Monday, March 31, 2014

Talented #1: Talented (2012)

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Talented

Talia was a Talented, one of the lucky few to have a special gene, giving her an ability of reading and influencing the mind of others. her parents were murdered right before her eyes when she was just a child. she was brought to the McDonough School for the Talented, trained to be a hunter, also to avenge her parents' death. she built a special bond with Donovan, the son of her guardian since she was brought into the McDonough household. however, things got complicated when she was assigned to be in the same team with Henri and Erik.

i received a free e-book in exchanged for a review. the book was rather long-winded and somewhat political at some point. but fortunately the actions were rewarding enough for the wait. i found myself having conflicted feelings towards Talia. sometimes she was tough, but sometimes she was so undecided that it made her frustrating to watch, both in romance and revenge. while it was understandable that the feelings she had for Donovan wasn't exactly romantic; her desperation towards Erik kind of lowered her values. where else in revenge, as much as she repeatedly convinced us that she wanted to kill her parents' murderer; she had difficulties killing anyone at all. tried as i might, i couldn't root for her completely. it was solely curiosity that brought me through the book, only to be left with a cliffhanger. i wouldn't mind reading the second installment at all, just to know how things would turn out.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Meganebu! (2013)
メガネブ!

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Meganebu!

the story followed the daily lives of five high school boys who shared the same feature of wearing glasses. they were also members of the Glasses Club, sharing their passion for eyewear, even towards the ultimate goal of making a functional x-ray glasses. Akira was the leader of the club. Yukiya was the most intelligent member, also Akira's childhood friend. Takumi was an airheaded member. Mitsuki was invited by Akira to join the club, thus held deep admiration towards Akira. Hayato was the only member who wore fake glasses.

despite the seemingly straightforward plot, the series was hilarious and absolutely exaggerated. the main focus was on their creation, which more than often ended up with an explosion. at the same time, the club tried so hard to increase their budget, which also ended equally in failure. to make the story a little more in depth was the involvement of the Student Council, who was pulling shady stunts behind, making sure that the Glasses Club would be disband in the near future. even though the series looked less interesting than our average plot, it was equally entertaining once we got started with the episodes. it may not be the best, but it was definitely unique enough for a laughter or two.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

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What to Expect When You're Expecting

the film followed 5 couples whose lives were turned upside down by the challenges of parenthood. from knowing each other, to some accidental and some planned pregnancies, to giving birth and taking care of the children. Jules was a fitness guru and Evan a dance show star. they were eager to start a family together and was surprised with the demands of pregnancy. Wendy was an author who was desperate for a child of her own, her husband Gary struggled with his competitive father, who was expecting a twins with his new wife, Skyler. Holly was a photography prepared to travel the globe to adopt a child, her husband Alex wasn't quite sure and entered a support group to deal with his issues. Rosie and Marco were owners of food trucks, they had been rivals since the very first day of their job, but after getting to know each other and sleeping together, they found themselves face to face with an unexpected pregnancy as well.

we looked forward to the film because it had so many huge stars in it. we were surprised to feel disappointed with its outcome. the film felt rushed, focusing from one couple to another. sometimes trying to be hilarious, sometimes trying to get us to cry. everything was a gigantic mess. half way through the film, we were already frustrated and was more than happy to throw it behind us.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova (2013)
蒼き鋼のアルペジオ ‐アルス・ノヴァ‐

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Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova

the Fleet of Fog consisted of numeral highly advanced vessels and super weapons suddenly appeared all over the world one day. it took over the water, with every attempt to reclaim back the waters that humanity crushed. Chihaya was a student who was approached by Iona, a girl who claimed that she was a member of the Fog. together they took over a submarine from the Fog, renaming it I-401 and went against the Fog.

the idea was most impressive for the Fleet of the Fog, for it consisted of AIs that had logical reasoning and giving orders to its members. these AIs were later given such depth that it felt like they too, were characters like every other men in the series. the battle scenes were intense if not detailed, something worth appreciating. there probably weren't enough time to provide a back drop for the storyline, especially having the Fog appearing out of nowhere, was simply not enough to satisfy. Chihaya in the centre, was like a strategist, commanding without military knowledge but only by assessing the situation on hands. while we were hoping to see something developing between Chihaya and Iona, we were unfortunately, disappointed that she was very much just another loyal subordinate.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Anna Karenina (2012)

