City Hunter - 2011

Category: TV Series

Genre: Action / Suspense / Romance

Director: Jin Hyuk

Writer: Soo Jin Choi, Eun Kyung Hwang

Cast: Lee Min Ho, Park Min Young, Kim Sang-Jung


Lee Yeung Su applies and got accepted at the Blue House for the National Communication Department with a hidden agenda. He was selected because of his prestigious background having been graduated from MIT. He meets Kim Nana who works as a bodyguard at the Blue House, and they begin to fall for each other. 


I enjoyed this whole series. It's actually my first time to watch a Korean drama with all the action and mystery. Although, City Hunter Lee Yeung Su has the same qualities with Batman. While the Prosecutor Kim Jeong Su, got similarities with TwoFace albeit keeping his morale intact.

Anyway, it was unique all on it's own, because it also mixed romance, and family life in between and the issues between politics and corruption. Of course it never fails to place the Korean flair of comedic scenes and equally heartbreaking ones.

Sometimes, it tends to be disturbing, as trust and loyalty issues are being resolved.

The last two episodes turned out to be quite exciting, and both unpredictable and predictable, but still can make you wonder how it would turn out in the end. The ending was quite sad but somehow something  relieving as the cycle of revenge finally comes to an end.

Photo Source: http://thepensieveonline.blogspot.com/

John Carter - 2012

Category: Movie

Genre: Adventure / Fantasy / Action

Writer: Andrew Stanton

Director: Andrew Stanton

Producer: Walt Disney Pictures

Cast: Taylor Kitsch,Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, Thomas Haden Church, Mark Strong, Claran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Bryan Cranston, Polly Walker, and more

Tagline: Lost in Our World. Found in Another.

A Civil War veteran named John Carter, was trying to escape and is being pursued by the army. Got into a battle with Indians. Carter then seeks refuge in a cave, and saw someone holding a medallion and when Carter got around to touching it, he finds himself transplanted to MARS. Founds himself a prisoner of 12foot tall beings, and when he tries to escapes, he encounters a princess who needed someone to save her community.

It was quite dragging at the beginning, but turned out interesting by the middle of the movie. I would've dropped it at the first few scenes, but I pushed through. and good thing, I did! I learned that it was an adaptation or inspired by the book Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Cool, right? 

 I feel that the setting is unique, what with all the Mars*Barsoom* thing in the picture. It was also comedic in some parts, which reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean. :) And while reviewing this, it just made me realized that it's a Disney film! so much for the reference, right? It's a mix of Star Wars (weird beings), Indiana Jones (the first few scenes), a bit of Avatar, Prince of Persia and yeah, Pirates of the Caribbean (for the funny scenes). Great CGI too.

Anyway, its a good film to watch, despite it's bad critic for people who judged before watching the film. It's a good layered film, with a love story thrown between a Princess of Helium and an Earthling, coupled with some emotional and other funny scenes. It's simple, so don't overthink the whole movie, okayyy?

In short, I had a blast as I was transported to the Red Planet, Barsoom. :)

Photo Source: www.blogcdn.com

The Last Airbender - 2010

Category: Animation / Movie

Genre: Fantasy 

Writer: M. Night Shyamalan

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Producer: Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Blinding Edge Pictures

Cast: Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Aasif Mandvi, Cliff Curtis, Seychelle Gabriel, Katharine Houghton, Francis Guinan and more

Tagline: Four nations, one destiny


The world is divided into four kingdoms, Water, Air, Fire, Earh. The story follows the adventures of Aang of the kingdom Air, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, the only being linked to the Spirit World and the only one who is capable to master all four elements.

Awww  I LIKE IT! I heard about how other people thinks it sucks and all that. But, I actually love it. Well, anything magical even though it is predictable... is amusing for me. (Just came back from Aletheia - a 3 week workshop and I can clearly connect the dots of what we discussed and the things that came up in the movie). Anyway, for everybody's sake I haven't seen the original cartoon series, so I can't really say anything bad about it. :)

Although the film did feel like it was rushed and character development was poor... but the action scenes were equally riveting. :) Great musical score as well!! :)

Quotes I Like:

Iroh: There are reasons each of us are born. we have to find those reasons.

