Sulis Raine Review

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Blade of Destiny

2011-12-19T13:36:00.000+08:00

Category: MMORPG (Client Based or Dowload/Install needed)

Rating:

Note: I've only played about 2 or 3 MMORPGs with WoW not being part of that tally so this review is more or less an insight from someone not really into the genre.

Blade of Destiny or simply called B.O.D. is about 2 opposing dynasties set during the rise of the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China. You have a choice of 3 job classes branched into 2 different specialties. There are different quest to help you level your character and an occasional war to see who's the better dynasty. That's about sums it all up in my opinion.

BOD, I would say would be your typical MMORPG. I can say that it's more or less very similar to RO except for the fact that it's in 3D. It's basically a hack-and-slash game with the occasional quest and dynasty wars. It's the typical MMORPG you see anywhere at the moment. There is really nothing new to it. The game is basically old; probably 3-4 years old already being a re-hash of an old game of a different name. But there is a following and that's what's keeping the game alive for years.

I would continue to delve on the negative before I move to the positive aspect of the game.

Aside from it being old, the game is buggy. It was only recently that they have been actively searching for those bugs and little by little taking it all out and making the game really playable.

The maps are cloned. They only change the entrances and exits and the monsters residing there but the maps have more or less the same topography. If you don't read the name properly when you go on a quest, you might find yourself going around and around a map area searching for a particular monster only to find out an hour later that you were in the wrong map.

Now we go on to the positive side.

For a 3D game, this is not heavy in the system. You can run it with a Celeron 500 CPU, 256 MB RAM and a 16MB video card and it would run smoothly. The game itself is only 2.4 GB and the game runs smoothly without much lag. Graphic wise, it's good. Movement and animation are a bit sketchy but it was done properly enough that you wouldn't complain. Although, you still can't play it on a Netbook, any decent PC would suffice.

Installing the game is also simple. If you have the installer, all you have to do is drag the folder to the chosen target folder in your PC. Find the play icon inside that folder and create a shortcut on your desktop and you're all set (provided that you have the latest installer of course, since they have been fixing the bugs, they have been patching a lot lately).

This version of BOD has a more or less capable GM Team that makes sure you get a good experience playing the game. When you send a bug report, they make sure that you know they have received it and have maintenance to fix it. The GMs are approachable in-game. And they give you free buffs if you ask nicely. Although, there was a bit of an argument a couple of weeks back when the Head GM decided not to give buff to players if they do not speak english in the Dynasty Chat, I think it was resolved in the end.

All in all, the game isn't all bad. I'm just not an RPG player to really appreciate the game as well as I want.

If you want to check out the game and download the client, visit their website at http://gameyez.com

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

2011-07-26T11:31:00.003+08:00

Category: Movie

Rating:

This has been a fitting ending to a very wonderful series both in paper and in film.

I have little complaints with this movie. Everyone has done their absolute best and you can see it as the film progressed.

The movie took place after Dobbie's burial and they need to search for the remaining horcruxes. So, the three heroes were off again, first to Gringotts to retrieve the Hufflepuff's teacup and then to Hogwarts to find Ravenclaw's diadem. Along the way, they were helped with their classmates and teachers who have been fighting the good fight in school while they try to protect their last hope against Voldemort. Until finally, two horcrux remained: Nagini and Harry. Then a final battle that where good finally triumphs over evil. And then a little aftermath of everything in the end.

Like I said, a fitting ending to a very wonderful series that spanned for 10 years. I was teary-eyed when the final credits finally rolled, knowing that there will never be another book that will be converted to a movie (unless JK Rowling would write another series telling the story of the kids...hayz...wishful thinking for me).

Anyway, on with the review.

The CGI, was amazing and the scenes and locations were shot pretty well. The camera angles were not crazy that even in 3D, it wasn't a roller coaster ride. The fight scenes were amazing, the clashing of colors between green and red and when the Death Eaters where flying around in their dark cloud form was really amazing, it can take your breath away.

For 10 years, the actors have done an amazing job in playing their roles pretty well that they have really brought the book to life. From our heroes, Harry, Ron and Hermione, to Voldemort and his death eaters. They played their roles well that people would now have a hard time disassociating them with their characters. One of my favorite scenes was when Hermione transformed into Bellatrix to enter Gringotts. Helen Bonham Carter was amazing as she got Emma Watson's mannerisms as Hermione pretty well. You could clearly see the contrast of her acting as Hermione and her as the real Bellatrix. Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy has been portrayed brilliantly as the conflict between what is right and the love for his parents can clearly be seen on his face as he struggles to find out where he fits in.