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Anna Karenina

Anna was an aristocrat, who traveled from St Petersburg to Moscow in order to help save the marriage of her brother, Prince Oblonsky. the Prince recently had an affair with his housemaid. Anna herself had a cold marriage with her husband, Count Alexei, whom she had a son with. one day, Anna met with Count Vronsky, an officer at the train station, and they felt attracted by each other. she learned that Vronsky will be proposing to Kitty, who was the sister of her brother's wife. after the dance, Anna started an affair with Vronsky and soon faced a tragic fate.

despite the attraction at first glance, i failed to fully understand the film. the relationship the characters shared was so confusing that i wasn't sure who belonged to who. at some point i wondered if they film was only trying to have a theatrical effect to it rather than a storyline. the characters no matter how close they said they were, even for those who shared an affair together, felt so cold against each other. they had no chemistry at all, just some perfectly beautiful looking figurines placed together. the film was such a disappointment as it was so difficult to find a film taking the backdrop of the 19th centuries.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Non Non Biyori (2013)
のんのんびより

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Non Non Biyori

Hotaru was an elementary school student, who just moved with her parents from Tokyo to the countryside. attending a new school, she tried to adapt into the new environment, where there were only 5 students in the same class, but ranged from elementary to middle school. Komari was the eldest and very self conscious towards her unusually small size. Hotaru on the other hand, was unusually matured for a fifth grader. Natsumi was Komari's younger sister, who was always too lazy for anything.

the story was simple and straightforward, if not lighthearted. it followed the daily lives of four girls of various ages, who lived in the village, attending the same class. the happenings were random events that took place throughout their daily lives, most of them realistic and believable. despite the randomness, there were plenty of involvements from its characters, making them grew on us. the humor was lighthearted, even heartwarming at times.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

A Dark Truth (2012)

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A Dark Truth

Jack was a former CIA agent that became a political talk show host. one day, he was hired by Morgan, one of the owners of Clearbac. to gain the secret behind the massacre in a South American village, he need to find Francisco, a man who broke into a Clearbac office and stolen their files that identify Clearbac as the culprit behind the typhus outbreak that killed many of the villagers. Morgan's brother, Bruce denied what happened, dismissing her and caused her concern, leading to her taking actions behind him.

with the different characters and scenes introduced at the beginning, it took us quite a while to get how the story went. first the jungle, with the natives running for their lives as soldiers shot them down, then the scenes suddenly switched to a fancy looking office with a few men in coat talking urgently, disturbed by a lady also in coat. equally sudden Jack was introduced, hosting a show that seemed to be talking about what happened with the natives. the whole load of information was thrown on us, which we almost gave up trying to connect these points together. fortunately, they started meeting each other and the part each character played started to get clearer. in overall, the film felt like a drag, barely captured our interest. when it ended, we happily forgot about it and moved on.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Tokyo Ravens (2013)
東京レイヴンズ

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Tokyo Ravens

Harutora was born in the Onmyoji family, but didn't have the ability to see the spirit energy. therefore, he was the lucky few the could enjoy peaceful lives, with his friends from school. one day, his childhood friend Natsume appeared, who was also the heir to the head family, and she had the ability to help him see spirit energy.

taking its sweet time, the series built such depths for its characters that it was difficult to ask for these days. there were really no actual main plot. after Harutora gained the ability to see spirit energy, they started fighting against them. for a romance comedy, Harutora was frustrating to look at as he seemed almost immune to everything. fortunately, the story was not overdone and little twists and turns here and there made it refreshing and interesting to watch.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Ogre (2008)

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Ogre

the story took place in a town that was struck by a terrible plague. the only means of surviving was to sacrifice one person every year, to the vicious beast known as the Ogre. one day, a group of teenagers wandered into the forest, crossing the boundaries into the village and found out that its people had been stuck in time since the 1800's. the villages wouldn't grow old and couldn't give birth to new life. soon they found out that the mayor had placed a spell on the village and its people, for him to be immortal.

