In: 1h 26m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button DVD 2009 GOOD US $8.99 Sale Ends In: 2h 42m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button DVD 2009 US $2.50 3 Bids Sale Ends In: 3h 21m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Romance never grows old, and the most classic romances will certainly remain timeless. This is true of Jane Austen's novels which continue to be as popular today as they were in the late Victorian period. They continue to be reinterpreted into films and television productions, and most popular among them are the various adaptations of "Pride & Prejudice". No title of any of Austen's works is as recognisable as that of this classic tale about how love can transcend social differences.

The 2005 production of Pride & Prejudice directed by Joe Wright is nothing short of excellent, especially in terms of cinematography. The creative direction and filming techniques employed in this version far surpass those of the 1995 BBC television production. Slow pans and zooms take viewers through the corridors, past sitting rooms and straight into the heart of a whimsical and romantic 18th-century England. The soundtrack, composed by Dario Marianelli and performed by pianist Jean-Yves Thibauldet, adds a subtle but beautiful touch to the film. The opening sequence of the film is a simple shot of the sun rising over a meadow but the warm colours and the gentle tinkling of the piano in the background make it one of the most gorgeous scenes one is likely to ever see in a movie.

In terms of acting, the cast is superb. Brenda Blethyn portrays the hysterical Mrs Bennett brilliantly and manages to evoke both the amusement and dislike that readers feel for the Mrs Bennett in the novel while Donald Sutherland plays an endearing role as the long-suffering Mr Bennett. For the main roles, Keira Knightley is not particularly unlikeable as the proud but playful Elizabeth Bennett (Lizzie), but her interpretation of the character has been subject to both praises and criticisms. Hardcore Austen fans and fans of the 1995 BBC production tend especially to dislike Knightley's portrayal of the character, often deeming it too emotional. A friend of mine found Knightley's rendition overly “lovesick”. Regardless of whether you prefer Lizzie to be staunchly rational, however, it is difficult to deny that Knightley fits well into the period context, at least in terms of appearance.

It is hard not to like Matthew MacFadyen's Mr Darcy, either. It is difficult to dispute that Colin Firth's sultry, dashing portrayal in the 1995 BBC version essentially immortalised the character of Mr Darcy as the epitome of romantic men, but one must laud MacFadyen for a job well done, too. He masterfully brings across the discomfort and awkwardness of the socially inept character as he struggles with the overwhelming affections he feels for Lizzie. Most memorable is the first confession of love he makes to Lizzie and the utter obliviousness of his character to the extensive hurt his words cause as he lambasts her for the status differences between them.

It is indeed true that there are certain differences between the movie and the novel itself, but the ability of the movie to captivate and immerse you in a stunningly romantic world is enough to keep you yearning for more. In the end, it is difficult to fight that warm, fuzzy feeling that builds up in you towards the last scenes of the movie, Pride & Prejudice (2005), and which, despite how cheesy it may sound, makes you believe in the power of love all over again.

Click here to buy this Blu-ray or DVD

Rate this movie, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Audio Book 1980 US $9.95 Sale Ends In: 24m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Pride and Prejudice by jane austen US $7.50 10 Bids Sale Ends In: 28m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Pride and Prejudice Music from the Motion Picture So US $17.02 Sale Ends In: 1h 6m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

If any guys intending to give any typical girl a big scare, this is the show for you. AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007) is a movie that will most definitely make the cinema a noisy place filled with screams and sounds of shock.

The storyline of the original Aliens vs Predator (AVP) that was released in 2004 left many hanging out their tongues, hungry for the next sequel and a true showdown between the alien and the predator. In AVPR, the story revolves around the adventures of a single predator chasing down and hunting the aliens. At least for fans of AVP, there is an attempt of a showdown between the aliens and the predator. However, this poses another question, despite all the aliens looking the same, and that the predator could get rid of many of them easily before the final showdown, why did the predator take much longer to eliminate the one alien that he encountered with on the final battle?

