REVIEW: Get Smart

Get Smart
Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin
In a nutshell: Get Smart is a typical spy comedy, but the talents provide some real laughs that make for an enjoyable ride.

But first, the story:
Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is an incompetent member of a secret organization called CONTROL, and he wants to be promoted from analyst to field agent. But after CONTROL's enemy- KAOS- infiltrates CONTROL headquarters and hacked through the files thus making them know the identity of every agent, and this forces CONTROL's boss (Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine) promote Smart, this therefore puts Smart's idol, Agent 23 (The Rock), out of the field, but for now, let's just say it's an irrelevant piece of information.

Anyway, Smart is not alone as he is accompanied by Agent 99 whose identity was not compromised for some reason (let's just leave it at that). At first, they don't get along, but in time they do. Explosive things are abound, and likewise do the laughs. But in the end, will the duo be able to stop KAOS' plan to destroy the Walt Disney Concert Hall?

I have been waiting for this movie since I first saw the trailer in the Internet, and to tell you the truth, I was not disappointed contrary to what the critics say.

"I was not disappointed"
One factor to it all is probably because I haven't seen the source material, although, yes, episodes keep popping up on YouTube. Another reason to that was probably because of the fact that I had the expectation that it was gonna be a typical summer spy comedy, so yeah, I definitely got what I was expecting, and then some.

"And then some..."
What made it a little bit more special was probably the star power invading this casting coup of a movie. I mean, Steve Carell is definitely one of the best comedians around, and Anne Hathaway, always a charm to see her act, is going back to comedy after a slew of serious films- and she's more beautiful than ever!

Noticeably, The Rock has been removed from Dwayne Johnson's name, probably wanting to distance himself from his wrestling persona so that people can see him as a serious actor. Of course, he still plays the same idiotic buff guy personality he's been playing all the time, but this time it's a little bit funnier.

The comedy
Steve Carell is always the king of awkward silences, and he puts this to good use, along with his other comedic skills to make this typical summer comedy into a more enjoyable one. So yeah, the film's really funny- not exactly ROTFLMAO, but a little closer to LOL if you want me to use Leet speak.

There is one really goofy highlight that's probably gonna be kept in tight wraps for now, but if you want to really know, then you'll have to find out for yourself, cause it's definitely the funniest part.

Of course, not all jokes work, but most of them somehow manage to anyway.

Action-packed!
Of course, there's always the rudimentary gadgets and horsing around, but the thing is, the film could might as well be as well-made as a real Bond film.

There are explosions, gunfights, and stunts abound as well as the typical red lasers and such. Truly, the budget for this film was obviously high.

Overall
Get Smart is worth a watch if you've already watched all the other heavyweights (Wanted, Wall-E), and will make you laugh, even if it's for a little bit. And that's because it's hard not to like the great cast, even though yes, the plot is definitely generic. Still, the people have successfully translated a 60's series into the contemporary world, and I applaud them for that, so yeah, I'm definitely gonna watch all those old Get Smart episodes on YouTube.

Stuff to Download: Windows Edition Part 1?

Here are some great applications that'll guarantee your piece of mind and convenience- and they're free! (Download links are obviously on the program names.)

Security
Avast! Antivirus (TOP PICK)
Avast! Antivirus has the power of the other anti-virus applications you'll commonly pay for. When I reformatted just recently, this one was the first program I downloaded even before Mozilla Firefox or whatever.

Plus, you can personalize this thing with "skins" that are downloadable from the site- and it won't even slow your computer down.

ZoneAlarm Firewall
OK, I know firewalls are very much annoying all the time, but it's better to be safe than sorry, and ZoneAlarm's Firewall provides what you pay normally for free.

Have you a program that you didn't install but magically appeared? Well that's what a firewall is for.

AVG Anti-Virus
Although in my opinion, AVG Anti-Virus is very slow especially during updates (which are daily), it's the thing that everyone downloads- at least, that's according to Download.com.

Besides, two heads are better than one, so you can download both Avast! and AVG for better protection- and a second opinion.

Hijack This!
Not advised for uber-n00bs, Hijack This! is Trend Micro's answer to anti-spyware problems, and it has proven effective for several people. Plus, it's only a quick 800KB download, and it installs without a hitch.

The problem with this, however, is that Hijack This! also lists some safe applications so it'll be very confusing to pick which is dangerous and which is not.

People say it's effective, lightweight and zippy! So if you've got a real pro in the house, Hijack This! will be the answer to your spyware problems.CAPTION: n00bs beware.

But maybe in another edition, I will list a better suited anti-spyware app.

Entertainment and Media
VLC Media Player (TOP PICK)
It can play any video format from A-Z, from the 90's to 2008, licensed or independent, the works: in short, it's the only player you'll ever need. You can even stream stuff from here, and convert one video to another. Plus, its code is open to anyone to modify so there'll be a lot of updates.

Awkward (multiple) Open commands will confuse however, but if you learn about it, you're home free.
Windows Media Player 11
Forget 10, go 11. It's probably the best Windows Media Player version made in years, but you have to have a genuine check before download, and that's the thing that sucks about it.

QuickTime
QuickTime is a good media player that can play almost anything except Windows media files and MPEG2. You can stream some great quality trailers from Apple trailers, or get some crystal quality HD from that website. It slowly opens though, and some features like Full Screen are premium features- which means you have to pay just for that, and other semi-useful tools you can normally find for free in VLC.

QuickTime 7.1 makes streaming media a significantly better experience however, because it has less stuttering and smoother playback all the way for those watching Steve Jobs' keynotes on-demand.

iTunes
It's bloated, really bloated, so it is a pain to download. Plus, it loads slow as a slug. At least in Windows anyway.

