2012 - In retrospect

After a 4 month hiatus, I'm breaking the duck once more. 

It's been a rally, the past 6 months. More so, it had a lot to do with work. Being a litigator is not easy. I've thought I knew the costs of being one. And I'm reminded once more of how tiring it can be. Managing an average of 5-6 hours of sleep a day (I know, some people say that it's quite a lot and perhaps it is), sleepless nights aren't much fun especially waking up in the weee hours of the morning and just staring into deep space, counting sheep, hoping that you fall asleep once again without much fuss. 

But all that said and done and looking back at those times, it wasn't so bad afterall. We eventually survive. We will survive, since we live on hope even when hope seems to be nothing but a tiny flicker, yet, we latch on to it to get through the night. :) 

It was a roller-coaster year indeed, and also a year which sets out the foundations for my decision making and risk taking. Not yet, but I will get there very soon.

So, in retrospect, here are my bests and worsts of 2012

Movies

Seriously, this is a really tough decision to make..........nah. I'm just kidding. I should have perhaps chosen an Oscar contender, but alas, I'm bias and I follow my heart. I

It would be, yes you would have perhaps guessed it, The Dark Knight Rises. It's not as good as its predecessor, The Dark Knight, but it's an epic on its own. 

 

Don't get me wrong. I love many other movies as well. And Avengers would have been a close second. But comparatively, the intensity and drama didn't match the aforesaid Dark Knight who remains as brooding and conflicted as ever. 

Other notable movie mentions which are favourites of mine are The Amazing Spider-man, Judge Dredd and Moonrise Kingdom.

My favourite comedies, I've watched many comedies this year but Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator definitely takes the cake for it. I expected it to be another Borat-ish mockumentary but was quite delighted to find that there is a proper story set out The Dictator. So it has my vote for favourite comedy of the year, followed by Ted (seriously, who can resist a potty mouthed teddy bear?) and Will Ferrell's The Campaign (great stuff and a parody of the American election which is quite endearing). 

Music

Now....we were suppose to go to Singapore to watch the Foo Fighters. Tickets were bought and plans were made. Alas Dave Grohl had a really bad throat infection and lost his voice. Monies were refunded, but it was a waste cause it would have been an awesome concert. 

To compensate the misfortune, I bought myself L'arc En Ciel tickets for their concert in Singapore. I was gearing up for that so much so that I started downloading the music which was kept in cassette form by me, which was eventually disposed off. So yes, it was downloads and new L'arc En Ciel album acquisitions. 

But alas.......national service came a-calling. And on 28 April 2012, on the day of the L'arc En Ciel concert, BERSIH 3.0 happened (which will be covered below). And I would miss L'arc En Ciel's first and perhaps only ever tour in South East Asia. Damn.........

Anyhow, no regrets going for Bersih 3.0. I would have decided to go for Bersih 3.0 anyway. 

But the Avenged Sevenfold  (A7X) concert more than compensated for the above bereavement and grief of missing out on two concerts thus far. The Avenged Sevenfold was really tight and each beat was played out precisely! 

I never was a fan of Avenged Sevenfold and was only there so that I get to see a concert in 2012. But like many other prudent people going concerts, we listened as much as we can to AX7 and slowly but surely, I developed a liking for them. And on that day of the concert it was a done deal. I was an official fan of A7X. Energetic, frenetic and I wished I could sing more of their songs at the concert, but I can't cause I'm not familiar with the lyrics. Anyway, here's a video for you if you are either curious or interested.

But the best album, that I've bought for myself, would definitely be this one:-

Tempered Mental's Pax Automata

I've been anticipating their follow up album after The View From Here. I loved their previous album and the EP (Honestly) way way earlier. But this one transcends my expectations. The songs were executed with perfect timing and pinpoint accuracy. The songs were edgy and tight. And progressive rock never sounded so good. Melina was as usual, slapping the bass and singing where no men (or women) can master. Except Les Claypool of course. Jack's guitar shredding puts him on top as one of the best (and technical) players this side of Malaysia. And Jimmy does what he does best, keep the timing tight and attack when needed. Purely technical but enjoyable and rocking stuff. I had the opportunity to watch them launch Pax Automata and what an experience it was. I've been to many Tempered Mental outings but this one was easily the best. Malaysia's best band in my humble opinion.

So that's my album of 2012. Yes Sir. Crap. Can't upload any videos from the launch though. :(

Events

There were many events that had happened over the year. There were some weddings. There were some wakes and funerals. There were performances. And then there were demonstrations. 
The biggest event for me in 2012 would be the Bersih 3.0 rally. 5 years down after the first Bersih rally back in 10 November 2007, the people marched on for cleaner elections and a more transparent process. I have in my own words documented this in my post here.
In light of the upcoming general elections, pressure needed to be asserted to ensure that the terms of the Memorandum from Bersih 2.0 will be clearly adhered to. Dato' Ambiga, chair of the Bersih coalition had warned that the upcoming elections would be the dirtiest. From the events that happened since the political tsunami of 2008, one would not challenge that assertion. 
Things are changing still and the process will be even more evident. But once again, it was encouraging to see familiar faces once more (veterans of the Bersih rallies, and I'm one of them if I do say so meself :) nyahahah) and new faces who have joined in to voice their concerns of the decadence of the ruling coalition.
Speculation on the dates for the general elections were pushed further and we may see experience the general elections in the first (or second quarter) of 2013. We will be ready then. And hopefully we see more change happening. The good fight continues on....

