Movie Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Hello! How's everyone doing? I'm so glad I have a free time today so I can upload my review of the last movie I've watched :)

I have been waiting for this movie to come out for so long because I am a fan of the book. if you want to read my book review, you can read it here. I also liked how the trailer showed how "dark" it is and that the producers & director didn't made it a PG 13 movie like what they did to Vampire Academy (that's so disappointing). I watched this with my fiance (who haven't read the book) and his sister (another fan of the book) on the 1st weekend airing. 

And I am so glad Veronica Roth is a co-producer because this movie really came out right off the book! Just like a live-action version :)

Synopsis:

"In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late." -IMDB

CASTS:

Shailene Woodley as Beatrice "Tris" Prior

Theo James as Four

Ashley Judd as Natalie Prior

Kate Winslet as Jeanine Matthews

To view all the cast click here.

MY REVIEW:

I'll make this review sweet & short. This movie is awesome! I can't believe how good it is, really. It's like how Hunger Games the movie is made, with the right emotions & "reality" that the story has in the book. It also contains majority of the important scenes to create the story and I think it's enough for those viewers who have not read the book itself. I asked my fiance if he enjoyed the movie & if he understood the story, and he said yes to both. Even my officemates (both gender) who watched it w/o any background of the book enjoyed it too! 

The side of me that is a fan of the book? I really had no problem with any of it. I hoped there are more scenes included but I understand that they can't fit everything in the movie. Hey, it's already over 2 hrs hehe I shouldn't be complaining anymore :) 

I also have no complaints with the casts. They really did a great job in hiring everyone because they did a fantastic job in putting life to the characters that I loved so much in the book. I especially love Theo as Four (he's such a total hunk hehe) & Shailene as Tris (doesn't she look like Kate Winslet on some angle?) because they have a believable on-screen chemistry and I love how their characters developed throughout the story. I'm excited to see more of them :)

Over-all Rating: 5/5

The best book to movie translation so far in my opinion. The acting is great, the fight scenes are awesome & the setting/props/production is superb! I can't wait for Insurgent next year and my then hubby already agreed to watch it with me again. This is really a must see movie so do watch it with your special someone or friends and I promise that you won't regret any minute of it :)

Thank you for dropping by!

Movie Review: 4 Sisters and a Wedding

Happy Monday everyone! I was planning to write this post last night after the movie but I was so sleepy that I decided to do this today instead. I watched 4 Sisters and a Wedding with my family (and family friends) and we got home around 11pm already. All of us have the same reaction with the movie so I guess it's no wonder that this film already have Php120million under its name in just 2 weeks of showing in the cinemas.

TITLE: 4 Sisters and a Wedding
DIRECTOR: Cathy Garcia- Molina

STUDIO: Star Cinema
GENRE: Romantic comedy, family
PLOT:
This is a story about 4 sisters who united after many years of separation and went home to try and stop the wedding of their one and only brother CJ to his girlfriend of 3 months.  During the process of thinking a plan to accomplish their goal, the sisters were faced with their own personal problems.

*photo credit: starmometer.com*

CASTS:
Toni Gonzaga as Theodora "Teddie" Salazar
Bea Alonzo as Roberta "Bobbie" Salazar
Angel Locsin as Alexandra "Alex" Salazar 
Shaina Magdayao as Gabriella "Gabbie" Salazar 
Enchong Dee as CJ "RebReb" Salazar


Connie Reyes as Grace (mother of Salazar siblings)
Sam Milby as Tristan (boyfriend of Bobbie)
Janus Del Prado as Frodo (co-worker of Teddie)
Angeline Quinto as Princess Bayag (fiancee of CJ)
Carmi Martin as Jeanette Bayag (mother of Princess)
Boboy Garovillo as Honey Boy Bayag (father of Princess)
Bernard Palanca as Chad (boyfriend of Alex)


MY REVIEW:
I so freaking love this movie! I can't stop laughing since scene 1 until the end credits. And I can say that I am not the only one laughing my ass off because all of the audience in the cinema were laughing and clapping together. This movie is really a feel good movie because even though it is comedy, it's not full of corny jokes. I believe it really is due to the execution because the casts have comedic timing when delivering their lines so it's more effective. Toni Gonzaga and Carmi Martin were exceptional in their acting and they were so believable that I laugh every time they say a line LOL ~

And since this is a Filipino film, a crying scene is a "necessity" and the confrontation between the Salazar sisters are spot on. It made me cry (and my sis and mom too) because the dialogue plus the great acting made it really reach the audience's hearts. I myself were able to relate to Teddie because I'm the eldest and her concerns were like mine. I guess the relate-ability of the scenes were the main reason why people liked these too.