Those things do not stop it, however, from being the number 1 jukebox for both Windows and Mac, and that's because it's the only program officially able to connect and synchronize with iPod/s and iPhone/s. Other than that, it has a decently fast audio ripper and converter, and you can view your music in its graphically stunning Cover Flow mode.

SUPER
Although it is disputed to have viruses because of its auto-update feature, SUPER Video Converter is a free program that's really good when it works. Yeah, its website looks very suspicious, and downloading it is hell, but when you get it, it really works.

Only thing is that your computer has to do absolutely NOTHING ELSE if you want it to work 100% guaranteed, and chances are you won't want that.

Handbrake
When you say "DVD to iPod, PSP, iPhone, etc. etc. etc.", I say "Handbrake". It does what you want: rip DVDs into PSP, iPod, iPhone-compatible movies. You only have to see the length of the "titles" to get it right. Other than that, you can queue several videos for conversion if the DVD contains episodes of your favorite series, and more.

Miro
Miro is a video organization program that can search, download and convert files from YouTube, Metacafe, Google Video, and lots more. Plus, you can watch and subscribe channels, probably through Media RSS, as well as download movie torrents.

PicLens for Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox (TOP PICK)
PicLens is simply the best, most immersive media exploring experience in the net. Simply click the table columns icon on the top-right side of your browser (Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox) or the Play button when you search Google Images or something like that.

CAPTION: Surf through its beautiful 3D walls while searching for that YouTube video, all in this small sized plug-in.

What it presents is a beatiful 3D wall that will have you screaming: "THIS IS FREE?!". Yes, it's that good.

Downloads
LimeWire
LimeWire is still the most popular P2P downloading application in the universe as it delivers almost anything you search. Yes, there are a lot of viruses and fake adware, but if you've got a great sense of intuition, you'll probably find more or less what you're looking for be it music, movies, applications, documents or pictures.

uTorrent (TOP PICK)
Actually, "micro-Torrent" is probably the right way of pronouncing it, and it's probably because the download size of the app is actually really small, and it definitely loads without a hitch.
If you want to download torrents, uTorrent is the best, most user-friendly way to do it.

GetRight (TOP PICK)
GetRight is great shareware that's not as irritating as, say, iGetter. You can go on downloading whatever you want forever without having to pay for the price of nag screens basically. I don't need acceleration, I couldn't care less, and that's because I can just pause, play and state the time of shutdown whenever my download finishes.

Computer Management
CoreTemp
CoreTemp is very much a lightweight program that enables you to see whether your processors are overheating. It only works with dual-core Intel processors however, and that sucks for the rest of us.

Browsers
Mozilla Firefox 3
It's faster, better, and ACID2 compliant. It's the new Firefox 3!

But OK, there are no "killer features" included in this point zero release, but the awesome bar is very much a welcome addition to its great features. Include that with extensive customizability, and you can have all that you need in one browser... although when I say faster, it means faster than Internet Explorer 7. IE 8 does not work at all.

Flock (TOP PICK)
Flock is a rising star in the browser race, and it's a social junkie's dream come true. Got a FaceBook account? Then log in and check on your friends from the browser. Got a YouTube account? Then see what your friends recently uploaded, and favorited in its cool Media Stream toolbar.

How about photos? Well, your photos can be uploaded to your Flickr or Photobucket account using the built-in multi-photo uploader. Offline blog editing and easier photo management? Of course. And you can publish them to your Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, or practically any blog.

Oh, and did I mention it's also based from Firefox? That means it's safe, powerful, and speedy all at the same time.

Safari 3.1
When it comes to speed, Safari can't be beat. When Firefox crawls, Safari is the browser I turn to, and it helps me get work done in a short time.

Oh, and it's probably the browser that opens fastest, at least for me.

Also, it's standards-compliant, so there will be no broken parts of pages here and there, and you can even resize text fields!

SnapBack is also an underused feature meant for jumping back to that search results page whenever you wander to far from it, and you don't want to have to click Back millions of times.

Compatibility issues stem from various websites like Yahoo! Mail though. But the Mac version is ironically supported.

In addition, its look may get boring after some time, and no, Safari doesn't offer official ways on how to change your browser's look.

If you're downloading Safari, download Inquisitor for Safari
Like Flock, Inquisitor's search add-on for Safari gives you instant results and intelligent suggestions.

Opera
Opera is the most underappreciated underdog of the FireFox-Internet Explorer browser wars, and that's because it offers some great, innovative features to the table like Speed Dial which assigns a webpage to a number like a real phone, built-in torrent downloading, and mouse gestures. It also has great versions on mobile phones and Wii console (Internet Channel).

***
I'll probably end the download suggestions up to here. If I forget something, then I'll just put it on Part 2. But anyway, all of these apps are must-downloads, and as for the browsers, you'll probably want to check all of them out before settling into one browser.

UNRELATED:
But on a side note, here's a milestone:

I've successfully downloaded my first movie torrent. And the movie? Superbad. I don't know, I'm just curious. It is a Judd Apatow to be honest.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

INTERNET STAR SPOTLIGHT: James Rolfe, a.k.a. The Angry Video Game Nerd

Welcome to my new series of posts: the Internet Star Spotlight. This series of posts will pay tribute to several Internet or YouTube stars who have entertained me, or affected me in ways never seen on TV or the movies.

And what better way to start this off with one of the- if not, the biggest Internet star today?: James Rolfe, a.k.a. The Angry Video Game Nerd.

But note, this article is not exactly geared for fans who probably already know everything written over here, but for people who don't actually know him still.

***

About 5 months ago, like every other teenager with a decent DSL connection looking for ways to kill time, I found YouTube to be a viable option for time-wasting. And when I went video surfing, I saw a title that caught my eye. It was named: Back to the Future by the Angry Nintendo Nerd. I was like, "Oh, I haven't seen Back to the Future for a bit of a long time!," and so I clicked it, and hey look! A nitpicky nerdy guy critiquing its video game version. How original.

