Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. He is desperate to get back to school to find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...
The movie begins with Harry Potter on a swing in a playground, with Dudley and his gang near him. After Harry points out that Dudley and his gang beat up a 10 year old, Dudley makes a remark about Harry's dead mother. This angers Harry, he pulls out is wand--Dudley's gang laughts, but Dudley, knowing Harry is a wizard says nothing. The weather changes from a lightly clouded setting to a dark storm. Harry and Dudley are seen running from the rain to cover. When they arrive in a tunnel, they are confronted by Dementors. Harry defeats the first Dementor using his Patronus and turns to see another Dementor performing the Dementor Kiss on Dudley. Harry uses his Patronus again to ward off the second Dementor. He finds Dudley in a bad state. At this moment a seemingly Muggle-ish woman named Mrs. Figg (who lives across from Uncle Vernon) comes walking down the tunnel where they were attacked. She tells Harry 'Don't put your wand away, they might come back'. Harry is surprised to hear her speak like a wizard, but does as she says. As they walk Dudley back to their home, Mrs. Figg explains that Professor Dumbledore assigned her to watch over Harry during his summers at his Aunt and Uncle's house.
When Harry returns, Dudley looks really bad. He is sweating and seems to be at the point of vomiting. When Uncle Vernon asks who did this, Dudley points to Harry. At that moment an owl enters with a letter. The letter rises and forms a face, saying, basically, "Harry Potter, it has come to the Attention of the Ministry of Magic that you did knowingly and willfully use Magic in front of a Muggle. You are hereby expelled from Hogwarts. Have a nice day." Uncle Vernon smiles and says, "Justice."
Uncle Vernon locks Harry in his room while they take Dudley to the hospital. A few minutes later the lock 'magically' opens, revealing 5 wizards: Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, and 2 others. They tell Harry they are there to get him out.
Moments later they are in the street on their brooms. Mad-Eye Moody tells them to stay in formation in case any are killed. It is shown that Tonks is a shape-shifter: she can alter her appearance at will.
They fly over the Thames (the big river in London, for the geographically impaired) at high speed in a well-executed sequence showing how close the real and magic worlds really are.
They arrive in a park in a random London suburb. They exit with their brooms and come to a row of very normal-looking houses. As they approach Mad Eye Moody taps his broomstick on the ground and in between the houses another house pops out (you have to see it to believe it). None of the neighbors notice this house appearing out of nowhere. It is MAGIC, after all! They enter the house.
As Harry enters he sees Sirius, Lupin, and a few other people he knows sitting around a table arguing over how to approach Voldemort's return. As Harry approaches Mrs. Weasley closes the door and sends Harry upstairs. As he scales the stairs he sees Kreacher tending to a painting of Sirius' mother. (for you book-o-philes, get your short earful, this is the ONLY time any reference or attempt at including Sirius' mom is ever made).
Harry reaches the room and is attacked by Hermione (in a good way). Harry vents some of his frustration at Hermione and Ron for not telling him they'd been with the Order of the Phoenix the whole summer. They explain to Harry that Dumbledore forbade them from mentioning anything. Harry vents his frustration and reminds them of all his triumphs over Voldemort in the last 4 years.
Some stuff happens at Grimmauld Place.
Harry and Mr. Weasley are in the Tube (London Underground). Mr Weasley is admiring all the Muggle technologies, like the pay gates. They arrive at a classic red London phonebooth (think Dr. Who). Mr. Weasley explains that he's never used the visitor's entrance before. As they get in and are cleared for entrance the inside of the booth descends and another identical one takes its place.
They enter the Ministry of Magic. There are hundreds of wizards arriving, mostly by Floo network. They pass by a big banner bearing the picture of Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.
They catch an elevator. Hovering overhead are little paper airplanes. Mr. Weasley explains they are inter-office memos, bewitched to fly to the recipient. He explains: "We used to use owls, but the mess was unbearable!" At one of their stops, Kingsley Shacklebolt enters and whispers something in Mr. Weasley's ear. Mr. Weasley looks a bit flustered suddenly. He explains to Harry that they need to hurry because his trial time and place have been changed, and that it starts in 5 minutes (they had arrived over an hour early for the original time).
As they arrive in the bottom floor, the Department of Mysteries, they pass a black door with a gold knob in a hall of shiny black. As they pass Harry spots Lucius Malfoy talking to an older man by the door (important later).
They arrive for Harry's trial. Because Mr. Weasley is not allowed inside the courtroom, he offers Harry advice. Specifically, Harry should only speak when spoken to. Harry then enters the courtroom, where Cornelius Fudge conducts the Wizengamot, a group of wizards acting as a jury. He is immediately barraged with questions. "Did you knowingly use magic in front of a Muggle?" "Were you aware of the restriction on the use of magic by under-age wizards?" Suddenly, Dumbledore enters, states his full name (Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore), and acts as a witness for the defense. Dumbledore explains that Harry only used the Patronus charm because of the Dementors. Fudge explains that this explanation is impossible to confirm because, since Muggles can't see Dementors, they only have Harry's word to take as evidence.