I really love Cathy Garcia-Molina's works because I never got disappointed in them. I'm looking forward to more films from her :)

On a side note, Sam Milby is so hot in this movie! Even though there are a lot of speculation about his masculinity, no one can deny he is gorgeous. I really can't remove my eyes from him during the film because his role fit him well even though it's just a supporting role. Just a little fangirling for an eye candy like him haha.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I really, really love 4 Sisters and a Wedding! I am so glad I watched it because it has everything I want in a film: comedy, drama, love story. It is so balanced that my emotions were able to follow the flow of the scenes from comedy to drama to comedy so I was able to go out of the cinema with a light heart. I really recommend you all watch it. It's really worth the money and the time :)



Thanks for dropping by!

Movie Review: Warm Bodies

Happy Wednesday!


Me and the bf watched Warm Bodies last Saturday and I was meaning to post a review sooner but I didn't have time. It's still showing in cinemas so this review is still not that late and you can still watch it with your friends or love ones :)
 
TITLE: Warm Bodies
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Levine
RATED: PG13
GENRE: Zombies, Love Story, Dystopian, Comedy
AUTHOR OF THE BOOK: Isaac Marion
SYNOPSIS:
This is set in a time where there are zombies roaming around and the only safe haven for people are inside a compound surrounded by a high wall and protected by military. Every now and then, some volunteers were trained and set out into the open to get medical supplies and food for the people.

R is a zombie that has started to "think" and have found an urge to protect a girl named Julie who he have met during one of their search for food.

A new kind of friendship evolved and they found themselves changing not only themselves but also everyone around them.

CASTS:
Nicholas Hoult as R
Teresa Palmer as Julie

*for the rest of the cast, click here.


MY THOUGHTS:

To tell you guys honestly, I am not a fan of zombies because I get nightmares quite easily hehe...I have a very imaginative mind since I was a child and I don't like watching horror flicks. I didn't actually plan on watching this but my bf wanted to since this got a high rating over at Rotten Tomatoes (a site wherein they gather and summarize all ratings done by movie critics) and even the book have gotten lots of raves. So, yeah, I gave in and also because I was curious how they will make a zombie romance. I think it's kinda gross compared to vampire romance because zombies don't take a bath and only eats humans so they must smell bad, don't you think so? Anyway, I can't remove that from my mind while watching the whole movie but it didn't deter me to see why it did get a high rating.

First of all, everything was executed perfectly-- from shooting angles, the lighting, the acting and the effects. I really liked the storyline and I commend the author of the book for thinking about this because I believe this is the first approach to "humanize" the zombie genre. The way the story progressed made me changed my mind from being grossed out to being awed because I started appreciating the developments and connecting them to the whys. Although I haven't read the book, I think they still have really done a good job in this movie. Unlike with other novel-based movies, if you are not a fan of the book, it would be a little harder to understand what's going on in the film, but that's not the case here. Even those who are not familiar with the book can still enjoy and understand the movie.

I really enjoyed the humor they incorporated. They are very much scattered all over the movie and each time they arises it would make the whole cinema laugh! It's really that good and funny, I swear! There's no dull moments in this film which made me so thankful because even though I'm unsure about zombie romances at least it made me laugh a lot  :)

The guys who acted like zombies are awesome especially R and M. They can make the audience laugh even with only their zombie actions and short burst of "dialogues". I can't believe they were able to act that good as zombies.

 

On the side note, have anyone else noticed that the girl who acted Julie looks like Kirsten Stewart? There are some angles that they looks the same and I did double take a look. Luckily, Teresa Palmer acts a lot better which made this movie a lot more enjoyable. 







My favorite part of the movie? It was those moments when R is having a dialogue through his mind. Whenever he is thinking about something but can't say it out aloud because zombies can't talk. Yeah, those are the best because he is hilarious-- those comments are the bomb :)

TRIVIA: My bf told me that this story is kinda based a little from "Romeo and Juliet". When he mentioned that, you could definitely pinpoint which ones are from that famous love story. The names are a given (R for Romeo, Julie for Juliet and even M (R's zombie best friend) for Mercusio), the difference in social status, and the balcony scene too. There are a lot more but for someone who is not a fan of Romeo and Juliet, those 3 things are the only ones I know hehe.


OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5

Definitely a must see movie! Everything is perfectly executed and you can't go wrong with this one. It is also a good date night movie for Valentine's Day. I can't believe I watched a chick flick with my bf and hear him say "this is the best movie of 2013 so far" and if you know my bf, you should definitely believe it's great because he is so critical and hard to please.


Thanks for dropping by and Happy Valentines' Day!!

Movie Review: Hansel and Gretel The Witch Hunters

Happy Thursday! I have watched 2 movies back to back this week and here's my review on the first one :)

SYNOPSIS:
This movie is taken from the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" and continued on with a "what happened after" story of the siblings when they survived the witch that wants to eat them from the candy house --They became famous witch hunters.

CASTS:
Jeremy Renner as Hansel
Gemma Arterton as Gretel
Famke Janssen as Muriel

*for the complete cast click here*

MY REVIEW:

I want to be honest here, so I will start by saying I really enjoyed this movie! Although it is not perfect and it lacks depth in the story (what can you expect with a spin off tale based on a children's bed time book?), I really liked the fun factor it gave me. I know that I will forget this movie as time goes by, because I know it will be forgettable as this did not made too much impact on me, BUT I really enjoyed the 1.5 hours I stayed inside the cinema. I really think that is the main factor, really, when you watch a movie. You should definitely get engage and have fun as the story brings you to another world.

I wanted to give points to the special effects people because the CG animation are superb and well done. The stunts are also well choreographed and executed. There is a right balance of seriousness and sarcastic humor every now and then. I definitely enjoyed these one liner humor because it's so unexpected and the comedic timing is so right on haha. It really made the whole movie fun, in my opinion.

 Caution though to all parents who will bring their kids to watch. You should be aware that this contains a lot of violence and gruesome scenes where heads explode and extremities get cut off. There is also one nude scene (front and back exposure) in the movie paired with a making out, so if you're not comfortable for your kid to see that, I suggest you should be ready to block their eyes during the "pond/healing scene".

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5

So yeah, that's all the things I think I will say about the movie. It is not memorable and deep enough to be the best movie but it is so much fun to watch and I guarantee you will not get bored the whole time you're inside the cinema. ^_^

Thanks for dropping by!

[SPOILER] I just hope Hansel get to keep the pretty witch with him :(

Movie Review: Sisterakas

Happy Saturday everyone! 
I can't believe I'll be doing a review about a Filipino movie on my blog. I rarely watch movies and I am really picky which movies to watch but this one really caught my attention this Christmas season so I gave in and watched "Sisterakas" with my sis and her bf (yeah, I know, chaperone role LOL) ~

Anyways, since I have watched it and I have a lot to say about it, I decided to do a post and review it :)

DIRECTOR: Wenn V. Deramas
MAIN CASTS: 
Vice Ganda as Bernice
Ai-Ai Delas Alas as Detty
Kris Aquino as Roselle
Kathryn Bernardo as Kathy
Daniel Padilla as Angelo
Xyriel Manabat as Cindy

SYNOPSIS:
This is a story of Bernice and Detty, half-siblings that had different childhoods. As an adult, they met again but the role became reversed as Bernice became a very wealthy and successful businessman and Detty became poor. And then the arch rival of Bernice, Roselle, comes in to the story who is always trying to beat him in the business.

TRIVIA:
This is one of the 8 MMFF entries of 2012 that were shown this December 25. It became a blockbuster film on its first couple of days and is now considered the 2nd highest grossing Filipino film of all time (only second to Praybeyt Benjamin who is also starred by Vice Ganda). Nationwide earning: 1st day - P40M, doubled on the second day and it reached P207M after 7 days. Latest is P300M on it's 11th day airing.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisterakas


MY THOUGHTS:
I really enjoyed watching the movie. I think this is the second Filipino movie that I laughed so hard...first one being "Here Comes The Bride" in 2010. Vice Ganda and Ai Ai Delas Alas really carried the whole film from the beginning until the end...no dull moment. Kris Aquino, although part of the main cast, is actually forgettable. I've read that she was supposed to be the one playing Detty but needs to back out due to health reasons and since it is against the rules of MMFF for actors to back out, they just replaced her and hired Ai-Ai for the main role and gave Kris a smaller role to play.

That being said, I believe it is for the better. I think Kris doesn't suit the role of Detty in the first place and it is to the advantage of the film when they replaced her with Ai Ai who is really meant for comedy roles. Vice Ganda and Ai Ai's interactions on the film were never awkward and each line was delivered perfectly (comedic timing and all). Every scene has something funny to show so I never got bored while watching the film.