But whatever, I had nothing to do and so I let it load and I watched it.

In the process of watching the video, however, I noticed something really weird: I was getting pulled in, I was laughing, I was getting entertained. I myself was surprised as to why I enjoying something I earlier dissed as unoriginal and amateur.

"Maybe it's the editing," I thought, "This guy'll probably suck in another video." And boy, I found a lot of Related Videos. But the one I clicked next was Top Gun, mainly because even though I never heard or watched the Tom Cruise movie, it sounded familiar.

And as you'd expect, I enjoyed that video yet again, and I let my skepticism and denial go. The rest, they say, is history.

Now, I've downloaded every single episode the Nerd has in his episode list, except the TMNT 3 episode but I'm gonna get on that. Right now, I'm gonna pay tribute to the Nerd who soothed my pain from the pressure of burning 5 discs each for 35 people in one day. I know it sounds pretty dumb and simple to do, but it's the pressure of deadlines. Nevertheless, I credit him for helping me get through that tough time. CAPTION: I've downloaded everything. Call me a fan.


***
Before "the Nerd"
James Rolfe was, and is still, an independent filmmaker with a fondness for horror movies.
Ever since his childhood, Rolfe says in his Cinemassacre 200 documentary, he has had a passion for filmmaking, and he has painstakingly tried ways aplenty on how to edit them since back then home video editing tools haven't sprung up to be great on the pocket of hobbyists.

But besides that, James Rolfe was an ordinary human like you and me.

A Joke
But in 2004, as a joke, he picked on the negative points of classic game Castlevannia 2 in an overexaggerated way. Same went for his Jekyl and Hyde review in which he "took it to the next level". He only showed it to close friends, and 2 years later, he put it up on YouTube. The rest is now history.

Methods
Basically, the Angry Video Game Nerd is a person who reviews bad games and gives a whole lot of emphasis on even the tiniest gripes, all the while cussing and ranting and shouting and drinking beer to soothe the pain. These characteristics have defined the characteristics of the Nerd, and frankly, I can't imagine watching an AVGN video without hearing him at least say the F word once.

But afterwards, to make a big "theatrical" finale, he does something to the bad game he reviews. It could go into the toaster, the Nerd could swallow some "oil" and turn a lighter on and spit on Rambo, or maybe it could get pooped upon. The list is endless, and ranges from the epic to the disgusting.

Unprecedented Popularity
He was the "Angry Nintendo Nerd", and now he's "The Angry Video Game Nerd" because he never expected the character to become as popular as it is now. And with popularity comes the rip-offs (there's one in particular that Irate-tates me) and the huge worldwide following spanning from the US to Korea to even the Philippines!
***

Why is he so popular?
I honestly don't know how the Nerd became so popular in two contrasting demographics namely, the baby-boomers of the 80's and the new generation of kids playing next-gen (of which I'm in). But maybe it's the fact that in at least one point of your life, you're gonna be playing at least 2 bad games. And boy, when you see the Nerd play bad games, it already looks too gruesome to watch. I mean, imagine how much suffering the Nerd had to experience by playing the game.

If you allow me to go all Paula on you now, it's like there's this connection between you and the Nerd while he's playing something because it's like your feeling his pain. It's all very surprising, really, because usually, when someone reviews a bad game (kinda like X-Play), you don't feel anything except being informed of something because it's too brief. The Nerd, however, takes his time with his reviews, and most of the time, they turn out to be both informative and entertaining.

And frankly, the Nerd probably doesn't think about editorial integrity first: he wants to draw the viewer into the video before the review, and that's where his real film skills come into play. Most notably in his Halloween specials, his cinematography skills are shown, while in the Super Mario Bros. 3 review, he puts his AfterEffects skills in full swing (aside from the other explosive videos like Die Hard).

Oh, and the swearing. Of course, if I said the F word to you right now, it probably wouldn't be as funny, but what about the Nerd's own concoctions like F**kfarts, F**kballs (which has T-shirts!) and lots more? Well, they may not appear funny on this post, but when the Nerd says it, it's just... right. Every foul word he says might as well fit every bad game he reviews, because, well, they're bad! And they're pretty catchy to be honest, especially since I caught myself saying "What a sh*tload of f**k" in more than one occasion.

3 years, and it's not stale
People will wonder why the Nerd's videos haven't gone stale yet. I mean, the average lifespan of a net show is probably a year or less, and that in itself is a considerable achievement.

But it attributes particularly to the Nerd's different styles of presentation in each and every episode. Every episode is unique and fresh, and so is the humor.

And the show's longevity might as well should've been credited to the makers of sh*tty games, because they're the ones who let the Nerd and his fans keep coming back for more- and what with more than 800 titles for the NES alone, the Nerd probably won't be leaving us anytime soon.

James Rolfe, the Filmmaker
There is another person outside the Nerd character, and that is his filmmaker side.

For years, James has been making films outside the Nerd character, and for an indie-web filmmaker, the quality of the videos are pretty impressive. The Deader The Better is one of his prides, and it's a pretty good homage to splatter effects of B-movies. I mean, yeah, there are some imperfections in the color grading, but the film mostly manages to make the look consistent and rather Sweeney Todd-like, albeit less artsy.

He even has some impressive stop-motion animation films, and some really funny points in his "You Know What's Bullsh*t?" series.
CAPTION: James' films are not for everyone.

Granted, James' films are not for everyone, but he has real potential. Plus, with his following, his streaming web movies will become instant hits.

My two cents on the Nostalgia Critic issue
I know it's fake, but were it real, I'd still rather not be involved in this. For one thing, the Critic has his good points and bad points, and likewise applies to the Nerd. That's all.

