Lions for Lambs (2007)

I have searched my memory and I have come to the conclusion that Lion for Lambs is the first Tom Cruise starring movie that has made me think – all thanks to Robert Redford who directed it.

But I must warn Cruise fans out there Lion for Lambs doesn’t have much of a story; no cat and mouse suspense; no death defying action; no sex. The film isn’t about making Tom Cruise looking cool. It’s a debate film, if that is the appropriate description; as all of the characters at one point or another have engaged in a debate with fellow characters. And the issue of the day is the War on Terror.

Independence Day (1996)

Independence Day’s opening sequence is incredible; one of the best I remember. Dozens of fifteen square mile saucers landing on earth from a mother ship that seems to half the size of the moon; a musical score in the background giving you a feeling of dread; and a line from an R.E.M song “it’s the end of the world as we know it…”

It’s both scary and in some strange way festive, which, if you think about it, seems unfitting in a story that is about worldwide destruction. In this case, the pair of emotions worked because, in all likelihood, a real alien presence would arouse both fear and joy.

I am Legend (2007)

What if you had the world to yourself? Too big? Then, make it a city; let’s say New York – all its money, cars, art, buildings, weapons; everything is yours.

I can’t help opening this piece with material wealth because it stood out in the trailer; the aircraft carrier, the sports car, the laptop…

When I was in high school, I had this fantasy of being trapped in a mall and helping myself out to all the goodies. I am Legend main character, Robert Neville (Will Smith), has all the wealth of New York and is obviously feeling empty. He talks to a dog, sometimes engaging in full debates; he arranges mannequins in a video store as if they were fellow patrons; and he watches reruns of NBC news!

The Kingdom (2007)

The Kingdom is not a very good film in spite of being relevant with the times. It’s a donut because it started big and ended great, but it had no fulfilling content in between.

There is an historical recap at the opening credits where you’ll get some highlights encompassing almost a hundred years of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ; from the colonial days to the crash landing planes of September 11.

It was Galman . . . .

“It was Galman who did it”.


Like a broken record, this line was repeated by 16 soldiers over and over again since August of 1983 when the exiled former Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. was shot at the airport tarmac.


So what is their point in saying it over and over again?

What's five minutes. . . .

What’s five minutes to a busy man? A lot, it would seem, if Manny Pacquiao would be believed; Scheduling difficulties (maybe mishap is the appropriate word) being the top reason floated around to quell the firestorm that resulted from his ‘snubbing’ the City of Manila.

He is a national icon and fresh from a boxing victory that made the Philippines proud. It’s a safe bet that every Filipino in the land (or abroad) wanted to shake his hand immediately after defeating Barrera, but unfortunately there’s not enough of Manny to go around.

Ratatouille (2007)

It is not often that you will see a unique idea in movies nowadays, especially when an adaptation of a book, television show, or comic character can guarantee money. But thankfully, once in a while you will find courageous and inventive filmmakers that can treat you with a sight you have never seen before.

The Insider (1999)

Before Russell Crowe took a stab at a Roman Emperor and was remembered for eternity for an Oscar award, he played a real life, down and almost out, former employee of a tobacco in The Insider.

Judas, the Traitor?

A traitor is someone who betrays. Being a traitor requires first relationship. It can be as close as best friends; a husband and wife; an officemate; or the relationship can be as far as the Philippines is to a Filipino; or as an employee is to a company.

And because that person is a friend or an employee or of a particular nationality he or she is expected to act in the interest of the relationship which makes the proverbial knife in the back by this person to be one of the most painful assaults anyone can inflict another.

U-Turns

My parents and good old Sesame Street taught me how to cross a street; look left first and then right, cross when it’s (more or less) clear.

Those childhood lessons were valid up to at least three to five years ago when intersections littered the streets; one intersection is found virtually in every crossroad in the city’s highways.