The clothes and makeup that Kris and Vice wore were stunning! I can't believe they were able to carry those crazy almost avante garde designs. And Ai Ai was always wearing bright color blocking clothes too hehe. I think among the three, Vice Ganda carried the clothes the best because he looks like a model with his height and built. 


There are also a lot of cringe worthy scenes and it made me curl on my seat in the cinema while watching haha... those scenes are crazy and I can't help but think what those guys felt and think after the shooting. Well, they might laughed at the absurdity too plus they were paid in the first place and the movie did really well to top it so I think they'll forget the experience LOL.

I just had to mention this, Kathryn Bernardo looks stunning in this film! I can't believe she is the same girl on the "Princess and I" that I see on TV every night. No wonder Daniel Padilla fell for her coz she's probably more beautiful in person. Oh, and I would really love to copy her makeup in the movie coz it's simple yet gorgeous. I can't find a clear still photo from the movie but it's the perfect "no makeup makeup look" :)

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5

I love it! I really recommend you all watch this film. I think it is the best among all the entries in MMFF, IMO, because it is really entertaining. Although, "One More Try" is the another option if you love drama rather than comedy.


Did you guys also watched any of the MMFF entries this year? What did you see? :)


Thanks for dropping by!
 


 ***********************************

NOTE: I just posted this on my FB...Saw this article because of Kris Aquino's Twitter post when I visited the #sisterakas hash tag. I just wanted to post it here too, I hope you don't mind.

ARTICLE:
Movie Review of Sisterakas by JIE Teodoro

MY OPINION:

GMA NEWS never fail to amaze me with their biased write ups. I don't watch them nor do I read Inquirer because they usually give biased reports about everything. And this is one solid proof of that.

They can't accept the fact that their films for this year's MMFF were not recognized and did not become blockbuster as compared to the top 2 highest grossing film this year (Sisterakas and One More Try) which are made by Star Cinema.

And since they are very bitter, they wrote a "movie review" just to point out all the negatives about the movie and the casts while still trying to be "positive" by "praising" the director and AiAi Delas Alas for their "capability if given a good project/opportunity" to appear as if they are giving an unbiased opinion to the readers. I am using a lot of quotation marks because they are not true and were just used as covers for their intention of bashing everything and everyone on ABS CBN/Star Cinema camp. I think they chose those two to be praised because they have already established a name for themselves and they can get in trouble.

What I can't get is the fact that the writer blames Sisterakas for having recycled storyline as Tanging Ina Series and for having tag lines to advertise their endorsements BUT they can't see that the Enteng Kabisote movies are worst because it's been redone every year since 2004 and the story were the same since I was a child (Okay Ka Fairy Ko). Isn't that just for engineering money and using big names to get audience too?

That being said, I believe they also wanted to bash "One More Try" but can't because Dingdong Dantes is part of the movie haha.

Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a relaxing weekend just like me. I've spent it bonding with my family -- We have decided to watch The Bourne Legacy in Trinoma cinema ^_^

I have watched the Jason Bourne series and I liked them. I'm not supposed to watch Bourne Legacy coz it's not Matt Damon anymore but since it was filmed here in the Philippines, I was really curious on what it looked like hehe...Yeah, I'm kinda weird like that but hey, I really am curious how Philippines is depicted in the film.

PLOT SUMMARY (wikipedia):

The Bourne Legacy is a 2012 American action thriller film and the fourth installment in the Bourne film series, which is based on Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne novels. It is directed by Tony Gilroy, screenwriter of the first three films.

The film uses the same title as The Bourne Legacy, a later Bourne novel written by Eric Van Lustbader, and like the previous three films in the franchise, it has a completely different plot from the eponymous novels.

CAST:

Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross

Rachel Weisz as Dr. Marta Shearing

Edward Norton as Eric Byer

(click here to see the list of the full cast & crew)

MY REVIEW:

Let's start with the good first. I loved the cinematography of the movie because they look so real and the images are crisp. It made me feel like I'm part of the scene and not a viewer. I especially love the special effects like the wolves and the overview of the snowy mountain of Alaska while Aaron Cross was travelling on foot. The action scenes are great too and they were executed beautifully by the casts. I also liked how they showed the different sides of Manila and the ending scene with Palawan (I'm not 100% sure it is Palawan but it looks like it) as the backdrop is gorgeous. I am so proud that we got to be showcased in an international film and we did not jinxed it. The local actors did a great job and I'm glad they decided to use credible actors as extras on the film :)

But on the side note, honestly, the The Bourne Identity Saga is way better. I liked the story a lot more and it has great pacing and have few/no dull moments, for me at least. I am not saying that the Bourne Legacy is a bad movie but it does not have that extra something to make it stand out for me. It didn't gave me any feeling of satisfaction and I doubt that this will leave a lasting impression on me. 