Dumbledore explains that there was another eye-witness. Mrs. Figg, Harry's neighbor, enters and explains that she saw them too. Some wizards start inquiring as to how they are expected to believe Dementors arrived in Little Whinging, when Dementors are under the Ministry's control as keepers of Azkaban. One woman asks, in particular, if Dumbledore is insinuating that the Ministry put them up to it. She has a fake, sugary voice. Dumbledore explains he made no such claim, but expects that a full investigation is under way by the Ministry (knowing full well that none was).
The Wizengamot votes, Harry is exonerated. Before Harry has a chance to thank or even speak to him, Dumbledore exits the courtroom without so much as a word to Harry. This confuses/angers Harry.
They go to Hogwarts.
At Hogsmeade, while waiting for their carriage, Harry notices they are being pulled by thin, skeletal-looking horses. However, Hermione and Ron cannot see them. When Harry insists they're there, a blonde girl in the carriage, who is reading her magazine, "The Quibbler", upside down, explains that she can see them too, and that Harry is "just as sane as I am." She says the winged horses are called Thestrals. Hermione introduces her as Luna "Looney" Lovegood (the nickname accidentally slips)
The woman from the Wizengamot shows up as a new teacher at Hogwarts. Her name is Dolores Umbridge.
Umbridge takes over the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. She explains that they will not be performing magic, since knowing the theory will be enough for them to pass their O.W.L. exams (Ordinary Wizarding Level).
Hermione tells Harry later that if Dolores won't teach them what they need to know, they need to learn on their own. She suggests they start a secret group to practice magic on the side.
On a Hogsmeade visit Harry, Ron and Hermione go to the Hog's Head bar, a shadier establishment than the Three Broomsticks. They go upstairs where Hermione had invited 'a few people who were interested' in starting a defense against the dark arts class. It turns out that about 20-30 students show up! They start by asking Harry about Cedric's death the year before. Harry explains that most of what he's done so far was luck. The students are VERY impressed that Harry can already produce a fully formed Patronus. They all decide to join. They all sign a list and name their group "Dumbledore's Army".
They start practicing in a secret room in Hogwarts, and they all get better at performing defensive spells. But Umbridge finds out about them from Cho Chang who, we learn later, was given Veritaserum to force her to confess. Dumbledore's Army are punished.
In the middle of the O.W. L. exams, Ron's two brothers Fred and George interrupt with a huge bang. They've decided to quit Hogwarts. They give a huge fireworks display within the halls and outside the castle.
While the students cheer, Harry has a vision again. In the vision Voldemort has captured Sirius in the Ministry of Magic. Harry feels that he must rescue Sirius, so he decides to go to the Ministry to save him. He wants to go alone, but Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny Weasley, and Neville Longbottom convince him that they should go with him.
The group flies on Thestrals to London, and enters the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. Harry suddenly realizes that he's been dreaming all year about the Department of Mysteries, and he has an inner prompting to go to a room containing thousands of prophecies, each in a small globe.
A group of Death Eaters appear to confront Harry and his friends. Among the Death Eaters are Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, who is an Azkaban escapee and Sirius' cousin. Luna takes a good whack to the chin and bleeds from the lip.
The Order of the Phoenix shows up and the battle begins! Harry and Sirius fight against Lucius. Bellatrix Lestrange kills Sirius with a cheap shot from the side. Sirius falls through an archway in the middle of the room, draped with a mysterious veil.
Harry is mad and follows Lestrange. He finds Voldemort in the lobby of the Ministry. Voldemort is about to do Harry in when Dumbledore arrives on the scene to whoop some recently ressurected booty!
They fight, Voldemort briefly possesses Harry, then leaves.
Harry finds out that Voldemort has been inhabiting and guiding his dreams all year. Voldemort lured Harry to the Ministry by planting the image of his capturing Sirius in Harry's mind.
You can watch the trailer here!
Rottentomatoes.com - Trailer (Various Formats) (www.rottentomatoes.com)
Sabtu, 04 Agustus 2007
The Simpsons Movie
The film begins with Green Day hosting a concert at Lake Springfield. When they finish their song they talk about the environment, angering the audience, who throw garbage at them polluting the lake and causing their barge to dissolve and sink, killing them. The next day at church, Grampa is possessed by God warns the city of a future disaster. Marge believes Grampa's prediction, and decides to work out the meaning of the message. Meanwhile, Lisa starts to talk about the environment, with no success. She encounters Colin, an Irish boy who shares the same passions as her. Homer and Bart are repairing the roof when they decide to have a dare contest. Homer dares Bart to skateboard to Krusty Burger naked, which Bart obliges causing him to become stuck naked on the window of the building. After he is apprehended by the police, Homer turns up and they decide to order a meal. Inside the restuarant, Ned Flanders helps Bart out and understands his feelings which begins a relationship and mutual respect between the two, meanwhile Krusty is filming a commercial. When recording finishes Krusty orders for the pig he is using in the commercial to be slaughtered, causing it to flee to Homer who adopts him. That evening Lisa holds a conference at city hall and explains that the town lake cannot sustain anymore pollution. Mayor Quimby declares a state of emergency and orders the cleansing and protection of Lake Springfield.