The other notable event would be the KL Bar Charity Night. SYB performed once more. I should be blogging about this as a tribute to our cover band. But here's the nutshell of it. It was a great night. We played our hearts out. The crowd was supportive and enjoyed our music (hopefully) and we hope we will continue to play for more events in the future. 

 We played a few covers. 6 in all. The list goes like this:-
1. King of Wishful Thinking by Go West
2. Rolling in the Deep by Adele
3. Don't Stop Believing by Journey 
4. Zombie by Cranberries
5. That's What You Get by Paramore and 
6. I Dare You to Move by Switchfoot

But here's 3 of the videos. I will perhaps post the rest up in another posts. If anything we're just a cover band, so we're not perfect :D



The lovely Raja Nadia Sabrina was our guest singer for two of the songs. This one is Zombie



Paramore's That's What you Get

and then below, Swtichfoot's Dare You to Move



Hopefully I get all the videos of SYB and I can post up a full song list in my next post. Whether you like it or not! Muahahah!

By the way, we also performed at the KLCC Plenary Hall. Michael Bolton held a concert there 3 weeks later. Just saying. 

Also notable was my trip to South Korea. It was an experience, culturally and err socially. Its a fact, there are many good looking people in Korea, and how do they all look so good? :) Well........it's your guess. But I enjoyed every bit of the trip; from the food I've tasted, from the wonderful places we visited and the people we meet along the way. Heck, given a chance I would go back there once more. Then again, there are many places I've yet to step foot on. Still the idea is an idea kept in view. 
We traveled cheaply and backpacked as much as we can. It made the whole trip even more worthwhile. 

Now here's the funny thing. Up this part, I can no longer posts any pictures. Probably I overused my quota of pictures for 2012. Hahaha. Oh well, just my luck. 

Oh yeah. And St Michael's had it's centenary dinner finally. It was a gathering of familiar faces. Ancient and young. Alumnis of La Salle who made their way from all over not only the country but from the globe as well. We gathered, we sang, we feast and we drank. And I'm reminded of why it is possibly the best school on Earth, ahahah (We Michaelians are a proud lot). And it has been an honour to have spend the best (and worst days) of my studying life in St Michael. 

To that I say, Quis Ut Deus (who is like God?)!

World Events 

Obama wins the presidential elections and will yet serve another term. Joy to the Democrats. Not so the Republicans. 

There were tragic events as well. Notably, two shocking and shooting events in the US. 
The first in Aurora Colorado where a lone gunman fired into a movie theatre whilst showing the Dark Knight Rises. The gunman was arrested. The identity of the person was later revealed to be James Eagen Holmes. His trial is still and on-going event. 

And then there was the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Reminiscent of the Columbine massacre in 1999, only this time, it's in an elementary school. The death toll and fatalities was about 20 odd children and 2 adults. The lone gunman, Adam Lanza committed suicide after the shooting before help arrived. 



Whilst I read about this and vicariously experience the tragedy, one can not help but ponder once again on what is it that drives some people to the edge. Over these episodes, questions arose, on whether gun enforcement should be stricter, or whether these gunmen are themselves victim of social ills? 

In India in December, 2012, notably the brutal sexual assault of an medical student on board a bus (her friend was assaulted as well) and thrown off a moving bus has sparked outrage in the heart of India. It was one of the most crushing and heartbreaking news of 2012, on how the student cling on for life after the assault only to die 13 days later in a Singaporean Hospital. We can only hope that this event, would have sparked not just an outrage but also spark reforms on what seems to be the chauvinistic attitude towards women. Not just in India, but around the world, to strip down the chauvinistic attitude that men in some archaic nations (including ours) have always harboured and to pound in them the humility and respect that they owe women around the world. 

Ok, I felt kinda depressed penning down the last bit. 

On a sunnier note.....

Sports

On the sporting front, Manchester United lost the title to their noisy neighbours, Manchester City. Was it shocking? Not really. The most shocking thing was of course how United lost the lead whilst ahead by quite a margin by losing game after game. But the title was tightly contested nevertheless and in the end, the title was won on goal difference. 
We were in South Korea in the district of Itaewon (not many EPL fans in Korea I reckon) drinking our beers and drowned our sorrows when QPR conveniently lost to City in the dying minutes. A draw would have sufficed but at the end of the day it was not to be. 
So the noisy neighbours take the 2011/2012 title and United are left reeling. Of course, now, with the acquisition of Robin Van Persie at the expense of Arsenal, things are looking bright once more. Lets hope it stays that way. 

And then our Dato' Lee Chong Wei put up a gallant fight but was unable to deny his arch-nemesis and friend, Lin Dan of China from taking home the gold medal at the Olympics. 
That was my highlight of the Olympics. :) Wished I could remember the other medalists, but not at the top of my head right now. 