To sum everything up
There's that feeling of familiarity mixed with new, exciting prospects whenever I watch the show, and with that said, I'm not even a person who belongs in the NES generation, and that's why it's always so new and exciting. Looking forward to every new episode is always a guessing game. Will it be R.O.B.? How about E.T.? Yes, everything is unpredictable and fresh and that's just why I avidly support it.

Nerd, if you're reading this, I just wanna say, "Hello from the Philippines!"

It's Hammer Time

Donk, donk, donk.

That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Wait, what?

Oops, I think my brain is getting jarred.

I mean, why not? When there is a very loud construction project outside- and I'm talking earthquake intensity here!

Waking up, I was met with subtle jolts on the floor, and I thought, "Maybe it's just me," but going into the bathroom, I felt the earth moving- a bit stronger this time around- accompanied by loud banging sounds. 

I mean, I never knew there was construction going on next door, but I did know it was gonna be a temple, I just didn't know it started right now. But the irony here is, temples are tranquil, and this construction is far from that.

In short, it's hell, and frankly, I don't get it as to why they have to get some sort of giant hammer or ball hanging on a crane and start pounding? IT'S AN EMPTY LOT!

And since I was studying, you can probably imagine my brain straining for memorization. GODDDDDDDDDDD, WHAT A S**TLOAD OF F**K.

~~~~~~~~~

On a side note: what a way to make a 200th post!

Mozilla goes for the Guiness

Tomorrow marks a milestone on the Firefox browser's life as it ups the ante one notch with its new release: Firefox 3. Right now there are more than 1.5 million pledges for download of the Firefox browser- although I think that the number will increase even further in the next 24 hours, especially in the US.

With faster web page loading, and markedly faster opening than that of Firefox 2- as well as the controversial "Awesome" bar, and safer security- Firefox 3 is probably gonna be make even more of a splash than that of Firefox 2 with 24% global browser user base today thus unseating Internet Explorer from the 90% mark.

If you want to pledge for download of Firefox 3, click here. Whether or not I do, I'll download it anyway.

But there's one thing:

Flock's going in with the same features- and it's a markedly better browser than Firefox (for me, anyway)!

Still, I don't think Flock's coming out with updates at this time, so I'm gonna take a look at Firefox 3 and help stop the Microsoft monopoly because it will be slower compared to Firefox!

REVIEW: Refreshing rom-com

Definitely, Maybe

In a nutshell:
I have been very hateful of last year's romantic comedies, especially that atrocity called No Reservations. So basically, this one is very much a welcome breath of fresh air.

Story
Definitely, Maybe's story is one that goes loop de loop without scaring the viewer because the guy (William Hayes) actually has a really crazy love life. And why would he talk about his love life? Who'd be fascinated by that? Well, it's of course, his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) who hasn't met her mother.

Sounds familiar? Well, it should! And that's because it's almost like How I Met Your Mother- without the Britney!

First, Will Hayes is head-over-heels with Emily, but when he goes to New York in hoping to achieve his political aspirations, he meets other girls. Yes, he's still in love with Emily, but a revelation occurs and they break up. This opens him up to the other girls he has met, and boy there were plenty.

But it all goes to two other girls: Summer, who is an aspiring writer with a college professor as a boyfriend, and April, who is a free spirit who loves Nirvana and wants to travel around the world.

All their lives will interconnect somehow, but you just never know what to expect next!

Cuts to the chase
Will Hayes, in his story, says that he has dated a LOT of girls before settling with Maya's mother, but only 3 became serious girlfriends namely, Emily, Summer and April. So the film does without montages and fades of Will dating various other girls in other places and goes straight to what the viewers really want. It doesn't have to procrastinate, and if there's a sequence that involves only Will Hayes and nothing else, you wouldn't mind at all because there is this weird desire for you to get to know more about its delightful characters.

Knows that it's following formula
Through the always adorable Abigail Breslin's character Maya, she tries to guess together with the audience who her real mother is, and most of the time, she knows the formula, she knows how everything goes, she thinks that her father's life is a corny rom-com, and that's actually pretty funny when you think about it. The film's writers seriously embraced the romantic-comedy formulaic-ness of it all and at times tricks the viewer because of some genuinely unpredictable moments.

Unpredictability? In a rom-com?!
Yes, indeed. There are moments when the viewer is usually caught off-guard because of some really shocking revelations. And though you'd still know who'd end up with who after all is said and done, the film generally knows the viewer and what one would expect in something like this.

Overall
I just gotta say it: the script is surprisingly expertly crafted! Actors give off more-than-adequate characterizations and you'll have to choose who to root for, and who Maya's mother is. So basically, yes, it's a guessing game in which you're invited as well. And I gotta say, it's a damn good one too!

My guilty pleasure so far is this movie. It's so damn refreshing and I like it.

If you're looking for a change or a new reassurance of hope in the deteriorating genre of romantic comedies, look no further than Definitely, Maybe.

Rating: 7.8/10

REVIEWS: Rats and Unintentional Comedy

Ratatouille
Disney-Pixar
Directed by: Brad Bird
In a nutshell: Nobody has ever made a rat more lovable and compelling than Ratatouille. After watching the flick, my heart was light and filled with joy. No really.

I loved Brad Bird's other Pixar masterpiece The Incredibles and I regard him highly as a film director. His latest masterpiece- Ratatouille - is by no means different in terms of greatness- and that's great.

Story
The story starts out with our rat hero Remy (Patton Oswalt) who is born with a greater sense of smell and taste and thus, aspired to be a chef. Because of Remy's extraordinary ability, his father- boss of the rat clan- appoints him a job as poison detector. But one day, when Remy and his brother Emile go inside the house of an old lady, much chaos ensue and the clan is exposed- making them run away to find a new home.

