Ah Boys to Men 2

This sequel is not as lame as the first instalment but packed much more laughs. Really entertaining.

Enjoyed the movie thoroughly. It brought back loads of memories. Somehow the setup of the section in the movie resembles my bmt mates so much. Similar wayang characters, siao on characters, super keng characters, and ppl like me. Do well enough to get noticed but not too prominent to hog the attention. Able to talk to people above, below and around.

Nostalgia is something I trust all Singaporean guys will feel when they watch this movie. Throughout the show i was going, "I did this too", "they really used to do that". Missed those days.

Like the end message very much too.
"After NS, not everyone will remain in contact and most may have to go their separate ways. But what's important is that at one stage in life we were once mates and could survive without one another."

Changing Times

Last week had been another one of those busy weeks. But bonus has been announced, it's good, but mine will still be pro-rated. Quite sore about that but it's still better than nothing. That also meant that i'll getting my first bonus ever since starting work. sound cool.. looking forward to it.

Results for HDB balloting was out.. and the results sucks!! my application was beyond the 300% mark for the queue number, thus it was deemed as an unsuccessful application. That really sucked when they kept sending letters in november informing that my results would be out in november. I really liked that place!! AARRGGHH!!! Now we just have to wait again for a suitable BTO to appear or hope that there are leftover flats offered for this location soon...

Watched a few movies this week, cos it's been awhile since I catch up with the movies. I'm still lagging behind. there are still movies i've not watch but at least i'm trying to catch up with the popular ones. Watched "Harry Potter" and "Easy A" over the week. I like this Harry Potter, it's dark and somewhat gloomy and much more adult minded then the earlier versions. After reading the final book, I already knew that this last installment is more about death than anything else. I think that part of the book was very well done in the movie. Super looking forward to the final movie and perhaps a movie marathon just before the end.

Easy A is a well done movie. Funny, lame but really sweet in the end. Well recommended too.

My Remedial Training has begun for this year. Met guoping at the training session. I was quite surprised he has to do RT too.. But at least now there's someone I know to go training with me. We did 1 good thing today, we change our RT schedule to Sunday mornings with Tues evening. That schedule make some of my upcoming events easy to manage, so i'm actually happy about that!! :)


My Short Term Targets: 
To Achieve 75kg by 30 May 2011
Currently 106kg with 184 days left
Lost 3kg and used 26 days

Movie Weekend!! Resident Evil - Afterlife (3D) & Grown Ups

I've been waiting for Resident Evil - Afterlife ever since I watched the last installment. I was totally looking forward to an enormous clone war brought forth by the army of Alice clones. Especially if they release their super powers all at once!! The start of the movie was promising as at was like I expected, an army of Alices going up against the Umbrella Corp, somehow the clones are easier to kill compared to the original Alice. They got eliminated. Damn Sad!! Double Sad when Alice lost her powers too. :(

The rest of the movie were more or less typical Resident Evil action minus super powers. There's also a huge hint for a sequel, i hope it gets on screen soon before Milla Jovovich gets old for this. The 3D effects were, not bad but it's also a case of having 3D for the sake of having it only. They don't need to be there.
______________________

I've trying to catch Grown Ups for the past few weeks and for 1 reason or another I kept missing the chance to watch it. Well finally I caught it and I liked it alot! It's Adam Sandler style comedy at it's best. Really funny and apt jokes, although some are just lame and sick. It's really enjoyable and really relaxing movie to watch. And like always there's always a moral of the story included. This time it's simple enough. Just see the quotes below.

Stressed out Singaporeans out there!! Watch it!!

Spikefire ratings:


Resident Evil - Afterlife (3D)
Story & Plot: 6 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 8 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Grown Ups

Story & Plot: 8 out of 10

Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10

Overall: 7.5 out of 10

Favourite Lines:

Resident Evil - Afterlife
This movie is never about the lines.... hahaaa.

Grown Ups
Coach: Today's game, all of you played your best. Play exactly the way we wanted to and when the buzzer sounded, we were champions. Now, I want you all to live your life like how you played the game today. So when that final buzzer of life sounds.. you have no regrets.
________
Salma Hayek: How did you miss that last shot? You never miss that shot.
Adam Sandler: Sometimes Lennys have to learn to lose while others learn to win.
_______
watch the movie for the jokes.