And Spain prove itself to be a formidable force once more in football by trashing the Italians 4-0 in the finals. Not only are they the World Champions but they remain the unbeaten champs of European football. A feat not easy or unprecedented even, that a team would win 3 consecutive championships. Spain has come of age and are no longer playing second fiddle to the powerhouses of old, i.e. Germany and Italy. I supported the Netherlands in this one. But they couldn't kick themselves into second gear and bowed out horribly without any point. They came with great expectations but collapsed under the burden of that expectation. 

Below are the highlights of the final. Watch how Italy is made mincemeat by the Spaniards.



Conclusion

The ancient Mayans predicted that the world would end in 21.12.12. It didn't. We survived the 'apocalypse'. But having said that, we are in our last days anyway, so it's just a matter of time.
But anyway, with 2012 gone and I've resigned from my current job, changes will come, rest assured. New challenges will be ever present. And I will continue blogging as long as I can with the things that interest me. 


And I end 2012 with this:-

2012, an epic, I have not,

But a rhyme or two,

A ponder, a thought.

It brought the worst,

And the best of times,

In friendships and fellowships,

And brotherhoods that bind.

Events that ensue,

Of wakes and weddings,

Of life and death,

Of funerals and blessings.

The successes and joy,  

Together we shared,

And tragedies that ensued,

In solidarity to bear.

Of hopes and dreams,

That may have fall short,

Of lessons we learnt,

Let them not be forgot.

So we bring new hope,

In the days to come,

Of planned resolutions,

May they be done.

As I shut the doors,

For a year gone by,

And I usher in a new year,

With a smile and a sigh.

A memorable 2012,

Has it at all not been,

Happy New Years to all,

Happy 2013.

My grammar sucks. Bite me.

Gangnam Style goes to Gotham

You know, sometimes there are music videos that you really love to hate? That kind that is so bad that it becomes so good? That was what Rebecca Black's video did. That went viral. And that song became the Thank God It's Friday anthem. Catchy and lyrically stupid. But who cares? The sillier the better right?

This year, the video it's the Oppa! Gangnam Style video that's viral. So bad that it;s good? Not really. I think this is actually really good! 

Humour, parodied events and good looking ladies aplenty, what's there not to like about this video? Muahaha.

Never knew who PSY was, but he was quite a famous rapper and character in South Korea. I wonder how I missed that during my 10 days in Korea. Then again, though I like some Korean girl bands, I didn't really caught on with the K-pop rave. 

Anyway, I like this video a lot cause it doesn't take itself too seriously. So, enjoy it while the waves are riding high. :)

So riding on the Dark Knight Rises wave, there is still buzz with the Bat. And While I was searching in youtube for the video above, this was what I found instead. 

I gotta say, there are many Gangnam and Batman parody videos. But this is probably one of the better ones (together with the Call Me Maybe video starring Batman) 

Haha, it's about time the Asian wave hit the global market. You know you made it big when people start parodying your stuff. Yes. Even Rebecca Black was big. 

At one point in time :)

Remembering Aurora, Colorado

Something I didn't address earlier in my Dark Knight Rises review. 

But amidst the summer blockbuster season, tragedy struck in Aurora, Colorado when a lone gunman fired onto unsuspecting cinema goers during the opening of the Dark Knight Rises on 20 July 2012.

12 people died and 58 others were injured.The shooter? A suspect named James Eagen Holmes. 

It's unfortunate that the summer will be now remembered for this tragedy and the movie which is associated with it. It will also perhaps raise questions on laws relating to firearms ownership in the United States (firearms are banned in Malaysia, or so I understand it to be). 

It's good to hear however that the Christian Bale took the time to visit the victims of the Aurora shooting and the visit was unannounced except that it was tweeted and facebooked :) 

Bale is an excellent lad! And my respect for him grows, not just as a terrific actor but as a terrific person as well. In all the gloom, I'm sure his presence at the hospital would have been uplifting one, not just for the victims of the Aurora shooting, but for the community as well.

Source:- Topless Robot , WWTD

The Dark Knight Truly Rises

It is only natural that I would do a review on the Dark Knight Rises. I mean seriously, this was the movie that I was waiting for ever since Batman rode off into the night in the Dark Knight. Heck I even did a review on it.

Although Avengers being a mega super-hero movie, unprecedented and all that, it was the final installment of Nolan’s Batman which was the movie to look out for.  Hmm, I probably should do an Avengers review, yeah. Perhaps later. 

For now, it’s all about the Dark Knight and how the Dark Knight Rises. If you have seen it, then you will understand or perhaps even empathize what I’m about to write. If you haven’t seen it, please go back to google and search for something more constructive. 

Ok. I really loved the movie. I gotta admit, although the story this time had plenty of holes to fill (perhaps done intentionally), the movie was still in my opinion, EPIC. I admit though, that I preferred the Dark Knight as the story was more seamless compared to this one. So, if anything, the Dark Knight edges the Dark Knight Rises by just a bit. 

This is how my the trilogy rating would work out to be – The Dark Knight (TDR) > The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR) > Batman Begins. 

No, no no. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Batman Begins. As an origin story, it was superb and was well done. Just that the latter two ranked a wee bit higher.

Ok. Now on to my review. 