However, the sewers weren't kind to Remy as he becomes separated from his family. So now, all he has is a book by his idol chef named Gusteau which he reads. He becomes hungry, and this forces him to hallucinate that the illustration of the chef in the book is talking to him. The chef advises him to look around, and he finds an opening to reveal that he has been under the city of lights- and food: Paris.

Then we go to the life of Linguini who is a clumsy redhead hired to be a garbage collector of the restaurant of Gusteau- which has deteriorated since the chef's death. When Remy finds the same restaurant and improve the soup that Linguini ruined because of his clumsy antics- and a food critic loved it- their fates cross and they discover a way to fulfill each other's dreams.

Slapstick antics
Pixar made excellent use of the comedic opportunities the story provided- and with perfect comic timing and panache. If you thought a person on a bicycle hitting a car is so stone age, just wait till you see the comical effect this same scene would have in this movie.

Indeed, it's truly hilarious. But not all comedy in the film is full of slapstick, and that's because the smart dialogue is also effectively funny in its jokes.

Experiencing Paris
Another technical achievement by Pixar is its 3D rendering of the city of lights- and the various aerial views of the city never cease to amaze me. It simply looks stunning, eye-popping even. I mean, it's probably the best animated portrayal of France I've ever seen because it's bustling and realistic.

The food being prepared in the kitchen is also really mouth-watering, and during the course of the movie I just wanted to EAT SOMETHING! GAH!

Obviously, if you haven't gotten my point yet, the look of the film is very much superior. Even the human characters look better than ever, and Pixar finally perfected fur!

Cuddly... rats?!
People hate rats- except for hamsters- and that's a fact.

But after watching this movie- oh my God- I don't want to hate them anymore. Who knows who you're killing? It might be Remy's real-life counterpart!

But sarcasm aside, the movie really made me love Remy, but not exactly love all rats in general. I don't know, but it oozes some kind of charm despite the fact that the protagonist is a rodent people love killing- especially if it's in the kitchen. I mean, you just want to hug the rat and squeeze it until it dies with love! LOL.

Message
Pixar definitely got its message subtly across. And among other messages, the one that stands out is the foundation of the movie itself: "Dreams can come true no matter how impossible.". You know, Chef Gusteau's book title ("Anyone Can Cook") has that meaning when thought about deeper.

I mean, I know that message is so cliche. I mean, since Pinocchio, many Disney films have geared toward that moral and it became tired when other studios tackled the theme. But here, it's just really, really affecting.

Balance
Putting the movie in synopsis form is rather taxing, and that's because in the inside, when you flesh the thing out, you'll find that it's actually a pretty complex balance of conflicts Remy- and Pixar- have to contend. And the balancing act they do beautifully as people manage to get how Remy balances the act of being one step closer to achieving his dream, all the while constantly wanting to make his father proud and abide by family values. I mean, whew! The thing's really a tough act to follow!

Overall
I'm glad that I finally got to watch Ratatouille! And I guess waiting for almost a year after its initial release was still worth the wait. You probably already know how I'll rate this film, so I need not summarize everything for you because it's so good, it should've been inside the category of "Best Picture" in the Oscars months ago.

Rating: 10/10

The Forbidden Kingdom
Lionsgate
Directed by: Robert Minkoff
In a nutshell: The film has a story based from a real Chinese legend- but that doesn't stop them from making unintentionally laugh-out-loud sequences. Action scenes are expertly choreographed however, so action junkies wouldn't want to miss this.

Obviously, this is the movie that pairs Jackie Chan and Jet Li for the first time in cinema history. But are they worth the price of admission?

Story
The movie starts out with this teenager who seems to have an affinity for Hong Kong Kung Fu movies. (So yeah, there are Bruce Lee jokes involved in the later scenes.) He goes to the pawnshop of an old man and sees this golden staff. And this staff takes him back to the past into the legend of the West. And oh my God, the transition between modern day and Chinese history was so unintentionally funny because the teenager falls from the top of a building- and he does so to very cheesy effect.

Moving on, the boy "lands" into a Chinese village which is attacked by the Warlord's soldiers. The boy manages to escape because of a drunken master (Jackie Chan) who they later learn is immortal.

They also encounter the generic pretty Chinese girl (every movie should have that!) who is coincidentally good with jade darts and whatnot as well as a monk in white (Jet Li).

But exactly what role does the staff play anyway? Well, it's actually the weapon of the Monkey King who gets into a duel with the aforementioned Warlord. Yes, the Monkey King was on a roll, but he was too trusting and was tricked into thinking they were gonna have hand-on-hand combat. So when the Monkey King was about to turn into stone, he couldn't possibly at least give the Warlord the staff, and so he sends it someplace so it can wait until the "chosen one" comes out.

Now you can piece the things up together by yourself and answer as to why the American teenager was transported to the past by the staff anyway.

Why Jackie Chan hates the film
In an interview back then, Jackie Chan vocally announced that he "didn't like the film"- and for good reason: the plot is so stupid, you can predict everything that'll happen next.

You'd probably know that the boy would be able to release the Monkey King from his stoned state (WHY THE HELL DIDN'T THE WARLORD DESTROY THE STATUE-FIED MONKEY KING IN THE FIRST PLACE?!), or that Jackie Chan or Jet Li would fight and stuff, or that the American boy would probably fall in love with the Chinese girl. It's all familiar, and it all feels derivative- like it's been done before.

Saving grace
The movie's saving grace, however, is the real stars of the show namely, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and that's because they get to do what they do best: FIGHT. And those fights are choreographed so well, you will probably not mind about the stupid story- and not care for the American who "just wants to go home".

Forgettable
Hell, even in the review I already forgot their names!!! But the only unforgettable thing about this film is the white-haired lady! Boy, did she make me and my siblings laugh unintentionally!

Unintentionally funny