Marge asks Homer where "Spider-Pig's/Harry Plopper's" waste is going. Homer shows her an overflowing silo, horrifying Marge who tells Homer to dispose of it safely. While waiting in a queue at the dump Homer is told by Lenny that Lard Lad Donuts has been shut down and that they are giving away free donuts. Homer, in his haste to get to the giveaway decides on a quicker means of disposal and dumps the silo into the lake, causing it to become heavily polluted. A nearby squirrel jumps into it and becomes severely mutated, with many eyes. Nearby, Bart and Ned are hiking up a hill when they discover the squirrel who is immediately captured by the EPA. At the White House, the contained squirrel is brought before President Arnold Schwarzenegger by Russ Cargill, head of the EPA. He states that Springfield has become so polluted that the government must take drastic action and proposes five different solutions. The President picks plan 3 at random, choosing to not even read them, which leads to a giant glass dome being placed over Springfield. Cargill then tells the town that Springfield is now the most polluted city on the Earth and that the government has decided to contain it. Next day, Maggie falls through a sinkhole in her sandbox and emerges outside the dome, before returning. The police reveal that Homer polluted the lake and an angry mob approaches the Simpson's house and torches it. The family escape through the sink hole, which expands destroying their house. The family flee, and whilst hiding in a dilapidated motel Homer reveals that he has always kept a backup plan in the event that they are run out of town. He proposes that the entire family move to Alaska, a plan that Marge agrees to. The next day the family attend a carnival where Homer enters the "Ball of Death" challenge, a spherical cage in which he must ride a motorcycle around in a full horizontal circle. He wins a truck and the family move to Alaska, and begin to enjoy their new life.
Back in Springfield, the townspeople go crazy and attempt to break the dome. Russ Cargill tells the President that they can't keep Springfield in this state forever and presents five new solutions. Again Schwarzenegger tries to randomly choose a plan, but this time he is lead by Cargill to choose the plan to destroy Springfield. Back in Alaska, the family see an advert presented by Tom Hanks promoting a new Grand Canyon, to be located where Springfield is. Marge and the kids decide that they must save Springfield, but Homer refuses to help the town that tried to kill him. Later that night after returning home from the local bar, Eski-Moe's, Homer discovers a video tape left on the bed, which is a pre-recorded message from Marge telling him that they have left. She is so determined to save the town that she is prepared to end her life with Homer. Homer becomes frantic and starts looking for Marge, but falls asleep in the middle of the snow. The next morning a polar bear tries to attack him but a mysterious person dressed in Native American clothing wards it off and drags Homer to her tent. When he is revived the stranger, revealed to be a woman with enormously sized breasts, tells him that he must reach an epiphany or he is doomed to spend the remainder of his days alone. He soon has a mysterious vision where he is tortured by a forest of trees and reaches an epiphany. He thanks the lady, and sets off to find the family. On a train, Marge tells the kids that they must reach Seattle and warn everyone about the plot to destroy Springfield, however, they're overheard by the NSA and are captured by Cargill.
Homer meanwhile is struggling on his journey, when "Boob Lady" (the native woman) appears in the sky and points him in the right direction with her gigantic breasts. He approaches a spot where he can survey the city and finds that the EPA have set up a compound around the dome. He hears a noise and tells Lisa to stop playing her saxophone, he then realizes that they are in a nearby EPA van and uses a parked bulldozer to attempt to free them, which fails resulting in him being crushed by the wrecking ball. The van moves on and the agitated occupants are gassed to sleep. They awake to find themselves in a practically destroyed Springfield and are told that the town went crazy and destroyed everything. Cargill appears on the giant screen once again and tells the town that they are going to be killed and Springfield completely destroyed. A helicopter arrives and opens a hole at the top of the dome before lowering a bomb on a rope, Cargill remains onscreen to oversee the countdown. Outside the dome Homer knocks out the guard and locates some superglue, right next to a jetpack, in a nearby hut. He begins to climb to dome with his now sticky hands. Back inside the dome, the town are fruitlessly attempting to disarm the bomb and eventually decide on a diversion. Cletus Spuckler distracts Cargill while the rest of the town climb up the rope and escape through the hole. Homer makes it to the top of the dome and slides down the rope, knocking everyone and the bomb off of it, accidentally halving the detonation time in the process. In desperation, Homer notices a motorcycle and realizes what he must do. Meanwhile Bart is at the church, as he has decided he wants his last moments to be with Ned whom he has adopted as a father-figure. Homer shows up at the church with the bomb and eventually convinces Bart to accompany him. They motorcycle up the side of the dome and Bart throws the bomb through the hole, blowing it up and shattering the dome. Homer and Bart land the bike at Springfield Gorge, where they encounter Cargill wielding a shotgun. As he prepares to shoot them, Maggie crushes him with a boulder. The town praise Homer, and they soon rebuild Springfield and the Simpson's house, while Lisa and Colin walk away holding hands.