THE STORY (the short of it)

The Story goes that Batman has gone into retirement 8 years after taking the fall for Harvey Dent’s (Two Face) death and now lives like a recluse in his now completely rebuilt Wayne Manor. Only thing is, he is doing a Gollum and remains mysterious to almost everyone including one time crime partner, Commissioner Gordon. And he apparently is suffering from a bad case of weak knees. The Dent Act is introduced to now curb all mob activities and as I understood the inference of its implications, the Act is somewhat draconian (similar to the Patriot Act in the USA and the Internal Security Act In good ol’ Malaysia). Detention without trial. Instead of Arkham Asylum, the prisoners are now detained in some prison. Not Arkham, remember that.

So, the streets are cleaner and mob activity is close to zero. The last time the TDR played out, it was like a mob / cop movie masquerading as a super hero movie. This time round, no Sal Maronis or the Russian or Carmine Falcone wannabes in sight.  Of course, this peace which was built on a lie (Batman’s murder of Dent) was only temporary as darker forces are in play. As the Selina Kyle aka Catwoman aptly points out “A Storm is coming”. The storm comes in the form of Bane. 

If you are familiar with the comic book events of the Knightfall series, Bane was the mastermind terrorist / villain who broke Batman’s back. This was back in 1993 when I first started my foray of collecting comics. So yes, I was expecting for Bane to break the Bat here and he did not disappoint. 

So Bane hatches this plan to help destroy Wayne Enterprises and had begun building and underground army for an all out assault on Gotham. Why? Because of his links with the League of Shadows, as revealed later that he is a disciple of Ra’s Al Ghul. Now even before the movie was out, I saw the link coming and Nolan made it seamless to give Bane a higher purpose and not just be an ordinary James Bond terrorist, hell bent on destroying the world.

Well, besides Bane, Selina Kyle was introduced as a cat burglar stealing the pearl necklace that Martha Wayne wore the night Bruce's parents were gunned down. This leads Bruce to finally go back to his detective roots and starts investigating. Apparently Selina wants Bruce's fingerprints for a more sinister purpose which will eventually leads to Bane's plan of destroying Wayne Enterprises. 

So, then the Commish during one of the investigations was injured by Bane's henchman and hence calls upon this young rookie named John Blake to look for Bruce to seek the Batman's help. Blake goes to see Bruce and confesses that he knew that Bruce and Batman were the same person. How this is so? I don't really know. But I have my views which I will reveal later.

So when Bane finally shows the public his face, this is where Batman re-appears once again. And as one older cop tells his younger colleague "Oh boy, you're in for a show tonight!" And this is how the Bat re-enters the foray and my personal opinion, of all the movies, this has to be his strongest entry ever!! I was excited as hell. 

So, anyway, Bats finally confronts Bane and fights to the death. Or near death in Batman's case cause he hasn't been in the best of shape and sure enough Bane breaks Bruce's back, but not before revealing Bruce's identity to Catwoman, whom had earlier double crossed Batman and put him in this trap. 

So Bane, then places Bruce in this prison he know controls called the Pit, somewhere in Africa or the MIddle East (it is not revealed where this place is). With Bruce terribly injured, Bane tells his plans of destroying Gotham to Bruce and says "When Gotham is in ashes, you have my permission to die". And Bane goes on this onslaught on Gotham, trapping the lot of the Gotham police force in the sewer. Oh yeah, and there is this potential nuclear device which threatens to blow up Gotham within 4-5 months. 

Anyway, Bruce makes new friends at the pit, learns about the value of life and to will to start living, finally recovers from his broken back (this would be the part which is somewhat unbelievable) and manages to climb up the Pit where none had done before except a child (thought to be Bane at first instance). 

He goes back to Gotham to have a final showdown with Bane and also meets the other mastermind behind Gotham's impending doom. And this finally comes to an epic close. :)

Ok. My review on the story. There are many holes which need to be filled as said earlier. However, Nolan ties up the beginning from Batman Begins, uses the events in the Dark Knight to set the finale for this movie. To fully appreciate the whole trilogy, you need to watch or revisit both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight to see the bigger picture. And what a beautiful picture indeed. 

THE CHARACTERS

Batman / Bruce Wayne

Like many critics say, this is more a Bruce Wayne movie than Batman movie. Yes it is indeed. It comes full circle. In Batman Begins, it was about Bruce. In the final movie, its back to Bruce. Because Batman is what fuels Bruce and Bruce is what gives the Bat it's physical being. So vice versa. But it starts from Bruce. And here Bruce has given up. Ready to die. So there is no longer real motivation since Rachel died in the Dark Knight. Ok. This kinda pisses me off because as Batman, his motivation was always the rage inside until it consumes him. But anyway, this is how this story is told. Perhaps taking the rap for everything has a psychological toll on him as well. But anyway, the beauty of his character is, he realizes that life is worth living and thus now fights for it. So the story of Bruce is about redemption and rebirth. Bale as always is fantastic. As for Bruce's recovery of the broken back, as what Ra's Al Ghul said, "Training is nothing, Will is everything!" (Batman Begins, 2005)

Alfred Pennyworth 

Always the steady butler, but even as stead as he comes, he still cares for Bruce. As he has been the guardian of his welfare since the death of his parents. Like a surrogate father. And Michael Caine doesn't disappoint. This time, there are some teary exchanges between both "father" and "son".