I found the movie so bad it was funny, which is why I'd rate it higher than it should. That's the thing that provided me a lot of entertainment (besides the action scenes): the laughs! What makes them more entertaining is that they're uncalled for!

If you've watched this film, however, it'd probably be hard to take things seriously, and that's because there's an American amidst the Chinese setting! Maybe that's why I couldn't appreciate Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai! God, when are people gonna learn?

Scenes to look out for include the cheesy fight scene featuring the Monkey King (which I forgot to mention is also Jet Li) complete with very cheesy effects (you know that running in the air thing), the fall of the American teenager from the building (the "AAAAAHHH!" accompanied with the bad acting makes it HILARIOUS), the way the White Haired Lady's hair is able to grow and whip stuff (talk about excellent shampoo!) and a lot more along the journey.

Overall
It's hard to take this film seriously, and worse, it has a bad plot. But Jackie Chan and Jet Li save it from mediocre territory because of their excellent fighting prowess and great kung fu choreography courtesy of Yuen Wo Ping.

Basically, it's one of those movies that you'll likely consider a guilty pleasure, and nothing more.

Rating: 6.5/10

In the News 5th edition

We've got the round-up of this week's news and today's headlines as well.

Rudy "Daboy" Fernandez; 56: God bless his soul
Masa action hero Rudy Fernandez- also known as Daboy- has been battling periampullary cancer for the past two years. Now the struggle has ended as he passed away a week ago aged 56.

Days ago, you may have also heard about his public wake, and burial which were obviously jam-packed. But that was simply the respected actor's last wish- to have a last "box office hurrah".

Enrile shuns foreign investors; but GMA welcomes them
The Joint Foreign Chambers received an embarrassing tongue-lashing courtesy of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Miriam Quiambao for trying to erase the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) a week ago. June 12 was different, and that's because it was GMA who invited them so that she could praise and suck-up to them and stuff.

3G iPhone announced
Apple's WWDC didn't disappoint as it was home to the unveiling of several iPhone applications, and of course, the 3G iPhone. Globe Telecom also subsequently made a news page/announcement that vaguely stated that the Philippines will have its share of iPhone fever "later this year".

Maybe in between August and October?

Tornado kills boy scouts in central US
June 12 not only saw the release of much-awaited game Metal Gear Solid 4 in America, but also the release of a devastating tornado in central America. It destroyed the Little Sloux Scout Ranch and killed 4 teenagers from Omaha who were also boy scouts.

2 more lives were claimed in Dickinson County and Jackson County.

Greenpeace and the coal plant
Coal power plants are obviously contributing to global warming, and that's what environmental activist group Greenpeace is trying to avoid in the barangay of Ingore in Iloilo. Barangay officials are rallying back however because they claim that Greenpeace, though their protest is understandable, is trespassing in private property.

Celtics win against Lakers
'Twas the Finals yet again, and the Boston Celtics won 3-1 against the Lakers. The final score was 97-91.

"We asked for Ces, got Angelo instead"
This was the frontpage headline in today's Inquirer, and that's because yesterday saw the release of Angelo Valderama: one of the cameramen who was kidnapped along with TV news anchor Ces Drilon who was kidnapped by an unknown group of gunmen while in Mindanao. Families of the kidnapped party were relieved to see Valderama released, but they, of course, wanted the others back.

Kidnapped Marines released
The MILF released 2 kidnapped Marines from Basilan. The 2 released Marines' names are Jessie Duatin and Bernie Alcabasa which were "unharmed after a successful negotiation Thursday night," said MILF civil military affairs chief Eid Kabalu.

2 killed, 8 injured in Japan earthquake
Today saw an earthquake that happened in northern Japan which measured 7.0 in the Richter scale. The powerful earthquake claimed the lives of a fisherman in the Fukishima prefecture, and a person who was run over by a truck when the person evacuated from the house (which was in the Iwate prefecture: the epicenter).

There were 8 injured, one of them in critical condition.

To the Yahoo! Messenger n00bs.

I think people are already smart enough to know how to differentiate real notices and chain mail. Cellphones also saw this coming with fake "Send this to 5 people for free load." scams and such, and now the Internet- or rather Yahoo! Messenger- has the same thing.

Although it has been having these messages ever since the dinosaur age, it has been increasing at an annoying rate lately, with the same modified message that's been sent to people over and over and over again. I should know, I translated it to Pig Latin and sent them back for revenge.

And that message is one that has been existent for years now and it's the "Yahoo! is shutting down" message.

But still, I understand that our section has so-called n00bs (or in plain language, newbies) and I should be right to think that most of them also have cellphones. So I am very much dumbfounded to find out that the people I've regarded as smart enough to differentiate chain mail from real mail is not working their brain enough. And that case is so severe, that they even went to Google to research on that! Wow!

So noobs, PLEASE turn on the mail filter God gave you: your brain- and stop annoying the hell out of everybody else.

UPDATE: Besides, would YOU like it if I sent it this way:

Yahooay isyay uttingshay ownday onyay Augustyay 17thay. Eythay antway otay etgay idray ofyay eefray essengermay. Ifyay youay eleteday isthay andyay on'tday asspay ityay onyay, youray amenay illway ebay eletedday. Ayay otlay ofyay eoplepay avehay alreadyyay eenbay eletedday. Ightray ickclay onyay ethay oupgray amenay ofyay youray uddylistbay andyay ickclay, Endsay Instantyay Essagemay otay Allyay inyay Oupgray

Well?

The iPhone upgrade, and the new iPhone

In WWDC, there is bound to be a big product launch or two- and this year is no exception. This year, it's about the iPhone- what will become of it, and if there is even a new one.

Will everyone be happy, or will everyone be sad about the long awaited iPhone 2. What about current owners? What'll happen to their obsoletely expensive hacked iPhones? How much will this new iPhone cost? And what'll Globe bring out? All these answers and more coming to you!

NOTE: If you are only interested in the 3G iPhone because you don't own an old iPhone, scroll down until you see a sign. Don't worry, you'll see that sign.

iPhone 2.0
