Movie Review: Midnight Runners (青年警察)

Park Seo-joon and Kang Ha-neul played two young police cadets in this action comedy and I've to say aside from their cuteness overload, it's also a story of their friendship, their dreams and passion as well as to right the wrong despite their inexperience and various bureaucracy obstacles.

The story opens with the two of them admitting into Korean National Police University where they learn to be a cop and master various martial arts. However, most of the things they've learned are mostly textbook theories and in spite of their two years training, they still find themselves at a loss and just when they're having doubts about being a cop as their career, they witness a kidnapping when they're out partying one night. They manage to track down the location and the kidnappers eventually but they're faced with several obstacles - lack of evidence, inexperienced and such cases have to be dealt with the appropriate departments and bureaucracy. They decided it'd be too late by then and the only option they could come up with is to take matters into their own hands.

(L: Kang Ha-neul, R: Park Seo-joon)

I've been a fan of Park Seo-joon (Fight for My Way and Hwarang are some of his works this year) so naturally this movie captured my attention. While Kang Ha-neul is no stranger to me, I've to admit I'm not really familiar with his works since I can be selective when dramas/movies are concerned and this explains why I may have missed him while choosing a new drama to watch. That said, I was quite impressed with his acting here as a quiet, nerdy cop as I understand he is actually an easy-going guy and one who smile a lot. I totally loved the rapport and the guy bonding moments they've for each other. But of course what moved me most is their passion and their enthusiasm in pursuing justice (human trafficking and selling of young women's eggs to illegal fertility and surrogacy agency are the cases they're investigating here and I think these topics will further raise the awareness considering the seriousness and a problem the world still face today.) Overall I enjoyed the movie and I'll definitely keep an eye on Kang Ha-neul's future works. 

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Rio: The Movie

We watched Rio on Monday evening since my husband said he wanted to spend some quality time with us after being away in Austin, Texas and St. Paul, Minnesota for almost a month for his business trip and needless to say, we all missed him. He showed me some of the pictures he took while he was there and I have to say I was awed by some of the places he visited. I will share them on my Wordless Wednesday posts once he has the time to download them all (yes, he's still trying to recover from jet lag).

So onto the movie. If you have seen the trailer, you’d know that the main focus of this animation is about the birds. There is a baby male macaw lived in a jungle near the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and he has not learned how to fly yet. One day while watching his friends and neighbours singing and entertaining themselves, the smugglers came and caught some of them. Unfortunately, this baby macaw is one of them and they are being smuggled to Minnesota (can you see the coincidence? LOL). During the journey, the box that carried the baby macaw dropped off from the truck and a girl named Linda (Leslie Mann) found him. She named him Blu and decided to look after him.

Years passed and Linda became a bookstore owner. Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), which is now an adult macaw, still has not learned how to fly. Later a scientist from Brazil came to look for Linda, telling her that Blu is the last male of his species, and he wants to take him to Rio so that Blu can mate with a female in order to preserve the species. Linda refused to do so initially, but she agreed in the end for the good cause.

When Blu meets Jewel (Anne Hathaway), the female macaw, he is smitten by her beauty but the latter thinks of nothing but to escape from their prison. While she is thinking of ways to escape, the place is raided with the help of the smuggler’s cockatoo, Nigel, which posed as a sick bird and once again, Blu is forced to flee. However, bad luck continues to befall on Blu and this time around, he and Jewel are caught and chained together. There is a short history of why Nigel helps the smuggler but I’m not going there.

Blu and Jewel then managed to escape, but they couldn’t travel far since Blu doesn’t know how to fly. They met a family of toucans in a jungle and the father toucan brought them to a friend named Luiz (which is a bulldog) for he believes he could remove the chain that binds them together. Meanwhile, Linda and the scientist are frantically looking for the pair of macaws and they would do anything to find them, including sneaking into a Brazilian carnival and posed as dancers after learning from Fernando, a poor boy who is feeling remorse for helping the smugglers to smuggle the macaws.

