Don’t ask why I suddenly dropped off the face of the Earth. (… or the Internet, in this case) In all honesty, the blogging spark left me in (see last blog post date) and somehow, driven by an unseen force of determination, I see myself back again, a few days late of wishing my own [deserted] blog a Happy 2012.

And plenty has changed since then-namely WordPress. I had to do a double take before finding my way around the newly designed site. Yes, I have been gone for that long. Also, yours truly is writing from a different location now-again yes, the dream that I once wrote about, which is studying abroad has been realized. Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled to see the other side of the world, but the grass is not as green as you think once you have scaled the fence. Just saying. And when yours truly feels stumped in her studies, she turns to writing, her good old fashioned therapy. It keeps me sane, and firmly rooted to um, reality. Although my drabbles do not remain logically so at times.

So, apart from facing a colder climate in comparison to my homeland, I have (surprise!) been cooking passable meals to eat. It’s actually quite fun if you are not cooking under pressure and there’s all the time in the world to experiment and plan with. I’m very keen to try out eggs benedict next. Maybe tomorrow. I’m sorely tempted now. Reading Gordon Ramsay’s recipe on that isn’t helping my situation now.

I have watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It’s amazing. Gary Oldman is amazing. I digress. So much for my promise in blogging about every single film I watched-the details to TTSS are just too foggy for recollections now-if I were to write my own opinion about it I would be (shamelessly) referencing other people’s reviews-which won’t be mine at all. At least, I can talk about another film which I just caught in the cinemas on Monday-Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol. Spoke to the cousin about this film earlier today and he kept saying how Tom Cruise shouldn’t be trying to be all macho in an action film because it just looks like he is trying too hard. Well to each his own I suppose. I have no qualms with Mr. Cruise, mostly because my attention was elsewhere in MI:4.

The New Year fireworks here was something of a joke. Honest. If the fireworks were going to be so halfheartedly launched, I would rather that there be no fireworks at all. There was a huge crowd, I would give you that, but the abysmal cough of fireworks… really wasn’t worth our time standing out there waiting for something to happen at midnight. I wasn’t expecting a rainbow streak across the sky, but you get my point.

I really hope that this time, my writing streak will stay firmly with me. At least, my blogging streak. Because i have been writing, I assure you, just not blogging, ’cause I am weird like that. Perhaps I should do some writing exercises, and post whatever I do here. For kicks.

Well now apparently-you can has!

There is officially a movie that takes the top spot for being so downright destructive that it is nothing short of a supernova in my brain.

Try story boarding this movie and come back alive.

Introducing Transformers 3, Michael Bay’s latest offering from the robo franchise. To be fair, I wanted the movie to be good-in terms of story because evidently on the CGI side everyone has pulled out the big guns-pun intended. And not to mention, I defended-or sided with Bay on the fact that he owned up admitting that his 2nd movie was horrid. And that the 3rd one will be mercifully better.

And was it?

Let me just say, there is a scene where a small robot uttered a swear word while being stuck on a ship-that pretty much sums up the entire movie for me. Really.

I have read Roger Ebert’s review on it and listened to Jeremy Jahns. And personally I would agree with them on both counts. But here are my own thoughts on it, coupled with theirs.

The movie started off pretty strong, lying down the foundation of the movie about the moon conspiracy. Of course it involves the Autobots and whatnot. Next, the scene shifts to the Autobots blowing up a base in the Middle East (?) and to Sam trying to find a job.

It’s actually kinda sad to know that after all the accolades he could have gotten for saving the world (twice) Sam Witwicky is still jobless-with another hot girlfriend who is actually employed. Next we are introduced to a few cameo characters in the form of John Malkovich, Ken Jeong. I thought John M really stole the thunder in the scenes he is in, and Ken… I have no words.

Is there ever going to be an Asian character in Hollywood that lives past the one hour mark, doesn’t rely on raunchy humor to get by and is not a nerd? Yeah, you tell me.

Jeremy mentioned in his review of the movie trailer that if they took out the annoying robots and Sam’s parents the entire flick might end up being watchable. Apparently that didn’t happen, so I had to sit through two small autobots who were annoying as heck make lame jokes. I don’t care if Megatron squashes them like flies.

And yet again-story? What story? There isn’t really one to fall back on once you get to the climax where the Decepticons start to roll in and wrecking havoc on Earth. They even blew up the Abraham Lincoln statue. And next, they proceeded to take over a part of America in full Michael Bay style-explosions, toppling buildings and alien ships. I admit that the story flew away when the battle began. There wasn’t enough time to breathe, even. And we get oddly out of place monastery music that sounded like it belonged on the Da Vinci Code. Seriously, guys?

We really take a lot of pleasure in depicting our own demise, for some reason. Because this is by far the most stunningly done apocalypse movie ever. Even the smoking horizon from afar was just a sign of the mojo that the CG artists brought on with them to work. You guys get all the awards. If our world ends in a less-glamorous way than shown you reckon we’d be disappointed?

Not just the production team that gets the awards! I think John Malkovich deserves some credit for being hilarious. The scenes he were in gave me a reason to actually laugh at-don’t really recall any other funny moments in this film.

Er about the girl who replaced Megan Fox? While she is more likable than Megan, she doesn’t do anything else. Except pose as a potential hostage to make Sam’s life more miserable. Sam, hasn’t it occurred to you that with great power comes great responsibility? Have you seen what happens to Mary Jane in all three Spider Man films?

And that dragon robot which I thought was cool in the trailer? That’s because I only saw the back of it. It’s really a pseudo-dragon-bird thing that goes around acting as a killer messenger for the Decepticons. With a really horrid voice that made me drop all interest in it.