Not to be confused with the 3G iPhone, the iPhone 2.0 is an iPhone software update that's been widely awaited by owners. So yes, longevity of your old iPhone can be rest assured but... what will it have?

Software Development Kit (Games, Productivity, Education)
Apple introduced the new iPhone upgrade features and software and I guess it's pretty cool.
What they introduced with regards to the enterprise users are the Microsoft Exchange server and secure Wi-Fi connection. Although that's not really major for us ordinary people, big corporations have hailed it as a great help to their productivity and at least it's pretty good to see that the iPhone is finally a real smartphone.

Next, Apple introduced once again the SDK program and showed off how people "enjoyed" developing programs for the iPhone. The first program they introduced was a Sega game- Super Monkey Ball- and it is able to be controlled via tilting the thing. Pretty good, but pretty expensive at 10 dollars, although it does have 110 levels- ridiculously many for a phone.

And then, there was the eBay program which was surprising since eBay didn't advise Safari for browsing a long time ago. Loopt, TypePad mobile blogging, the Associated Press mobile news program in which you yourself can submit and read news, etc.- all of which are free for purchase from the App Store.

If you've already watched the iBand video, the program behind it is also exhibited.

Other games like Promac Rally however, seems like it's gonna be really bad because based from my experience with Mario Kart Wii motion-steering, it's gonna be too imprecise.

One of the more promising apps however, is the medical education program that will probably benefit a lot of nursing students called Modality. I don't know if it will cost you anything, but I think it's really looking good. Even better is the body mapping application from MIMVista which lets doctors view x-rays and CAT scans intuitively. And wow.

There is another game in particular that amazed me because of the amazing graphics and animation, but I forgot the name.

Wow, I guess the delay of the iPhone for worldwide release was probably for the best since they want to mature the phone software and features for more practical use- and money obviously.

Office and iWork
iPhone 2.0 software has finally put support for Office and Apple iWork documents- and that's definitely what people have been waiting for. Another obvious thing they should've put in the iPhone was the Calculator in which when you put your phone on landscape, it becomes a scientific calculator; contact searching, and the moving and multiple deletion of messages.

Gearing up for Asia
Asia is finally getting native languages for the iPhone, and like some Nokia phones and TCL phones before it, you can write the Chinese and Japanese characters.

Free
The upgrade is free for existing iPhone users, but if you want it for the iPod touch, you should still have to pay 10 dollars because, obviously, the iPod touch is for music and videos- not the features above.

MobileMe
And I thought the update was just for enterprise users.

MobileMe essentially has the same features as the Microsoft Exchange support- only without the need for Microsoft Exchange. That means you can get Blackberry-like features such as Push e-mail and calendar without having to work for a huge company or set up a so-called "Exchange server".

So for example, if you get an e-mail on Outlook or Mail, it gets pushed to your phone like the famous BlackBerry. Or if your mom has changed the schedule in your iCal or Outlook calendar, it gets sent to your iPhone anytime, anywhere. The same goes for stored contacts: update them in the Address Book, update in the iPhone.

Me.com
Me.com is now the replacement for Apple's .Mac service and will features Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photo Gallery, and Online Hard Disk. It's a new web application both compatible for iPhone and the computer and will feature drag-and-drop features, and a fancy-pants interface.



*STOP SCROLLING!!!*

And now...
"It's almost the iPhone's 1st birthday. Let's take it to the new level." Jobs says. And here it is:

New features
Most of the new features of this new iPhone will be the same as the features on the upcoming firmware upgrade. But if you didn't read the above details, here they are in a nutshell:

3G - This feature is obviously not available in the first iPhone, neither is it available in the upcoming update. You probably already what this actually is. If not, then let's just say that 3G is a mobile Internet connection that is significantly faster than 2G's GPRS. And if the phone has a camera on front, you can make video calls to another 3G phone. The iPhone doesn't have a front camera, however, so there is no video calling.

What Apple didn't mention however, is also the inclusion of 3.5G (or HSDPA), which is faster than both 3G and at some cases, DSL.

Calculator - The iPhone finally gets a Calculator- and if you put it in landscape mode by tilting the phone horizontally, it becomes a scientific calculator! Pretty neat way to switch, to be honest.

Asian language support - With support for more than 20 Asian languages, with a lot of emphasis on Chinese and Japanese as well, you can now jot down characters on the screen or use the keyboard.

Third-party Applications - You've probably already heard about the several Java applications made for other kinds of phones, or maybe you've downloaded some apps for your Palm as well. This phone is of course, no different. Deployment of the third-party apps however, will be in the form of Apple's on App Store- so you don't need to go to that Globe website to download some pretty cool games.

Better battery life - Apple managed to get more juice out of the system clocking it at 24 hours on Audio, 7 hours video, 5 hours 3G talk time, 300 hours standby time, 7 hours browsing time and 10 hours 2G talk time.

GPS - Track your location, or let the iPhone help you go to a desired destination with its built-in GPS. Now the iPhone can really compete with the Nokia N95!

Better audio - Apple has finally pledged to put in better audio output, so you can enjoy your music even more.

Enterprise features - Push e-mail, calendar and contacts enable the Crackberries to not miss their BlackBerrys as much. It uses the Microsoft Exchange server as well.

MobileMe - MobileMe is a 99 dollar service that replaces Apple's .Mac hard drive/media/web publishing service. It lets the iPhone update the same database of contacts, e-mail and calendar events wirelessly and quickly.

Office support - Businessmen can view their Office and iWork files right from the get-go!

Thinner
What's surprising is that the 3G iPhone is very much thinner than its predecessor.

The last time I checked as to why 3G wasn't supported by the last iPhone, it was because "it would make the phone really bulky". That's why I'm surprised. But whatever.