Since X road cannot be in motion at the same time as road Y; thus what could be a steady stream of traffic is cut in regular intervals. Looking left and right was valid because you were sure to get a safe chance to cross. Problem was in the rush hour those regular stops became only one, a traffic jam or jams, since it was a city wide epidemic.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Finally, finally, some prospect of combat!

Four films have past with only a hint of the real danger, but not now. The nameless enemy, or rather He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, is no longer just a whispered legend wreaking havoc by proxy, but up and about the world of wizards bringing death.

A pity Harry Potter is still not up to the task in combating the now fully corporeal Lord Voldemort but that is to be expected. He is a boy after all, and like all beings he must earn his “spurs” as they say, before he can ever be called a match for the top bad guy. Besides what would the much publicized 7th installment be for if he marches for the big fight just now.

Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III (2005)

The ‘making of a movie’ is a guaranteed staple on TV even before the film hits the theaters. It is advertising; it’s raising the hype; it’s showing every little tidbit of how our beloved stars go about in their job. Did he do his own stunts; how much was she paid; what new things did he learn – they all show this in 'the making'.

My interests are more than what happened behind the scenes. As a mass communication graduate, I have developed an interest in the technical aspects of film making. I do love to learn what my favorite stars do on films like any other fan but since I have made some school film projects of my own with my classmates, intellectual curiosity made me more curious as to how professional make theirs.

Transformers (2007)

Remember the sound effects had as a cartoon when they transform?

Many of the boys, including myself, were mimicking that ‘transforming’ sound after every episode. Transformers were so popular that everyone wanted to be one in those days.

Joan of Arcadia (2003-2005)

Have you ever experienced something so bad that made you just want to cry out and ask why it had to be? Questions of that sort are usually asked to the One who started it all – whether He exists or not.

We search for His answers in everyday things sometimes ignoring the fact that we had answers all along. And, for those whose love is only met by silence there is only pain. But what if, just what if, the One we seek to blame (or thank) appears before you just like anybody.

Superman Returns (2006)

The year 2006 saw the end of an almost decade long media speculation on whether the most famous superhero will ever see the silver screen again.

Well known actors that include the likes Nicholas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Josh Hartnett, Paul Walker, Ashton Kutcher; Star War’s Hayden Christensen and the Passion of Christ’s James Caviezel were said to have been once considered to wear the red cape and its equally famous red jockeys. But Director Bryan Singer wanted nothing of them, and chose fresh face Brandon Routh in the lead of what we saw as Superman Returns.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

What is heaven? What happens when we die?

The answers to the questions vary among religions. Heaven could look like the most beautiful place on earth with green fields and flowers. Or, if you want to believe the version of suicide bombers heaven is a place of 72 virgins. But whatever the differences, all are in agreement that human life is judged upon death and heaven is the reward.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Touch, taste, smell, hear, and see: the complete set. But what if we had more? Would it be a gift or a curse?

The M. Night Shyamalan hit The Sixth Sense attempted to answer just that; it showed a boy that was unable to cope with having more than the usual allotment of five senses.

Spider-man II (2004)

Often a sequel is nothing but a ruse to sell an idea that has already expired, and I am happy to say that Spider-Man II is not one of those. Yes, the formula remained the same - ordinary guy with extraordinary powers - but the character has gone through more difficult times and greater challenges.

Spider-Man (2002)

It’s not a sure thing to adapt a work of literature on the big screen, more so a comic book hero. Fans often judge harshly.

But judging by the ticket sales and the recent release of a third sequel in local theaters, Spider-Man has passed with flying colors the judgment of millions of fans.

A hero with no desire, maturity, or the time to save the world, Spider-Man was created, Stan Lee recalled, with an approach unlike established heroes like Superman, who was born perfect, and Batman, who had trained all his life.

Spider-Man III (2007)

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. -

Friedrich Nietzsche

Monsters, they are what Spider-Man faces everyday: thieves, murderers, and super villains. He fights them, risking life and limb, and not to mention a social life in order to save the weak. And after fighting the monsters, people without care or rules; he goes about his life without the mask and follow the restraint.