The scene that I was most touched was the death of Snape...when on his last breath he looked at Harry and told him that he had his mother's eyes. The was the saddest yet the most touching scene in the whole movie for me. Alan Rickman was the perfect Severus Snape. Thank goodness he agreed to be in the movies.

It was almost a 5 out of 5 for me. I just have one pet peeve with this movie and it's the lack of time to put everything in. I mean, the book was already split in two and still there wasn't enough time to put all the important elements in the movie.

It would have been great if the scenes of Snape's childhood was a bit longer showing more scenes from their teenage years. It would be nice if they have showed how Lily's and Severus's friendship fell apart because Snape started to hang out with Death Eaters and he called her a Mudblood. To me, the scenes of Snape's childhood were too short and too distorted.

It would have been great to have the epilogue part a bit longer too, showing all the other kids and not just focused on Albus Severus alone. It would have been a nice view to see almost everyone there in platform Nine and three-quarters as a last hurrah for everyone concerned.

But all in all, it was a fitting ending. Now, I am anticipating the DVD release. I just hope the DVD would have a lot of additional scenes that they couldn't incorporate in the movie....like what they have done in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Superheroes

2011-07-13T23:35:00.001+08:00

Yes, I know these movies have been shown for weeks now but I'm pretending that I have a wider audience that still hasn't really seen any of the films yet because there are some parts of the world that hasn't shown these films yet. So, this is for my pretend readers in the far reaches of the globe awaiting for their screening day.

So, let's start

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: X-Men: First Class

Category: Movie

Rating:

By far the best X-Men movie ever, (yes, this includes the Wolverine origin movie).

The movie centered on the relationship between Professor X and Magneto. How they met, how their friendship blossomed and how they parted ways. the story was delivered with such clarity it did not leave you qustioning the "how" although the "why" was in my mind after.

Story wise, it had substance. The delivery of the actors in the movie was just okay for me. Although, the two actors who played Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) did an amazing job of portraying their characters that they fit perfectly with their predecessors. Kudos to the casting director for getting them for they have excellent chemistry. Their acting was believable and you could see that they have emulated their "older" selves very well that they had done justice to the character.

Although the other actors were just okay for me. Some were overacting while others were under. Though because of it, there was some sort of weird balance to the whole film.

I will not delve in the difference between the movie and the comic book because I don't really know the "lore" behind X-Men and if they followed the comic book but from the reaction of my friends, I guess they liked this interpretation. I guess, it was a far cry from the last X-Men Movie that it was a breath of fresh air from the purist.

The effects were great. Kudos to the CGI team for a job well done.

Yes, there were missing elements but heck, they were forgettable and didn't really destroyed the whole film. So, 4 out of 5 tumbling babies for me.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Green Lantern

Category: Movie

Rating:

In brightest day, in blackest night
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power, Green Lantern's light.

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with this movie. It was my mistake to have gotten a hyped up from the trailers.

The movie focused on Hal Jordan, the first Modern day Green Lantern. It told the story of how he became part of the Green Lantern Corps, his training, his trials and his victory.

I'll get to the good parts first.

The CGI was amazing. It was flawlessly done. Oa seemed so real that you would actually think that it was a real planet. The Guardians were created well the same with Parallax. You can see the contrast between green and yellow so well that it can clearly be seen as two opposing colors colliding in an epic battle.

The music was done right. The background music really fit the scene that it adds to the ambiance of the whole movie.

Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern would have been okay. He was really right for the part. He's gotten that cockiness about right but at teh same time the soft side of him that made him a real hero. It was just the general interpretation of Hal Jordan that I didn't get.

And so I segue to the negative aspects of the movie.

I had perceived Hal Jordan to be a natural in everything he does. He should have easily controlled the ring and its powers. His will is really strong that anything he creates are really great and hard to dissolve. He was cocky but has every right to be because he was a good at what he does. He was the embodiment of what a Green Lantern Corps should be. Ryan Reynolds was missing the "umf". Like I said, he would have been great but you would feel that there was something nagging at the back of your head telling you something is off.

There was no chemistry between Reynolds and co-star Blake Lively. You'll keep looking for a spark that's just wasn't there.

The story itself was all over the place. You really couldn't place what's going on the whole time. It felt like they were trying so hard to put a puzzle together but the pieces of that puzzle just doesn't fit into each other. One minute it was this scene, the next minute it's different. I was left confused the whole time.

One of my main concern in this movie is that the Lantern Corps wasn't really seen much. And if they were seen, there would only be a handful of them. I felt like their CGI creation of the planet Oa was wasted because of it. There were just there for a quick seen and then revert back to earth. And I had always associated Green Lantern with a team (whichever incarnation of Green Lantern it was). He always worked with a team, whether it be with the Justice League or the Green Lantern Corps but in the movie, he was always flying solo. Which personally for me shouldn't have been the case even if the movie was all about Hal Jordan. For me it wasn't really a Green Lantern Movie without the Lantern Corps.