Jeremy mentioned that John Turturro’s role in the film was redundant. I whole heartedly agree. What I didn’t really get was Patrick Dempsey’s role as the evil human. He is McDreamy you guys! That doctor in Grey’s who makes you want to sigh and fall in love and touch his er, hair. Not in a RPattz kind of way. Alright I meant to say that I didn’t quite get him being evil because it didn’t feel right. It’s so hard to picture him as the annoying villain in this movie. But I quite like it how they played with his interest in cars and gave him a role that sort of emphasized that for a change.

Almost as if on cue there’s a Grey’s Anatomy commercial on television. Win.

The special effects were incredible-I think Michael Bay outdid himself by a billion light years. I can’t even comprehend the magnitude of work that went into making this a complete visual feast. Again, all the props to the people working on this film. As for the plot, there really isn’t one. It was difficult to even grasp a hold of anything at all as the CGI took center stage, overshadowing whatever was left of a story. If there was any great acting at all, it was shunted aside by artificial intelligence, quite literally. In all honesty, this movie left me with a very frazzled brain, like a lingering aftertaste.

Was it better than the second one? Well, yeah I guess. But that didn’t mean to say that it was phenomenal-it was messy all the same, but it had more glue compared to the previous film.

Proof that CGI won’t save any sorry excuse for a story-directors take note.

Firstly, I will say that I wasn’t aware that KP 2 was even legit until I saw posters of it a month ago before its release. But now, it’s decorating my desktop wall in all its finesse so, what gives? I love animals, particularly when they can dish out some mean kung fu. And (drum roll) this sequel was one of the few gems that broke the dreaded sequel curse, turning out just as good as the first one.

Guys, this is how you make movies. Sequels, in particular.

The most important question in KP1 was finally brought to light-about time because I was still wondering about it. It is the odd and somehow-went-unnoticed-fact that Po the panda is adopted by a goose. So that sort of became the baseline for this movie, and also introduced us to the movie’s main antagonist, an albino peacock. Voiced by Gary Oldman, the peacock is the epitome of cool. Watch him in action. I guarantee. He just wins every scene he is in.

The Furious Five got slightly more screen time than before-but only Tigress got the most lines. I doubt it that Crane and Monkey got as many things to say as she did. But in general, they all had good punch lines and really got me laughing. It was a fairly good movie in a while-and I am talking about Thor. YES GUYS I AM NOT BIAS. Capsrape time.

I agree with many that the fight scenes were executed beautifully-watch Shen in action: you will be unprepared. And it also followed the route of making flashbacks appear in a different style to indicate dream sequences like several other movies. But I felt that Po as a baby was kinda disturbing-I mean hearing a human baby’s voice in a baby panda just goes against all logic in my head. You do not do that.

Story-wise, it was fairly predictable at times (sob) but I would say that it was perfectly balanced and nicely played out, art direction and all. Jason pointed out that the Chinese influences seemed purely for aesthetic reasons and lack the depth and history of Chinese/Oriental culture and tradition. Hmm, food for thought guys? Po was the most unexpected one-who would’ve thought of making a panda the main character for a kung fu film? I love the battle sequences here-watch and you will see how the animals’ fighting styles are incorporated into kung fu and the like.

And yet again, I find myself falling for the villain of the movie-Lord Shen. I am completely besotted by his style of fighting, his gorgeous tail and the way he throws those daggers. Who says that white peacocks can’t be bad ass? In particular, his sob back story really pulled at my heartstrings (couldn’t care less for Po sorry) and I feel like this is just like Loki all over again. So what if I’m a sucker for bad, evil characters? It seems that there isn’t even a limitation for species now.

And clearly I don’t have much drawbacks when it comes what sort of villain that attracts me. Speaking of which, do I smell a new shipping pair in KP2? Not going to spoil it, but it’s going to be… cross species if this happens. Another thing which I don’t compute.

So, Kung Fu Panda 2, you guys. Go watch it because it’s not entirely a kid’s movie-whoever said it was? It’s a good Gary Oldman movie sequel, and I would say that this is one of the best animations since How To Train Your Dragon. Including Toy Story of course. But Pixar, you better watch your back.

For someone who hardly reads chick-lit and almost never watches rom-coms, I am surprisingly adept at writing romance. Yes, I said it. I dunno where it comes from, so please, bear with me if I sounded overly Twilight at times. If Stephenie Meyer toned down the horror and do more research, perhaps the story might still be alright. See? I am not overly biased! But I still have no shame, evidently.

Call this a drabble, warm-up or whatever. It’s Cheri getting her writing streak back on.

*

Awakening

Thunder ripped through the air, renting the skies apart with brute force. Rain streamed from the heavens like blood from a wound, accompanied with flashes of lightning that temporarily illuminated the sombre land.

She gripped her arms in distress as the rain pounded against the roof. The sheer effort of her vice-like grip was enough to carve permanent marks into her skin. But pain was secondary to the angry roar of thunder, and the searing glare of light. Her heart pounded frantically against her ribcage, almost as if anticipating the next assault from her unseen assailant.

All but the rhythmic beating of the rain greeted her-the unmistakable smell of water against the earth was pungent in the stale, dry air. Darkness enveloped her slight frame as she allowed herself to be lulled into a stupor, as the rain continued to pour.

Then, the weather played its cruel joke. Lightning adorned the sky, followed by the ear-splitting clap of thunder. It was deafening-she instinctively made to cover her ears, but the shock from the boom was enough to stun her entire body.