despite the unbelievable Ogre, the story was perfect if not involving the group of teenagers. they were frustrating to look at but probably important to show that the village had been stuck in time. it was no surprise that the mystery was finally solved by those from the village, where else the teenagers were just useful for the screaming and perhaps some gore scenes. though labeled as horror, it was hardly the case. though not exactly a great film, it was enough to stir up some curiosity and get us through its airtime.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

BlazBlue: Alter Memory (2013)
ブレイブルー オルターメモリー

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BlazBlue: Alter Memory

the story started out taking place in the last day of year 2199, where people gathered on the street, counting down for the end of a year and towards the start of a new year. during the celebration, it was said that Ragna the Grim Reaper, a rebel with the highest bounty, had appeared on the street. he was the culprit behind the destruction of the system controlling the world. to collect the bounty, hunters and fighters started to come forward for the hunt.

the series was most probably made for the fans of the video game. to understand the series, a basic knowledge of the game was most certainly required. the story involved plenty of time loops that only a few characters were aware of. with only 12 episodes to tell the story, the history and relationship between the characters were mostly put aside, how the world function in this game environment was also skipped. the series was most successful in making its characters stood out, creating a chance for those who played the game to love the character even more.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Ender's Game (2013)

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Ender's Game

the Earth was intruded by the Formics, an alien race the was determined to destroy humanity. 70 years later, the people of Earth had form troops to defend themselves against the Formics. Ender was a quiet but intelligent boy. he was monitored and soon recruited into the troops. he was separated from his families and brought into a battle school in orbit. he was trained and tested to become a killer. he despise what he did the moment he found out that the stimulation he was put through was actually an ongoing battle against the Formics.

Ender was originally a lovable character, especially the way he stood up for himself in school, against the bullies. he showed excellent adaptation in his classes, directed perfect battle strategies against other teams. but to think that he couldn't accept the reason for him to go through all the training, was simply naive. it should be more than obvious enough to realize that battle school trained its troops for battles. but with his smart mouth and arrogant attitude, he went around defying orders and simply decided to quit after the experience of having bloods on his hands. he became such a distasteful character it was impossible to agree with him. fortunately the film in overall was very entertaining and engaging, making it a fun adventure to have.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Samurai Flamenco (2013)
サムライフラメンコ

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Samurai Flamenco

Hazama was a man who dream of being a superhero. he had no superpowers but was determined to protect. Goto was a police who found out about Hazama's superhero identity. the duo soon became great friends, creating a bond that fought off the enemy. they went through hardships together, in search of the true meaning of justice.

the series was quite different compared to what we usually had today, nor was it about the ordinary and average superheroes. it tried very hard to convince us that it was unnecessary to have superpowers to save others, just the heart to do so. on the second half of the series however, a character with superpowers was introduced. it started off being quite confusing, but a few more episode later, it became acceptable and the series continued being interesting to watch. most of the time, the series was straightforward and fun to watch. it was easily relatable, especially the little crimes that people tend to do on a daily basis, like littering. we were pleasantly surprise to find a superhero series that doesn't involved invading aliens or sort. in overall it was just so refreshing and unique.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

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Catching Fire

Katniss and Peeta was the victors in the 74th Hunger Games created by the Capitol. their victories sparked a rebellion among the Districts, causing President Snow great displeased. the duo were supposedly spared their lives and left living a peaceful life as promised. but for the next Hunger Games, the duo was also thrown into the game, where selected candidates for each districts were to survive the island to become the last survivor. through the game, they became allies to some unlikely candidates

despite being a sequel, Catching Fire (2013) lived up to its expectation. only half of the time was spent on another round of Hunger Games, the rest given to politics. President Snow's threats were predictable as some of the Districts began to rebel, forcing Katniss and Peeta to play by their rules. but the slow moving half of the film was pleasantly replaced by the exciting second half. the idea for the Hunger Game was equally impressive compared to its first sequel, where candidates put together their head to solve the riddle, understanding how the game worked. the final scenes especially, was a thrilling experience, making us looking forward to its coming sequel even more.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Kakumeiki Valvrave 2nd Season (2013)
革命機ヴァルヴレイヴ