Which brings me to the destruction of Parallax. An army of Green Lanterns couldn't destroy him and it all took one man to do what an army could not. The essence of Green Lantern wasn't really there.

So, I would have given this a two out of five. But I was wowed by the effects. It actually left me breathless with excitement. The shock factor was there and they really gave you a lot of it in the whole movie but unfortunately, that's all there was to it...shock.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

Category: Movie

Rating:

(Yeah, I know. It shouldn't be categorized as Superheroes but come one, they're the good bots and they've saved the planet one too many times that they deserve to be called "superheroes")

Well, all I can say is that it was better than Revenge of the Fallen but still pales to comparison with the First Movie.

Set a few years after "Revenge", the Autobots have began a partnership with the US military to protect the world from the Deceptecons and of course against other humans as well. Sam Witwicky was having trouble looking for work being forgotten by the world he saved twice. But an Autobot techonology was found in the moon during the Space Race brought the whole team back together, in another action packed sequences that would eventually lead to the Deceptecons defeat.

The CGI was great! Although there was not question in my mind that they have done a superb job since ILM took the helm of the CG. The robots seemed so real that you would think that they were there standing in front of you.

Music in the background was just right. They placed it just right for a scene that gave it such a dramatic effect.

Story wise, it was confusing. There were a lot of things happening all at once and it was everywhere. There was no balance in the storyline and the way they merged the different plot lines to make it one leaves you with different questions that starts with "What the..." and "How the..."

The actors were okay. I guess working in three films together would make working with each better. Even Patrick Dempsey as the bad guy was done okay. He had made you wonder until the end whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. Shia Lebeouf to me was a bit over acting to the point that he was irritating. There were parts in the movie that I was actually praying for his characters death. But if that was the effect that he was gunning for then kudos to him for a job well done.

I never got the point of the female trophy. She's pretty. She can't act. She's pretty. She's forgettable. Oh...did I mention that she was pretty? For a movie with a lot of kick ass robots, I don't really think that the token female was needed. Guys would gawk at her for a few seconds but in the end they would forget her because the fight sequence of Optimus Prime was awesome!

But like I said, the fight scenes were marvelously done! Optimus Prime was kick ass yet again! And when the military guys sky dived and glided around Chicago dodging bullets was for me the highlight of the movie (Optimus Prime kicking ass was a close second).

But yeah, aside from the fantastic CG, music and fight scenes, there was really no story. So, that's a 3 out of 5 for me.

Sometimes I wonder if the movies nowadays are just being done to promote the 3D effects of it and not really done to create a fantastic movie with a good story backed up by excellent effects.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Sherlock

2011-06-30T12:57:00.001+08:00

Category: TV Show
Rating:

Based on the book written by author Sir Arhtur Conan Doyle, Sherlock is a retelling of the famous "consulting detective".

Sherlock is a 3-episode series. Each episode tackles adifferent case that is adapted from the book series. Each case is different and yet has one commone factor (you have to watch it to find out).

Set in Modern day London, Sherlock Holmes and his collegue Dr. John Watson tackle different cases that Sherlock finds interesting. Sherlock Holmes is depicted as "a high functioning sociopath" who loves a good mystery. If he could use the full capacity of his brain to solve a case, the better. Dr. John Watson is a former army doctor discharged because of an injury he suffered while serving for his country. He finds Sherlock Holmes annoying yet he couldn't resist assisting him in his cases. They butt heads most of the time with Sherlock always getting the upper hand of things and Watson scratching his head and realizing he was wrong. But in the end, they will solve the case together with Sherlock inviting Watson out to eat.

Admittedly, I haven't really read any of the books. Although, it's already in the long list of things to read (and the list if looooonnnnnggggg), but secondhand info that I got was that the first episode is very similar to the book minus the modern tech.

In all depictions of Sherlock Holmes (including the movies and the old series), this by far for me is the best. Sherlock wasn't really depicted as a one sided character. He's smart and although annoying at times, you would really like his character. He thinks outside the box and proves that his arrogance is well deserved. His observation skills is superb leaving his collegue Watson amazed at how he usually reached a conclusion on things.

John Watson is the perfect collegue. He asks the right questions even if he feels stupid around Sherlock all the time. He aids Sherlock in his thinking process and assist him in the getting information on different cases.

The actors Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson has done a superb job in their roles. They have great chemistry and their acting is very believable that makes the series great to watch.

Each episodes were based from the books which was slightly altered to give it a modern feel.
The ending of the third episode was a cliff hanger, making audience want to know what happens next.