It felt immensely stupid to scream after the thunder struck, but she did, as loudly as she dared. Eyes resolutely squeezed shut, the intensity of the lightning was seared into her mind. Stupefied by the bellow of thunder, her heart faltered momentarily as it pounded in erratic beats.

Then, there was another presence. Steady hands seized hers and attempted to pry them away from her ears. She resisted, but her opponent was stronger.

“Hush…” He whispered as he lowered her arms gently, coaxingly. “The thunder cannot harm you here.”

She inhaled sharply at the sound of his voice, allowing his words to slowly immerse themselves into her subconscious. She continued to remain blind to the speaker as her heart gradually resumed at its regular pace.

Cold, smooth hands laid themselves upon her face.

“Nothing can hurt you, not while I am here.” His quiet voice was only for her ears. He breathed them like a lullaby, a melody that she was well-attuned to. “Now, look at me.”

Gingerly, she allowed her vision to return. Just as he promised, he was there, as arcane and ethereal as the moon. Pale, dark haired, haunting like a ghost. But he was real, an entity that she could see, and feel. His eyes gleamed like green, phantom fire in the dark, but far from sinister. He was a figure in dark robes, a prince of darkness.

“I heard your cry,” He murmured. “You were having nightmares.”

“The thunder, I thought of… so many things.” She bit her lip. ” ‘Is that all we see or seem like a dream within a dream?’ ” Poe was always a favorite read, and now he seemed the most appropriate choice to cite.

He glanced briefly towards the rain and the darkness beyond. His expression betrayed nothing of what could be brewing beneath.

“Thunder is all but a sound. Everything you’re seeing in your head is all but your own imagination.” A teasing smirk tugged at his lips. “Nothing I assure that I cannot drive away. I, however, am no dream.”

She nodded slowly, clutching onto his words as if they were her lifeline. Everything will be alright. This was not a figment of her mind’s eye. Almost as if to reassure herself, she closed her eyes, and opened them again. And he was still in front of her, unmoving.

“I will do anything for you,” He intoned as he raised her hand to his lips. They were as cold as ice, taming her frenzied heart. “Your nightmares, your pain, I will chase them away to the ends of the earth.”

His reassurance soothed her fervent anxiety somewhat as she felt a blush coming to her cheeks. Mortified, she averted her gaze to the floor, appalled by her childishness. Her antics brought a low chuckle from him.

“My heart is ever, at your service.” He drew her close, as he spoke his next words like inciting a poem. A poem that was penned for her. “And no one can deny me of my entitlement.”

She wrapped her arms around him as far as she could muster, resting her head against his chest. The faint, unmistakable tempo of his heart was palpable. He was real, and he was hers.

“I, Loki Laufeyson, pledge myself to you, forevermore. My love for you will never waver, as long as I shall live.” His kiss lingered on her skin, wintry yet it burned with the authority of his vow.

His words echoed like bells in the empty space. She looked into his eyes and exhaled, calmly, contently. His smile, wondrously roguish, prompted her on.

To which she replied with the words of Shakespeare, “I’ll follow you and make a heaven out of hell, and I’ll die by your hand which I love so well.”

Loki’s eyes flickered with triumph. There was a trace of thirst in his expression as the covenant was sealed.

“And now, I consider our bond complete.” He whispered with barely masked mirth as he approached to claim his prize.

Anyway, before you read this, I just have a few things to say.

I’ve always wanted to write a poem about Okami ever since I started watching the terrific gameplay by Chuggaaconroy on Youtube. I am seriously in love with this game, forever and always. And! I started writing this poem with Okami in mind. I swear I did. That was until I got deviated by another, which made this poem appear to have a double meaning, at least to me. Actually, I’ve incorporated references from the game/story throughout the poem, but I suppose I’m probably the only one who can see it. Fail. So if you happen to think I based it off from somewhere else then hurhur

But if you haven’t heard of Okami (which you really should) that’s alright. Even better actually-feel free to interpret this poem as you see fit!

And as you can see by the lame title, I don’t have a title for this poem. Totally and completely stuck. So, I welcome suggestions of any kind. But I may or may not use your ideas-if I do I will definitely credit you, of course.

Julian, I blame you for this! You should know the extent of your ‘crime’, haha. Long story short-there was a Tumblr page. And the rest is history.

Henceforth, I am not going to lie that the distraction that I encountered while writing came in the form of Loki. In my head, he overwhelmed the Okami idea I had and… well. See what fangirling does to me?? Even though the tumblr page was introduced to me only today while I wrote the poem on Wednesday… well. Doesn’t matter.

But I admit. Loki/Hiddleston is amazing. And I’m quite pleased with how this poem turned out, amidst the Okami/Loki hiccup. WHATEVER.

So, is my poem about Okami, or Loki, really? You be the judge, but I think we all know the answer.

Evidently, I have no shame.

Your eyes of searing flame,
A driving beacon in the gloom,
The spirit of a wolf, none can tame,
Fates of may, interwoven on a loom.

Running with fire and ice,
Your forbidden chanty serenades me,
Like a dancer your strides entice,
Intoning your promise for eternity.

In the dark, I see your reflection,
A shadow of the power you wield,
Discord and mischief honed to perfection,
Behind a smile, knowingly sealed.

Blood and wine, I grant you my heart,
My soul and vessel forevermore,
Your kiss and insignia, never to depart,
A pyre in winter’s unrelenting war.

I had a pretty big privilege (and really good coincidence) to have another go at Thor. Exactly one week after when I last watched it!