Resident Evil Official Website

Grown ups Official Website


Pictures

Knight and Day

Watched @ Cathay Downtown East

Comedic action thriller which will leave you very lost for the most of the movie. BUT!! this is not the kind of movie you watch for the story line. Watch it for the comedy, watch it to be disgusted how cool tom cruise can still act like. Oh not to mention the camera angles which have to be constantly adjusted to make him look like he's taller than Diaz. Put aside the vague plot and pointless twists, it's actually entertaining!! Muahahaa...

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 6 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 6.5 out of 10


Favourite Lines:

Milner: [from trailer] Some people are gonna come looking for you now.
June Havens: Why?
Milner: They'll tell you I'm mentally unstable and violent and dangerous and it will all sound very convincing.
June Havens: I'm already convinced.
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June Havens: [from trailer] The pilots are dead!
Milner: Yeah, they've been shot.
June Havens: By who?
Milner: By me. No, actually, I shot the first pilot then he accidentally shot the second pilot. It's just one of those things.




Official Website


Pictures

Karate Kid

Watched @ The Cathay

Re-make of the old Karate Kid but with many twists. White kids becomes black, karate becomes kung fu, Japan becomes China. Well that just show how much world perception has changed. Japan used to be the up and coming nation with all the high tech stuff and super efficient economy, but my china is the new dragon, everything is about china.

There's quite a bit of chinese propaganda in the movie. The movies seems to put the country in a pretty good light. It's nice to know that US movies are trying to change the image of china being backward and old.

The action sequences in the show are pretty tight. Perhaps that's Jackie Chan's credit. His trade mark funny actions are still there but much less intensity. Age played a pretty big part, his character ages too.

This is a good movie to watch. Entertaining and Yu Rong Guang is always good at being the villian. haha.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 7 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Favourite Lines:
Dre Parker: You don't know the rules?
Mr. Han: Simple. You hit him, don't let him hit you. 

Official Website

Pictures

Backup Plan

Watched @ GV Marina

Romantic comedy starring J Lo, it's been awhile since seeing her on the big screen.  It's good entertainment. Plot is nice and catchy with good laughs thru out the show. highly recommended for a good time.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 8 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 6 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Official Website

Pictures

Bounty Hunter

Watched @ The Cathay

Another Gerard Butler movie that comes of the assembly line. His movie are coming out so fast, there's hardly time to forget his previous one. The problem with this one is that it totally reminds me of the ugly truth, not totally the same, but there's essence of the previous show in it. That is a bad thing.

The other bad thing is that the plot is quite filled with loopholes. the opening and finale are just lousy. Not plots that are well thought off, just plots that are trying to give gerard butler a movie, so that they can squeeze as much $$ as they can out of him while he is still the popular man. disappointing. Notice how far he has fallen in movie standard ever since 300? tsk tsk tsk

There nothing much to say abt jennifer aniston, she is in her typical role. boring cos it's the same her, but than again, that's the her I wanna see. :P

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 4 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 6 out of 10
Overall: 5 out of 10

Favourite Lines:
Nicole Hurley: Life is making mistakes.
Milo Boyd: And death is wishing you had made more.

Official Website


Pictures

Date Night

Watched @ GV Vivo

Hilarious comedy, the plot is NOT out of this world, just a series of unfortunate events. Nothing very memorable, but being memorable is not the point for comedies. The laugh is all that counts, and laughs I've really had quite a few.

I think Steve Carrell has been typecast, his roles are more or less the same, goofy, underachieving guy who whacks out a good thing or two at the end of the movie. Tina Fey, i think it's the first time i've ever seen her a a lead. She's been around for ages and got famous for mimicking Sarah Palin. Great performance by the leading duo, good chemistry. They really did take my on a good comedic ride.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 8 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 6 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Official Website

Pictures

The Rebound

Watched @ PPStream

A love story about a woman with 2 children who just got divorced and a younger man who just got jilted. It's a simple and straight forward love story. No huge bad guys in this story, it's all sweet and inspiring for the most of it.

Simply nice and entertaining.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 7 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Pictures

Being Human

Watched @ GV Marina

The plot is simple, employee (Mark Lee) of a slimming company got fired. He got angry and wants to take revenge, he did so by setting up his own slimming centre and went to ridiculous lengths to outdo his former employers. And while he was doing his deeds, he often is face with his inner conscious, who magnifest himself as NoNo, rationale of the inner conscious looking different from the person? Ugly thoughts make the inner conscious look ugly.

Slapstick comedy, funny spurts here and there, overall it's still acceptable. The biggest no no lies in the ending, lame lame lame!!! this is wat happens when people run out of ideas. Oh the camera effects, very amateurish!!!