All in all, the show was really great! I'm happy to hear that there's a season two with three episodes like the first one and it will also be based on the stories by the author.

So, it's five tumbling babies for me. I love the show as a whole and I really can't see anything wrong with it.

Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides

2011-05-23T10:10:00.004+08:00

Category: Movie
Rating:

It's not the best movie I've watched but it's not really the worst.

On Stranger Tides starts off a few years after "At World's End" (no, not the Will-Elizabeth ending but that part where we see Jack in a small boat searching for the "Fountain of Youth") and upon Jack's return to London, he hears that he was being impersonated by someone who was looking for a crew to sail off to find the mythical "Fountain of Youth". They later find out that it has become a race to get there first with the English enlisting Jack's old friend/foe Barbosa to also head an expedition of the same theme and the Spanish looking for it as well.

Story wise, it was good. The plot wasn't confusing. There was a goal. There were plots within plots as is usual with "The Pirates" franchise. There were sexual tension and there were just plain tensions.

The settings and locations were magnificent. I love the green forest and the cave where the Fountain of Youth was located.

The CG was flawless. You can ask for nothing but the best from ILM when it comes to visual effects.

Musical background and the sound effects were also great. The timing was just right and it added character to the whole movie.

The fight scenes and the stunts were done well. It was flawlessly done and was really good to see on film.

But there was something missing in the mix that left me with the feeling that it wasn't really a Pirates of the Caribbean Movie. It wasn't as funny as the first three films. The smart and witty remarks weren't there. The verbal banter between Sparrow and Barbosa were missing. And there was no chemistry between Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz. Don't get me wrong, the whole ensemble of actors were great individually but put together in one movie (well this particular movie that is), it was just okay for me. They didn't get the chemistry that Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly had in the first three films that without the other two, well I found myself looking for something that wasn't there.

So, all in all 3 tumbling babies. It was just okay for me. Like I said, I don't hate it but I don't love it as well.

Fast Five

2011-05-05T19:32:00.004+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Fast Five
Category: Movie
Rating:

There is only one way to describe this movie...AMAZING!

Fast Five or Fast and Furious 5 takes off right after Fast and Furious where Brian and Mia rescue Dom from prison. Now the three of them are on the wanted list and they escape in Rio. Not wanting to live their lives on the run, they do a last job at the same time clear Rio from a tyrant businessman running the whole city.

Just like their predecessor, Fast Five is nonstop action from start to finish. It was action packed and has a good story that both guys and girls would enjoy. The whole cast have amazing chemistry. Their acting were just right and everyone was believable. Paul Walker and Vin Diesel got the perfect partnership from the very first movie. And now on their third movie in this franchise, they haven't stopped giving a good performance. An addition to the new cast was The Rock, that has been improving on his acting skills each and everytime I watch a show with him there.

The franchise wouldn't have been this famous without their great car scenes. They have a great collection of fast cars and they let it run like how Jeremy Clarkson would test it during one of his segments in Top Gear. Amazing cars with amazing speed equals amazing chase scenes. My favorite part was them running all over Rio with the vault strapped behind their cars. It was heart-stopping, breath taking, and was just plain crazy! But magnificently done! My hats off the the stunt coordinators for doing a great job!

The scenes were great and the camera angles were perfect. There wasn't any crazy shots that would leave you dizzy. They also got great angles featuring the cars while they race away on the streets.

From the ending of the movie, I'm guessing there will be another story that will be made. My only question is would the Paul Walker's and Jordana Brewster's characters be in it? Since by the end of the movie, they're very much happy with their life. Vin Diesel's character is also a wonder since if there will be another movie it would concern his character's love interest from the first movie. But I'm sure that if there will be another Fast and Furious movie, The Rock would be in it. Would he be given a cool car to drive? That I would leave to everyone's imagination.

So yeah, 5 out of 5 for me. I was at the edge of my seat and enjoyed every part of the movie and the camera angles didn't leave me dizzy. :) So I know you can still make a great movie without it being 3D. :D

Thor

2011-05-03T22:57:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Thor
Category: Movie
Rating:

"Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor..."

Thor, the god of thunder, was banished by All-Father Odin because of his arrogance. At first, he could not accept his fate, but after failing to lift Mjolnir from the ground, he slowly accepts his banishment and tries to live a mortal life. But as slowly accepts his mortal life on earth, he hears news from Asgard about his father, Odin and his brother, Loki. Thor eventually got his powers back by doing something selfless. Returns to Asgard but has to destroy the bridge to save the race of the Frost Monsters. Back with his family, he still misses his life on Earth and the woman he left there.

Thor has a basic storyline. But was done in such a way that you would get hooked the very second the movie shows the back story. Everything was done pretty well and I couldn't find any fault in the movie except one (but, we'll go through that as we go along).