But movie aside, I simply felt that today was an enjoyable day. In my opinion, some movie experiences are made better with a good friend in tow, and somehow Thor was one of those moments. I’ve only watched two movies twice in the past, both in the same year of 2005-Corpse Bride and Chicken Little. Corpse Bride was good-I can watch it a billion times and still come off saying it was a very romantic movie, Tim Burton-style. I can’t say the same for Chicken Little, and until today I still think it’s a big joke.

Thanks, Jason.

So yeah, I only re-watch movies with a select few. Special people! Just kidding, but you get my drift.

I will not rewrite my review on Thor (because frankly I still think it’s kinda disappointing) but I shall talk about a few memorable moments and even scenes that I missed like 90% because I wasn’t paying attention. Yes. You got that right.

-Although this didn’t happen in the movie, I have to say this: the guy at the counter actually told us to stay behind and wait for that extra scene after the credits! First time being notified and while I already know that there’s a clip, it’s nice that people let you know about things like this. Makes your movie experience more worthwhile-pfft. Still, people ought to let the viewers know that for future movies!

-I was coughing a lot. A LOT. I didn’t quite like the fact that the weather was rather hazy and the cinema was cold. The result? Dry coughing ensues. My coughs sort of picked up when they focused on that frigid planet Jotunheim, and it’s totally pardonable okay? When I get to UK I am so screwed.

-I so did not fangirl. No, I didn’t. Never did.

-The hall we were in had lousy audio. One moment it was deafening, and the next it was suddenly muffled. Towards the end I really had to cover my ears when Loki and Thor fought. It was like they were fighting in front of me. I was totally on the verge of shouting and asking them to stop killing each other.

-When I found out that Zachary Levi was actually slated to play the blonde guy with the annoying musketeer mustache I was rather relieved that he didn’t take on this role. Because the three warriors and Sif did not get a lot of screen time. And the Asian guy had the least lines. As usual, Hollywood.

-Agent Coulson is kinda funny. Honest! Well he was annoying the first time, and tolerable the second time around. I love it so much when he mentioned Tony Stark by name-even though he didn’t show up in person. Rats.

-Asgard is looking more artificial the second time I watched it. And the razzle dazzle! I think sun glasses are a necessity for inhabitants there.

-Saw the marksman working his bow and arrow again. In the rain. At night.

-I actually didn’t catch the dialogue where Loki tells Thor that he is exiled from Asgard on my first watch. Why? Because at that moment, I decided that Tom Hiddleston’s face is all I shall look at. And I did. Unashamedly. He looks amazing in a suit. There, I said it.

-In fact, it was on some weird whim that I made up my mind the very next day last week after Thor that Tom Hiddleston is dreamy. And that I absolutely dig his costume design-everything but that helmet. I do not agree with that helmet. ‘Nuff said. Apart from that, I’m all on board.

-His outfits were the best looking ones. Hands down, because I’m terribly biased at this point. I think I must really dislike armor. That ridiculously horned helmet oh my god

-Upon watching this the second time, I kept telling myself to actually focus on the story and well, stop being so besotted? Oh, the fail.

-Was it necessary to mention at the end of the credits that ‘Thor will appear in The Avengers‘? Just like repeating again that the producers of Iron Man and Thor are of the same-Marvel, we get it. 

-The Destroyer is still frightening. Period. I got shocked when he ‘slapped’ Thor (ahaha Hwee Lynn) the first time and the second time was no different. Not helping when the sound system took that moment to malfunction. But the fact that Thor defeated him so easily… meh.

-Lastly, finally caught the special clip after the credits. And right now, I’m on cloud nine.

I think I would have gone on ranting for a little bit longer-if I wasn’t as tired as I am now. Perhaps it’s a good thing, because I didn’t want to get overly one-sided and turn this entry into a glorifying post for Loki. While I really like him, I didn’t want to go all psycho. Nah, I don’t think I am that overreactive.

But Sebastian Michaelis, I am totally dumping you.

Anyway, brb daydreaming 

I think we all know that Hollywood is seemingly scraping the bottom of their think-tank, trying to come up with a film that isn’t dull, full of loaded effects but still bland or a movie that actually works in every aspect.

So I was rather suspicious of the sudden boom in superhero movies in 2011. Some are saying that Iron Man and other Marvel films are just the tip of the iceberg, because The Avengers is the main course while these are just the appetizers. But that won’t be until 2012, so if the world hasn’t met its demise yet we will see this either really good or plain horrible movie in theaters then.

Then again I am digressing like crazy here. Allow me to wheel back to the supposed movie I will write about.

On Wednesday, a friend and I decided almost simultaneously that we will watch Thor. Because it looks really epic and there isn’t any other show that appeals to us. But! We treated it as a fun ride and went in the hall without any expectations-or did we?

I think other occupants in the hall must really hate me. I don’t know if my snide remarks, snarky laughter or just any random word uttered have reached anyone’s ears and ticked them off before. Then again, I never got told off by anyone, but I never know. At times I think I’ve even annoyed myself. Perhaps I ought to whisper from now on, but I still allow myself to laugh as loudly as I dare when the entire audience is laughing. Deal.

Thor takes on an emerging trend of god-related films lately, this time of Norse mythology. Thor disobeys his father Odin, and to teach his hot-headed son a lesson about life (and to stop being an idiot), his own father stripped him of his power and banished him to Earth, along with his iconic hammer. On the hammer, Odin, cast a spell (did he?), saying that only a person worthy of its power may wield the weapon.

I think the gods must really hate Earth. Or it’s just Thor. Because he had an ‘FML’ look when he knew he was stranded on our planet.

Nice.

