Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Movie Review)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Michael Bay’s newest & possibly last foray in the Transformers franchise is a total bust. I didn’t think he could’ve done it any worse than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen but he somehow managed to do it! Transformers: Dark of the Moon could very be the stinker of the year for me.

As usual I’ll do my best to not spoil the movie for any of you but here are 6 reasons why I hated Transformers: Dark of the Moon:

1. The 2 leads and had no chemistry at all! Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley made for a very terrible on-screen couple. I was actually hoping for a tragedy in order to see a spark of romance between them but nada…
2. The characters weren’t fleshed out and there was very little depth in both the Transformers and the human characters. I couldn’t find an emotional anchor that could help me relate to the events of the movie.
3. Some of the CG effects and character designs look like they were ripped off from The Matrix. The spinning worm thingy that Shockwave commands looks like a Matrix Sentinel somewhat in its worminess.
4. The movie was really violent and I daresay not the kinda stuff that kids (who are the biggest fans of the franchise right now I think; what with all the toys and all) shouldn’t be watching.
5. The Autobots were not heroes. Michael Bay depicted them terribly by potraying them as ruthless & heartless warriors. These are not the Autobots that I grew up with.
6. And last but not least; the plot was TERRIBLE. There were so many holes & inconsistencies that I could probably fly a Lockheed Blackbird through it. Where’s Jetfire when I need him?! Bad writing rears its ugly head here and this is probably the biggest gripe that most of us would have about the movie.

I’m really disappointed by this one even though I dialled down my expectations considerably. Michael Bay is one of my favourite directors when it comes to flashy visuals but somehow I did not enjoy the eye candy at all because of all the other negative things I felt as I watched the movie. A shiny wrapper does not make for good candy.

I give Transformers: Dark of the Moon an un-transformable 1 out of 5.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Movie Review)

Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps

I never would have caught this one if not for a friend who wanted to watch it and it surprised me by being good. The cast was strong and even though it was a long movie, there were quite a few insights about how the financial sector works. It’s frightening in a sense to realise that the global economy can be toppled so easily by greed and word-of-mouth.

Shia LaBeouf’s great in this one and Michal Douglas’ returns as Gordon Gecko (his character from the original film). The great thing about Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is that I never could figure out whether Gecko’s character was bad or good and I couldn’t figure out who was the actual “bad guy” in the movie. I suppose in hindsight greed was the true villain which is the truth in real life.

Anyways, I give Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps 4 Stars out of 5.

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

Ho-hum! A so-so watch. Sure, this Michael Bay-helmed flick had really great looking scenes and non-stop action but as a movie I felt it didn’t do as well as the first one. I couldn’t identify with any of the characters. The only saving grace about the movie was Optimus Prime, a very likeable & funny Shia LaBeouf and of a course a very delicious Megan Fox. The movie’s long and is a non-stop action ride but I still prefer the first one. Still this one is probably one of the most anticipated movies of summer so my 2 Star rating ain’t gonna stop you from watching this one. Catch it anyways-lah, it’s definitely worth a watch at the cinema.

Rating: 2 Stars

Eagle Eye

Eagle Eye

A must-watch! The story’s so-so BUT it is a non-stop thrill ride. The action sequences are amazing and just border over-the-topness. And surprise, surprise Michelle Monaghan is in it alongside the rising star Shia LaBeouf. Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Chiklis is in it too. The plot isn’t the most original but the direction and pace of the movie is perfect. The movie’s reaching it’s final leg in the cinemas so there’s still some time for you guys to catch it. It’s always a delight to watch Shia LaBeouf who is one of the better actors out there. Go catch it!

Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)

Indiana Jones is Back!

Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

I am so stoked. I just checked out the trailer for the upcoming Indiana Jones movie and just hearing the strains of the theme song & seeing the fedora in the opening few seconds got me going. Indiana Jones certainly brings back a lot of fond childhood memories and the whole high adventure magic of movies. Harrison Ford looks really good … I must say that when I heard of the new movie I wasn’t too sure but my fears are laid to rest by the trailer.

May 22nd folks. That’s when Indy’s gonna be swinging into cinemas. I am so thinking of getting the Indiana Jones boxed set now. Ha ha! The trailer certainly made me feel better even with this headache pounding on my skull now. Check out the trailer here.

Magic’s come back to cinema. Transformers’ Shia LaBeouf’s in it too I believe! Hooray! That kid’s certainly going places.

What an AWESOME Day

I had such an awesome day today. I mean it’s just such a joy to have had a good day and to have been pretty productive too.

I got up on the morning. Prepped the photos that I promised to make into prints for Yin Meng & the kids in Cambodia. Hit the gym, had a simple breakfast of 2 roti canais & some mutton curry then sent off a document to RIM (the recording industry association in Malaysia).

Then I finally got around to editing the recessional track for my cell member Jac’s wedding which is happening real soon in September. I got that done … sent out some work-related emails to follow-up getting distribution for Juwita’s album in SIngapore then I pushed off for Mutiara Damansara where I picked up some stuff for Yin Meng & also got the prints done. I’ll send all these items back with the August youth team from DUMC who’ll be flying to Cambodia on Monday.

The best part today was just having an epiphany of sorts. It’s been a struggle holding the fort at Four Forty Records and I believe God’s been preparing me a lot since I left my first job at Arachnid. I’m more prepared now to do this. To go the extra mile for Four Forty Records, I know that I must be prepared to make hard decisions and to even work extra hours. Right now the biggest challenge that we have is monetary and a small opportunity has opened up that might possibly allow for me to get a full-time position at my old ad agency Mantra. If that happens then it’ll solve my own personal finances while at the same time free up what little resources we have over at Four Forty to expend it on a proper accounts person to help us out part-time. If any of you are looking for a part-time accounts thing do feel free to drop me a line.

Anyways, I’ve been very wordy in this post. It has been a good day and it still hasn’t ended yet. I’ll be meeting up with my good friend Roland to catch up a bit over dinner & then it’s off to the movies. There’s nothing much on now so I’m relegated to watching DIsturbia which I hope will be good. That kid from Transformers is in it and he’s a decent actor. Of course I could be very much be influenced by some of the write-ups I’ve read about him.

That’s all from me today. Here’s to hopefully me returning to Mantra and also to have some of the flexibility I need to keep doing Four Forty Records and to grow it further.

Cheers!