As I've said, the story was pretty basic. It's your typical hero story of good guy was punished for doing something bad, needs to redeem himself and he does in such a fashion that all you can do is root for the guy because he is so good. Everything was done flawlessly. From how they cut the scenes from Earth to Asgard and back. You can see the continuity of the story and you wouldn't get lost as the movie progressed.

Asgard was fantastic! If it was done in purely CG, hats off to the Visual Effects team that was responsible for it. It was magnificent. The camera coming in and out of that world was wonderfully done that you would think it was an actual place and not CG.

The Frost Monsters were great and realistic. It was great to know that only one person actually acted for all the frost monsters and he was just duplicated multiple times!

The actors have done well! They all have wonderful chemistry with each other and you could see it very clearly on screen. Chris Hemsworth as Thor was a great choice. He did the character justice and I honestly couldn't stop thinking about how well he played the part. Tom Hiddleston as Loki was amazing as well. He interpreted the character in such a way that you can't see him as the fully evil villain in the story. You can sympathize with his character but at the same time you couldn't help but whack him in the head for his twisted logic. Natalie Portman as Jane Foster was great as well. She gave the female main lead substance that has been lacking from all the other Marvel comic female lead that I have watched so far.

Although, truthfully, I'm not a Thor comic book fan. As a kid I've only watch glimpses of him on TV when they were showing the 1970's animation of it but I never really liked him there. And I also didn't like Neil Gaiman's interpretation of Thor in the Sandman comics where he's a dumb big oaf. This re-invention of Thor made anticipate him in The Avengers Movie next year and I have new found interest in Norse Mythology (Although, my initial curiosity of Norse Mythology came because of Neil Gaiman's American Gods).

So why only 4 out of 5 tumbling Babies? I have found out that I am not really a big fan of 3D. Movies made into 3D have camera angles that should be impressive and fantastic to see. Unfortunately for me, it just makes the movie very dizzying to watch. A lot of the movies that has 3D element usually have crazy camera angles that personally for me, doesn't leave saying "Wow! That was awesome!" but "Can I open my eyes now? Is the roller coaster ride over?" And unfortunately, there were fantastic fight scenes that I just couldn't see because the angles were really horrible.

But all in all, I really loved the movie. Doesn't help that I so love Chris Hemsworth because he was fantastic in the movie (liked him in Star Trek, love him here).

So, for anyone who hasn't seen the movie, I really hope that you do. And just an added reminder, don't leave the cinema when the credits roll.

2011-02-25T17:49:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: I Am Number Four
Category: Movie
Rating:

I am just in the process of reading the book so I really won't be able to compare this movie from the book that it's based on.

I Am Number Four is a story about the last survivors of an alien race trying to survive on earth as they were being hunted down by rival aliens called Mogadarians out to destroy every last one of them. The alien children were scattered across the world, and one by one they were being hunted down. Three were already dead, the Mogs' next target is number 4.

Trying to hide from the Mogs but at the same time, trying to blend in and live a human life, Number Four or most recently named John Smith by his guardian warrior Henri was having a hard time following his guardian's orders to keep a low profile in school while Henri attempts to find a way to locate the other alien children. Meeting a girl named Sarah and was fascinated by her love of taking pictures John befriended her. At the same time, he also met Sam, a student who believes in aliens and was picked on by the popular crowd because of it. On top of all that's happening, John's powers start to manifests itself and he started to learn how to control his powers. Soon, they were caught in the middle of a hunt between the Mogs and John. Running for their lives from the Mogs, they've crossed paths with Number 6. Together, John and Number 6 fought their way to escape and decided to search for the other four alien children remaining.

The movie was amazing from start to finish. It was one of those movies that I really have no real expectations of whether I will like it or not. I just wanted to watch it mainly because I'm an Alex Pettyfer fan since I first saw the boy act as Alex Rider. It was good to know that I wasn't disappointed in the entirely of the movie. I left the movie house with a satisfied smile on my face that I got my money's worth of the movie.

The actors were great. Although, I might be biased with Alex Pettyfer, but the boy has great talent in acting and it really comes out naturally for him. He can really make you believe he's an alien with powers. Other actors were brilliant as well. Like Teresa Palmer as Number 6. She would make you wonder whether she's friend or foe. And Timothy Olyphant as Henri who couldn't decide whether he'd coddle John or be strict with him. Kevin Durand as the Mogadarian Commander has that aura of fear emanating from him that he was scary at some part.

The setting was okay. There wasn't anything really scenic about their location except for the parts where they shot in the forest.

