Change Your Image
oh_doroubo
Reviews
Moonlight (2007)
A great recent vampiric-theme series
The TV channels were flooded with drama, suspense, sex and lies and so much it becomes a boredom in these recent years. I am an avid "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel"'s fan and "Moonlight" gave another opportunity to embrace the supernatural side of the early 21st century's TV-series after the fall of Joss Whedon's vampire spin-off franchise. Thankfully, I was in the mood of watching supernaturals-themed series (particularly vampires) after the finale of "Vampire Knight" and the synopsis of a private investigator vampire catches my eyes almost immediately when I was in my regular DVD-store.
However, to be honest, I was very disappointed that the show is canceled after 16 episodes when I had just watch the series earlier this week. This show deserve a second season and a second chance to gain a definite cult status. Other TV-series might have done well in the beginning, but after a couple of seasons, it become a disappointment. But, I can't really find fault when "Moonlight" is battling with the American's writers strike and the mushrooming franchise of newer moderately normal series that most people would relate to.
However, some characters names might be unoriginal but the plot flow is good enough to sit back with the normal detective-theme story. The human-to-vampire effects were much better than any average vampire but the accompanied growling and wolf-like sound effects kind of damping the intended messages of the story and some of the villains do have a rather disappointing end and the idea of evil human were kind of stunted when obviously they were against a much powerful creature. But like recent action movies, the stunts does exceed the expectation of normal action series and the transition between the cast and stuntman is not that obvious.
Mick St. John is undeniably Mr. McDreamy the Vampire (I can say this again and again.. lol) He's unlike the 'normal' brooding kind although he did have a darker past. He's pretty much normal guy with normal emotion and he can smile but have a tendency to like cold blood and using his ability to gain a very unbalanced advantages to human evils which is predictable after a few episodes.
Romance in this series is much lesser than to normal vampire romances even when the elements is implemented and the chemistry was there and honestly, this series can be G-rated compared to conventional mysterious and sensual-theme with blood lust vampire shows but then again this remain questionable by several episodes. But the writers were seriously taking almost everything in the safer side of the show (when some scenes can be redone in a more dramatic and even on the borderline of normal) and seldom experimenting that the story is sadly actually becoming a B-movie like.
Moonlight is entertaining and give an alternative to other recent supernatural-theme series. Since its canceled, I just hoping that there would be another franchise to compliment this.
But I still love the series even if it has flaws.
BloodRayne (2005)
Its bad, and then... not bad... but is bad
Sincerely, I'm an avid movie goer and also a gamer. I enjoy watching movie that were derived from a game and vice versa. Compare to all, I guess, this movie is barely acceptable.
I like the actress who played as Rayne (Kristanna Loken). Her outfit and her appearance could really pass off as the game, Rayne. But her flaws lies in her acting. One moment, she was feeble and weak and the next, she was Xena and then she become a damsel and then Buffy. How can Rayne looks tough and then weakens whenever someone empowers her?! She had her specialties and her skills but she truly doesn't know how to use her head. I'm disappointed, It gives bad name to one of my favourite game character.
There's also a few characters who had less use in the movie (and non-existence in the game) who only acts as a side characters who does nothing but complicating the storyline.
The script needs to rewrite since the character and the story lines are confusing and unrealistic.
The ONLY thing that was not flawed in the movie is the outfit and the sets. However, Rayne looks too out of the time in her outfit and her hair do. Its medieval right?
To director : Less out-of-the-story 'romance' and unrelated scenes and more gory and blood and character improvement. It seems the movie is trying to make do from the stunts than the story lines, its sadly disappointing. The budgets could be lessen in making the character grew than hiring stuntman. Its Rayne in the making, not Rayne ready in made.
This movie is preferably for extreme die-hard fans who are literally immune to the flaw of the acting.
movies : 3 by 10 actor/actress : 5 by 10 stunts : 7 by 10 story lines : 2 by 10 sounds : 6 by 10
Personally : I'm disappointed, terribly disappointed.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
What can I say...
I still don't get western movies... always show Asians as either Japanese, Chinese or India. There's another ethnics but that notion would be preferred as racist.
The cons in the movie ;I just don't get the singing part in the beginning. The Willie woman is soo annoying (kept screaming and such) The bugs scenes is cool. But I would never dream of going in there.
Anyway, I love this movie... because it got my favorite actors like Harrison Ford and Amrish Puri (he appears in most film as a bad guy, very earnest looking and serious).