During the credits, the Simpsons are shown sitting in the cinema and decide to leave. Then Lisa notices Maggie is going to say her first words - "Sequel".
You can watch the trailer here!
Rottentomatoes.com - Trailer (Various Formats) (www.rottentomatoes.com)
Marge asks Homer where "Spider-Pig's/Harry Plopper's" waste is going. Homer shows her an overflowing silo, horrifying Marge who tells Homer to dispose of it safely. While waiting in a queue at the dump Homer is told by Lenny that Lard Lad Donuts has been shut down and that they are giving away free donuts. Homer, in his haste to get to the giveaway decides on a quicker means of disposal and dumps the silo into the lake, causing it to become heavily polluted. A nearby squirrel jumps into it and becomes severely mutated, with many eyes. Nearby, Bart and Ned are hiking up a hill when they discover the squirrel who is immediately captured by the EPA. At the White House, the contained squirrel is brought before President Arnold Schwarzenegger by Russ Cargill, head of the EPA. He states that Springfield has become so polluted that the government must take drastic action and proposes five different solutions. The President picks plan 3 at random, choosing to not even read them, which leads to a giant glass dome being placed over Springfield. Cargill then tells the town that Springfield is now the most polluted city on the Earth and that the government has decided to contain it. Next day, Maggie falls through a sinkhole in her sandbox and emerges outside the dome, before returning. The police reveal that Homer polluted the lake and an angry mob approaches the Simpson's house and torches it. The family escape through the sink hole, which expands destroying their house. The family flee, and whilst hiding in a dilapidated motel Homer reveals that he has always kept a backup plan in the event that they are run out of town. He proposes that the entire family move to Alaska, a plan that Marge agrees to. The next day the family attend a carnival where Homer enters the "Ball of Death" challenge, a spherical cage in which he must ride a motorcycle around in a full horizontal circle. He wins a truck and the family move to Alaska, and begin to enjoy their new life.
Back in Springfield, the townspeople go crazy and attempt to break the dome. Russ Cargill tells the President that they can't keep Springfield in this state forever and presents five new solutions. Again Schwarzenegger tries to randomly choose a plan, but this time he is lead by Cargill to choose the plan to destroy Springfield. Back in Alaska, the family see an advert presented by Tom Hanks promoting a new Grand Canyon, to be located where Springfield is. Marge and the kids decide that they must save Springfield, but Homer refuses to help the town that tried to kill him. Later that night after returning home from the local bar, Eski-Moe's, Homer discovers a video tape left on the bed, which is a pre-recorded message from Marge telling him that they have left. She is so determined to save the town that she is prepared to end her life with Homer. Homer becomes frantic and starts looking for Marge, but falls asleep in the middle of the snow. The next morning a polar bear tries to attack him but a mysterious person dressed in Native American clothing wards it off and drags Homer to her tent. When he is revived the stranger, revealed to be a woman with enormously sized breasts, tells him that he must reach an epiphany or he is doomed to spend the remainder of his days alone. He soon has a mysterious vision where he is tortured by a forest of trees and reaches an epiphany. He thanks the lady, and sets off to find the family. On a train, Marge tells the kids that they must reach Seattle and warn everyone about the plot to destroy Springfield, however, they're overheard by the NSA and are captured by Cargill.
Homer meanwhile is struggling on his journey, when "Boob Lady" (the native woman) appears in the sky and points him in the right direction with her gigantic breasts. He approaches a spot where he can survey the city and finds that the EPA have set up a compound around the dome. He hears a noise and tells Lisa to stop playing her saxophone, he then realizes that they are in a nearby EPA van and uses a parked bulldozer to attempt to free them, which fails resulting in him being crushed by the wrecking ball. The van moves on and the agitated occupants are gassed to sleep. They awake to find themselves in a practically destroyed Springfield and are told that the town went crazy and destroyed everything. Cargill appears on the giant screen once again and tells the town that they are going to be killed and Springfield completely destroyed. A helicopter arrives and opens a hole at the top of the dome before lowering a bomb on a rope, Cargill remains onscreen to oversee the countdown. Outside the dome Homer knocks out the guard and locates some superglue, right next to a jetpack, in a nearby hut. He begins to climb to dome with his now sticky hands. Back inside the dome, the town are fruitlessly attempting to disarm the bomb and eventually decide on a diversion. Cletus Spuckler distracts Cargill while the rest of the town climb up the rope and escape through the hole. Homer makes it to the top of the dome and slides down the rope, knocking everyone and the bomb off of it, accidentally halving the detonation time in the process. In desperation, Homer notices a motorcycle and realizes what he must do. Meanwhile Bart is at the church, as he has decided he wants his last moments to be with Ned whom he has adopted as a father-figure. Homer shows up at the church with the bomb and eventually convinces Bart to accompany him. They motorcycle up the side of the dome and Bart throws the bomb through the hole, blowing it up and shattering the dome. Homer and Bart land the bike at Springfield Gorge, where they encounter Cargill wielding a shotgun. As he prepares to shoot them, Maggie crushes him with a boulder. The town praise Homer, and they soon rebuild Springfield and the Simpson's house, while Lisa and Colin walk away holding hands.