Commissioner Gordon

He carries the guilt of living the lie. And in the end, he buckles to the pressure and finally admits that the Bat is needed once more when things get tough and awry. Definitive scene, the hospital scene when he grabs Bruce by the hand and pleads for Batman to return to face the rising evil. 

Gary Oldman as versatile as he is delivers a good performance as the Commish though in this movie, he is more of a fringe player as compared to the earlier ones. 

John Blake

Now who is this guy you may ask? Well, his first name is Robin. :) Get the picture? So the fact that he knew who Bruce was in the beginning clearly show some semblance that he is based on the Tim Drake Robin. And for his brashness, perhaps the Jason Todd Robin. And taking over from Batman in the end, the Dick Grayson Robin who eventually becomes Nightwing and then becomes Batman :). So he is the beacon of hope that Bruce needs to hand down the mantle to. Will Nolan do a movie on this new Batman / Robin? I doubt it. But it serves as a perfect closure for this Batman series knowing that the legacy continues. Joseph Gordon Levitt shows that he is capable of taking on big roles as last seen in Nolan's inception and his role in this movie is rather a meaty one.

Bane

Another Inception alumni. Tom Hardy. Its a pity his face is behind the mask almost 99% of the movie. But as one critic reviewed, even with only 20% of his face shown he can do so much more than the crop of actors around. As Bane, he was menacing. He was deadly. He was a wrestler from hell but with the mind of a strategist. And, don't ever, ever compare with him with that piece of crap from Batman and Robin. This Bane is a cold blooded killer and mastermind. Although i gotta admit he may not be as charismatic as Heath Ledger's Joker. But Bane's villain was one which Batman could not defeat and probably never will. 

Selina Kyle / Catwoman

Now many early critics have scorned the thought of Anne Hathaway playing Catwoman for she is far too sweet and perhaps nubile to play the Cat. I'm glad Anne Hathaway prover her detractors wrong! She kicked ass! She held her own and was there to rescue Bats when the time needed of her to. Of course, she also betrayed him earlier on, but Bruce reckons that she is capable of bigger things and hence offers her redemption. A lesson on grace perhaps? :) Ahaha. Anyway, Selina Kyle here is very much different. Never the victim but never the villain as well, and like other comic incarnations have always been shifty. Her character here kinda reminds me of the Catwoman in the Hush story-arc. So Anne definitely has my vote as the best catwoman ever. There is even a scene where the Cat does a ninja on the Bat leaving the Bat to say "So....That's how it feels like". It had me laughing silly.

Lucius Fox

I thought he had resigned from the events of the Dark Knight. Apparently he didn't. And is still the CEO for Wayne Enterprises. Morgan Freeman plays Lucius effortlessly. I beamed with the introduction of the Bat. Batman's new toy. Not as sleek as the Batwing, but in Nolan-verse, this seems to be the closest thing you can get to a functional Plane-copter-machine. 

Miranda Tate/Talia Al Ghul

I admit. I didn't see that one coming. Though I though that a love interest for Bruce Wayne (with the introduction of Catwoman) was pretty....err...unnecessary.  Of course I see the plot much later on. With Ra's Al Ghul or at least the idea of it and the League of Shadows, it was only a matter of time before Talia Al Ghul showed up. Just in case you wonder, Talia Al Ghul is Ra's daughter and also the lover of Bruce and mother of his child, Damien Wayne. Marion Cottilard serves as eye candy although I had a friend who mistaken her as Rachel Weisz. Too bad her character wasn't expanded.

Symbols

Let's face it, the entire Dark Knight trilogy was told in cryptic symbols and many scenes were symbolic, at least to me.

For the the TDKR, here are a few;

Climbing out of the pit, which shows Bruce's will to continue living and to live to fight another day, rather than give up.

The fact that for once, Batman fights in daylight, perhaps to show Gotham that he will no longer be in the shadows and to show Gotham its true self. Or maybe the bomb just couldn't wait till night to blow up haha.

Alfred's fantasy of Florence and the final scene. Alfred's fantasy was explained in the beginning of the movie, that Bruce would one day live a normal live with a loved one. The significance of it was played out in the ending. Some people say it's a dream like in Inception. However, have another viewing and the dream conclusion would definitely seemed less probable.

The idea of mortality here is a very real and grim one. If you think super heroes only die extravagant deaths, then this is a movie which clearly shows that one bad judgment call could lead to death. Such as the fight with Bane when clearly Bruce is not physically ready. Although, I would definitely prefer the Knightfall story arc of how Bruce was weaken by Bane's plan and Bane capitalized on a weakened Bruce. Here Bruce is definitely no match for Bane's physique and strength and played the underdog.

The final showdown between the cops and the terrorists. The daylight and final battle showed that anyone, even ordinary folk can rise to be heroes. And so is the converse where the ordinary folk too can be villains if guided wrongly. This is really relevant in today's world where extreme elements are introduced to tilt the balance between right and wrong / good and evil.
So it's not just the Bat who rose, but the people of Gotham who rose to fight evil as well. 

Those are the few that I can think off right now. I may add in more when I do get round to figure it out.

Best quotes of the movie

Bane: Using darkness as your ally?I was born in it...molded by it. I didnt see the light until I was already a man. By then it was nothing to me but blinding!! The shadows betray you because they belong to me!


