.Monday, December 17, 2007 ' 1:58 AM Y
It occurred to me that I forgot to do that promised review of Alvin and The Chipmunks. So now I have to review 2 movies instead of 1, because I watched The Warlords today at Marina Square.
First up: Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Very comedy, very funny, very cute. Of course, as the title says it all, the main focus of the whole movie are the 3 chipmunks, Alvin, Theodore and Simon. Very uber cute and everything, just that towards the end of the movie, its gets a little well... Over. You know how the most delicious, richest chocolates start to taste a little sickening when it gets too sweet? Yea, like that. Its cute to have 3 chipmunks singing in a cutesy voice and everything. Its something different, but it also gets sickening after awhile. Of course, the effects wear off the next day.
Okay! Sorry for digressing. The only thing likeable about the whole movie was the chipmunks. In all, there's nothing really much special about the movie, just that you're being entertained by 3 cute voices. That's all. Of course, you get your usual male and female lead who end up being together, but that part of the plot doesn't really get much exposure to the audience. If the movie got nominated for some movie awards or something, don't be surprised if its the chipmunks who get into any nominations and not the human leads.
Overall, its lighthearted enough a movie, but nothing substantial that makes you think or reflect or anything. You just walk out of the cinema after having a good laugh and go home for a good night's sleep. Full-stop. Nothing to savour, no after tastes. Catch it if you have nothing better to do and just wanna enjoy the day, but you wanna weigh your choices well, sacrificing this movie wouldn't be that much of a deal. Haha. 3 stars max. Out of 5.
Now for The Warlords:
Its not rated NC16 for nothing. I'm not justifying the rating, but there's enough bloodshed for OUR government to rate it that way. Please try to understand that they're just trying to protect the underaged ones from watching people's blood splash out from their throats or wherever they're stabbed. Please try to ignore the knowledge that the minors are being challenged to sneak their way in or are probably patient enough to wait until the VCD's out and get someone to buy it for them. You know, so that the economy can flourish better.
Anyway, back to the movie. For something fictional, its definitely a script worth getting nominated for an award. Although not on the same par as Lord of the Rings, this movie might just become one of the better ancient war movies produced in Asia so far. To summarize the whole plot in one sentence, its a story about brotherhood and betrayal between the 3 brothers portrayed by Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro, from eldest brother to youngest.
For a movie that's supposed to be solemn and dark, the cinema I was in happened to be full of laughter at all the unexpected scenes. They weren't supposed to be funny, but one person just started laughing and the rest dissolved as well. For most part of the movie, you'll be watching people at war, slashing at each other for lands, and in the midst, you get to witness the leadership of Jet Li's character, General Pang, and admire the respect they show for the 3 brothers, especially the 2 elder ones.
There are two ways to interpret the ending. You can see it as betrayal, or you can see it as sacrificing a brother for the imminent war that's going to rip apart another few thousands of civilian lives. It all depends on how you choose to see it. Don't expect fairytale endings where they lived happily after, but there's nothing to feel sad about either. Haha. Can't disclose the ending. 4.5 stars out of 5, because its definitely worth every cent of your ticket, unless you can't stand seeing so many people die.
I know I didn't do a very good job of reviewing this time round. My heart just wasn't in it. If you ignore the huge and super painful ulcer in my mouth, there's still the overwhelming load of projects that don't seem to be getting anywhere, as well as the need to do early revision for my academics because I'm sliding below average. And then there's that whirling machine that's supposed to be my brain. Its amazing how many thousands of different thoughts can be constantly streaming through your mind all at the same time. It just doesn't stop. Is it really a lack of sleep?
I'm getting bored of MapleStory. In fact, I'm getting bored of everything that's not work-related. I can go for days without touching my laptop, but there's nothing else better to do, so I blog and MSN everyday. 12 more hours before I start giving tuition again. I'm getting the jitters, because I haven't done this in close to 2 months and my brain might just be getting rusty.
Dear's thinking about majoring in Psychology. Don't see why that's so bad. Maybe he can be my shrink in future. Then I won't have to pay such exorbitant fees. Haha. Okay lah. I'll just go try and get some rest before my brain really bursts.
And really, if you have the time, go catch the above 2 movies in the cinemas, especially the latter. Adios!