I feel the scenes are a bit rushed and it took me so long before I understood what's happening because it keeps on going back and forth from present to past. There is also no chemistry whatsoever on the lead characters. I didn't feel their relationship developing so it was kind of awkward when they hinted they "love" each other at the ending (on board the boat).

Lastly, this is the highlight and the reason why I watched this movie in the first place without reading any kind of movie review -- The scenes shot in the Philippines. It was so fun to watch these scenes because I keep on  trying to identify the places and also trying to hear the background chatter. My favorite scene was during the chase scene on the squatters' area wherein the policemen keeps on blowing their whistle while running after Rachel Weisz on the skinita. It reminded me of old Tagalog movies wherein all the policemen are blowing their pito and waving their batuta while running after the lead characters. It really made the whole scene funny to me. Also, I can't help but laugh out loud because you can clearly hear the extras cursing (the infamous P.I.) all throughout the movie tsk tsk. Oh, and have you noticed that they were able to pinpoint their location within 24 hours so easily and they used a SWAT team to enter the boarding house but regular policemen did the chasing? That is the big ? on my head while watching it.

The beta guy who are chasing them is really funny. Whatever he do, I can't stop but laugh just because he doesn't look like a tough guy who will kill and also his stunts look funny as hell (his death especially). I also can't believe they were able to shoot a chase scene with their motor bikes on the busy street of Manila. I really salute the director for making it look so real and yet at the same time execute it flawlessly. Thank you for choosing the Philippines as your setting.

RATING: 3/5

This film is entertaining enough and will be much appreciated by Filipinos just because..I just hated the cliff hanger ending and the slow movement of the story. Is there gonna be part 2? If it's not shot in Pinas anymore, I don't think I will watch it again. The casts are great in acting but I don't like how the film looked rushed and not at all serious.

Have you watched it yet? Share your thoughts on the comment section below! I would love to read what you thought about the movie ^_^

Thanks for dropping by!

Movie Review: The Avengers

Hello everyone! 

I'm back with a movie review. This is a very anticipated movie of the year because 1) It is a very famous comic book and 2) It contains a lot of famous super heroes. You might have watched this already but I was unable to watch it on its opening week because there's too many people in cinemas so I just waited for a good weekday to watch it with my bf who is a fan of this comic book.

I haven't read any kind of comic books like Marvel so I don't actually know anything about this film except for the things my bf told me...I just knew a couple of the main characters because they are famous like Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America. I technically watched this with no expectations whatsoever so my review will be based on how I've seen the movie by itself and not as a fan of the comic book series.

Here's a little synopsis by IMDB for this film:

"Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army."

 I LIKED THIS because:

- The special effects are so cool! I loved the war scene where the army of Loki was destroying Manhattan. Everything looks so real. I really wanted to watch it in 3D.

- The fact that I am familiar with a  couple of the characters is a plus coz I didn't get lost on who is who.

- Out of everyone in the Avengers team,  I really enjoyed watching Thor and Captain America again. I have this crush on these two coz they are so gorgeous and sexy. Definitely an eye-candy haha ^_^

*look at those muscles...I sound like a pervert haha sorry*

- For someone who doesn't know anything about the story, I did not have any problem with understanding the whole story so I guess even those who are not fans of the comic book will enjoy this film.

- I loved the sporadic humor in this film. I was able to laugh every now and then especially with the antics and dialogues of Iron Man and Hulk.

- The actors are all great. They really delivered every lines beautifully. Hats off to all of them even the extras.