Selina Kyle: You don't owe these people anymore, You've given them everything
Batman: Not everything, Not yet.

Batman: A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy's shoulder to let him know that the world hadn't ended.




Conclusion

I was happy to see many cameos such as those of Ra's Al Ghul and Johnathan Crane aka the Scarecrow! Thought i would be able to see the Joker too but it was a decent move to not mention that character in honour of Heath Ledger. 

The Dark Knight Rises played out like a comic book movie. One that tries to ground itself on reality and sometimes, it doesn't fully succeed on the grounding. As compared to the Dark Knight, the Dark Knight was more of a crime caper where Batman battled the mob and the Joker got in the way. In the Dark Knight Rises, Gotham is even in a bleaker state and so is Bruce. But it played out to be a bleak, dark and wonderful symphony in the end. 

Of course it also raises questions:- Why didn't Bruce use the rope to pull himself out of the pit to escape instead of using the path of the broken ledge? (Some say that the rope was only half way, which probably made sense since we can't really tell from the camera angles if the rope reaches all the way to the top). Also, how was Bruce healed from a broken back? (Unless the doctor has some secrets, it would probably take years to recover) Then again, as Ra's pointed out, "Will is everything". 

But I'm happy and fine with the ending and I thought i was a good closure. To kill of Batman but let Bruce live his life normally. Something that the comic Batman will never have the luxury of as he will be a perpetual Dark Knight to Gotham. 

As much as many have said that this movie was really long, being 2 hours and 45 mins, I felt that they had to rush it even and so many parts were left hanging hence my earlier questions. And perhaps like any other Nolan movie, they always manage to spark discussions on issues pertaining to it. Inception is one. And here's where Nolan succeeds as a filmmaker :) To raise questions and allow it's audience to come to its conclusion. Some say that Bruce never survived even,. I take the view that he did as it seems more plausible :) 

Even the soundtrack seemed to grow from strength to strength. I have the opportunity of listening all three movie soundtracks and this one is really the more epic of the lot. The chants of 'Rise" will raise goosebumps for anyone listening to it. 

So, ends the Dark Knight trilogy as it manages to reboot the entire Batman series, making a force to be reckon with and has created a phenomenon. 

The Dark Knight Rises - truly epic and marvelous. Until the next Batman, which I hope won't come until 20 years later, we shall once again revisit the Bat. For now, I'm planning to watch it the second, third, fourth  - 15th time :) And with a heavy heart, I shall now say goodbye to the Nolan Dark Knight trilogy.

"Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."

Enjoy the trailer below :) My fav amongst the other trailers

Great Power, Great Responsibility

"With great  power, comes great responsibility"

The Amazing Spider-man will do like what Batman Begins did for the Batman franchise. An edgier, grittier and perhaps even funnier Spider-man than the Sam Raimi version of things.

Unlike Batman Begins, where the reboot was wholly necessary to fix the order of things (the atrocities of Batman and Robin still linger in the thoughts of many) to bring life back into an already tainted depiction of the Dark Knight, the Amazing Spider-man seemed wholly unnecessary.

Why was it unnecessary? Because Raimi’s vision of Spidey was excellent, except that Spider-man 3 suffered from the greater expectations after Spider-man 2 and also , the villain casting in Spider-man 3 was left wanting. Otherwise, Raimi had it spot on! Tobey Maguire as the mild mannered Peter Parker and aloof at times. Being a spidey fan (and Batman fan as well) for most of my kid life and teenage life and college life even, I thought Spider-man defined comic movies!

So, So, I went to watch The Amazing Spider-man with low expectations, thinking that this formula is nothing new to me anymore. And I came out….wanting even more!

And here’s my assessment on it:-

The movie’s pacing was, to some people, slow, but I thought it was necessary to lay the foundations for the main character, Peter Parker and the more important supporting characters, Gwen Stacy, Uncle Ben and Aunt May.

Like Raimi’s version, he took an hour to introduce the characters and how Spidey came to be, before he finally dons that spandex suit and started swinging around.

This version did the same. Only this time, Parker is still a teenager, still in high school, more angsty (teenagers!) and is awkward. I believe this version takes it’s liberties from the Ultimate Spider-man franchise instead.

I have read some Ultimate Spider-man books but I wasn’t too interested in this continuity, where Parker was still a teenager. I guess I’d prefer the classic continuity instead. But anyway back to this post…..

 Casting:-

Which brings me to the casting – Andrew Garfield is an excellent Spider-man and perhaps in my opinion better than Tobey Maguire. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Tobey Maguire version. It’s just that Andrew Garfield edges it a little. He is edgy as Peter Parker, who is always a conflicted character and has seen more share of tragedy than any other superhero in the Marvel universe but light hearted as Spider-man with his smart aleck sarcasm and quips! Just the way I’ve always wanted Spider-man to be. Like Deadpool, always saying something sarcastic. Tobey’s Spider-man just didn’t had that. Heck, he even carries a bagpack and a cell phone like a kid!