So, our titular character crashes to our beloved realm in a showy blast of auroras and comets… and sparkly stars, whatever. Lo and behold, he landed right in the path (literally) of scientist Jane Foster. And without further ado, her assistant Darcy Tasers him. And later on he got tranq-ed because he simply wouldn’t stop being an idiot.

It didn’t take Thor very soon to learn how to adjust to human life, apart from smashing cups and demanding a pet shop to supply him with a horse. As the movie progresses, his level of idiocy goes down, and there is that compulsory scene where he walks around shirtless. Because we all know that 30 pounds of muscle must not be put to waste.

No, I wasn’t entranced.

Meanwhile, Odin being a king and having cast his own son away from him fell into a comatose state which is said to allow him to heal. Erm, okay? His son and Thor’s younger brother, Loki steps forth to claim the throne. Determined to prove himself to his father, he deceived both good and bad, sent a really frightening machine to Earth to eliminate Thor, and did battle with his brother.

The movie concludes (somewhat) with Loki plunging to his (I won’t call that death because that is a strange C.O.D) and both worlds being restored. Happy ending, continuation towards another Marvel movie, yada yada. Anyhow! There was an extended scene after the credits that I missed (actually I would say 98% or maybe everyone in my hall did), but according to sources online, Nick Fury shows up wearing his serious face, eyepatch and all.

I think eyepatches are catching on as a trend.

It was only yesterday that I looked through the movie’s concept art. And was blown away by the effort and thought that went into making this movie. Any movie, in fact. The herculean amount of work that defines a film is staggering, every time I think of it. I will not go into detail on how beautiful or how proportional the figures were drawn because it’s so cliche for an art student to say those lines. Jeez.

Alas, yet again which I will blast yet another movie for being overly shallow in terms of plot. Or the fact that the movie appeared to moving way too fast. While it was already implied that Jane will fall in love with Thor, there wasn’t enough time to show their chemistry nor was there really any substance. I couldn’t remember everyone’s names because they were probably only mentioned once. Or twice. Was Odin’s wife actually mentioned by name? I personally felt that the prelude to Thor’s banishment to Earth ought to be shown at the very beginning instead of cutting back and forth from Earth, to his past, and back to Earth.

And naturally that marksman who almost shot Thor with his arrow could only be someone important-because which sane/normal human being uses bow and arrow to take down an enemy on a rainy night? In a government facility where people like SWAT or highly trained gunmen exist? Another mention is that Agent Coulson appears here and there throughout the film as an annoying presence to the other characters. But then his role is to assure that all the Avengers will be assembled together, so he can go on and be high-and-mighty for now.

According to Wiki, the marksman’s name is Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (master of the obvious name) and surprise, surprise, he is part of the A-team.

But, I really liked that one scene where early in the film, Odin arrives in a glorious burst of golden light amidst the gloom (pshaw) on a mythical beast known as Sleipnir. It is an eight-legged stallion that is said to run as fast as lightning, and is the steed of Odin. So I appreciate the Norse reference to that. Sleipnir has a really interesting story, if anyone is interested enough to take a peek. I just figured that it’s cool to have read of something years and years ago and knowing what it is, so let me have my moment.

So another film with a borderline plot coupled with really amazing special effects. It’s worth an entire NatGeo documentary about the universe because you get generous shots of the stars, planets and other galaxies. Thus we get major eye candy! Not the actors but incredible stars and nebulae!

While Asgard (the realm of the gods) is supposed to look and feel celestial-in a sense, I didn’t quite get that aura from the place, even to the men’s costumes. Yup, I’ve mentioned this before in my previous post when I saw the trailer. They do resemble knights of valor and royalty, but I don’t know about the god part. Thor’s costume screams ‘masculinity’ all over but I won’t go into depth on that. I like how on certain costume designs there’s a subtle hint of Japanese samurai influence. It’s probably just me, because as of now I can’t find any picture to support my theory. But they look great! Or I just happen to hate overly adorned outfits with lots of plating and steel.

And here is my final verdict: Not a fan of the story line-could be better but maybe superhero tales take a similar route in such? I’m not implying that I really thought it was crap, but just saying that a little fine-tuning could’ve made it more fulfilling to watch. Because I did enjoy some small bits of it, here and there. It was close to being a regular feel-good movie. All the actors did a fantastic job on their roles respectively, and I felt that Kenneth Branagh’s take on this comic was like stepping out of his comfort zone, and it was great. I applaud his effort.

The script was even hilarious at some scenes! So all in all it was a decent film. It had some high points, and low points, but I can see why it has garnered mostly favorable reviews thus far. But is Hollywood promoting the overly-buff physique a little too enthusiastically? I find muscular guys very disturbing, so it might be a personal preference.

Now, that we are done with Thor, on to the next Avenger film-Captain America I suppose?

And also, moral of the story: when you watch a Marvel movie, stay in your seat until all the credits have completely (totally) rolled off the screen.

And summer usually spells a ton of movies. With so many movies coming out, there’s talk on who’s going to outdo the other and which will set the record as the topmost grossing film of this summer-or the year maybe? And perhaps there will be an underdog film that quietly comes along, winning over critics with a wholesome balance of plot.

This year is Marvel’s year huh, I believe I counted almost three movies from the comics out this year, from X-Men, to Thor and The Green Lantern. So, let me list down a few summer movies here, good and bad, and which I may or may not check out.