Overall, this is a timeless favorite that should be watch by every generation. Its pity nowadays kids don't know who is Indy.
Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam (2004)
Plausible to be watch
I still don't get how the Spanish people see this film to give them awards... OK.. I still sing "Pulangkan" in my shower, the main song by Misha Omar and that song still haunts me.. in a good way. And Maya Karin is a good actress but the film is bad on the 'to be scared' part which is non-existent. However, Maya Karin is the most beautiful vampire I ever seen... next to Kate Beckinsale, of course.
I had to admit, this film is the one of the two film that seem to have passed the image quality in Malaysia for the past years after P Ramlee... (the other is Puteri Gunung Ledang) but I had to admit that long-film directors need to be creative or at least gain more experience like to see more western movies. The image quality and the storyline are synchronized in the western side or at least at China or Japan or the country around us. But I did not mean that they need to have sex and shredded clothing. I still think that Malaysia's advertisement (like Petronas and etc) and short-film are wonderful and creative. I think, these people should have the privilege to direct long-films...
The storyline is acceptable and fairly simple. But what confuses me the most is the fact that if you add stupid comments like... look between your legs to see ghost... it would be too superstitious and unrealistic and too uncivilized; since your bottom is in the movie I sincerely don't get that for the first time.
The audio is good unless you have to comment on the side where too much Pulangkan songs in the middle of the show and the red-teary eyed and weird makeup. Marsani looks like he had talc powder in his hair. Even I can do that kind of makeup trick. Erra Fazira and Yusry do much better on that.
The scene where Ana and Norman were in their house and Meriam tried to scare them... doesn't work. More like a child's scream (this is suppose to be a horror right?) and as an audience, naturally we knew what's going to happen next if the character went silent for seconds.
As a Malaysian teen who sometime writes stories and script, I've develop a conclusion that younger generation should have a chance in this industry without the limits of over-18 in various genre. I publish better vampire stories and adult love stories than these old folks does. Even Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam script seems to be so lame.
But the dance choreograph and the set is marvelous like in Puteri Gunung Ledang.
And for your information, the flower in the movie is not Harum Sundal Malam. My mom and dad says that Harum Sundal Malam is different.
Anyway, the sequel is coming. And yes, I think it would be more confusing than ever. But Rusdi Ramli is going to be in it :)
The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004)
Fine
This movie was shown in Hallmark and at first I didn't mind it since I don't know who is Natalie Wood herself (considering my non-interest to old US movies). Since my mom watch the movie and there was nothing to do on that day, I sat next to her and then... I was in awe.
I usually didn't care much about this A-child-growing-to-be-a-teenage-to-be- mother-and-then-die kind of story but I spend the hours till the end with tears. (seriously) I was intrigue with the actresses like Justine Wadell and Alice Krige, they are such great actresses to portray their character with all their might.
Overall, the movie was a great recollection of the days of Natalie Wood for her fans and also non-fan (like me). After that, I bought most of her old movies like West Side Story, Rebel Without a Cause and etc (which is, solely for my English Lit revision as I was studying Shakespeare for Romeo and Juliet)
Sípková Ruzenka (1991)
Interesting..
I was playing neopet when I heard some weird English dubbing from the TV set downstairs. I rush down and saw my mom and sister watching this movie in TV1. Fortunately, my PC was next to the TV and I watch it upstairs.
It was the part Prince William hanging and give a rose to Princess Rose.
It is quite forgiven for the movie was made in 1990s but then I'm surprise that the prince was more prettier than the princess. Although some scene may be dull and the English dubbing is weird (always weird...) and the people acting is kinda stiff (the result of the dubbing). I enjoy it nicely.
But, The princess seems to be too soft for my liking.
Then 100 years later, it was the Prince's grandson turn, (which stars the same actor) and rescue the princess.
This version of Sleeping Beauty is not all that boring but you can still enjoy the show.
I prefer Kaori Yuki's version of Sleeping Beauty in Ludwig from Betu Hana to Yume, though, the princess died after Prince Ludwig gave her the kiss. Very sad version.
Fantaghirò: Fantaghirò (1991)
I Love This Show!!!!!!!
My most favorite is the first movie. Fantaghiro is truly my inspiration of my dream princess in my book.