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Kakumeiki Valvrave 2nd Season

the series was a continuation from its first season. Haruto was one of the talented, accepting the massive power granted by a Valvrave, in order to protect his homeland.

for a sequel, the series seemed to stand out much more than its prequel. while season 1 was mostly introductions, season 2 became so much more technical. like most Gundam series, there were political back story to confuse us, but at the same time, it made the battles more interesting and intense nonetheless. there were also some decent character developments. Haruto was originally a childish character, now evolved into someone who was strong enough to protect. even L-Elf, a cool and idol-like character that every looked up to, tend to redeem himself after a tragedy. even though the story was not what we haven't watch before, it was certainly enough to get us through the episodes, always wanting to know what happen next.

Monday, March 17, 2014

The Call (2013)

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The Call

Jordan was a 911 operator. one day, she made a mistake by calling back her victim when their call got cut off, causing her victim to get killed. despite being an experienced operator, Jordan was rattled and decided not to continue being an operator, transferring herself to another department where she taught new comers of how to be a helpful operator. while showing them the working environment, one of the newer operator freaked out, unable to handle a call made by Casey, a teenager abducted and trapped in a car's trunk. Jordan decided to help Casey despite her fear.

even though the story flowed in a highly predictable manner, the film managed to remain very engaging thus entertaining. we felt like we were experiencing Jordan's emotional trauma when she failed to save the first victim. for the second victim, we were practically glued to the screen. the intensity was high, with the police trying to spot the vehicle from both air and land, they missed it every single time. the situation worsened when the bad guy switched car. in the end of the film when it started showing the sad side of the bad guy, it made the film even better as his psychotic side started showing and we were convinced with his reason of abducting young girls like Casey.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru (2013)
俺の脳内選択肢が、学園ラブコメを全力で邪魔している

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Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru

Kanade was a high school student who suffered from a curse, called Absolute Choices. the curse required him to select one of the actions listed along with 2 or 3 other options, and he had no control over what choices that appear. as a result, most of these choices were weird or even perverse. the curse had ruined his reputation among his classmates and those around him, making his life very difficult. one day, on his way home from school, a mysterious and beautiful girl fell from the sky.

because of his curse, Kanade was often forced to act oddly in front of others, but despite that, the girls seemed to still swarm him like an idol. every single girl in the series was different in their own ways. they were, to be honest, quite a mess but didn't make them any less entertaining to watch. the series basically evolved around Kanade, especially in the most awkward situations, making comedy its main attraction at all times. having no main plot, it was impressive that it still managed to make one laugh until the very end.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

About Time (2013)

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About Time

one day, Tim was told by his father that the men in his family had the ability to travel through time. the night after an unsatisfactory new year party, Tim decided that to return back in time in hope of changing what happened that night, getting himself a girlfriend. after plenty of work, she finally met a beautiful girl named Mary. they fell madly in love, but due to an incident that required him to travel back in time again, meant that he never met her at all. they met for the first time over and over again, until finally, he created the perfect proposal. he used time travel to save his wedding from the worst speeches, to save his friend from professional disaster, and a never ending list.

while it was very entertaining watching the film, the time travelling ability remained a very disturbing idea. while it was ideal to have a perfect love and perfect life, there were bound to be things one had to give up in return. there were plenty of humorous scenes with witty dialogues to get the story moving. the time travelling part of it perhaps more confusing than intended. fortunately, they film spent little time on explanations, keeping an even pace throughout the film, created little dull moments.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Galilei Donna (2013)
ガリレイドンナ

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Galilei Donna

Hozuki, Kazuki, and Hazuki were three sisters. they were the descendants of Galileo. each of them had different personalities and never agreed on anything. one day, the sisters were attacked by a mysterious organization. they weer after the Galileo Tesoro, which Galileo was said to have discovered. completely unaware of what was going on, the sisters escaped on an airship they built. but the journey was proven difficult as they were constantly at odds with each other.