The stunts were amazing. I couldn't help but hold my breath at some parts and just saw "Wow!" for most of them. They were really done well, especially the fight scenes. The camera angles were just right that you can see the stunts well and you don't really get dizzy with the different angles that was done during filming.

The special effects were flawlessly done. The monsters were very lifelike and the other CG effects like Number four's glowing hands the disintegrating locator were done just right.

All in all, a very good movie. Although, I wasn't really keen on the other actors who played their parts well, I would still give this 5 tumbling babies and recommend that it's a must see movie to watch.

Gloomy Salad Days

2011-02-23T02:31:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Gloomy Salad Days
Category: Taiwanese Idol Drama
Rating:

I know it's a bit late but as I have always believed, better late than never. And since I am assuming that the only country this drama has been shown is in Taiwan, so there is still a chance that there are some people who hasn't really watched this idol drama yet. So, here I go.

Gloomy Salad Days or what is more popularly known as Death Girl is a Taiwanese Drama with different stories of teenagers dealing with different problems told in a manner that connected one story to another because of a supernatural element. Each episode discusses about a particular student with a particular kind of teenage problem or situation. With each scenario taking place, Du "The Death Girl" appears giving them a choice to either press on and work hard to overcome their challenge or end up becoming a rock in the Bridge of Hopelessness where she stand guard.

With each episode, there is one student named Shen Qi who can see Du. Every time Du appears, Shen Qi tries to stop her from taking another student away. Time passes as he tries to understand her "job" as a guardian and he eventually fell in love with her. In the end, Shen Qi himself tries to overcome a life challenge and the fear of not seeing Du anymore.

This drama is very different from the usual idol dramas that's being shown on the small screen. I think, this is the first time I have watched a drama that tackles these types of issues and it was shown in a way that is both well thought of and well executed.

The different episode discusses different teen oriented issues and challenges. The issues vary from peer acceptance, homosexuality, teen pregnancy, teacher-student relationships and so on, and was performed by the different actors very well. Each story line was properly thought of and was performed by the different actors and actresses pretty well. Each story is with different actors/actresses with only the sole character Shen Qi in all the episode since he is the only one who can see Du even without the rock (the rock that came from the part of the Bridge of Hopelessness or Nai He).

The continuity of the series were well done. With the rock being passed on from one character to another in a very "coincidental way" that one wouldn't really wonder why he or she has it in the first place.

The characters were played very well. You will find yourself sucked into the drama, feeling for the particular character in the story. When you watch an episode, you may feel sorry, annoyed, angry with each of the characters because of their superb acting skills. You can feel that everyone has done their best in the drama.

The two main characters (Shen Qi and Du) were excellent in their acting. Although, I don't really feel that there is much chemistry between the two, you can still feel the effort that they have put in to make the drama really well done.

I'm giving it a 4 out of the 5 tumbling babies for two reasons. One, the two main actors in the whole series lack that kind of chemistry that to me would really make the drama click. And two, it was really just too "gloomy" for me. Don't get me wrong, it was a really great show, but I just feel so "gloomed out" after I watched an episode that I feel for the characters in the particular episode. I usually have to go read or watch something fun to take away the gloom. No wonder they called it "Gloomy Salad Days".

All in all, a very good series...if you're into sad drama series.

2010-11-21T21:37:00.004+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1
Category: Movie
Rating:

Well...to tell you the truth, I came in the cinema half-thinking that they will not give the movie justice. Being someone who wants movies to be very close to the book as much as possible, I was really afraid that they would make the same mistake as they did with Azkaban and being the last book (second to the last movie), I had more or less a high expectation for this movie. It was a good thing that they did it enough justice for me to be happy with the results.

The movie had done it's best to keep to the book as much as they can. Of course, there isn't without the slight changes here and there but it was negligible. The changes made from book to movie didn't really affect the whole storyline like what previous Harry Potter movies had done before. The storyline was seamless and they have connected the events pretty well.

The settings and the scenery was really amazing. The production was more or less well researched that the scenes were just like how they described it in the book.

The actors had played their parts really well. You can feel their emotions when they act and you couldn't help but laugh, cry or feel anger with each scene. They take you through the experience with such clarity that you would feel for them each and every time.

The plot line was very much based on the book. Unlike previous Potter films I wasn't looking for scenes that should be there but they didn't include. The scenes that were shone were all important and I left the movie theater not wondering what happened to this particular scene and that.

The effects were superb. I have to commend all the visual effects companies that they have gotten for this movie. ILM wasn't tapped for this movie but the other companies like Double Negative and MPC (I could recall that there were 4 more visual effects team but I can't recall), did a very great job with the visual effects. The effects were seamless. And they had done a really great job in editing. I especially loved the scene with the seven Potters trying to escape Privet Drive to the Burrows. The contrast between the smoke from flying Death Eaters and the Order was well done. It looked like they were really floating. The same goes for Harry's chase scene around the streets of London in Hagrid's motorcycle. I was holding my breath the whole time it was happening. The chase looked so real that I would be surprised if I find out that it was done behind the blue screen (or green for that matter).