Although I prefer watching it in Italian but TV2 only had it in English. I want to buy the full movies but it is rare in Malaysia. Maybe I go to Italy and went through all their DVD stores.
I watch this... when I was 7 or 8.... the TV2 made re-runs every year but it stop when I was about 10.. sad...
The perks in the first movie is when Fantaghiro disguise as a man. My favorite part is at the swimming competition, when she wore a lot of clothes and made a desperate sigh. So cute.
Although few awkward scene like, How come her hair grew long after she cut it? And how come the short hair style is the same through ALL the movies? And grew back LONG?!?!?!? She wear a wig or something??? After the first movie, the second movie seems nice but I don't like the puppet part and the White Witch actress had change.
In the third movie, I don't like Tarabas much and Romualdo part in the movie only in a few minutes.
What worst in the forth, THERE ARE NO ROMUALDO!!! My interest dull around Tarabas parts. Still hanging around with a married woman?? I accept if the producer gave him a love interest but Fantaghiro is Romualdo's!! I don't like much a lot of new characters as I prefer the old ones. As the movies grew, the lesser the original characters is.
There's a lot of voice castings, re-scene and so on.
But still, The Cave of The Golden Rose 1 is worth the full stars.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
Just a bit...
I admit, I love the movie.
But I would prefer watching the Japanese version than English version.
The movie is like the second version of Final Fantasy 8 except the movie is full FMV.
But I expected Square-Enix's Final Fantasy 7 - Advent Children would be better than this since I love fighting scenes while I only watch shotgun at some transparent orange thingy.
Recently when I watch it, I think the effects in the movie is like the other version of Star Wars without Jedi.
I then found out that I prefer watching the movie twice and the interactive in the DVD is kind of a side dish.
You get tired watching this. Many dull scene but the main interest in the movie is Aki's hair.
Puteri Gunung Ledang (2004)
The flaws and the flawless of PGL
I am totally disappointed on some Malaysian who look down to this movie. Obviously they are more interested on seeing handsome male actors and beautiful damsel in distress Hollywood actress than the movie itself.
I adore Tiara's part as Puteri Gusti as she is more suitable with the part. They appear like a stick is because they are royalty. And they are supposed to be like that! (I mean, polished) Can you imagine a bubbly and clumsy princess with no sense of grace. She even had to do hard work to be like a royalty!
The film is satisfying since this is the first malay film I've seen in the cinema.
However, the language held a mild usage of old Malay. But most Malaysian wont understand them if they put all of them like prosa tradisional in malay literature text book.
Sofia Jane who plays as Tun Teja makes a good impression as a jealous wife. However the sultan is so cynical to me. (Especially the scene where the camera focused on his teeth..... .... ....)
The bad part is the leaf scene. The person who plays as Orang Kaya had a bad sense of imagination. His eyes don't actually follows when the leaf fall on the ground.
However, the movie don't show much of the people at Java. I know that Majapahit is a great country at that time. But the movie shows little on that.
The fighting scene with the eclipse is the obvious flaw in the movie and what the use of the huge boulder? I was wondering if they decide to clone Stonehenge for all the sudden.
Last and not least, the English subtitle in the cinema. I confess that the person had bad sense of literature. Like the curse of 'Memuntahkan Darah' translated as 'vomiting blood'. It is true that a person would be cursed when seeing the princess but logically, they should put 'death' instead.
Through lots of version of Puteri Gunung Ledang that I've read. There was a version that says the Sultan's wife is dead and he have to find another wife and wanted a wife that is more different than average princess. Thus he chooses the princess of Mount Ledang. and there was a part where he didn't try to kill his son and refuse the offer of marrying her.
The flying keris is cool! and the part where Gusti change her appearance to an old lady with gloomy background. It suits the scene!
The silat scene at the beginning of the movie really fascinates me. It was less than what I've expected. The sounds, the choreography was magnifique!! I always see in most malay movie which had dumb kung fu acts with lousy sound effect. To be honest, it was wonderful than Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
But it lasted until the fighting eclipse scene. It was disappointing.
I am expecting more when they had some epic movie in future. I was wondering if they might interested on making the Langkawi famous myth about Mahsuri.
I am agree that Malaysian movie industry is starting to bloom and they should have spent more time on perfecting their skills on catching the scene and put them perfectly in story lines and actors and actress than focusing on budgets, make ups and stupid computer generated scenes.... they wont work... honestly.
Finally, we can see Malay film that is good in quality.