What happened to the backside???
Personally, I like its plastic black back (although there is another color choice for the 16 GB model). But critics say that the plastic back is a sure magnet for smudges- like the iPods before it.

Back to normality
Critics also hated its unconventional 2" headphones jack. This time, Apple amended this to the normal 3.5" headphone jack, so yay!

Still no video recording? WTF?!
For some reason Apple doesn't want to put video recording in the iPhone. This was a gripe among the masses the last time, and it still is.

I wish...
I hope Apple will immediately phase out the 8GB model, lower the price of the 16GB model by a hundred dollars, and put in a newer 32GB model! The screen would be put to waste if the memory can't hold 8 full-length movies!

Cost
"And even though 90% of our customers love their iPhone, 56% of the people who didn't have iPhones said it was simply too expensive. So one of the things we should tackle- besides common requests like 3G, Enterprise, Third-party apps and International support- is cost."

And what a price cut Apple did.

If you didn't already buy a hacked iPhone, it would probably be more sulit if you bought the 3G iPhone. Why? Well, the price has been cut from 399 USD to 199 USD- which is about 8000 pesos without the tax. Wow, you can say that it can even rival the famous Nokia music phones because of the bang-for-your-buck!

Globe Telecom
Only Globe has the authorized access to sell the iPhones locally. Yes, locally as it will be sold here finally. Of course, it's the 3G iPhone! Otherwise, everyone will hate Apple!

Release date
Apple plans to get things going on July 11th- which is the release date for 22 countries. After a later time, it will be released in all of the other 48 countries- including the Philippines. Officially, the price worldwide will also be 199 dollars for the 8GB version and 299 dollars for the 16GB version, and Apple will not allow the price to be higher than that exact amount- or so Steve Jobs says.

Finally...
The iPhone is finally a competent contender in the smartphone arena, as it boasts a lot of very welcome features and viable adjustments, as well as some pricing perks, to finally make it worth buying! No really, I want it myself because I personally think that it's a worthy upgrade to my Sony Ericsson W800i, although knowing me, it's a bit hard to be letting go of the video recording.

But then again, that's what my Cybershot is for!

EDIT:
Commercial
And oh, I forgot. Here's a mildly funny commercial that Steve Jobs played twice in a row during the keynote. :D

REVIEW: The Chronicles of Narnia

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: Prince Caspian
Disney Pictures, Walden Media
Starring: Ben Barnes, Anne Popplewell, Skandar Keynes
In a nutshell: TCON: Prince Caspian is a darker, better, and more epic improvement over the first film.

3 years ago, C.S. Lewis captivated my mind with the Chronicles of Narnia. People may say that the series is an unforgettable one, but I for one forgot the lot of them, although I still remember (and got to remember) some key scenes depicted in the novel. And that's because of the fabulous and smart movie adaptation. OK, there are some tweaks for the sake of political correctness, and it loses some heart because of it, but those gripes are fairly minor for me and that's because the things done right in the movie outnumber by a landslide those that are done wrong.

Story
But first, the story.

Set a year after the Pevensies left behind the world outside the wardrobe, they come back because Telmarine Prince Caspian has used Susan's horn for them to come back. How the prince got the horn Susan had in the first movie is what you'll find out earlier in the movie, and why Prince Caspian is escaping from his fatal fate you should also find out for yourself.

Thing is, however, Narnia isn't what is was supposed to be after the Pevensie siblings left the world. Their castle has been reduced to ruins, and the Narnian people have become an endangered species because of the Telmarines, and that's because 1 year in our world equaled to 1300 years in Narnia. Wow, talk about back to the future!

Anyway...
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian has some beatiful sets and shots, and the actors give justice to their roles. Maybe it's also really effective because of Adamson and Co.'s brilliantly intelligent adaptaion of the book because everything feels faithful and right to the source (except for some parts) and it's probably how Lewis himself would've imagined it.

Epic
Epic is the word for the battles and brilliant special effects employed in the movie. The beatiful surroundings and cinematography help in making the scenes look fantastic as well.

Political correctness
For the sake of political correctness, some Christian symbolism that are famous in the book are less prominent here, and that's to be expected. Susan also becomes an archer during that long and epic charging during the war scenes instead of waiting like the lady she is in the book. Those are fairly minor details and gripes however, and my enjoyment of the movie isn't really hampered because of them.

Too long!
Filmmakers could've done without the really, really long action scenes as it makes the movie too long at 2 hours 37 minutes! But personally, I didn't feel like time was slow because I had a really great time.

Overall
I like the movie, and it's faithful (or tries to be) to the source material. Narnia fan or not, it's really watchable and it has a lot of symbolism for you to interpret as well as a bunch of values for the children to learn. All in all, this new Narnia movie is a solid tribute to C.S. Lewis' masterpiece, as it further immortalizes the famous series splendidly.

Rating: 8.0/10

REVIEW: Mario Kart Wii

The Flash widget is where the whole review is. Please be patient because it'll take really long. If you want to go read the review, however, click here.

Obama: New democrat rep

Obama is clearly making history as we speak because he's officially the first African-American democrat who's representing the democrats in the rat race in November- and the first African-American president in due course.

I mean, seriously, is anybody out there crazy enough to elect John "BS" McCain (who, if you're not exactly up to speed, is Bush's pick for successor in obviously the Republican party)?

But don't fret Clinton-ian err..., supporters! She may just be your new VP (and I hope she will be, Obama's gonna need the help he can get to finally appeal to Clinton's former supporters). Still, after the most predictable election in US history, I think things will get really bright, although it won't happen instantly, mind you.

I have to ask though: Who did you pick for president? And do you mind at all that Obama's gonna be representing the winning party?