The personality of the predator is unexpected and awfully weird. He takes much effort to get rid of the evidence (like the dead bodies of the people killed by aliens) by vapourising them but still leave the one cop that he killed hanging by a tree and skinned.

Besides all these questions, AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007) is a fantastic show that would definitely give a big scare to many. I would most definitely not recommend this for the faint-hearted, since the violence inside made countries gave it a relatively mature rating. It is a suitable one for those who want to know more about the people beside you.

AVPR is done by the Struase brothers, both whom are special effect specialists. Unlike the previous version, which was directed by someone who doesn't know anything about the AVPR series, this version is by the brothers, hence it is able to bring out what the brothers wanted even better than before. There's something to note about, the ending is somewhat sudden and just ended off, similar to I am Legend, with a big boom.

As for my experience, there's nothing much for me to say. For one, watching AVPR with girls is definitely not a good idea. I went on a school trip to watch AVPR and somehow the event-planners actually intended to give the entire cohort a good scare and make us scream together. The plan failed horribly and for a major part of the movie, we heard the girls' screams more than the voices of the actors.

For those looking for a good scream and scare, AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007) is the movie that would definitely accomplish that goal.

Click here to buy this DVD
Rate this movie, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

AVP2 Aliens vs Predator Requiem Cards Master Set US $700.00 Sale Ends In: 7m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

ALIEN VS PREDATOR ATARI JAGUAR GAME COMPLETE IN BOX US $49.99 1 Bid Sale Ends In: 34m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Aliens vs Predator Playstation 3 2010 US $38.00 2 Bids Sale Ends In: 41m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Vampire Knight (2008) is the 13-episode anime adaptation of the first six volumes of the Vampire Knight manga. It follows the life of Cross Yuuki, who has no memory of her life past the one of a snowy winter night, where she was saved by a kind vampire, Kuran Kaname, from one who wanted to drink her blood when she was all of five years old. Ten years on, Yuuki is now the adopted daughter of Cross Kaien, chairman of the privately-run Cross Academy and studies there along with her childhood friend, Kiryuu Zero. The students of the Academy are divided into the Day Class and the Night Class. However, the students of the Night Class all have a secret hidden from the Day Class – they are all vampires.

The anime starts off beautifully with a wonderful opening theme song, Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi (Two Heartbeats and Red Sins) by ON/OFF, which has a gothic-influenced melody that is fitting with the anime’s general feel. The ending theme song, still doll by Wakeshima Kanon has a slower, more haunting melody, but nonetheless befits the theme of vampires in the anime. The anime art, while not as detailed as the manga, is undeniably pretty, making Vampire Knight a visually-pleasing anime to watch. At the same time, the darker themes to the plot scores points with me despite the humorous moments in the anime. To top it all off, Vampire Knight has a stellar voice cast for the main characters.

Unfortunately, the anime did not live up to all of my expectations. Indisputably, the voice cast was brilliant in conveying the emotions of the characters and giving the characters their unique personalities. What let the anime down was the fact that the producers did not follow the storyline set by the manga closely. Certain events were reordered, some existing scenes were altered and there were new scenes added to the anime. Most of these changes disrupted the flow and pacing of the story at some points, rendering the impact of some events to be duller than it should be.

Despite this, I still held on in watching it, still having relatively good faith that the overall feel of the anime would not be altered too badly. However, the final episode of the season came around. Several major scenes were altered, along with the introduction of a new scene that would undoubtedly affect the impact on arguably one of the most significant and monumental manga scenes in the later half of the manga for anime-only fans of Vampire Knight. If the changes in the final episode had not been made, I would’ve given this anime a much higher rating.

That said, my reaction to the anime is likely to be influenced by the fact that I had read the manga already. For viewers who have no knowledge of manga events, Vampire Knight is engaging to watch with its various plot twists and multi-faceted characters. Also, even as secrets are revealed, more questions arise; especially since the last episode ends in what can be considered a cliffhanger.