The whole movie gave a good balance of comedy, drama and action. They distributed it in such a way that whole experience was balanced. There wasn't too much drama and the action scenes were just right. The comedic parts were just perfect to keep light some very scary scenes.

With all the praises that I have been doing, you might be wondering why I only rated it four out of five. I guess, my small problem with the movie was the camera angles, especially during the time when the three heroes were being chased by Greyback. The camera was all over the place, I could barely see what was happening. And it was such a great chase scene too. It just looked like the camera man was running with them while they were doing the scene that it was very confusing and dizzying.

And also one flaw with the storyline where Harry and Draco did a short tug of war for Draco's wand. Following the book and the rules of the wand, Harry wouldn't be able to use Draco's wand properly because he just stole it from him. If they had done a real duel like what happened in the book, then the wand would submit have not problem submitting to Harry.

But all in all, a very great movie. They had done the ending in such a way that it was open ended leaving you anticipating for part 2 but at the same time, they have cut it just right, like closing a chapter of the book and then restarting a different chapter altogether.

Needless to say, I can't wait for the next movie...which would be a long wait since it would be showing in July 2011.

On-Going TV Series

2010-07-15T20:06:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Bones
Category: US TV Series
Rating:

I first got to watch this show back when the C/S Channel on cable was still alive. It was a fresh show that blended in a good dose of comedy, drama and action during the time when heavy drama shows like CSI, Lost, Prison Break, etc. were the talk of the town.

Bones was a fresh show with an old concept of two unlikely people with different personalities partnered with each other to solve crimes by investigating the bones of the victims...kinda like CSI but was given more humor. Scientific explanations were simplified and explained in plain english throughout the show to help FBI Agent Seeley Booth understand the explanations of the "squints". Like I said, the show has a good dose of humor in it and there are times when explanations tend to be very funny.

All throughout the series, all the characters show glimpses of their personal lives being intertwined in the main storyline creating clashes of personalities. Each episode would really focus on the main story line but every so often, side stories will slip into cracks making the show seem more realistic. There's even a hint of romance between the two leads, which is very similar to the Mulder-Scully tandem of the X-Files.

Currently finished with the 5th season (something that I am currently watching), Bones has increased in popularity and is being watched by people of all ages. The show may not be number 1 in the ratings but it's following can guarantee that there are people who will want more in the main story-line of catching bad guys with use of the victims bones and of course follow what has been happening to the characters in their lives.

I was contemplating on only giving it 4 out of 5 because I'm predicting that if Bones and Booth end up together, the story and the ratings might drop. But then again, it might work out fine which I am hoping it will hence I've kept the 5 tumbling babies. Season 6 of Bones would start airing on September this year, so I really can't wait for the new season to start even if I have yet to finish watching season 5.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: White Collar
Category: US TV Series
Rating:

I know that this show has been running last year but it was only recently that I had been able to find a channel where the show is being aired. I was immediately hooked on the first episode.

I can't remember if they have ever done a concept where a criminal and an FBI agent were partnered together to solve crimes. I'm pretty sure that the concept isn't really that original but the combination of the storyline and the chemistry of the lead characters made it into something really amazing. It's about a con artist who after being arrested twice by the same FBI agent, struck a deal with him to be released under his custody and help them solve "white-collar" crimes. The con artist Neal Caffrey struck an unlikely partnership with Special Agent Peter Burke. While they solve crimes together, Burke has been tirelessly trying to push him to the right track.

I do love this series. It has a good does of comedy and light drama. Although, my younger brother mentioned that for him it was a bit dragging mainly because it wasn't really action packed that you won't really be seeing a lot of chase scenes with guns blazing. It's more of a thinking show where you try to figure out how a particular crime is made. But while thinking, the humor comes in between making it highly amusing.

The chemistry of the two main characters can clearly be seen. The clash of personalities, fashion styles and points of views being delivered with awesome lines and witty combacks.

The end of the first season was explosive...literally. So, it made me really hungry of what was about to come next. They left the 1st season wide open with possibilities.

The start of the second season (which started only two days ago), was highly amusing where we find our two heroes two months after the wake of what had happened to them during the first season.

And the start of the second season, I was pleased to see that they are showing more of the "research" Neal is doing for the FBI to capture the criminals.

I can't wait to get my hands on the second season. If the first season and the first episode of the second season were already great for me, I really hope that they would extend the series up to a third season and more.