CONS:

- Nothing! I love everything... I hope it will have a sequel ^_^

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5 - Definitely a must see movie! I can't wait to watch the individual films of these superheroes. I will probably watch Captain America first because of Chris Evans hehe. I will also re-watch Thor coz I was distracted when I watched it in the cinema with my little cousins so I didn't get to enjoy it. If you haven't seen this yet, I definitely encourage you to go buy a ticket at your favorite cinema and watch it with your friends. I really hope I watched in 3D to enjoy the CGI and special effects more hehe =)

Till next time, Bye! ^_~

Movie Review: The Hunger Games

Finally! I was able to watch Hunger Games with my bf this Monday at one of the Trinoma theater. Firstly, I'm just happy to watch it together with my bf coz it's very rare for us to watch a teen flick together hehe...He doesn't like movies or books meant for young adult girls. I convinced him that since we both haven't read the book, we wouldn't have any kind of expectations so it would just be a like watching any other movie..and luckily, he agreed ^_^

I haven't read the book yet since I wanted to see if I would like the story or not...I hate sad stories and I've read the synopsis and reviews about the book having a lot of deaths so I'm on the fence if I would read it or not. I also know that it is traditional to read the book first before watching the movie version but I think it makes you very critical on the movie since movie versions are almost always cannot come at par with the book (just like what happened to the Twilight saga) so I decided to take the movie as a different identity from the book saga and I'm glad I did!

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE MOVIE:

- The actors (every cast member... both major and minor) are great! They were able to deliver their scenes smoothly and very believable. I can't remember thinking that "this actor cannot act" during the whole showing.

- I love their choice on the main characters. I think Jennifer Lawrence is the perfect choice for Katniss Everdeen. She is so pretty and a great actress. She already have an Academy nominee under her belt and I was blown away with her acting skills because it is very natural. I really cried when Rue died because Jen was able to portray grief and I felt it.

- The two leading men..Peeta and Gale (my katukayo haha) are both handsome too. I think they also fit the roles and were able to show the proper emotions every time. Love the jealousy of Gale during the "lovey dovey scenes" between Katniss and Peeta. Very effective. I smile whenever they focus the camera on Gale's face haha ^_^

- Super love the Capitol! Very bright and futuristic. Love the outfits and makeup and also the setting. I think they really spent a lot of their budget on that city alone.

- The special effects are great. It seems so realistic that I really believed its happening.

- The background music for all the scenes are perfect because it helped evoke the emotions.

- My bf liked it and we would probably watch the next two or three ( I believe they will cut Mockingkay into 2 parts) movies in this saga together ^_^

- You will enjoy the movie even if you haven't read the book so that's a plus.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:

- I hoped that it has a different style of camera. They used a "first person" style in which as a viewer it would seem like you are in that place. I know it's a great concept and it is very effective BUT I am really sensitive and do get motion sickness very easily so I got a little nauseous while watching the movie because it was shaky...especially on the first scenes.

- My bf commented that it would also be better if they did not diluted the fighting/death scenes just because they want it to have a PG 13 rating.. They are all assuming...one moment they are fighting then you'll just see them down and bloody the next. And I agree that it would be better if they can show how they died and this way it would give these characters an identity on the story...not just an extra.

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5 - I enjoyed watching it and I have decided to read the books because if the movie is good, the book would be better..Looking forward to the next installment :)

P.S.: The acting in this movie is way, way better than Twilight. Now, I can't help myself but be a little depressed whenever I think Twilight could be a great movie if only the actors could act like Jennifer Lawrence...I really hate Kristen and Rob's acting skills coz there's none LOL...no offense to their fans but that's just my opinion and you can't change it hehe ^_^

Random Ramblings (pups, baking, birthday, breaking dawn) ^_^

Hello everyone!! It's another weekend and I'm hoping I can relax now after a busy week ^_^

Anyway, this post would only be a random rambling blog...I don't know, I hope you do like reading random stuffs about me every now and then hehe :)

*WARNING: Picture heavy*

I'll start this post with a current (well, it was current last week haha) family picture ^_^

The puppies are growing so fast! They're already starting to walk now...I'll try to take a picture again of them soon.. My bf told me they already have individual characteristics and can already tell them apart..I'm so excited to visit them again ^_^

I am learning how to cook! So, you all probably don't know that I don't cook at all but these couple of months I did get the urge to start learning how to cook dishes and so far, I'm getting good feedbacks, yay!

And then, I got intrigued with baking. So I got this recipe online and it's White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Macadamia nuts (Well, I used cashew nuts in this practice batch since macadamia nuts are expensive). Since this is my fave cookie, I decided to make it my first trial in baking. The first batch I made using a microwave oven (I thought my oven broke) came out too hard that it tasted like broas haha. But the second batch that was baked using a real oven tasted good! Everyone in my family told me it's the right sweetness and consistency so I'm very very happy ^_^

The cookies shaped like a gingerbread man was created by my bf...he played with the dough while I was baking and he seems happy with his creations so I cooked them for him too hehe ^_^

I just celebrated my 26th birthday! Yay! Thank you so much to all my online friends and readers who greeted me at Facebook! It means so much to me :)

I celebrated my birthday simply. I didn't want a tiring party wherein I will cook and clean the mess afterwards so I just celebrated it with my bf during the day and then with my family at night.

