21 Jump Street - 2012

Category: Movie

Genre: Comedy

Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Writer: Michael Bacall

 Producer: Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayr MGM, Relativity Media

Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, DeRay Davis, Ice Cube, Dax Flame and more.

Tagline:   The only thing getting blown tonight is their cover.

 Schmidt(Jonah Hill)  and Jenko (Channing Tatum) joined the police force and ended up as partners riding bicycles in the city park. Both of them looked young, and were assigned on a special undercover task to infiltrate a drug ring that is supplying the high school students with synthetic drugs.


I had a good laugh at this. It's oftentimes comically weird. Its about friendship and partnership.

Bloody Monday - 2008

Category: TV Series

Genre: Action / Technological / Crime / Suspense

Broadcast network: TBS

Original writing (manga): Bloody Monday by Ryumon Ryo
  
Screenwriter: Makita Mitsuharu, Watanabe Yusuke

Producer: Makita Mitsuharu 

Director: Hirano Shunichi, Hatano Takafumi, Miyashita Kensaku


Theme song: Over the rain ~Hikari no Hashi~ 

Cast: Miura Haruma, Sato Takeru, Kawashima Umika, Fujii Mina, Tokunaga Eri, Hisano Masahiro, Tanaka Tetsushi, Matsushige Yutaka, Narimiya Hiroki, Kichise Michiko, TET, and more


A biological terrorist attack kills off the population of a Russian town; Japan's Special Third-i unit believes that the terrorist organization responsible plans to have the same virus known as Bloody X in Tokyo. THIRD-i then recruits, Takagi Fujimaru a genius, notorious hacker to find out what happened in Russia.


It's absolutely a good tv series. One that would keep you wanting to see more. Great storyline. Also this reminds me of Jack Bauer, only this time, it's not focused on Jack but on Fujimaro, a civilian, helping Third-I. It took me awhile to get the relation of "THIRD-i" and Third Eye. It's pretty much designed like CTU of 24.

I like how each episode made you want to check the next episode. And missing one might make you miss the ingenuity of the storyline. It has good character build-up. It gets nifty on Episode 3. It has a very good psychological warfare script.

This is as much about crime and suspense, but also about friendship and family. It's about courage, honor, pride, life.... love....

I like the lyrics of the song they have: (translated into english)

Though the cold rain drenches my forehead, flower petals fall like raindrops overlapping with you...
if that can be called "light"
the radiance doesn't fade, right?

no matter how it is contaminated.. i think it disappears.
not only this but also the sad memory does not vanish
holding back the tears
light that is more beautiful than anything esle, is gathering;
walking towards the clouds;
the rainbow forms after the rain...
trust only your dream and walk towards it...

Quotes from Bloody Monday:

"If you are given a talent... you are entrusted with a mission."

Photo Source: Anaherarika

Cathedral - Nelson Demille

Category: Books

Genre: Spy / Thriller

Author: Nelson Demille



Demille is one of my favorite authors in the "spy genre". I first read his book "Charm School".

The Cathedral, is a book that is hard to put down! I have to stay awake to get to the next chapter. Finally, I finished it!!! I actually read this twice, the first one wasn't successful since I couldn't quite get the drift so I didn't finish it. The second time, I began to get the gist of the story.

It's a tragic, romantic story between a revolutionary IRA couple Brian Flynn and Maureen Malone. And both their love for their country - Ireland and it's people. It tackles on an issue between the IRA (Irish Resistance Army) and their hatred for the British concentration camps. A cycle that never ends.

Maureen got burned out and got out of the group but was always reminded by Flynn: "Once in, never out". Which haunted the rest of her life, she took a different path to free their people who are in concentration camps... and began making alliances with the Brits, publicly during St. Patrick's Day in New York.

Brian Flynn and a group of IRA  who has family and friends inside those camps they want to free decided to take hostage 4 people (The Cardinal, Father Murphy, Baxter(British) and Maureen), and took hold of the Cathedral which they plan to blow up with a deadline.

One thing about novels involving the Irish... there's this sense of the occult and always always with a hint of magic and mystery. Because webbed in the story may be considered as a logical point of view, can be Flynn's imagination... but to them who believes in supernatural phenomena.... then it's something different. ;) (something involving the ring and the drive Flynn has).

Photo Source: Ioffer

The Tourist - 2010

Category: Movie

Genre:  Mystery / Comedy

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Writer: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christopher McQuarrie

Producer: GK Films, Spyglass Entertainment, Birnbaum/Barber

Cast: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton, Steven Berkoff, Rufus Sewell, Christian De Sica, Alessio Boni, Daniele Pecci, Giovanni Guideli and more.

Tagline: The Perfect Trip - The Perfect Trap

Elise (Angelina Jolie) sits next to an American tourist, Frank (Johnny Depp), on a train going to Venice. She has chosen him as a decoy, making believe that he is her lover who is wanted by police. Not only will they need to evade the police, but also the mobster whose money her lover stole.

It's like watching the film Red... only this time it's younger with a romantic setting - Venice. It has a dose of mystery and action with a lot of dash of comedic, humorous scenes. It's light not heavy or dark. So those who were expecting a loaded story or expecting that it is an intellectual film with eye popping action you will be heavily disappointed.

SALT - 2010

Category: Movie

Genre: Spy / Action

Director: Philip Noyce

Writer: Kurt Wimmer

Producer: Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Di Bonaventura Pictures

Tagline: Who is SALT?

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Shcreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Daniel Pearce, Hunt Block, Andre Braugher and more


Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a CIA agent who is highly respected by all. Out of the blue, a Russian spy walks into their offices and gives them an important information: the President of Russia will be assassinated during his forthcoming visit to New York City. And the Russian spy gave the name of the assassin: Evelyn Salt.


it's kind of uh... i don't know... there's something lacking in the movie. That was my expression when it ended. The plot was so twistedly predictable but still gives me the feeling of "huh?". Salt here gives me the idea that she has no understandable aim or something. Or maybe i just don't get it. Although if you are just into action... this could be a pretty good movie for you.:)