During the credits, the Simpsons are shown sitting in the cinema and decide to leave. Then Lisa notices Maggie is going to say her first words - "Sequel".
You can watch the trailer here!
Rottentomatoes.com - Trailer (Various Formats) (www.rottentomatoes.com)
The Dead Zone
Johnny Smith has been leading an idyllic small-town life. Employed as a science teacher, Johnny takes great pleasure in showing his young students the wonders of the natural world. He is also newly engaged to Sarah, a fellow teacher he's known since childhood, and is a good son to his widowed mother, who lives nearby. Johnny's life is nearly perfect... until a near-fatal car crash that leaves him in a deep coma.
Six years later, Johnny finally regains consciousness and discovers that the life he once knew is gone. His mother has passed away, and Sarah has gone on to marry someone else - and the child she and her husband, the local sheriff, are now raising is Johnny's son. But Johnny himself is also not the same person he once was: he now finds himself in possession of amazing psychic powers which allow him to see into the lives of anyone he touches. Before he even leaves the hospital, he helps save the life of a nurse's daughter after having a miraculous vision, in which he sees the young girl trapped in the middle of a raging house fire.
Now, as Johnny attempts to reacquaint himself with a life he has been away from for six long years, he must also begin a quest to come to terms with his new abilities - abilities that may turn out to be both a blessing and a curse. Helping Johnny make a fresh start are his physical trainer Bruce, who also becomes a close friend; his mother's minister, Gene Purdy, who sets up a trust fund for Johnny but may not be looking out for Johnny's best interests; and Sarah, who must find a way to make Johnny a part of her life again without risking her relationship with her husband and son.
Based on characters from the novel, "The Dead Zone" by Stephen King.
Cast:
Nicole de Boer as Sarah Bannerman
Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith
Connor Price as J.J. Bannerman
John L. Adams as Bruce Lewis
Chris Bruno as Sheriff Walt Bannerman
Six years later, Johnny finally regains consciousness and discovers that the life he once knew is gone. His mother has passed away, and Sarah has gone on to marry someone else - and the child she and her husband, the local sheriff, are now raising is Johnny's son. But Johnny himself is also not the same person he once was: he now finds himself in possession of amazing psychic powers which allow him to see into the lives of anyone he touches. Before he even leaves the hospital, he helps save the life of a nurse's daughter after having a miraculous vision, in which he sees the young girl trapped in the middle of a raging house fire.
Now, as Johnny attempts to reacquaint himself with a life he has been away from for six long years, he must also begin a quest to come to terms with his new abilities - abilities that may turn out to be both a blessing and a curse. Helping Johnny make a fresh start are his physical trainer Bruce, who also becomes a close friend; his mother's minister, Gene Purdy, who sets up a trust fund for Johnny but may not be looking out for Johnny's best interests; and Sarah, who must find a way to make Johnny a part of her life again without risking her relationship with her husband and son.
Based on characters from the novel, "The Dead Zone" by Stephen King.
Cast:
Nicole de Boer as Sarah Bannerman
Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith
Connor Price as J.J. Bannerman
John L. Adams as Bruce Lewis
Chris Bruno as Sheriff Walt Bannerman
Kamis, 02 Agustus 2007
Heroes
Heroes is a serial saga about people all over the world discovering that they have superpowers and trying to deal with how this change affects their lives. Some of the superheroes who will be introduced to the viewing audience include Peter Petrelli, an almost 30-year-old male nurse who suspects he might be able to fly, Isaac Mendez, a 28-year-old junkie who has the ability to paint images of the future when he is high, Niki Sanders, a 33-year-old Las Vegas showgirl who does things that are mysteriously connected with mirrors, Hiro Nakamura, a 24-year-old Japanese comic-book geek who literally makes time stand still, D.L. Hawkins, a 31-year-old inmate who can walk through walls, Matt Parkman, a beat cop who can hear other people's thoughts, and Claire Bennet, a 17-year-old cheerleader who defies death at every turn. As the viewing audience is discovering the nature of each hero's powers, the heroes, themselves, are discovering what having superpowers means to them as well as the larger picture of where their superpowers come from. Tune in each week to see how these heroes are drawn together by their common interest of evading the series' antagonist who wants to harvest their super-DNA for himself. Their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the world!
