I became interested in the book after reading that it would be made into a feature film. And if it was half as good as the Hunger Games trilogy, then I would be in for a treat.
I went into Audible and downloaded the book. It was rather gripping listening to it on the way to work. So, earlier this week, Anita and I went to watch the movie at the cinema.
The review was not that great, but I must say that the movie was better than expected. The director did take some creative liberty in the storyline but it was clear that they plan to film the whole trilogy and must still needed to be explained in the end.
Great night out. Whether knowing the storyline beforehand made the movie less enjoyable? I wasn't too sure. I would be listening to the rest of the trilogy before the next instalment most definitely.
I would definitely recommend it to whoever who was into Hunger Games.
As part of Irfan's birthday weekend, we took the boys for the new Lego movies. And a few of his buddies attended as well. We filled up a couple of rows and caused mayhem to those who were there. But it was great fun.
The movie itself was something unique. It featured Lego animation. And by animation, I didn't mean stock motion stuff. It was difficult to describe actually. One of my friend saw it in 3D and felt that the effect was seen a lot more.
It was a standard fare, with beautiful graphics although the storyline was rather a disappointment personally. It did its job however as all the children screamed for Lego toys at the end of the movies.
In terms of recommending the film, it wasn't exactly the worst movie I've seen in the last couple of years. Decent entertainment value, but that was just about it. Nothing special. I was also surprised by the fact that it was rated PG13. Maybe because some of the dialogues were quite crass.
Now that the movie was over, we could get on with the rest of the weekend festivities ...
I wanted to catch this movie when it was playing in the cinema but for some reason, I didn't have the chance to do so. In the end, I got a copy of this movie at my usual supplier and watched it last night.
It was a foreign, uncensored copy and it was more violent than I bargained for. But the plot was rather interesting, although I felt that the director could have taken a different approach to the storytelling. As it was, the plot seemed rather straightforward and predictable.
It revolved around Matt Damon's character, a petty criminal who chose a straight path. After an incident at his workplace, he had to return to his underworld past as he had only 5 days to live without treatment at a future habitat in Earth's orbit populated by the wealthy ala Wall-E.
The journey to get there formed the bulk of the plot, when he came across a childhood crush. They ended up helping each other out, leading him making the ultimate sacrifice.
The special effect was top-notch and the acting was appropriate for the characters and the cast were fantastic. Unfortunately the payback at the end was rather predictable. The backstory offered so much more and the screenwriter could've told the story from a different perspective, rather than taking a narrow look to the story development. The stake felt lighter than it ought to be due to the choices the director took.
As for the violence, I felt that some of them was not warranted and did little to progress the plot. It was pure gore and indulgence in the end.
I would definitely recommended it for the sci-fi fans such as myself, but a summer blockbuster this may be not. The story arch could've been different and itbwoukd have served the audience better. The backstory definitely was stronger than what was portrayed in the film. And I could boldly suggests that they could've developed it into a TV series in the future. Have a look and see if you agree...
As mentioned, my boys had been keen on watching Frozen for the last couple of months. Since it opened last week, they had been harping on about it. And with Idlan going for his bersunat on Wednesday, we had to do it sooner rather than later.
So, off we went on a late night show last Sunday evening.
It was a 3D show. Armed with the oversized goggle-glasses, we took out seats and was immediately stunned by the opening short-video to warm us up before the main event. And might as well.
I left the theatre with mixed feelings after the show was done. Yes, I didn't hold my attention enough that I actually dozed off for quite a bit. The story were both mechanical and predictable. It stuck to the tried and tested Disney animated fantasy of yesteryears to the T. As a result, it got boring pretty quickly.
Pretty princesses. Checked. Charming sidekicks. Checked. Plucky tunes. Checked. Lived happily ever after at the end. Checked. But unfortunately, it was no Little Mermaid. No Ariel. No Sebastian. No "Under the Sea". Great effort, but failed to fulfil the high expectation that Disney themselves created.
I would still recommend it to young families as the trip would no doubt still be enjoyable. The animation was nothing short of spectacular, but in the end, they were all just eye candy. And the 3D effect was A-MA-ZING!
Verdict from my boys? Idlan was amazed at the 3D but for Irfan, not so. They would still get the DVD later when it comes out though.
Not done with a long day with the kenduri, we went out for a late nighter. Watching Frozen at Signature and returning home well after midnight. A first outing watching a movie on 3D. Quite impressive.
Sad to report that I slept through the middle third of the movie. I just couldn't stay awake. In between I could hear the gasp from the boys, while munching on their fries and popcorn.
The theatre was just too comfortable ...
Will blog about the movie later. But the initial verdict was Idlan enjoyed the 3D more than Irfan. I think it had something to do with the fact that the 3D glasses didn't fit Irfan terribly well. It was a touch too big for him despite using a children size. I also had some issues since I was wearing my usual glasses underneath.
The effect was amazing though ...
I was suffering from it this morning, having to wake up as usual for work with not enough sleep ..... Sipping on my coffee when I started this entry.
Saturday, April 19, 2014 at 6:56PM 