The above scenarios are just parts of the film and there are far more exciting adventures in which I’d rather not spoil for you. I also enjoyed seeing how Blu’s and Jewel’s feelings towards each other changes (the same goes to Linda and the scientist) as the story progresses. On top of that, the musicals totally rock and I felt myself tapping my feet away whenever a Brazilian number is being played (the carnival scene is the most spectacular). What can I say? We had a great time watching this animation; it was so cute and hilarious. I’d go for the 3D effects if it doesn’t make me feeling giddy (I must be getting old!).

Let Me In (aka Let the Right One In)

Based on Swedish film Let the Right One in and the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let Me In tells a story of a relationship between a 12-year-old boy and a vampire girl set in a New Mexico town during the early 80s. I had no prior knowledge of the story having not read the book first so you can well imagine the anticipation I have had for this film.

The film opens with a police detective questioning a disfigured man in a hospital room in which he is believed to be a suspect of a murder case which took place lately. The story then fast forwarded to two weeks earlier where we see 12-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) being lonely and unhappy as he is neglected by his divorcing parents. On top of that, he is constantly being bullied in school which added to his misery.

One evening, while sitting alone in the courtyard, he meets a girl called Abby (Chloë Moretz). Abby is his new neighbour and despite she had claimed that she and Owen couldn't be friends, their friendship blossoms the more they see each other at night in the courtyard. Aside from that, the story also proceeds to show a various of murder cases first performed by the suspect and later to show Abby kills should we know that she is a vampire (this is not a spoiler). Meanwhile, Owen and Abby got really close and this has set off Owen's emotions especially after knowing that she is a vampire.

I'd say that aside from being a horror story, Let Me In is also a terrific psychological story which is both haunting and touching in ways. The feelings and emotions between Owen and Abby are beautifully captured in the film, and what I think of their relationship is both frightening yet truly genuine at the same time. Although I felt that the entire film doesn't have that kind of eerie feel which many horror films are trying to create, still the setting and the atmosphere and knowing what Abby is capable of doing to anyone are suffice to make your hairs stand. And finally a side note, don't watch this with your younger children due to the bloody and some violent scenes.

Movie: Gnomeo & Juliet

Loosly based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Gnomeo and Juliet are two garden gnomes whereby each clan (the Red and the Blue) has a long bitter feud despite they live so close to one another - the lawns of two neighbours, Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet (who like the gnomes are at loggerheads with each other).

Delicate and well protected, Juliet yearns for an adventurous life and her one night adventure sends her towards Gnomeo's path. Attracted to each other, Gnomeo and Juliet didn't realise of their positions until their disguise are off. However, this doesn't deter them from not seeing each other again. And with the help and advice from a discarded pink plastic flamingo named Featherstone, the twosome decided to overcome all obstacles even if they risk being broken (they are all made from ceramic).

Gnomeo & Juliet first caught my attention when I saw its advertisement on a magazine. Attracted by the bright and colourful illustrations and that it's a retelling tale of Romeo and Juliet, I figured this would be a fun movie to watch. And truthfully, I wasn't disappointed and my daughter loved it. There are many hilarious moments amid the heated exchanges and actions between the blue and red gnomes and their fights involving a lawnmower race are just some of the highlights of the film.

The characterisations are great too. Supporting roles like Nanette (who is a frog and is Juliet's good friend) and Featherstone (the pink plastic flamingo who reminisce about his lost love to Gnomeo and Juliet while encouraging them to embrace instead of hiding their love) add entertainment to the overall plot. I have to say their roles are more outstanding partly because they are funny and yes, likeable too.

While I think the plot is good, I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. No, I wasn't referring about the happily-ever-after instead of a tragedy ending (after all it is a G-rated film), but it is simply in my adult mind I was hoping for a more complex scenario. Anyway, what most matters is that we had had a wonderful time and that seeing the joy on our daughter's face and hearing her laughter is suffice for us.

Your Popcorn Choice: Salty or Sweet?