My bf and I ate lunch at YAKIMIX SM North branch. I really love this eat-all-you-can smokeless grill restaurant. They serve a variety of Korean, Japanese and Cantonese dishes and this is usually full and you need to fall in line before you can enter. Luckily for us, we arrived really early around 11am and they have just started letting people in and we didn't get to wait at all.

For lunch, it costs Php499 per person and P599 for dinner.

My favorite food and the reason why I love eating here...Samgyupsal!! Yummy! It is grilled pork belly and it tastes so good! As you can see in the picture, it's already almost gone. Can you imagine, I ate a plate full of samgyupsal alone? haha my bf was laughing at me because I can't stop eating ^_^

I also ordered a drink all you can blue lemonade. It tastes good too and I do love the color blue so whenever I have a choice (they have 4 colors I think) of drink, I usually go for the blue one regardless of what it is hehe ^_^

And I had a simple dinner with my family. We ate crispy pata and Max's fried chicken...I love eating crispy pata! But it was more meaningful because my whole family ate together and we had a chance to chat while devouring our feast ^_^

Have you seen the LEGO construction at SM North The Block yet? It's so cool! That Christmas tree that you can see at my back is made up of Lego! And around it were a lot of Lego structures too like Eiffel Tower, Star Wars etc.

And lastly, it's here! My most awaited movie of the year. I have been waiting for more than a year for this to be shown in cinemas.

And can you believe that I watched it twice yesterday?! Haha I did! I watched at Trinoma (first showing of the day, 1:20pm) with my best friend and another batch with my dad and sis at SM North (8:40pm).

I am very impressed with the movie. For the very first time since Twilight aired, I have no negative comment after watching it. Rob and Kirsten improved quite a lot with their acting, Taylor is so good that I cried in a couple of his scenes, the CGI wolves and Bella's physique while pregnant are amazing, the birthing scene and imprinting are perfect and I really love the effects and the setting! Isle Esme is really beautiful and I really really love to go there to see if it's real!

I am not gonna go into details because I don't want to give out spoilers and ruin it for those who haven't watched it but I salute the director for making everything so good and almost true to the book. For a fan of the books and my fave is Breaking Dawn, I was not disappointed whatsoever. The altering he did about some scenes to make it fit in the movie never bothered me and I do agree that it would be better to show it that way than follow the book exactly because it made the telling of the story easier for non-readers of the book to understand. Oh, and I applaud the director for making the honeymoon scenes very artistic. He captured it perfectly in my opinion ^_^

So I am really happy right now and I can't wait for part 2! I will definitely buy a dvd of Breaking Dawn once it's out. If you guys haven't seen it yet, do check it out. It's really worth the Php220, just don't go watching it at SM North cinemas because it sucks...We almost lost our reserved seats just before the movie starts because someone else's also have the same seat number as I have. And also, the movie already started and there are still a lot of people entering and the lights was still on...It was so distracting plus they allowed a 5-year-old to enter. It has love scenes for heaven's sake and they let a kid to watch it? I don't know what they're thinking..I really hated the experience...I do love the Trinoma cinema though because it's more organized and hassle-free and the crowd is not too noisy because there were no kids inside.

Anyways, thank you for dropping by! I hope I didn't bore you to death with my ramblings ^_^

Movie Review: New Moon (Twilight Saga)

Hello everyone!

I was finally able to watch New Moon! Yippee! I was so happy last Thursday coz I was able to watch it with my bf after work..I actually wanted to watch it on its opening day but there are no more tickets that weekend and a week later it's still the same...I got nervous because the line for the ticket counter was so long and one of the two cinemas showing it was already full...the other one is nearly full and I got nervous that by the time I will buy my ticket, there will be no more seats available anymore..luckily, I was still able to get two seats for us..just in the nick of time actually hehe :)



Well, I actually went there not expecting too high because I did not love the Twilight movie..and I really hated K. Stewart (Bella) and R. Pattinson's (Edward) acting..they really ruined the role in my opinion (fans, don't hate me..it's just my view po) because they lack emotions..they don't look in love at all..so I went to the cinema really hoping they got better in their acting..I was able to hear a lot of good reviews on New Moon so I was really exicited to see if they were true.