However, the anime has yet to end. The second season, Vampire Knight Guilty, was being aired in Japan starting on October 7, 2008. Be sure to catch it too, as Vampire Knight becomes more action-packed and darker secrets come to light.

Click here to buy this DVD
Rate this anime, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

Vampire Knight v 6 Matsuri Hino NEW BOOK US $12.77 Sale Ends In: 28m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Vampire Knight Anime Zero 12 plush stuffed doll US $10.99 Sale Ends In: 28m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

New Cosplay Vampire Knight ROSE logo pendant NECKLACE US $2.25 3 Bids Sale Ends In: 30m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

I have a confession to make: I have never played Final Fantasy VII (FFVII) before.

Now, before all you fans out there start brandishing your Buster Swords or going Chaos on me, please hear me out. While I will not know firsthand how wonderful the original game is and why it still continues to be one of the most successful Final Fantasy games, let this be a review of a game-based movie from a non-gamer's perspective and understand how the other side of the universe thinks of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children.

A friend of mine introduced me to Advent Children, claiming that the graphics were exceptional and the fight scenes brilliantly crafted. When I laid eyes on it, I agreed wholeheartedly, for the first thing that took my breath away was the visuals.

They are stunning. Gorgeous. Absolutely impressive. The amount of realism and detail in the graphics from texture of the ground, the lighting of the various scenes and to the movement of the characters was unprecedented. The battle scenes are indeed spectacular. While they definitely defy all laws of Physics, I say, who cares? To date, I doubt that there has been any other animated feature film that has reached such a high level of CGI mastery as Advent Children. In this aspect, Square Enix has truly outdone itself and raised the bar of CGI excellence.

Plot-wise, however, Advent Children would be fairly confusing to people who have never played FFVII. This sense of confusion sets in right from the beginning. Straight after the opening sequence, there is the line '498 years ago' appearing on screen. 498 years ago? Uh, what? After doing much research, I finally realised that the opening sequence was actually a reanimation of the original FFVII game epilogue that was set 500 years after the end of the game. Still, there is a brief introduction to orientate the viewer about the situation in Gaia (the name of the planet in FFVII) two years ago, when Sephiroth (the game's main villain) tried to destroy the planet, and the present situation in Gaia now. However, it still lacks enough information on the varied characters of the Final Fantasy VII world, which plays a large part in understanding how Advent Children ticks. The explanation of the new disease, Geostigma, that's plaguing Gaia in Advent Children is also confusing without prior knowledge of the alien entity, JENOVA, who is the root of the conflicts in FFVII and Advent Children.

There is also little character development for the most part of the movie, save for the protagonist Cloud Strife (it is Cloud's story after all) and, to a small extent, the new main villain, Kadaj. Most of Cloud's party from the original game make relatively short appearances, while the role of the two most frequently appearing Turks, Reno and Rude, seem to be mainly there for providing comic relief. The other two villains alongside Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz, play secondary roles to Kadaj and have considerably less screen time and dialogue.

However, it is easy to overlook these shortcomings of Advent Children for the movie was mainly meant for fans of the game to enjoy. As mentioned earlier, there's more than enough visual eye-candy (and that's not entirely just a reference to the pretty boy characters in Advent Children) to go around. Another fact is that the movie, staying true to the franchise of Final Fantasy as a whole, has an awesome soundtrack. Many of the music tracks in Advent Children are remixes or piano versions of their original counterparts from the game's original soundtrack, with familiar melodies of Tifa's Theme, Aerith's Theme, Those Who Fight and J-E-N-O-V-A, as well as specially composed music for the movie, such as Cloud Smiles. The music adds to the atmosphere of the different scenes, making your heart race in anticipation or calming you down with its soothing qualities. The piece that caught my attention most, though, was the remix of the iconic One-Winged Angel (one of Sephiroth's themes in FFVII), Advent: One-Winged Angel. The music is a flawless combination of orchestral music with a rock band to create a darker and heavier feel to the original piece that is perfectly fitting of the scene during which it was played Cloud's final showdown with Sephiroth.