Cast:
Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura
Milo Ventimiglia as Peter Petrelli
Sendhil Ramamurthy as Mohinder Suresh
Tawny Cypress as Simone Deveaux
Santiago Cabrera as Isaac Mendez
Leonard Roberts as D.L. Hawkins
Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet
Noah Gray-Cabey as Micah Sanders
Adrian Pasdar as Nathan Petrelli
Ali Larter as Niki Sanders
Greg Grunberg as Matt Parkman
Jack Coleman as Mr. Bennet / HRG
Cast:
Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura
Milo Ventimiglia as Peter Petrelli
Sendhil Ramamurthy as Mohinder Suresh
Tawny Cypress as Simone Deveaux
Santiago Cabrera as Isaac Mendez
Leonard Roberts as D.L. Hawkins
Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet
Noah Gray-Cabey as Micah Sanders
Adrian Pasdar as Nathan Petrelli
Ali Larter as Niki Sanders
Greg Grunberg as Matt Parkman
Jack Coleman as Mr. Bennet / HRG
1 Litre of Tears (Japan)
Cast:
Erika Sawajiri as Aya Ikeuchi
Nashikido Ryo as Haruto Asou
Fujiki Naohito as Aya's neurologist
Yakushimaru Hiroko as Shouka Ikeuchi, Aya's mother
Jinnai Takanori as Mizu Ikeuchi, Aya's father
This series is based on the true story of a girl named Aya Kito who was stricken by a cruel disease called Spinocerebellar Degeneration. This disease affects Aya's nervous system and as the name suggests, it poses a degeneration of her movements, and will eventually affect her mobility, speech, and even her ability to eat before she succumbs to a comatose state and finally, death. The theme of this series is very bleak but the overall tone in which the series conveys is, in spite of some tearjerking scenes, are very heartwarming. Aya Kito's diary was made into a bestselling book and the series follows her trials and tribulations as she struggles to find hope, strength and courage to face such a devastating disease.
At the beginning of the series, Aya (Erika Sawajiri) is a normal 15-year old with high hopes of having the time of her life in high school. She is the eldest child in her family. Her mother, Shouka, is a nutritionist who works in a clinic. Her father, Mizu, owns a tofu shop. Aya also has three siblings: Ako, her younger sister who seems to harbour a jealous streak toward her, her brother Hiroki and youngest sister, Rikka. The Ikeuchi's are a typical middle-class Japanese family. At home, Aya is the beloved daughter of her parents. At school, Aya is well-liked by her peers, is extremely bright because she passed her admittance exams to land a position at a reputable high school, and she made it onto the high school basketball team. On top of all this, Aya's crush is finally paying attention to her and has even asked her on a date! Just when everything is starting to fall into place for her, tragedy strikes. Aya slowly realizes that her limbs cannot be controlled at will. If she wants to move, she can't. If she wants to see, her vision is blurred. And thus begins Aya Ikeuchi's journey towards realizing, accepting and finally understanding that her young life -- so full of promise and hope -- will be destroyed by a cruel illness that will entrap her within a body that will no longer be of any use to her.
Erika Sawajiri as Aya Ikeuchi
Nashikido Ryo as Haruto Asou
Fujiki Naohito as Aya's neurologist
Yakushimaru Hiroko as Shouka Ikeuchi, Aya's mother
Jinnai Takanori as Mizu Ikeuchi, Aya's father
This series is based on the true story of a girl named Aya Kito who was stricken by a cruel disease called Spinocerebellar Degeneration. This disease affects Aya's nervous system and as the name suggests, it poses a degeneration of her movements, and will eventually affect her mobility, speech, and even her ability to eat before she succumbs to a comatose state and finally, death. The theme of this series is very bleak but the overall tone in which the series conveys is, in spite of some tearjerking scenes, are very heartwarming. Aya Kito's diary was made into a bestselling book and the series follows her trials and tribulations as she struggles to find hope, strength and courage to face such a devastating disease.
At the beginning of the series, Aya (Erika Sawajiri) is a normal 15-year old with high hopes of having the time of her life in high school. She is the eldest child in her family. Her mother, Shouka, is a nutritionist who works in a clinic. Her father, Mizu, owns a tofu shop. Aya also has three siblings: Ako, her younger sister who seems to harbour a jealous streak toward her, her brother Hiroki and youngest sister, Rikka. The Ikeuchi's are a typical middle-class Japanese family. At home, Aya is the beloved daughter of her parents. At school, Aya is well-liked by her peers, is extremely bright because she passed her admittance exams to land a position at a reputable high school, and she made it onto the high school basketball team. On top of all this, Aya's crush is finally paying attention to her and has even asked her on a date! Just when everything is starting to fall into place for her, tragedy strikes. Aya slowly realizes that her limbs cannot be controlled at will. If she wants to move, she can't. If she wants to see, her vision is blurred. And thus begins Aya Ikeuchi's journey towards realizing, accepting and finally understanding that her young life -- so full of promise and hope -- will be destroyed by a cruel illness that will entrap her within a body that will no longer be of any use to her.