the three sisters were so different that they were quite interesting to watch. Hozuki, the oldest sister was the the prettiest. Kazuki, the second sister was always trying to be better than the others. Hazuki, the youngest sister was the smartest. it was most bizarre watching Hazuki, a 5-year-old built a spaceship effortless out of garbage cans. the sisters were practically forced together with the ultimate goal of finding the Galileo treasure before the others laid their hands on it. the stories between the sisters were like most household stories, with them fighting and struggling just to get along.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Truth About Emanuel (2013)

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The Truth About Emanuel

Emanuel was a troubled girl who lost her mother since young. one day, a new neighbor called Linda, moved in next door. Linda bore a striking resemblance to Emanuel's dead mother. she approached Linda out of curiosity and found Linda had a newborn to look after, but she seemed to have no husband or boyfriend to help. Emanuel offered to babysit the baby and soon found out that the baby was just a doll, which Linda was convinced was real. Linda's fragile state triggered Emanuel's sympathy and she decided to help Linda keeping the secret.

the film in its own way, was eerie and unique. Linda who was unable to deal with her loss, and Emanuel who never really got over her mother's death. the odd friendship brought forward something unexpected, even romantic at times. the ending was somewhat confusing if not vague, for i'm not entirely sure what happened, especially with the water and stuff. visually, the film was dark and sophisticated, managed to be mysterious yet heartwarming at times.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Kyousogiga (2013)
京騒戯画

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Kyousou Giga

Koto was trapped in a strange city with her younger brothers, A and Un. the city was a mirrored version of Kyoto, where many strange occurrences took place. they had to search for a rabbit in order to return home. Koto found herself seemed to have some sort of connection with this place, ruled by a monk, a demon, and a priest.

the series had great visuals, displaying a charm that was both unique and impressive. a lot of random events took place, making its beginning somewhat bizarre if not confusing. fortunately it kept a lighthearted tone to its darker plot, enhancing the uniqueness and fun side of the story. as it turned out, Koto was a catalyst for trouble. but as she adapted to the new city, her growth became visible and her character also became more and more lovable.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Colony (2013)

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The Colony

the story took place in a far future, where after global warming, the Earth was covered by ice and snow. the survivors lived in facilitated underground named the Colonies. one day, Colony 7 received a distress signal from Colony 5. their leader Briggs, organized an expedition with Sam and Graydon, to investigate. they walked for two days, reaching the other colony, out of 50 persons, they only found one survivor who was scared to his death, locked in a room. soon they found that a savage group of cannibals had slaughtered the colonists.

despite the setting and some very confusing characters, the film was surprisingly entertaining. the first half of the film dragged on a little, with plenty of repetitive conflicts between the people in Colony 7. during the second half, the pace was finally increased and when the cannibals started appearing, the excitement was kicked up a notch. despite not having much surprises for the film, it was fortunately solid.

Monday, March 10, 2014

The Last Mage #1: Magicbound (2013)

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The Last Mage
Magicbound

Lusa was the last of her kind, a Dark Mage. during her journey in search of her missing mother, she found a temple filled with dead mages, and getting careless on the road ended her in the hands of a bounty hunter named Kaden. as much as she wanted to do good, her dark magic constantly fought against her for control. she was led to Izier, a kingdom cursed with magic cast by the powerful Lazorious, whom she found herself fighting against soon later. what she did not anticipated for her journey, was falling for Kaden, the most likely person to trade her for a reward instead of saving her like he seemed to be doing.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book was an absolutely fast read. it took me by surprise on how much i enjoyed the journey Lusa had with Kaden. it was seemingly straightforward yet filled with so much details that i grew to love the duo in no time. as annoying as Lusa's dark magic was, it was also the most delicious twist throughout the book. without it, there would only be adventure and romance, which would be far less alluring and unique in comparison. i was pleased to find myself getting absorbed into the story and looking forward to the coming sequel.

