Showing posts with label 5 Reels : Brilliant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 Reels : Brilliant. Show all posts

17 August 2011

Glee Season 1



Glee is a musical comedy-drama television series, launched by Fox Broadcasting company. Its first episode for Season 1 aired on May 19, 2009, and has a total of 22 episodes for the whole season. It was produced by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto.

The series is all about the high school show choir New Directions, from the fictional McKinley High School. For season 1, it shows how they reform the club, went through series of activities and practices, and make it to sectionals, then regionals alongside people who contradicts on reforming the club, especially the head of the cheerleading squad, Sue Sylvester.

Cast
Matthew Morrison Will Schuester
Jane Lynch Sue Sylvester
Jayma Mays Emma Pillsburry
Jessalyn Gilsig Terri Schuester
Leah Michele Rachel Berry
Cory Monteith Finn Hudson
Amber Riley Mercedes Jones
Chris Colfer Kurt Hummel
Kevin McHale Artie Abrams
Jenna Ushkowitz Tina Cohen-Chang
Mark Salling Noah 'Puck' Puckerman
Dianna Agron Quinn Fabray

Recurring Guests
Patrick Gallagher Ken Tanaka
Iqbal Theba Principal Figgins
Stephen Tobolowsky Sandy Ryerson
Mike O'Malley Burt Hummel
Romy Rosemont Carol Hudson
Naya Rivera Sanatana Lopez
Heather Morris Brittany Pears
Harry Shum, Jr. Mike Chang
Jonathan Groff Jesse St. James

REEL Review
When I was watching the first episode, I stopped after about 10 minutes. I dunno, I just got bored. Sometimes I just don't want so much talking. But when some of my friends began talking about Glee, especially the songs they have been singing in each episodes, I felt the need of watching as well. So I started again with episode 1, and found out that it is not that actually boring. Maybe I just don't feel like watching the first time that I did. When they started performing number, oh... this is it! This is getting more entertaining. I love it when they performed Don't Stop Believing.

When watching this series, I always look forward to their performance. And also, each character is getting more interesting. The conflict between Finn, Quinn, Rachel and Puck, the sabotage attempts of Sue through Santana and Britanny, Will's determination to reach regionals despite his wife's melodramatic lie on conceiving a child.

The show also projects some social and moral issues. This results to some critics sounding out negative feedbacks, not with the show as a musical series, but as to what it really wants to acquaint to the viewers. But reality bites. The characters in Glee portray people in the real world. It all depends on how you handle everything and preserve your identity.

My favorite episode is Sectionals (episode 13). After their performance, I just found myself clapping. Good choice of songs, good voices, good performance.

Glee is one hell of a musical ride. Benevolent characters, freehearted sense humor and well-contrived music all in one package equals fun! Very imaginative.


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16 August 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2



Plot Summary
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here. yahoomovies

Movie Box
Director David Yates
Producer David Heyman
David Barron
JK Rowling
Screenplay Steve Kloves
Based on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
Music Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography Eduardo Serra
Editing Mark Day
Studio Heyday Films
Distributor Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Dates 13 July 2011 (International)

15 July 2011 (United Kingdom, United States)

4 August 2011 (Mainland China)
Running Time 2 hours, 10 minutes

Cast
Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter
Rupert Grint Ron Weasley
Emma Watson Hermione Granger
Helena Bonham Carter Bellatrix Lestrange
Jim Broadbent Horace Slughorn
Robbie Coltrane Rubeus Hagrid
Warwick Davis Griphook
Tom Felton Draco Malfoy
Ralph Fiennes Lord Voldemort
Michael Gambon Albus Dumbledore
John Hurt Ollivander
Jason Isaacs Lucius Malfoy
Gary Oldman Sirius Black
Alan Rickman Severus Snape
Maggie Smith Minerva McGonagall
David Thewlis Remus Lupin
Emma Thompson Sybill Trelawney
Julie Walters Molly Weasley

REEL Review
So this is it - Harry's final bow. I've been waiting and was really so excited about this final installment of the Harry Potter series. Mixed emotions actually.

I witnessed Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson grow up, mature, improve and take success in their careers since Harry Potter 1. And I can say that Harry Potter films put them to their rightful places as to where they are now. Whoever they are now, they owe it to the series.