My Girl (Korea)
The story introduces us to our female lead, Joo Yoorin, a tour guide on Cheju Island. Thanks to her good-for-nothing father, a cheat and gambler, they’re always on the run, traveling from one country to another. Her greatest asset perhaps, is her ability to speak fluent Korean, Japanese and Mandarin apart from her skills in cheating. Although her life is a complete mess and full of lies, this doesn’t stop her from realizing her dream of owning a perfect home and live happily with her father. Indeed, fate has other arrangements for her. One day, an offer comes from a wealthy guy which she can’t resist in times of circumstances. Our male lead, Seol Gongchan, the heir to the L’Avenuel Hotel, hires her to pretend to be the long-lost granddaughter which his grandfather had been searching for years. Slowly, this pair gets attracted to one another…
Cast:
Lee Da Hae as Joo Yoorin
Lee Dong Wook as Seol Gongchan
Lee Jun Ki as Seo Jung Woong
Park Si Yeon as Kim Seo Hyun
Byun Hee Bong as Chairman Seol Woong
Cast:
Lee Da Hae as Joo Yoorin
Lee Dong Wook as Seol Gongchan
Lee Jun Ki as Seo Jung Woong
Park Si Yeon as Kim Seo Hyun
Byun Hee Bong as Chairman Seol Woong
The Brink of Law (HK)
Cast:
Steven Ma (Tong Chi Ko)
Bernice Liu (Wing)
Ron Ng (Tong Yat Jun)
Shirley Yeung (Sung Ka Yi)
Kate Tsui (Yan Heung Chin)
Michelle Yim (Sung Kam Chi)
Yueh Hua (Tong Jin Long)
Lee Kwok Lun (Sung Kam Yuen)
Yoyo Chan (Tong Chi Man, step-sister to Chi Ko)
Stephen Wong (Tong Yat Long)
Vin Choi (Tong Yat Chiu)
Disclaimer: this review contains spoilers.
Typical of Hong Kong movies, "The Brink of Law" is fast-paced and no time is wasted on superfluous and tiring dialogues (unlike the Taiwanese series) and bowel-tearing tear jerkers (as in Korean series). The storyline is again atypical of Hong Kong movie themes - that of family relationships and squabbles, of love and jealousy, "black market dealings", of lies and deceit, of good and bad guys. A synopsis can be found elsewhere on this site, so I will not repeat the story here. I don't have a problem with the storyline. I only have peeves with some of the actors' portrayals of their roles.
Except for veteran actors Michelle Yim and Yueh Hua, the younger actors need to improve their acting. Not that they are exactly bad, but in their various roles I find chemistry lacking between the Ron Ng and Kate Tsui, and Steven Ma and Bernice Liu. Steven Wong has terrible (or shall I say negligible?) facial expressions as an invalid. Despite the flaws, I must confess I do like Ron Ng and Steven Ma. None of the ladies in this show sizzle. The older Michelle Yim in fact looks better and more polished than the younger stars. She puts up a believable act as the evil villain. Her mouth and facial expressions earn her points definitely.
As for the older Yueh Hua, I'm surprised that the scriptwriters did not make him out to be a more amorous man of the material world. I expected him to make more advance moves towards Bernice when she attempts to make him believe that she is interested in him. Sure, there is an age gap between Yueh and Bernice but it's a show after all. In real life, I think a man of Yueh's standing and experience would behave more intimately towards his younger love interest. Instead the only suggestion of closeness is Bernice touching Yueh's lap. Big deal! I think it'd be more believable if Yueh attempts to kiss and neck with Bernice. As it is in the serial, Yueh appears too guarded, too "stoney" and not a bit in love with Bernice at all.
Even for the younger pair of love birds, Ron and Kate, Steven and Bernice, there are no dovey-lovey, kissy-kissy scenes, except for one when Ron and Kate peck on the lips. Again, big deal! It's so unbelievable that two people in love could act so coy and almost brotherly-sisterly towards each other. If I was his love interest, I would have sizzled up to Ron (ha ha!).
Steven and Bernice do not even have a shot at being lovey-dovey. Apologies to those who think Bernice's smile is lovely. I beg to differ. I find her smile fake.
Kate puts up a terrible act when she was at the scene to identify Ron's body. She just isn't emotional enough to evoke tears from viewers (take a leaf from the Korean actresses, Kate). I, a big-time "cry-er" of emotional scenes, did not even shed tears. The other people present at that scene - Ron, Bernice and the lady police chief - though they attempted to show sadness, also fail to drum up heart-rending emotion that is expected of such scenes. Talking about the death of Ron, I have one big comment for the make-up artists: for a man who has been dead for a few days and buried in very (terrible!) shallow ground, his face looks too fresh and clean. The make-up artists could have dirtied his face somewhat to make it real. The villain who is tasked to dispose of Ron's body without a trace ought to be shot! He did such a poor job to dispose of Ron's dead body. Of course, I note that this is the celluloid world, and if they want you found, you'll be found. If they want you dead forever, you'll be dead forever.