Emma Stone, has been one of my favourite actresses this generation. More so cause she was in comedies like Easy A and Superbad (One of the best comedies of all time). So, I like her spunk and her penchant for comedy. So casting her as Gwen Stacy merely enforces that. Gwen Stacy is a strong character here and is not a damsel in distress. Very much different from the Mary Jane from the last trilogy (somehow, I’ve always thought Kristen Dunst was miscast).

Sad to say, I'm quite sure Gwen Stacy will die in the next movie, if the Green Goblin has anything to do with it. She is a good character but a doomed one unfortunately. That's tragic.

Uncle Ben and Aunt May (Martin Sheen and Sally Field) – now here you have Award winning peeps taking on these roles and they do not disappoint. Uncle Ben comes across as a caring father-figure and doer of what is morally right whilst Aunt May is no longer the aloof aunt but the caring mother-figure to Peter’s conflicted character. They both come off across as people who have  been in our lives.

Rhys Irfan played Dr Curt Connors really well. Though some people may not be able to see the angle of his character, whether he has some good or is truly bad, but one thing, for sure, he is not a one dimensional character. But he is shady and his motives may left one to wonder. As for the Lizard, I was a little disappointed that he did not fit the description I envisioned. He didn’t have that classic lizard snout and comes across as a scaly faced man with a huge body and tail. I thought this character could have expanded a little bit more. I guess it’s difficult to compete with the likes and charisma of Willem Defoe (the Green Goblin) and Alfred Molina (Doc Octopus) who till this day remain as the bests villains in Spidey history.

As for Captain Stacy, played by Dennis Leary (from the Ice Age series), his character could have been explored a little more. But I suppose he had to die anyway.

The movie

Now, I’m not going to spoil the story too much for anyone who hasn’t seen it. But here’s my review of it. The story would provide a good introduction story to a whole new franchise. As I have said earlier, it is a darker story and the bigger scheme of things in this would be Peter’s parents, who they are, what happened to them, and Oscorp would have a larger role to play in all the movies this time round.

The characters of Norman and Harry Osborne are not yet introduced, but in due time I presume.

So there we start off with Peter as a kid. His parents leaving him because they have a higher duty to attend to, or perhaps escape even, and thus he is left to live with Uncle Ben and Aunt May. He grows up as an awkward kid and as always Flash Thompson will be there to be his tormentor. He then finds out a secret that his parents’ had hidden (perhaps meant for him to discover when he has come of age) which ultimately leads him to Dr Connors who is working on a miracle of regeneration. Stem cell research? Hardly. This is an entirely new method and Peter has the equation.

Peter gets bitten and suddenly he is endowed with all these powers, climbing walls and being super agile. Now, he doesn’t have his webs yet, and that’s where it gets interesting. Like the comics, he builts his own web shooters and so that’s something I liked. 

Tragic would soon befall him as Uncle Ben dies due to his negligence and arrogance. Once again, I was touched and emotions stirred during the death of Uncle Ben. And Andrew Garfield made it even more so.

And finally he learns that “with great power comes great responsibility”, though the words are not uttered, the idea and principle remains throughout the movie.

So, Dr Connors finally develops the serum to regenerate with Peter’s help but is reluctant to test it on patients when asked to do so. Upon being told that the serum will be tested on the patients anyway, he decides then to test it on himself first. It works, hand regenerates but the becomes a lizard instead. And this is when all hell breaks loose, and hence, go watch the movie to find out J

Just a summary.

But more importantly, I felt that this movie was written really well. I couldn’t find that many holes in the plot and the execution is well. Even the action sequences were more believable, perhaps thanks to recent technology and so forth.

What I loved about this movie is that not only is Parker more relatable to us in real life, the other characters too are people you see in life everyday. Even Spider-man is vulnerable and flawed. And the dynamics of how that worked out well would be the key to why this film is good, if not great.

Sure it doesn’t hit the high of Spider-man 2, but with Marc Webb, I won’t hold back on that. This film had potential to build up to greater things.

Most definitive and emotional scene :- handing the overdue eggs to Aunt May after a hard day’s work.

In conclusion, whilst I love the first franchise, I think this Spider-man presents itself as a more relatable and realistic Spider-man. And hence, Andrew Garfield’s portrayal tops Tobey Maguire’s, not by a mile but a slight edge. And because of that, I can’t wait for the next installment.

With the Avengers gone and Spider-man done with, will the Dark Knight Rise to challenge the box office as the comic-book event of the year? 2 weeks from now.

But until then, the Amazing Spider-man has appease this fan-boy. With much pleasure. Thank you Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield. Thank you.

Homeward Bound

Twas a good weekend.
Went back to Ipoh with sister and some friends.
My relatives from Singapore were also up north for the weekend, hence we decided to go back to Ipoh to meet up.
Of course the agenda would be to eat eat eat and eat somemore. Well, I spend more time with my family back in Ipoh. I think as I grew older, the importance of family is more apparent, cause I dont see them as often anymore. Which is always good.
So we had meals at Tai Kar Rock, one of the best places for 'liew' and the noodles there are nice.
And also at Wooley Food Centre. The food there is getting better and better. Not to say the best around, but for Ipoh standards, quite decent.
We had main meals at this place called Soon Fatt which is in the same row as Overseas. Good food, good price. Too bad this is not a food blog. Otherwise I would have blogged more about it. No photos though