For all its realistic graphics, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is still an animated film. Just as actors bring characters to life in live-action movies, the voice actors bring characters to life in animated shows. Having first watched Advent Children in its original Japanese dub with subtitles, I fell in love with the voice actors. A good majority of the Japanese cast, especially those voicing the main characters, are well-known voice actors in the Japanese anime industry, and their experience clearly translates over to the excellent voicing of Advent Children's various characters. The English cast also exceeded my expectations, mainly because it is quite common for English dubbing (or dubbing of any other language) of anime to go horribly wrong. In this aspect, Square Enix has done well to ensure the audio quality of the movie is not compromised.

With gorgeous graphics, an amazing repertoire of music and a stellar voice cast, Advent Children is definitely a treat for fans of Final Fantasy VII and provides closure to the abrupt ending of the original game.

As for non-gamers? Consider me taken.

The official site of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children can be found here.

Click here to buy this DVD
Rate this movie, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Blu ray Disc 20 US $19.49 7 Bids Sale Ends In: 55m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Play Arts Sephiroth US $40.00 0 Bid Sale Ends In: 4h 46m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Blu ray Disc 2009 US $18.99 1 Bid Sale Ends In: 7h 1m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

In recent times, we've seen many films come and go that follow the same "inspirational film" formula. From Drumline in 2002 to The Great Debaters just last year, these films all serve to inspire all of us in one way or another, usually by portraying an underdog team/individual overcoming all odds. However, what some people don't realise is that all these films root from this one unique film: Remember the Titans (2000).

Remember the Titans (2000) is a Disney film which was released 8 years ago, yet till this day it is still an extremely popular film. It is set in 1971, a period when racial strife was at its highest. Yet despite this fact, T.C Williams High School in Alexandra Virginia is finally desegregated, causing Whites and Blacks to have to go to the same school and tread the same hallways. Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is then hired to be the coach of the school's football team, replacing former head coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) who then takes up the offer of becoming assistant head coach after some hesitation. The newly formed football team is made up of both Blacks and Whites, which then results in many disagreements and even brawls. However, coach Boone brings them to a camp and it is there where, through forceful methods, he finally gets the team to bond together and look past each other's skin colour. However, when they return from camp the best of friends, they then have to deal with racial tensions back in their hometown. Despite all the problems, including coach Boone getting a brick thrown through his house window, the team manages to go through an entire season undefeated and finally clinch the championship.

While the story may seem too good to be true, the film is actually based off the true events that took place at that time. That's probably the best thing about the plot, that the characters and events that occurred are mostly real. This helps the audience relate with the characters, especially at the end of the film as it goes on to explain what happened to each individual after he left the school right before the credits roll. The events themselves make for a great Hollywood storyline as well, even though a large part of it was probably rewritten for Hollywood's sake. However, the very fact that the team could go from fighting among themselves to playing an entire season undefeated is inspiration enough for any average person. You won't find many plot holes in this film either, since it's not all that complicated anyway, but it's a good thing that the plot is easy to keep up with since the audience will be better able to appreciate the film.

The actors themselves do a great job of portraying the characters as well. From Denzel Washington playing the role of a strict coach who never lets up on his team, to Ryan Hurst and Wood Harris playing individual White and Black players on the team who manage to capture the overall problem of racial strife at a personal level. You can really feel the frustration of the players when their forced to play with people of a different race; you'll feel the strong bond of friendship between them once they get over their indifferences; you'll feel their elation by the time the climax of the film is over. . Even the supporting characters such as coach Boone's wife and children do a great job when they're required to do their job. Also, even when there are so many members on the team, their each given their own time to shine, allowing the audience to be able to relate with all of them instead of only one individual. Director Boaz Yakin has done a great job by trying his best to give all characters a decent amount of time onscreen so that the audience relates with the team as a whole.