Yesterday my husband and I brought our daughter to watch Gnomeo and Juliet, as this week is a one-week school holidays. We had a wonderful time. I hope to have a review (or rather my thoughts) on the movie up soon. Anyway, what's a movie experience like without a tub of popcorn so we bought one and I found it interesting that they had listed the choice of popcorn we choose and what it says about us. Here goes:

Salty popcorn eaters tend to be down-to-earth, take-charge types who tell it like it is and prefer grim reality to la la land any day. They are inclined to also enjoy potato chips, salted nuts, sandwiches, hot dogs with ketchup and mustard, hamburgers with pickles and other salty things. They make loyal and steadfast companions on whom you can always count for an honest opinion, even when it's not necessarily the one you want to hear. Exponents of character-building tough love rather than wishy-washy-gooey-sticky soft love that does nobody any good, they tend to be excellent disciplinarians, good parents and responsible animal owners. They have strong moral values and even stronger opinions. Popularity holds scant appeal for them while integrity is held in the highest esteem. Their taste in movies leans towards gritty realistic dramas, natural disaster doozies, wartime epics, spy movies, martial arts showcases, action-packed blockbusters and road trip flicks. They tend not to believe in fairytales and take happy endings with a pinch of salt (just like their popcorn).

Sweet popcorn eaters tend to be romantic souls who hanker after happy endings and believe in true love, even when their heart's been broken and patched... and broken again. They tend to also like ice cream, chocolate, cookies, candy and other sweet things. They make good friends who will always try to cheer you up when you're down, and will gloss over the ugly truth to avoid hurting your feelings. If you ask a sweet popcorn-eating friend if your bum looks fat in a certain pair of pants, he/she will say no - the pants are poorly cut... or simply tell a sweet little white lie. Sweet popcorn eaters respond to pretty, bright colours and bright, bouncy pop tunes. They have lots of positive energy and radiate optimism like a little gob of sugar-coated sunshine. Their taste in movies veers towards romcoms, charming animated fables, modern day fairytales, weepies with happy endings, historical dramas, feelgood musicals and anything with an uplifting moral where the bad guys get their asses kicked and the good guys get their just desserts (or sweet popcorn).

So which popcorn eater are you? I'm a salty popcorn eater, but that's because I've always love salty food, ha. As for the types of movies I watch, I've to say I do go for romcoms and fairytales too, aside from those list of salty popcorn eaters. After all, who doesn't love happy endings?

3 Mini Movie Reviews

The Time Traveler's Wife
Starring: Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3.5 stars

Based on Audrey Niffenegger's novel of the same name, The Time Traveler's Wife follows the love story of Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire. I have to admit my curiosity was piqued after reading so many rave reviews of it so I decided to buy and watch the DVD, despite that I have the book in my pile and I figured I couldn't wait to know what the story is all about.

Eric Bana plays the role of Henry DeTamble who has a genetic disorder in which this enables him to time travel randomly. He meets Clare (Rachel McAdams) and they begin a relationship. Actually, Clare had already met him when she was young and what makes this story touching and romantic is the connection they feel and have for each other throughout the years. Though they are once again reunited, Henry's condition has now became a strain for them now that they are a couple, and the idea of having a child further makes it difficult for them. Is their relationship deems as a doom right from the beginning?

Honestly speaking, though I was fascinated by the premise I am afraid to say I wasn't really wowed by this film. The characters and the cast performance are great, but there are times I was confused by some parts of the film and the flashbacks didn't make it any better although I understand they are crucial and they explain about Henry's past. I suppose I'd enjoyed this film more after reading the book so I might want to watch this again in the near future.

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Bride Wars

Starring: Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson
Rating: 3.75 stars


Emma Allen (Anne Hathaway) and Olivia 'Liv' Lerner (Kate Hudson) are best friends and they have dreams about their weddings ever since they were young. And after witnessing a couple's grand wedding at the Plaza Hotel, they had vowed to be married at the same location when they grown up.