Here's my opinion on the film..please take note that I am a huge fan of the book and not the actors...I watched because I like to see how the director made the story alive :)

What I like about it:
- This movie is way, way better than Twilight! The quality of the effects (especially how they showed the speed of the vampires and werewolves and also the transformations of the pact) is higher and well thought off.
- K. Stewart's acting got better..I'm so happy she improved..she's not monotonous anymore haha..although she did not act superb, at least she did good :)
- I love how they made Taylor Lautner (Jacob) look mature and fit for the role..I really got curious how they will make him "evolve" as a wolf and I'm happy to say, they met my expectation..though I wished Jacob is a lot taller coz in the book, he's over 6ft tall.
- The small details really did it for me..my fave is the steam coming off from Jacob during the raining scene with Bella. It really emphasized that Jacob is hot.
- The scene in Italy is good. Very detailed. I love the setting, just like what I imagined it to be while reading the book.
- I love Dakota Fanning as Jane! I really can't wait for Eclipse and Breaking Dawn to be shown..she did a very good job even though it was a really short scene :)
- This movie made me want to read the book again (for the Nth time haha) ^_^


What I don't like:
- New Moon as a book is not really interesting for me..since it felt "bitin"..and that is what happened here in the movie too..I felt that the ending was cut off immediately..
- I still can't accept R. Pattinson as Edward hehe..I don't think he looks that handsome..sorry fans..I'm a team Jacob :)
- Jasper is still weird for me..I don't know why he looks that way..as if he is always scared and alert. I hope he improves too in the next film.
- if you have not read the book, you might not get the story..it jumps on some scenes.
- the tickets are always sold out


OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5 - I'll definitely be watching this again with my best friend or sister soon hehe. I just wish Bella and Jacob can be together in the story..anyways, that's impossible..so I'll try to let it go haha ^_^

I will suggest you watch this movie..it's better if you watch this with someone who loves the book too. Trust me on this hehe :)


By the way, due to some circumstances, I won't be able to go to the Noel Bazaar at World Trade Center anymore..maybe I can meet you guys in another time na lang..



thank you everyone! and happy long weekend! ^_^

Gale Reads: Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

I have read so many great reviews on the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer from friends, forums and blogs..I got really curious on why there is a craze..then I saw the trailer of the movie..so I told myself, "okay, I'll give it a try..I love vampires and I love to read love stories..and I want to know the story before I see the movie.." after making that decision, I borrowed all 4 books from my bf's sister..I read all 4 within 4.5 days! and they are not small books to begin with hehe :)

THE BOOKS

my verdict: 5/5 -- I love the story and how the saga is written by Meyer..it really is my kind of style..not boring and the story is really a page turner..I can't seem to get enough of the characters! I'm so glad that each book is thick coz it gave enough room for the phasing of the story..It feels like watching a series on TV :)

FAVE BOOK: I love "Breaking Dawn" out of the 4 books...It has so many action and also sweet moments..many twists too..I just hope this is not the last book in this saga..I still want to see a continuation of Renesmee and Jacob's story, and also how Edward and Bella's eternal love blossoms with time and what will be the next attack of the Volturis...

Now I know what the commotion is all about..I'm a Twilight fan now..and I don't think I'll get tired in reading the books all over again just like my favorite books by Julie Garwood and Johanna Lindsey..This series is really a MUST-READ!


THE MOVIE
I'm not really a fan of this movie..I know that I shouldn't have expected more from a movie based on a book coz majority of the time, they ruin it..I didn't say that the movie sucks..its just that, it is just a so-so movie for me..not great.. just okay..

First off, the character of Edward and Bella on the movie don't have any chemistry at all..I didn't feel the "kilig" factor I was expecting...I can't point out why but they don't just give me the look that they are "deeply in-love" with each other..

I got a little confused with the sequence of the scenes too..but it's okay I guess..as long as they didn't murdered the whole movie hehe..actually, I like the scene on the tree..

lastly, the casting is really off..majority of them don't really look like what I have imagined them..but I guess it's really hard to find actors and actresses that will fit all descriptions and act good at the same time.. 

I also don't like the acting of the actors who portrayed Edward, Bella and Jasper..Especially Bella..Sorry to all K. Stewart fans but her acting is not good..she delivered her lines monotonously and doesn't show any emotions in the whole film! I really hoped she will improve in the acting area on New Moon the movie..I really am hoping for it.

Over all Rating: I give this movie 3/5..I hope the next movie "new moon" will be better :)