This was probably one the most popular and successful Disney movies and was the reason why we see so many of these "inspirational sports films", so much so that they might as well have their own genre. The original team of '71 have even set up their own website and the 71' Original Titans Foundation is now a non-profit organisation which is "dedicated to helping High School Students pursue post-secondary education". There, you'll also find an FAQ which addresses the various discrepancies between the film and what really happened all those years ago.

For those of you who haven't watched this film yet, there's absolutely no reason for you to not try and grab a DVD of the show as soon as possible. I'm pretty sure next to anyone will enjoy this film, even families could watch it together if they wanted to. With all that being said, just remember to watch Remember the Titans (2000).

Click here to buy this DVD

Rate this movie, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

Remember the Titans VHS 2001Denzel Washington US $2.00 0 Bid Sale Ends In: 1h 43m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Remember the Titans DVD 2001 Widescreen US $3.99 0 Bid Sale Ends In: 7h 20m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Remember the Titans DVD Excellent US $2.30 2 Bids Sale Ends In: 8h 19m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

For some strange reason, sequels have always been notorious for being lousy successors to the original work. Be it video games, movies or even books, plenty of sequels have been known to not live up to the original work. Plenty of sequels share on thing in common: they'd always be inferior to the original piece of work in one way or another and unfortunately, that formula holds true for Ocean's Twelve (2004).

For those who don't know, Ocean's Twelve is the very aptly titled sequel to Ocean's Eleven, a 2001 film (which I reviewed on this site previously) about how eleven men managed to pull of a heist, making all of them millionaires. However, the moment this film begins, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), the man from whom the original eleven stole $160 million from in the previous film, is on the hunt for Ocean's eleven, eventually tracking all of them down one by one. He even goes so far as to detonate a bomb placed in Rusty's (Brad Pitt) car as a warning. In the end, Benedict asks for all $160 million, plus $38 million interest and the eleven come up short by $97 million. Hence, they have no choice but to go back to their old ways, stealing valuable items to pay off their debt, but since their too "hot" to work in the United States, they travel to Europe in order to continue with their dirty work. However, as they are about to steal the world's oldest stock certificate from an eccentric old man, they realise that they've been beaten to the document as it has already been taken by another thief who left them a message through an MP3 player. Soon, they discover that it was the Night fox (Vincent Cassel), a legendary European thief, who beat them to it. After which, the Night fox reveals that he is partially responsible for them being lured to Europe as he then proposes a challenge to the eleven: both them and the Night fox will attempt to steal the Corronation Egg within a week, if the eleven win, the Night fox will pay off their debt to Benedict. Hence, the team accepts the offer since there's no other way for them to raise $7 million in a few weeks, which leads to even more twists and turns in the plot.

While the plot might seem quite interesting, it actually makes for a pretty boring movie on the whole. Most of the movie shows the team discussing rather than putting their plan(s) into action, which was more of what we saw in the first film. In fact, it almost feels as if the action is about to pick up when the team tries to steal the document and you're on the edge of your sea, then when you realise it was all for nothing, you just sink back into your seat, getting bored with it and the rest of the film just doesn't redeem itself. The plot is just sloppy with a lot of plot holes, like how the team suddenly got released when they were arrested by the police, and it just stinks of lazy writing on the whole. Not to mention the climax is practically non existed since there really isn't much to get excited about even in the later parts of the film. By the time the movie ends, you're probably stunned by the fact that the film simply ended the way it did, then you'd probably wonder why you wasted your time with it.