Elsewhere on this site, there's a cry that Ron's character should not die. I agree. Why should a nice character like him die? Also, his death comes too soon and too unexpectedly. It is so uncalled for and there is no dramatic tension at all. The whole ending on the last episode is hurriedly done and leaves much to be desired.
Despite its flaws with casting and acting problems, this serial is worth watching. It has layers of intrigue and suspense. For me Ron, Steven, Michelle and Yueh make an interesting watch.
Steven Ma (Tong Chi Ko)
Bernice Liu (Wing)
Ron Ng (Tong Yat Jun)
Shirley Yeung (Sung Ka Yi)
Kate Tsui (Yan Heung Chin)
Michelle Yim (Sung Kam Chi)
Yueh Hua (Tong Jin Long)
Lee Kwok Lun (Sung Kam Yuen)
Yoyo Chan (Tong Chi Man, step-sister to Chi Ko)
Stephen Wong (Tong Yat Long)
Vin Choi (Tong Yat Chiu)
Disclaimer: this review contains spoilers.
Typical of Hong Kong movies, "The Brink of Law" is fast-paced and no time is wasted on superfluous and tiring dialogues (unlike the Taiwanese series) and bowel-tearing tear jerkers (as in Korean series). The storyline is again atypical of Hong Kong movie themes - that of family relationships and squabbles, of love and jealousy, "black market dealings", of lies and deceit, of good and bad guys. A synopsis can be found elsewhere on this site, so I will not repeat the story here. I don't have a problem with the storyline. I only have peeves with some of the actors' portrayals of their roles.
Except for veteran actors Michelle Yim and Yueh Hua, the younger actors need to improve their acting. Not that they are exactly bad, but in their various roles I find chemistry lacking between the Ron Ng and Kate Tsui, and Steven Ma and Bernice Liu. Steven Wong has terrible (or shall I say negligible?) facial expressions as an invalid. Despite the flaws, I must confess I do like Ron Ng and Steven Ma. None of the ladies in this show sizzle. The older Michelle Yim in fact looks better and more polished than the younger stars. She puts up a believable act as the evil villain. Her mouth and facial expressions earn her points definitely.
As for the older Yueh Hua, I'm surprised that the scriptwriters did not make him out to be a more amorous man of the material world. I expected him to make more advance moves towards Bernice when she attempts to make him believe that she is interested in him. Sure, there is an age gap between Yueh and Bernice but it's a show after all. In real life, I think a man of Yueh's standing and experience would behave more intimately towards his younger love interest. Instead the only suggestion of closeness is Bernice touching Yueh's lap. Big deal! I think it'd be more believable if Yueh attempts to kiss and neck with Bernice. As it is in the serial, Yueh appears too guarded, too "stoney" and not a bit in love with Bernice at all.
Even for the younger pair of love birds, Ron and Kate, Steven and Bernice, there are no dovey-lovey, kissy-kissy scenes, except for one when Ron and Kate peck on the lips. Again, big deal! It's so unbelievable that two people in love could act so coy and almost brotherly-sisterly towards each other. If I was his love interest, I would have sizzled up to Ron (ha ha!).
Steven and Bernice do not even have a shot at being lovey-dovey. Apologies to those who think Bernice's smile is lovely. I beg to differ. I find her smile fake.
Kate puts up a terrible act when she was at the scene to identify Ron's body. She just isn't emotional enough to evoke tears from viewers (take a leaf from the Korean actresses, Kate). I, a big-time "cry-er" of emotional scenes, did not even shed tears. The other people present at that scene - Ron, Bernice and the lady police chief - though they attempted to show sadness, also fail to drum up heart-rending emotion that is expected of such scenes. Talking about the death of Ron, I have one big comment for the make-up artists: for a man who has been dead for a few days and buried in very (terrible!) shallow ground, his face looks too fresh and clean. The make-up artists could have dirtied his face somewhat to make it real. The villain who is tasked to dispose of Ron's body without a trace ought to be shot! He did such a poor job to dispose of Ron's dead body. Of course, I note that this is the celluloid world, and if they want you found, you'll be found. If they want you dead forever, you'll be dead forever.
Elsewhere on this site, there's a cry that Ron's character should not die. I agree. Why should a nice character like him die? Also, his death comes too soon and too unexpectedly. It is so uncalled for and there is no dramatic tension at all. The whole ending on the last episode is hurriedly done and leaves much to be desired.
Despite its flaws with casting and acting problems, this serial is worth watching. It has layers of intrigue and suspense. For me Ron, Steven, Michelle and Yueh make an interesting watch.
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)