Sunday, March 09, 2014

Redemption (2013)

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Redemption

Joseph was a veteran who went missing during his mission in Afghanistan. he hid in London, living as a homeless drunk. he broke into an apartment that its owner went for travelling for months. he began living a life assuming that he was its owner, calling himself Joey. with the credit card he found, he began improving himself. he got to know Cristina, a nun who ran the soup kitchen, and his fighting ability got his hired by a Chinese mafia, where everyone started calling him Crazy Joe.

considering having Jason Statham in its center, it was a surprise that the film didn't come out impressive. fortunately, there were plenty of character developments. the romance Joey had with the nun was somewhat strange and difficult to appreciate. but for a cheaper version of a person that he portrayed, i supposed it was perhaps expected? anyway, action wise, the film was loaded with plenty of fights. if one doesn't mind a godly version of Joey, the film was a huge success and could be highly entertaining.

Saturday, March 08, 2014

Free Birds (2013)

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Free Birds

Reggie was one of the Pardoned Turkey, spared from being killed on this Thanksgiving. he was adopted into the President's house and soon adapted to a luxurious life by watching television and eating pizzas. however, his perfect life was disrupted when Jake, a seemingly crazy turkey who dragged him along with an insane idea of travelling back in time to make sure that turkeys were not part of the first Thanksgiving. now in 1621, Reggie and Jake found themselves getting involved in a turkey's clan struggle for survival.

despite the not so pretty artwork, the film was highly entertaining and even a little in depth to be labeled as children story. the travelling through time concept was slightly complicated, if not confusing, even for us. as annoying was it was to watch Reggie, he became much more lovable after he met Jenny, daughter of the clan leader. Jenny was easily the most lovable character among the turkeys, brave and straightforward, she was indeed the best candidate for the next leadership.

Friday, March 07, 2014

Slightly Single in L.A. (2013)

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Slightly Single in L.A.

after several failed attempts in relationship, Dale concluded that a meaningful relationship in LA was impossible. her friend Jill was having a rushed wedding soon, Dale found herself thinking through marriage and relationship herself. Zach was a rock star and an old friend of Dale. he found his way back into her life, making Dale starting to fall for him. but at the same time, one of her friends, Hallie was also making her move to get him.

Slightly Single in L.A. (2013) was obviously a chick flick that had comedies and romance as its combinations. while Dale was a lovable and relatable characters, Zach was distant, like an all too perfect Ken doll. it was difficult to root for him, even for Dale's sake. the film in overall, thanks to Dale's slightly pathetic characteristic, was enjoyable. the rest of the characters were either too exaggerated or too cheesy to worth the attention.

Thursday, March 06, 2014

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)

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Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2

after creating a food storm caused by his invention, Flint and his friends were forced to leave town. he accepted the invitation from his idol, Chester V, to join The Live Corp, a company tasked to clean their island and also gathered inventors from all around the world to create new technologies. one day, Flint discovered that his machine was still operational and creating mutant food-animal hybrids, destroying their island.

comparing to its first sequel, the film was less interesting plot wise, but nonetheless entertaining with its uniqueness. the food-animal hybrids were especially adorable to look at. among the characters, Flint remained the most exaggerated and thus not the most lovable. he was also easily manipulated. fortunately the film was enjoyable and distracting enough to easily flowed through its airtime, coming to a perfect end.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

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Insidious: Chapter 2

Josh was once haunted by an old lady. 25 years later, Josh's wife Renai was questioned by the police about the death of Elise. she felt unsettled by the idea that her husband was the killer, Renai returned to hr family as they relocate in Lorraine's house. as everyone went to bed, Renai began witnessing strange occurrences around the house, including seeing a woman wearing a white dress and the baby cried with no reason.

having not watched the first sequel made us unsure what to expect for this installment. Josh had the supernatural ability to travel between worlds. he rescued his son from the demons and was possessed by a woman in black. there were plenty of scares and noise for the film, like piano playing and creaky doors, but none too surprising. with a comical character like Carl to help Josh and his family, sort of ruined the tension of the film. fortunately, there were enough horror going on to keep the story moving at an even pace.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