Still, not everything about the film is bad. If there's one redeeming quality about it, it's the acting. The original cast is back from the original film and they put on a great show here even with a broken plot. The ensemble cast still do a great job of portraying a team of professional thiefs who know what they're doing every step of the way. Not to mention the few scenes in which we actually see the team in action are pretty exhilarating, such as one scene in which they need to raise a building to gain a clear shot through a window in the second floor. These scenes are what made the first film so great, it's just unfortunate that the filmmakers and writers failed to see this, or else this could have been a great, if not better movie as compared to the original.

Still, Ocean's Twelve (2004) didn't do that bad in the box office, in fact it was a commercial success in comparison to other films. However, when you compare it to the original Ocean's Eleven, it fell below expectations. If you were a fan of the first film, I'd suggest you don't waste your time on this one, since it really is nowhere near as good as the original film was. Unless you're a real die hard fan and can't wait to see what happens to the team after the original film, this film might be worth a rent.

Click here to buy this DVD
Rate this movie, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

OCEANS ELEVEN TWELVE DVD NEW US $8.91 Sale Ends In: 2d 21h 22m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

OCEANS TWELVE BLU RAY DVD OCEANS 12 CLOONEY PITT NEW US $22.86 Sale Ends In: 3d 9h 4m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

OCEANS TWELVE MOVIE DVD BRAD PITT GEORGE CLOONY US $15.00 Sale Ends In: 5d 6h 10m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Hellboy is not your average superhero. Unlike the others (think Batman, Superman, Spiderman), he actually detests his ‘occupation’ as seen from his wry humour and sarcastic quirks. Yet these are the traits that made him so well-liked when Hellboy first hit the silver-screen in the first installment. Contrary to the first, the sequel - Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) - actually had many fans anticipating excitedly for the official release.

The main prong of the storyline is this – a rogue elven prince openly defies his father’s orders and goes on a crusade to awaken the fearsome, legendary Golden Army to wage war on the human race. Prince Nuada had long held the makeshift truce between the mystical kingdom of his father’s and that of the humans in contempt. He deeply resented the atrocities meted out to the world by humans and their insatiable greed. Hence, he returned from a self-imposed exile to invoke the long-lost mechanical Golden Army, an unstoppable force of destruction. It is up to Hellboy and the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence (BPRD) to stop his nefarious plans and restore balance to the world.

Other than the main storyline, there exist several sub-plots. The sequel to Hellboy explores romantic relations between some of the major characters. Most significantly, the story develops the relationship between Hellboy and Elizabeth Sherman, with Liz even bearing him children. Another unlikely love-struck character is Abraham Sapien, the aquatic empath who is usually the brains behind BPRD operations. He develops a love interest in Princess Nuala, twin sister of their adversary, Prince Nuada.

This sequel made a marked improvement from the earlier installment in the aspect of variety of creatures. Audiences would be introduced to malicious ‘tooth fairies’, goblins, trolls and all sorts of mythical creatures, borne from the imagination of director Guillermo Del Toro. The myriad of characters would dazzle you, not just by the quantity, but also the intricate details about each of them. My favourite would be the Angel of Death, sporting wings with numerous watchful eyes. You could see much thought had been put into designing such characters.

I must also applaud the performance of Ron Perlman (as Hellboy) and Luke Goss (as Prince Nuada). Ron Perlman was his usual sardonic self which made for heaps of laughter and entertainment with his blatant disregard for authority and sarcastic one-liners. I particularly liked Luke Goss’ portrayal of Prince Nuada. Although scheming and treacherous, the character seemed so convinced that he was doing the right thing. His fearsome demeanor was made all that more fearful, brought forth by the intensity of his iron will to fulfill his aims at all costs. It made me respect Nuada to a certain extent.

As mentioned, this is not a simple comic-book superhero film. Laced with wry humour, I am sure that adults would be highly entertained by this show. Coupled with some above-average visual effects,  Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) would be a good selection at the cinema.