When the two women finally got engaged, they went to consult New York's most famous wedding planner, Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen) but due to a clerical error, their marriage date is unfortunately scheduled on the same day. Because this is an important day, neither of them wants to make a compromise and on the contrary, each try to outwit the other by using dirty tricks and sabotaging each other's plans. Does this mean their friendship will be over for good?

I always have a thing for romantic comedy and Anne Hathaway is another reason why I picked up Bride Wars. This film is highly entertaining from the beginning till the end; and though I felt some of their antics to be a little exaggerating I think there are some realistic truth in them when it comes to the friendship issue and/or how one wants to be better than the other under some circumstances. Brides-to-be may want to watch this film for some ideas on the wedding gowns and thanks to the special feature on the DVD, I get to know some history of well-known designer Vera Wang and why her wedding gowns is a dream and a must-have to every brides-to-be.

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No Strings Attached
Starring: Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher
Rating: 3.75 stars


No Strings Attached is another romantic comedy which I watched lately and enjoyed it. This film is rated M18 here due to the sexual issue and language as well as the portrayal of drug use.

Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) are friends for a while but they aren't close until they met each other again through a mutual friend. Emma works in a hospital while Adam works as an assistant in a show and his dream is to be a script writer one day. Their friendship might have stopped there if Adam didn't get drunk and text messaged Emma after he got upset with his father for having a relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

Emma decided they keep their relationship brief after that night, after all she doesn’t believe in love. She also set some ground rules to each other in order to prevent their relationship from getting serious. This goes on well in the beginning, but as the time passes Adam starts to develop feelings for Emma. Sensing Adam’s closeness, Emma decided to take a step back away from their relationship and so they went on separate ways. However, Emma isn’t happy after she has sealed off her relationship with Adam, and this makes her think carefully about their relationship.

No Strings Attached may seems clichéd at some point, but it makes you wonder if a man and a woman could maintain a platonic relationship. Another thing is, though casual sex may portrayed to be respectable in the film, I think the ending has changed that conception and show us what love is when Emma starts to realise that Adam is important to her and trying hard to win back his love.

Film: My Sister's Keeper

Based on Jodi Picoult's novel of the same name, My Sister's Keeper is a story about a young girl, Anna Fitzgerald (played by Abigail Breslin), who is conceived through in vitro fertilization as a means of saving her older sister's life.

Kate Fitzgerald (played by Sofia Vassilieva), suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia and the family was deeply devastated when they first learnt of the news. Kate's mom, Sara (played by Cameron Diaz) took the news badly but when she found out from the doctor that there might be hope for Kate after all (and that is to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization since siblings have a better genetic match), she decided to take the chance.

So Anna was born and her blood is used in treatments in order to help save Kate's life. However Kate's condition worsened as she grows older, and this time she needs one of Anna's kidneys as she goes into renal failure.

When Anna knew about this (she is a 13-year-old girl then), she decided to defy parents' wishes and proceeds to sue them for medical emancipation. She told them that she does not want to be Kate's donor and that she has the rights to her own body after all. Attorney Campbell Alexander (played by Alec Baldwin) took Anna's case and act as her guardian ad litem. There is a reason why Alexander decided to take up the case, but I am not going to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read the book or watched the film.

In between the film, there are flashbacks that shows the close relationship between Anna and Kate, how it affected the family after seeing Kate's relapse and how Kate meets and falls in love with Taylor Ambrose, who is also a cancer patient. While I find the film to be emotional intense overall, I have to admit the ending still surprised me despite I had read the book a few years ago. But what most took me by surprise is not how it ends though, but how the film differs from the book towards the ending. As much as I wanted to compare the two versions, again I wouldn't want to spoil it should anyone wants to read/watch it. Still, it puzzles me why the change of the ending and this led me into wondering what's the point of a film adaptation if there is a significant difference from the book. And, I felt it wouldn't make the ending any much better because the subject itself is so sad. That said, My Sister's Keeper is a moving and thought-provoking story that will certainly linger in my mind for a long while.

Note: If you haven't read or watch this, I'd suggest you to read the book first before watching the movie (don't this apply to all books in general?) as I felt the emotional impact is more powerful.