Edit: And before this post was actually published, I’ve watched Thor already! So I suppose that I ought to get this post up and running first before I begin my review on it.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part II

We all know that the end is coming. And by the looks of the trailer that was out a few days ago, it was incredibly epic. No joke, the only word I will use to describe the trailer would be ‘epic’. Not groundbreaking, so yes there is a difference. I was pleased that they got some details right, like the scene where the trio flees from Fiendfyre (feel free to correct my spelling here), (spoiler!) the scene where Mrs. Weasley duels with Bellatrix (Jason’s favorite Death Eater hands down) and the tear-inducing scene where George Weasley was killed. Ok shoot me now, I forgot if it was Fred or George. Bugger. Showing us the diadem of Ravenclaw was a nice touch of enticing suspense-and having that weird, pointless scene where Harry pulls Voldemort off the castle ridge was just… awkward in many ways.

Not to mention, did anyone count how many times did they show Voldemort emitting cries of fury throughout the 2 minute trailer? Sister and I did-I think we got about 6 times? To whoever that edited the trailer, you just made Voldemort, the Dark Lord, a tad less menacing by inserting him howling a battle call-more than twice.

The scene where the wizards do battle was very new to me. I don’t think there has ever been a movie where wizards fight a war with wands and real magic. While the scenes shown did bring to mind the Helm’s Deep fight from LOTR, I am curious to see how will this battle be brought to life on the big screen. I sincerely hope that this doesn’t flop.

Thor

So the main actor in this film is Miley Cyrus’ ex’s brother? Soooo does that mean we should expect Hannah Montana fans to contribute to Thor’s box office count? And Hollywood should stop emphasizing overly buff men as superheroes. It’s rather creepy because not everyone is that ripped.

I am surprised at the choice of casting Natalie Portman in this sort of film, but then it’s a first for her, so why not? She hasn’t starred in a fantasy film like this before, and I’m confident that she will bring her A-game. Does that make any sense?

I like the bit of humor when Thor got Taser-ed. The God of Lightning got knocked out by… artificial lightning? I suck at being funny.

Note that I do not know anything about Thor except that he is a god. However, other gods shown in the trailer and pictures I’ve seen appear rather odd in life-action. Perhaps it’s just the angles and lighting, but I’m not getting the ‘divine aura’ from them. While they do resemble knights and royalty in their getup, I’m just not feeling the heavenly vibe. We shall see.

Once again I find that giant metal machine figure towards the end looking incredibly out of place-very ungodly-like, it’s like the gods decided to merge analog with digital and the bad guys have gotten robots for weapons. Is Thor supposed to be this futuristic? There wasn’t much of Nordic influence in the trailer-as far as I see it.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Another comic-turned-movie where the main character goes from zero to hero. Upon taking a miracle drug, an ordinary (and scrawny) soldier is suddenly morphed into a really buff guy who heralds a new future for soldiers and warfare. And yet again I know nuts about Captain America except that he dresses in the colors of the flag of USA. And that shield he carries.

I dig the era the movie was set in, presumably WWII. Not much is shown in the trailer, all but his immediate transformation and him leading the fight into the battlefield. We also got a shot of the villain-someone horribly scarred. I’m fully aware that I’m showing my ignorance of comic books.

Transformers: The Dark Side of The Moon

Frankly they should just call this movie The Movie Where Megan Fox Got Replaced By A Victoria’s Secret Model, or Michael Bay Better Have A Good Reason For Casting Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Because I really don’t know if she have the acting chops, and Megan Fox is close to zero in that said field herself.

Upon watching the teaser where the astronauts found a robot on the moon, I made the biggest fluke of the week by telling my sister that the robot resemble a mustache, when what I meant to say was that the robot looked like he had a mustache. Way to go. Anyway, he did look old.

Basically, the story seems to be the same old thing recycled or other-our battered Earth is fated to be ripped apart by gargantuan machines yet again and it’s up to Sam and his [new] girlfriend and their chunky robot allies to save the day. And also aided by the US military army… and the CIA.

I like the dragon robot. I know that is not relevant, just expressing my love for all things dragonian.

And in all honesty, I do not see how is this movie going to redeem itself. It seems to have all the things that make up a recipe for a cliche, blockbuster: big explosions, epic battle scenes, a hot girl and loads of guns and incredible special effects.

Once again I will stress that mind blowing special effects do not make a movie. They support your film, they make it an awesome visual feast, but in no way does it make your movie a great film. People are going to talk about your CGI (Sucker Punch, anyone?) but no one is going to remember your story and anything else for the matter.

X-Men: First Class

Okay, let me get this straight: having your teaser posters done in a crappy manner does not make your movie first class in my book! Has anyone seen the teaser posters for X Men? The ones with the silhouettes of Magneto and Professor X? With their faces superimposed onto what appears to be their crotch? It’s not just funny, it’s awful. If I were the designer who did the said posters, I would dig a hole and bury myself before the studio can find me and kill me themselves. Or simply just disembowel myself like what samurais do. Don’t believe me? Here’s the offending picture:

I mean, come on!

It’s just… full of bad puns. Or innuendos. Have your pick. I mean, what exactly were the posters trying to imply? That the fate of mutants lie in the … [?] of these two characters? The thought of it is so painful to even imagine, let alone write it out. And yet I show my very dense-ness towards yet another comic book from Marvel… yay. All I know about this film is that this is the prequel of all prequels to X-Men, way before Professor X and Magneto were hurling blows at each other and are best chums. How sweet. I like James McAvoy. Yes, that was just my fangirl within squealing with glee. But his hairstyle combined with his serious face is aging him dreadfully… or maybe that is just the posters’ way of depicting his character… pensive much?

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

I’ll definitely list down this movie no matter what-but that is purely out of fangirlism and my loyalty to the PoTC franchise. My logical side is shaking my head somewhat at the idea of making a fourth film for Pirates. Personally, they should’ve just left it at the third movie (it took me two times to understand the plot because there was a lot of rain, swords, barbs and savvy.). When I first heard that they plan to make a fourth, I was like ‘No way. They can’t be serious.’