Buy this DVD
Rate this application, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

Hellboy Hellboy two The golden army US $8.00 1 Bid Sale Ends In: 29m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

HELLBOY 2 GOLDEN ARMY THE NEW BLU RAY 2 Discs US $19.64 Sale Ends In: 2h 58m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Hellboy II The Golden Army Blu ray Disc 2008 2 D US $14.99 Sale Ends In: 3h 6m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

With Heath Ledger’s high-profile passing recently, The Dark Knight (2008), being his ultimate performance, has drawn much praise even before the movie officially opened to the public. There were strong calls for him to be awarded an Oscars Award posthumously. Predictably, I carried great anticipation and expectations when I stepped into the cinema on the opening day. As I pen this article hours after the end of the movie, I truly believe that this is the best adult superhero movie I have ever watched.

Recently, I declared ‘Iron Man (2008)' as my favourite superhero movie. Never did I expect myself to change my mind after so short a period. In my opinion, ‘The Dark Knight’ was an unprecedented success among all the superhero comic character-based films and the main causal factor is (close, but not Heath Ledger) the plot.

In the sequel to Batman Begins (2005), Batman teams up with Lieutenant Jim Gordon and new District Attorney Harvey Dent to establish the caped crusader as a symbol of fear amongst the underworld criminals of Gotham City. However, the emergence of a violent and ruthless schizophrenic psychopath known as The Joker has thrown the entire equilibrium into complete disarray, engulfing the whole city in anarchy. I sat enthralled, watching how an incorruptible city hero (hint, not Batman) transforms into the very scourge that he had sworn to eradicate; how a man can be so blinded by insanity that there is total disregard of decimation of innocents around him, just for the sole sake of watching Gotham descend into anarchy; and how a man made the ultimate sacrifice of shouldering the blame and wrath of an entire population for the greater good of the city.

Calling this movie an ‘emotional roller coaster’ would be an understatement. ‘The Dark Knight’ possesses many political themes and is an intellectual show in its own right. The main characters of Bruce Wayne/Batman, Harvey Dent/Two-Face and The Joker were well-developed, invoking the appropriate emotions from viewers in the right circumstance. Viewers will feel empathy and pity for Harvey Dent, frightened and disturbed by The Joker and feel grieved for the sacrifices Batman makes, all of which are known only to himself, Alfred and Lieutenant Gordon.

If the superb plot is not enough of a pull factor for you to watch it, then consider the stellar performance of Heath Ledger. This is spoken from the bottom of my heart, and not stemming from the sympathy for the deceased Ledger. Rumour has it that the reason for his collapse and breakdown was because of over-immersion in his character. True or not, we will never know, but one thing I know for sure, is that the acting industry has lost a star. His portrayal of the deranged criminal known as The Joker was so vivid that it is on a totally different level than Jack Nicholas’ version of The Joker (which was already a decent performance). Frightening, unpredictable and seemingly oblivious to reason, he was the most fearsome depiction of a criminal that I have seen on-screen. If an actor can make you hate a character as if he was real, then the actor has definitely achieved his objective.

This film is certainly not perfect – the epilogue far too stretched and made the movie feel a little artificial. However, this show is definitely impressive. With a storyline firmly anchored in ‘reality’, coupled with a superb cast (and by ‘superb’ I mean talented actors who fully bring out the flavour of their characters and not uber-rich superstar folk) and peppered with explosive and heart-racing action sequences, The Dark Knight (2008) is a must-watch movie for all.

Why so serious?

Buy this DVD
Rate this movie, give us your rating:
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Buy related products from eBay:

Batman The Dark Knight Returns Joker Figure US $19.99 0 Bid Sale Ends In: 24m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Lego custom Batman Dark Knight Joker scarecrow heads US $15.99 Sale Ends In: 24m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item

Batman Dark Knight Skin Cover for Nintendo DSi Console US $9.75 0 Bid Sale Ends In: 29m Bid This Item   | Buy This Item   | Watch This Item