So watch it if you enjoy Jack Neo's comedic sense, but you can also watch it if you wanna see who his mistress. The character's Mark Lee's sister-in-law.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 6 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 5 out of 10
Overall: 5.5 out of 10

Pictures

Up in The Air

Watched @ Funshion

The story is basically about Ryan (George Clooney), a guy that flies about more than staying put; a guy who flies about just to fire people the company management are too chicken to. To me it's an interesting plot to begin with, hell I never knew you can have a job out of firing someone. Anyway, it's an interesting plot, Ryan is a loner, who is trying to deceive himself that he is alright being alone, and he even sidelines by going around teaching people how it is alright to be alone.

Natalie (Anna Kendrick), the understudy to Ryan, trying to learn the real meaning of firing someone while she tries to organise the whole process into some clockwork procedure. Ryan has a theory that firing someone is not just "firing" someone, it encompasses much more, and it's something very personal and have to be handled with care. Ain't that an irony with his "it's alright to be alone" attitude, once again, it's interesting.

A-list actors provided A-list acting, it's very believable at the end of the day. That's what makes movies good.
Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 7 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10


Favourite Lines:
Ryan Bingham: [on getting through airport security] Never get behind old people. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal and they never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love 'em.

Natalie Keener: That's racist.
Ryan Bingham: I'm like my mother, I stereotype. It's faster.
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Alex Goran: What a weasly prick.
Natalie Keener: Yeah, but what does that make me? Someone who falls for a prick.
Alex Goran: We all fall for the prick. Pricks are spontaneous, they're unpredictable and they're fun. And then we're surprised when they turn out to be pricks.
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Ryan Bingham: You know why kids love athletes?
Bob: Because they screw lingerie models.
Ryan Bingham: No, that's why we love athletes. Kids love them because they follow their dreams.
Official Website


Picture

72 Tenants

Watched @ FilmGarde Kallang Leisure Park

It's a slapstick comedy for the Chinese New Year season. It has a HUGE cast consisting of almost all the leading stars in HK's TVB station. THe comedy effects are quite powerful, but it could have been much better if we could watch it in the original cantonese version.

Acting is quite good considering it's mainly for the comedic effects.

On the whole, it's good family entertainment for the holiday season.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 7 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 8 out of 10
Overall: 7.5 out of 10

Official Website

Pictures

Little Big Soldier

Watched @ Cineleisure lvl 9

This is Jackie Chan's production, and the result is simply a typical Jackie Chan production. In his type of productions, the storyline doesnt matter, and pointless twists often occur.Comedy is quite effective in the show and the acting required is quite limited, hence focus lands on the action sequences. The action this time is not bad but could have been more.

So my recommendations for this movie is simple, lower expectations and you'll just enjoy the little things in the show.
Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 6 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 6.5 out of 10


Favourite Lines:
挺好的。(this is selected simply for the number of times it was used!!!)

Pictures

The Spy Next Door

Watched @ Cineleisure lvl 9

Just catched the show late last night, and surprisingly the cinema is a full house on a monday midnite session. Even though the cinema has nothing more than 10-12 rows, a full cinemas once again prove that there are LOADs of Jackie Chan fans in singapore. WOAH!!

The plot of the story is quite solid, cause it's simple and logical. Although I'm not sure about CIA ever loaning agents from China, especially in this currently political climate. Well, let's says it's plausible. hahaa.

The introduction into the movie was a short clip of Jackie Chan's poast movies, that was pretty cool. He has really done many movies with similar themes. Comedy is always present in his movies. In this one, the action is still quite amazing given his age.

Therefore, simple watch and enjoy.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 7 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Favourite Lines:
Bob Ho: Family is not about blood relations, but about the people you love and the people who loves you.
Official Website

Pictures

Alvin & The Chipmunks 2

Watched @ GV Marina

The only reason why someone would watch this movie is to enjoy the squeeky songs of the chipmunks. And I happen to be one of those 'someone's, this sequel features the female counterparts of the chipmunks. I seriously never knew they were called the chippettes.

There's only 4 points I would like to share abt this movie and that should sum up everything.