Well, Colin, Joo Na and I also managed to catch Captain America: The First Avenger.
Captain America in costume

It was a very good movie I would say. Certainly better than the Green Lantern and even to some extent Thor. The movie had me rooting for Captain America (as Simon told us that we would, and we did) cause it was quite believable. Chris Evans gave a fantastic performance as man of pure heart and courage. And also the character development was good and did not fall short. One of the few movies that Marvel actually took time to build on character (the other movies being Spiderman and X men). So it was good. The pre-ending was also very emotional and Colin mentioned that there were a few ladies crying. Heck, I would have cried too if I was a lady :)
Even the fight scenes were still believable and not too extravagant. I especially like the fact that he was accompanied by a ragtag team of soldiers which was a nice touch.
The downside of it is that Hugo Weaving's Red Skull was a tad too one dimensional. As compared to Loki in Thor.
Well, the ending credits are definitely worth the wait and seeing the Avengers assemble will be something awesome. Loki is the main villain, so the awesomeness is amplified!

Ok. Plan for next Sat then: Rise of the Planet of the Apes! The trailer looks intense! and with James Franco, it shouldn't be anything less than good. :)


And yeah, I also bought a Ukulele.
Brand is called Mahalo - which means "Thank You".
So, I'm thanked for buying a China Made, Hawaiian sounding Ukulele?
I guess so. I mean the facts show it. "Mahalo" :)
Well, was it an impulsive buy? Nah not entirely. this was my second time asking for it at the Music Store in Ipoh. Well, maybe it was an impulsive buy cause it only costs...............................RM65 haha...cheaper than my second Kapok guitar even. Ukuleles in KL costs around RM200-Rm500 so this definitely sounds like a steal. Then again, the differences in quality would be apparent too :) Now time to download the chords and save myself from buying a Ukulele chord book. Hey Soul Sista! :) ahhaa

Maholo Ukulele - Made in China. RM65.00. Purchased at the Music Store. Noticed that they even throw in a Ukulele bag.

And United won the Charity Shield! Yes!!! wait...should I be happy? Cause the charity shield is always deemed as a curse to Champions! The only time United won the Charity Shield and continued to win the EPL Was back in ...wait they won it twice and won the EPL thereafter 2007-2008 and 2008 -2009. So the curse should not be feared..haha oh me of lil faith.
But it was good to see De Gea making some good saves and also Welback playng clever one twos and passes.
Looks like Nani is dying to shine and I do hope he will. At least try. But more in store...and normal EPL service resumes next week. Nice.:)
One up for the red half of Manchester. Too bad to the noisy neighbours. But they will be a force to reckoned in the days to come :)

Not too impressed with the Jersey though, doesnt look nice. But nevertheless I know I will buy it at some point in time. The bloody United fanboy that I am :) hahah

Charity Shield winners 2011 - Manchester United

The Amazing Spider-Man / The Dark Knight Rises

Ok. I'm sure by now, many of you would have watched the trailers for these two movies.
For a fanboy like me, I'm super excited!
And with my two most favourite super heroes ever in the same year? What more can I ask?

Of course, I do feel sad that Spider man had to be rebooted. After all, Tobey's Spiderman was pretty good. Emo and stuff, very much like the comic version of late. And not so funny.
Let's hope Andrew Garfield does a better job injecting humour. Somehow, the costume seems lacking and I kinda preferred the previous one. But, hey, its a reboot. It may be better or not. But either way, I'm hoping its gonna kick some ass! And ironically, the movie is suppose to be taken from the Ultimate Spider Man comic concept, but named Amazing Spider Man, which is what the original comic was named after (Amazing Fantasy #15 would however present Spidey's first appearance though)
With a stellar cast of Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Irfans, Martin Sheen and Sally Field, it should work out well. And, No...there isn't any Mary Jane Watson in the fold, not yet. Cause the love interest is Gwen Stacy, Peter's first love who will die at the hands of the Green Goblin eventually.
So, watch out for this one in 2012. Let's hope its a sizzler!


And then the other movie, which I'm sure many are anticipating. After a massive run with the Dark Knight, the Dark Knight returns in what seems to be sadly, the final movie in this Batman franchise. Seriously, Dark Knight blew away the expectations of making a comic book movie. It combined the fantasy elements of super hero comic book stories and blended it with thrilling noir / crime elements. No longer gothic but dark in its story telling. I still look for loopholes in the Dark Knight for all its complexity in it's story telling, but yet, was unable to do so. Christopher Nolan truly created a masterpiece. Initially I thought the trailer looked like a fan made trailer, you know, the fake ones where idiots compile scenes and montage from the previous films and make a 'trailer' or it leads to Rick Astley's "Never gonna give you up" MTV....yes that sucks. But this one is the real deal, cause you get to see ol' Bats being weary from his fight with Bane!
And yes in the comics, Bane broke Batman's back! Thats really dark indeed.
Well, anyway, I'm still not sure how Anne Hathaway is gonna fit into the dark mould with her squeaky clean image, but I'm sure she will rise to the occasion as Selina Kyle / Catwoman.

Its been 3 years since The Dark Knight and on 2012, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!



And also, later....watch out for the Avengers! Though I think I would hold these two movies in anticipation more! :)

Hohoho... and check this out!