For this film, the center character is Severus Snape. Alan Rickman brought the character to life. The antagonist for the first 7 films suddenly became the hero. He seems to be the evilish one since the beginning, but his final curtain had just introduced him to be a very noble man, who values what love is, and had shown that we always have our 'other side' no matter who we seem to be in everyone's eyes.

As expected, Part 2 is awesome. Many has been changed from the original plots as told by the book, but the soul of the final battle was carefully patched and was put to extraordinary extent. David Yates can take his long vacation and celebrate. He did a really great job. Many were clapping in the cinema at the end of the film. I did not though, but in my mind I did.

Part 2 has a quicker pace, but more compacted. Very thrilling, each character possess a brawny grapheme making the entire film a powerful one. Harry Potter series is a complex book, and highly imaginative. Putting the whole thing into a film, packed with a glorious ending, seems to be a relentless job for the people behind it. No need to mention the cinematography and special effects.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 just simply agitated and fired up everything and justly serves as a fickle ending with a twist of a drama.

Masterpiece. Worthy. Magical.

So long, Harry.





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Avatar



Plot Summary
When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora. imdb 

Movie Box
Director James Cameron
Producer James Cameron

Jon Landau
Screenplay James Cameron
Music James Horner
Cinematography Mauro Fiore
Editing James Cameron

John Refoua

Stephen E. Rivkin
Studio Lightstorm Entertainment
Distributor 20th Century Fox
Release Date 10 December 2009 (London Premier)

18 December 2009 (United States)
Running Time 2 hours, 42 minutes

2 hours, 51 minutes (Re-release)

Cast
Sam Worthington Corporal Jake Sully
Zoe Zaldana Neytiri
Stephen Lang Colonel Miles Quaritch
Sigourney Weaver Dr. Grace Augustine
Michelle Rodriguez Trudy Chacón
Giovanni Ribisi Parker Selfridge
Joel David Moore Dr. Norm Spellman
Dileep Rao Dr. Max Patel
C. C. H. Pounder Mo'at
Wes Studi Eytukan
Laz Alonso Tsu'tey

REEL Review
So what do we expect from the writer, producer and director of the 1997 Titanic film? From the heart of the ocean, now we fly off to the Alpha Centauri where Pandora lies, the dwelling place of the fictional Na'vis. Cameron was working with this project since 1994, when he finished the scriptment for Avatar. Wow, 15 years in the making, but it was all worth the research, imagination, skills and hardwork. He must have really worked so hard on this, from polishing the script, to the visual effects house, casting, cinematography, monetary preparations, designers and illustrators, up to the production.

Cameron picked Sam Worthington as the lead actor, because by that time he has not been into a major film yet. And because of that he believes that Sam can live up to the role - Jake Sully, a disabled former marine who everyone thinks can do nothing with the operation because of the physical limitations and lack of experience. And like Jake, Cameron believes that "he (Sam) ultimately becomes a leader who transforms the world".

I can feel Zoe Saldana's acting from Naytiri. She has effectively channeled herself as an actress to the Naytiri role through her voice. Maybe the motion capture also added to the realistic visual aspect of the character. The cast for the action (war) part are well picked, perfect to play part on the scenes. Really good with Michelle Rodriguez on it. Too bad, her role died.
The visual effects and the cinematography as a whole is simply astounding. Very advance, the photorealistic computer-generated characters come to life. The screen is so alive, that you may want to see the Navis in real life.

The love story was also well depicted. A human and a humanoid falling in love? Jake and Naytiri had effectually struck the hearts of the audience. Quite impossible in real life but must have happened in our own minds. 

James Cameron has his big dreams. So big that he was able to come up with a film as big as this. With his big dreams come along his big talent. It is more than a piece of film. It captures everyone's imagination. Technically perfect. Simple and determinable story, yet still surprising. Cameron just again proves what movies can do. 

Avatar is the most convincing science-fiction fantasy film to date, highly imaginative that everyone might think to really exist. Action, drama, romance, fiction and animation - all packed in one great film of the year.




imdb | rottentomatoes | trailer
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