1. Simon and Jeanette, are so BRAINY!!
2. Alvin & Britney, just cool and stylo, but not really my type.
3. Theodore & Elenore are super cute and FAT!
4. I simply love they squeeky songs!! hehee

Oh 1 last thing, Zachery Levi, is still funny like he was in Chuck! It's pretty much Chuck in Chipmunks.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 6 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 8 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Official Website

Pictures

Lesbian Vampire Killers

Watched @ PPStream

Basically this show is so BAD!! so bad, the lesbians are pretty much the only watchable thing the whole movie. I think UK movies have big issues with comedy, they just cant do it. The only comedy they come up with nowadays are C-rate movies like this one. Shitty, the plot is really really lousy, except for a few lame laughs there's not much to it. Oh btw, this movie features one of the WEAKEST vampires ever to hit the screen. Perhaps even the zombies in zombieland were harder to kill.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 3 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 4 out of 10
Overall: 4 out of 10

Pictures

Zombieland

Watched @ Cineleisure lvl 4

Pure zombie entertainment. The show is kindda like a narration of a survival of a few people in the US which has been totally zombified. The actors in this film are actually A-listers, not the kind you would find in a usually B-rate film. I guess they made the flim really enjoyable and watchable. But first I have to say, zombies are totally not scary, they are grossed but not scary, just imagine semi-paralysed and senile. HAHAHA!!

It even shows Bill Murray as himself in the movie, what a joke!! This movie had us laughing from start till the end. Especially with the lame "rules" in order to stay alive. Think about "seatbelts" & "sunscreen" lame shit!!

Pure entertainment, nothing else to it, it's not there to make sense. Just for laughs and a few shock moments. Good watch for stress relieve.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 5 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 6 out of 10
Overall: 6 out of 10

Favourite Lines:
Little Rock: Who's Bill Murray?
Tallahassee: ...I've never hit a kid before... I mean, that's like asking who Gandhi is.
Little Rock: Who's Gandhi?

Official Website

Pictures

Blue Mansion

Watched @ GV Marina Square

A long awaited local production by Glen Goei. This is a black comedy revolving around the death of a wealthy and powerful pineapple tycoon. This is a different form of comedy to the type of local stuff we are so used to with Jack Neo. This is closer to the style of $ell Out, a malaysia production I saw earlier this year.

I basically enjoyed the show, it's long actually 100mins... but it gets me gripped and hooked. I like it.

Go watch it for a dose of english humor...

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 8 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7.5 out of 10

Official Website

Julia & Julie

Watched on 15 Oct @ Cineleisure lvl 9

This is my type of movie, cos it involves food!! and it praises the wonderful beauty of food. Lot's of delicious food on cameo, hahaa.. Yum!

This movie is actually an adaptation of 2 true stories, first one is an autobiography of Julia Child, played by Meryl Streep, "My Life in France". The other is a blog or memoir by Julie Powell, in which she challenges herself to finish all the Recipes in Julia Child's cookbook, 524 recipes in 365 days.

The stories basically revolves around these 2 unrelated ladies going thru tough times in their lives and somehow FOOD, just made everything better. And how they manage to turn their lives around with food. Interestingly, the 2 stories are set in 2 different time frames, about 2 different and unrelated people, yet they do have so much in common. It's nice I tell you.

Pay attention to the script, witty lines are of plenty.

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 9 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 7 out of 10
Overall: 8 out of 10

Official Website

Pictures

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3D

Watched on 11 Oct @ Cathay AMK

This ia a animated film which originated from a children's storybook of the same name. The storyline is simple and follows that norm of children storybooks, simple and easy to understand. It's about a young many on a tiny island famous for sardines, trying to get out of his sardines lifestyle pursuing his inventor dream. And when he finally though his invention is working and he gets famous, things go very very wrong...

What I like about the movie?

I like the 3D, I just like the feeling of falling food, oversized food falling from the sky. It's a DREAM COME TRUE!! hahaa.. But I do have reservations about the jello house, not my cup of tea... Still I like falling food.. hehe..

What I couldnt stand??

Not Sure if it's the movies or the cinema, I just find the 3D movies we have are just not 3D enough, you can see the depth in the pictures, but there's still no "jummping at you" feeling.

Overall it's an entertaining show, makes you feel good after a long tough day...

Spikefire ratings:
Story & Plot: 6 out of 10
Audio & Visual: 8 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10

Favourite Lines:

Earl Devereaux: You see this contact lens?
Flint Lockwood: Yeah?
Earl Devereaux: This contact lens represents you! And my eye represents my eye!
[Puts on contact lens]
Earl Devereaux: I've got my *eye* on you!

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Sam Sparks: You may have seen a meteor shower, but I bet you've never seen a shower "meatier" than this.

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Earl Devereaux: I know we all blame Flint for this. In fact, the minute he steps out of that car, I'm gonna slap him in the face. He made a mess of things, but that mess was made to order, and it's time we pay the bill.

Official Website

Pictures