I really love PoTC. Or rather, I love Jack Sparrow. He is a bonafide ladies man, casanova, whatever. Macho swashbuckling pirate be damned, I’ll take the rum-drinking, ship-less pirate with swag. Did I mention he also has a compass that doesn’t point north?

Call me a sour grape or whatever, but I just feel that there’s so many things that could go wrong with this movie. I fear that the franchise is losing steam. While it pains me to say this, it’s the truth. The third movie was long and choppy (not the waters!) and the story was tricky to catch up with. But I wonder if changing directors will give the movie a new lease on life.

The thing that probably irked me the most was the use of zombies in the plot. Excuse me, but zombies? I think I’m probably way too tired of their presence in movies, games and TV shows. Unless there is a new zombie idea that is different, then I’ll take it. But you guys! There’s been a ton of zombie-related things in the media and I really don’t wish to see one of my favorite franchises fall dead to reanimated corpses. Indirect pun.

So PoTC 4-you better not disappoint!

The Green Lantern

Is this weird or is this weird? The repetition is necessary because I cannot fathom the weirdness of the trailer. Ryan Reynolds is as hunky as ever, but whether does he still retain his manliness in that questionable green suit is subjected to discussion. And that mask around his eyes.

So far it seems that I’m questioning just about every single movie I wrote about here. Because I don’t know if things that look good on paper will look just as amazing  when filmed in real life. Sucker Punch was evidently one of those concepts that just didn’t sound so… great.

I keep thinking of Megamind (yes, that animation with that guy who had a huge head) when I think of Green Lantern. Because there was a similar character in the trailer who had the same physical appearance… and also in a non-human color. Really don’t know about this one.

I’m on the fence with this movie. Because so many comic book-movies have met a most embarrassing demise, and I often cringe on their behalf. So, just don’t screw it up.

I ‘fess up that I’m one of those that break out into squeals when I see something cute-pastries don’t go overlooked here. About what I find adorable, that will probably be left for another post.

Macarons aren’t new here; in fact they have probably been here a while before the trend (could this be considered one?) really caught on. Suddenly it exploded into full bloom and everyone wants a bite of that minuscule biscuit that comes in the colors of the rainbow. Everyone, including me-but then again yours truly has always been rather late to hop on bandwagons. I see them more and more often lately but was hesitant to loosen my purse strings to buy some because… well. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to fork out RM 4.50 for one biscuit. Sure it looks amazing, but what if it tasted weird?

Yesterday, I finally picked up the courage (and money) to go ahead and try some with my sister while we were at Suria KLCC. The location was Isetan, on their supermarket floor. We stumbled across a small stall selling what was left of the day’s macarons. And there were a small group of people clustered around it, presumably taking in the colors that only macarons can acquire. So, we bought four. The flavors were Green Tea, Lemon, Apricot and Chocolate Mint.

We didn’t eat it until we got back. And when we did, the result was… kinda unexpected.

I tried the Green Tea one first. And it didn’t taste remotely like green tea. I drink green tea twice a week so I suppose that I should more or less grasped the essence of that flavor. Which the bright green macaron rather lacked. It tasted sweet, more or less.

Sister tried the lemon one. It was lemon cream sandwiched in between purple colored macarons. Very unusual, but there was some lemon-y taste there (I tried it too).

Chocolate mint was chocolate mint. It only further reconfirmed the fact that I really don’t like mint chocolate. To my taste buds, they don’t go together. Not at all.

Apricot was weird! Not only was it a neon orange (looking uncannily like our orange laundry basket) hue but it tasted nothing like apricot! There was a funny aftertaste that I am sure had no relation to the flavor. I’m positive that apricot isn’t flavored like that. But then again, for RM 2.50 a pop, it’s safe to assure that artificial flavoring was used. Without a doubt, food coloring takes credit for the colors-much to my mum’s disapproval. I get what she meant, however-brightly colored food is somewhat alarming, but in the macarons’ case it’s softened somewhat by a simple and… docile appearance?

So, no macarons for me in a hurry, until I stumble upon more worthy macarons (of quality that is). I suppose for this, you really have to pay for a better gastronomic experience.

If anyone is wondering where this macaron stall is, it’s not far from the Isetan supermarket cashiers. And the Sun Moulin Bakery. You can’t miss it. Unless the stall has moved. But if you want to give it a shot, go ahead, and tell me if you feel the same way as I did. Hopefully not, though. I hope it’s just me.

I really like the whole feminism thing the movie had-girl power, guys. Plus, there was a faint trace of steampunk influence amidst the whole Nazi onslaught. (Not fond of the Nazi bit, but hey, pop culture ahoy everyone) I’ve liked steampunk for quite some time but didn’t know the right term to call it exactly. There aren’t many movies with said culture, so why not?

So I had a lot of high hopes for this film-that is until I sat through it with my sister a week ago. While she liked it, I had second thoughts about it…

Zack Snyder is an awesome director hands down, no question. While I did not watch 300, some have pointed out that Sucker Punch is the female’s answer to 300. You be the judge of that. While the special effects and battle scenes are to-die-for (maybe literally) there’s a really big hole in the entire plot that had me frowning throughout the movie. Yes, my brows were knotted together most of the time. It wasn’t because the girls were hot, or the action was too blah.