Gran: He will begin to change hearts, and it is in the heart that all wars are won.

Silent Snow - Steve Thayer

Category: Book

Genre: Crime / Drama

Author:  Steve Thayer

Rick Beanblossom is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and the hero of The Weatherman. He is back in Silent Snow. Rick Beanblossom got it all, a good career, a beautiful famous wife and a newborn son. But, on March 1 at the height of a blizzard, on the anniversary of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping case, it was about to change, as it was re-enacted once again, with his baby being kidnapped. 

Its a spinoff for the Lindbergh baby kidnapping case. Quiet interesting to use a historical event and re-making it. Not exactly a great mystery... but interesting enough.

Stranger than Fiction - 2006

Category: Movie

Genre: Comedy / Fantasy

Writer: Zach Helm

Director: Marc Forster

Producer: Columbia Pictures, Mandate Pictures, Three Strange Angels

Cast: Will Ferrell, William Dick, Guy Massey, Martha Espinoza, T.J. Jagodowski, Peter Grosz, Ricky Adams, Christian Stolte, Denise Hughes, and more

Tagline: He's not crazy. He's just written that way.


Harold Crick is an IRS agent, with a life so monotonous, boring and repetitive.  One day he hears a voice of a narrator who predicts what was just about to happen. He then realizes, he is a book character and that the narrator plans to kill him off. But, before the author does that, he has a chance to find the author and convince the author not to kill him.


Too strange for me. Or maybe I watched it at the wrong time. Not my kind of film, but it was quite unique and not to Holly-woodish if I may say so. Worth watching... only because of it's uniqueness or there are not many too strange films out there - right? The script is really quite funny, I have to hand it to the writer.

Matarese Countdown - Robert Ludlum

Category: Book

Genre Suspense/ Thriller

Author: Robert Ludlum


This continues the journey of the book the Matarese Circle. As it begins to rise from it's ashes. It's main cause is power through economic domination. The CIA's attention were drawn when four of the wealthiest icons were killed in various "un-related" deaths.

As the legendary Beowulf Agate, a retired CIA officer is back in the scene, partners with another CIA agent Cameron Pryce. As usual, it's a wild goose chase from different parts of the world.

One of those books that are hard to put down and something you don't want to end but with the curiosity of how it will eventually end. Ever get that feeling? I thought for awhile there I'm not into books like these anymore... but still I enjoy reading them. For entertainment.. :) Ludlum will always always be my favorite.

I heard these series will be made into a movie, but it's been awhile since the last announcement and the movie aint up until now. I do hope, they make this into a movie! :)

August Rush - 2007

Category: Movie

Genre: Drama

Writer: Nick Castle, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Director:Kirsten Sheridan

Producer:Warner Bros. Pictures, Southpaw Entertainment, CJ Entertainment

Cast: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams, William Sadler, Marian Seldes, Mykelti Williamson, Leon Thomas III, Aaron Staton and more

Tagline: An incredible journey moving at the speed of sound

An orphaned musical prodigy named Evan (Freddie Highmore), begins his journey with his search for his Birth Parents.This is a wonderful musical drama with wonderful fantasy elements.

Sometimes, I usually postpone the best films I know... (due to reviews done by friends)... and I can't believe Ive been postponing this absolutely lovely movie about life and music.. being lost and being found... very moving and magical too!

The kid here looks like the son of cousin CJ, so yeah it added delight.  It has this fairy tale element but also grounding it with what can really happen in reality - e.g. bullying someone who is different, and also abusing talents. I love how my love for music (though i'm no prodigy or do I read notes), but my appreciation for music is just as heavenly as it is for Evan. ;)