The Queen of SOP (2012)
胜女的代价

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The Queen of SOP

Xiaojie worked in an international supermarket as an unimportant staff. one day, she was assigned a different department and had to handle projects to make the supermarket display more attractive. her hard work paid off when her boss Ziqi helped her out accidentally. one thing led to another, Ziqi became Xiaojie's boyfriend. before she knew it, he proposed under the watchful eyes of the media. in the meanwhile, Jiqing, Ziqi's model girlfriend became jealous, and Tom, Xiaojie's online friend started showing interest in making her life a less miserable one.

the series traversed through different phases, some of it interesting even funny to look at, others boring if not typical. it was quite impressive that the four main actors managed to pull off their awkward relationship rather smoothly. the indecision side of these characters tended to appear more than enough to annoy us to a certain level at a certain time. like most dramas, the characters found it impossible to be honest with each other, especially those they were currently in a relationship with. fortunately the story was expanded to many possible angle, making it somewhat unexpected and interesting to watch how everything would turn out.

Monday, March 03, 2014

Crush (2013)

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Crush

Scott was a promising soccer player who was injured on the knee. two years since the incident, he continued training to strengthen his knee. both Jules and Bess liked Scott but since Scott was focused on recovering, he considered them friends. Bess worked in a store own by Andie, who also secretly had a crush on Scott. when Jules was stalked and threatened, Scott believed that Bess was responsible and targeted his at her. but before he was corrected, he soon found himself abducted and bashed in the injured knee.

despite the promising suspense, i found myself oddly confused trying to identify Bess and Andie. sometimes i even had the impression that they were the same person. being such a freaky character, i was sort of disappointed that we didn't get to see more of her different side other than the typical love struck teenager. the last part of the film was the most entertaining since the culprit was revealed, harm was repeatedly inflicted on Scott that made him seem more than a pretty boy who was so self centered that he couldn't save himself. Andie on the other hand, surprised me with her crazy looking eyes and how believing it was that she could do all those crazy stuff.

Sunday, March 02, 2014

Spring Chorus (2014)
忆起回家

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忆起回家

Uncle Tang was a father of five, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer disease. his condition had became increasingly deteriorating. ShengLiang was the eldest son who left home 10 years ago after a heated argument with his father. he went overseas to pursue his dream in music therapy. when he received a phone call from home, he decided to return home to take care of his father. Fanny was the second eldest in the family. after ShengLiang left home, she took over the burden of taking care of her family, giving her a tough and serious attitude.

before the movie was aired, another episode of "The Making" was aired. it was introduced that the director wanted to implement plenty of music into the film, making it an emotional film for the Chinese New Year. we were also introduced the characters, from one sibling to another. the two eldest siblings stood out among the rest. ShengLiang, the music loving son, was played by Leslie, an award winning actor in 2012. more than once, his attitude outside the screen was intolerable rude. Fanny, the responsible daughter, was played by Debbie, also an award winning actress in 2012. she on the other hand, had such a bubbly character that it was difficult to imagine her playing such a fierce and contrasting character in the film. in the introduction, the director also emphasized more than once on how much he wanted to create a comedy without having an exaggerated effect to it. we were pleased to find that his targets were mostly achieved. unfortunately, the film was completely ruined the moment it ended, as it appeared all too abruptly, left us gaping at the closing credit.

Saturday, March 01, 2014

The Conjuring (2013)

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The Conjuring

Roger and Carolyn moved their family into an old farm house. strange things started happening around them with escalating terror. one after another they were attacked and threatened their safety. in desperation, Carolyn contacted paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine. the investigators stayed in their house with their team of members and soon discover that the house was haunted by great evil. to put things to an end, they had to used their skills and strengths to call and banish the spirit.

we weren't sure if we were surprised or disappointed with a completely no scare horror film. perhaps a little scare every now and then but it was all sound effect and little visual. however, that didn't make the film any less horrifying. the intensity were always higher in the next scenes that it was eerie to find ourselves in each of their shoes. after the evil spirit possessed Carolyn, it got less interesting since we were able to see Carolyn with her scary facial expression other than the invisible evil that played tricks in our mind. in many ways, the involvements of the paranormal investigators seemed to have tamed the film to a certain level, making it seemed less terrifying than before they got involved.