In this age of incredible technology where computers can take you just about anywhere and 3D is about to evolve to 4D, everyone seems to get carried away with it and ignore the base of what really holds the movie together-the story. Didn’t we have a taste of that-plenty of times to count? Remember Avatar (the blue aliens, the airbender one was an equal fiasco but more on casting)? Transformers 2 (oh dear that was a nightmare) and the one that I’ll always use as a comparison: Harry Potter 3 to the present Potter film? Even as a Potter fan, I express my heavy disappointment in the Harry Potter film adaptations.

Sucker Punch probably tried to be Inception and Shutter Island at the same time by going all dream-related as well as playing the insanity card. Suddenly there’s a spark of interest of the use of lobotomy (and asylums) in movies, and I bet I’m just contributing to the search results of the said medical field. Someone should just write a coherent article for the general public. Honestly, the trailer was a tad bit confusing, shifting from the asylum scene to a dance-room and then to the full-blown fantasy world with dragons and machine guns. I actually had to dig up the synopsis-and that was probably a foreshadowing of what I’m about to see.

The story (what is there, at least) is fairly simple-a girl is sent to a mental facility by her stepfather so he can squander her inheritance. Next thing you know, the girl is given a name, Baby Doll. I assume that is just a nickname because no one in their right mind would call their daughter that, or Sweet Pea, Rocket, Blondie. Except Amber, that name is still alright. And suddenly, the entire asylum shifts into a burlesque-styled brothel where the girls put on shows for clients. Baby Doll and the other main characters know that the ‘high-roller’ is coming in a few days, and they have to escape. What or who is this high-roller I’ll never know, but in reality, Baby Doll is set to be lobotomized in a few days, and since she is 100% sane, she aims to escape the facility. By dreaming it all up.

So, here comes the Inception dream-within-a-dream sequence. Baby Doll imagines that she has to dance for clients, and as she dances, her high-flying imagination takes her deeper into the subconscious of her mind.

This is where things get really weird. The first ‘actual dream sequence’ where everyone is probably anticipating is set against a traditional Japanese backdrop, with an enclosed area leading to a temple. Baby Doll is dressed in what appears to be a Japanese schoolgirl outfit (complete with the super short skirt and high heels). She enters the temple, and see a man dressed in monk-like robes. He is an American, no doubt. So amidst all the Asian culture you stick in two Caucasian characters? Does that count as whitewashing?

Shortly after, a fight ensues between her and three massive samurai stone monsters. Stone because they move like stiff terra cotta warriors. While the battle was well shot, with (ahem) dynamic angle and fast paced cinematography that kept you on the edge of your seat. All in all the action scenes were hugely entertaining, just that after a while it makes you wonder if all of that was really necessary to keep the story running-because it’s not.

I will get to that in a bit.

Did anyone notice how Baby Doll’s heels went from high to ballet flats at one point? The scene were she defeated the second samurai in a fireball explosion. When she walked out of the collapsing temple (the building waited for her to head out before crumbling) the camera focused on her shoes and they were high again. I really hope it was just my eyesight being shabby again. But! I still want to talk about this Nippon-inspired scene in the movie. Not only did the moment reeked of Japanese anime, she had this ‘moment’ where she knelt on one knee and looked up at the camera. It’s probably supposed to scream ‘serious business’ with the hair whipping about and wind swirling at her feet-yes, there was wind around her, as if her hair was buffeted by invisible helicopter blades. How Naruto is that? I felt that she was about to pull a jutsu… not.

So the rest of the movie went like this-the girls had to get five items to ensure their release, and every time they grab an item they take us along into the fantasy land where they dodge a hail of bullets and slay dragons. I am not cool with the dragon killing bit. Stop portraying dragons as bad guys! That is just a personal preference, but really, it’s like JAWS that caused great white sharks to morph into everyone’s oceanic nightmare.

The man who appeared in the temple earlier was present in every hallucination (it’s considered one right?), often guiding them and giving them advice. He was pretty cool actually; his role was understated but memorable enough for you to remember him. So he is the ‘guardian angel’ that was mentioned in the beginning of the movie?

The movie hits the climax when the escape plan is jeopardized by a setback or two. The fantasy-filled scenes toned down after that, mostly focusing on the brothel, and the time when they made a break for it. While the ending is somewhat mutual-and might be confusing for others, it was alright for me. Just that the high notes were exaggerated, coupled with some questions that boggled my mind because the movie did not explain them. The ending felt rather unfinished-I felt that there wasn’t enough closure for all of the characters, and some things just needed to be smoothened out.

To sum it up, I felt that the heavy-laden special effects just couldn’t support or even validate the story’s… logic. Honest! When I was mulling it over, on all those fancy-schmancy dream scenes and attempting to link it with the escape scheme, it just didn’t click. Surely just an elaborate escape plan can be carried out sans the fantasies? I know that she wants to ‘escape’ the pain in reality, but the more I watched it, the more far-fetched it became. It was almost as if (if) the director felt that he couldn’t deliver a movie without his forte-CG and artsy cinematography. And that he had to make a movie in such a way that there can be both an epic story with the add on special effects!

So yes, I wasn’t very impressed with Sucker Punch-my review of it might’ve said enough. I really hope Zack Snyder gets his mojo back for Superman. Yes, he is making a Superman remake.

And I totally apologize for not updating for a month and more. Plenty of… issues? Haha. And also, convocation is looming up in June! I can’t believe it that it’s finally my moment (and others) to wear that mortar board and the robes. And get our diploma. After three aching years of hard labor.

So this also means a whole new chapter awaits me in the future. What gives? I also hope to write more (heck that has been my resolution in like forever), perhaps more on movies and also fashion. Yes guys, you read right! Yours truly who never posts picture of herself is going to talk about fashion. Well, things change.

And because I’m such an epic fail-

What do I wear for my convocation?