Movie Review

2010-07-04T21:44:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Category: Movie
Rating:

Sorry to all Twilight Saga fans out there. But this isn't going to be a positive review of the movie.

I was honestly looking forward to this one since it was my favorite book in the series but unfortunately, it did an "Azkaban" on me. Like Azkaban which was my favorite Potter book, Eclipse failed to deliver what for me were the important aspects of the movie.

The movie felt like it was missing parts and a lot seems so hurried. There were some parts that were cramped up and put together in such a fashion that it really looked so hurried and not well thought of. The dialogue between Edward and Jacob which to me were the highlight of the book were missing. There were not real tension between the two characters. And the fight scene was too short for me. Again, the fight scenes were to me another highlight of the book but again, it was hurried.

All the important elements of the book which to me made it the best book in the series were missing in the movie. I was looking for so many things. More meaty conflicts between Edward and Jacob, the explanation of "imprinting", how Bella was able to visit the reservation even if Edward was against it, more elaborate back stories of both Jasper and Rosalie...the list goes on.

The only saving grace that garnered it two tumbling babies were mainly because the actors were good and believable, the scenery were still fantastic, the effects were awesome! They did a good job with the wolves...it makes me was to say "I want one of those for a pet!"

But all in all, I was disappointed. Or maybe it's because I was expecting too much? Either way, the last two movies should do a better job than what they did with this one.

A Friend of a Friend

2010-02-16T15:49:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: The Gospel According to John
Category: Website/Blogsite
Rating:

A friend of mine posted this website on her Multiply site and when I browsed through it, I found it really nice.

The Gospel According to John is not a website on religion but a website concerning technology. The site showcases reviews on new tech and also articles written by the blogger concerning techs.

The website is fairly new. As this afternoon, it only has 4 posts. But it's a promising website. It has a simple layout without all the fancy stuff like floating hearts or moving backgrounds. The layout used is one of the standard templates in blogspot that navigating isn't really hard to do. But what I like about his blogsite is the fact that he doesn't use a lot of technical terms that people who aren't really that "fluent" in tech language would understand (someone like me. :P) So reading his reviews on the Panasonic ZS3 and the Magic Mouse didn't put a question mark on my head wondering what it was really about.

I will look forward to his other articles and reviews.

Why is it only four tumbling babies instead of a real well deserved five? It only has 4 blog entries so it's fairly new. I hope that he continues to write in this blog then maybe if he makes it frequent enough, it will change from 4 to 5 tumbling babies.

Visit his website at http://techgospelaccordingtojohn.blogspot.com/ and see for yourself. :)

Finished TV Series

2010-02-10T13:58:00.004+08:00

It's actually a bit late but I only recently finished watching these two TV series. One is again being currently shown locally in the Philippines at Studio 23 everyday at 7pm and the other one isn't being shown locally at all but I got the DVD compilation of the series from my brother.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Kyle XY
Category: TV Series
Rating:

The concept of the series was more or less unique when they first started showing it. Although there were many series that were shown with more or less the same concept, Kyle XY lasted more than 2 seasons. A breakthrough more or less for the kind of concept they had shown.

Kyle is a genetic experiment whose powers come from his super brain. Not only is he faster than a computer but because of his powerful brain, he can do a lot of super human things like jumping off buildings without hurting himself in the process.

The first season introduces him to the world as a boy who has amnesia with the ability to absorb anything by just a snap of a finger. Through each episode he learns a particular ability that slowly unravel who he really is.

The second season starts off by returning to the family who took care of him when he had amnesia and was introduced with a female version of him named Jesse. They continue with finding out their potential and how much of their brain they can use. At the same time, they battle off the people who wants them to become super weapons in their quest for a normal life.

The final season is the continuation of their quest for a normal life at the same time trying their best to defeat the people who needs them for other purposes. But the series ended at a cliffhanger with Kyle finding out he has a brother who isn't super human.

The first two seasons were okay. The way the story progressed was well written and the actors did handle their characters nicely. I loved the way they introduce a new ability and how they try to put the element of family drama in it. The show didn't just focus on the two super humans (Kyle and Jesse) but also the rest of the characters who helps them out.

The third season on the other hand clearly shows how hurriedly they want to wrap up the whole series. They left a lot of questions even if they try to answer some of the previous seasons questions. And they left the series at a cliff hanger with people wondering, "Now what?"

It's sad though. I'm thinking that if they didn't cancel the show, they could have done a better ending than what they have showed.

So for this, three tumbling babies by ending the show so abruptly.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: BBC's Robin Hood
Category: TV Series
Rating:

I'm a huge fan of Robin Hood. I tried to watch all reincarnations of the legendary English Hero and this new Robin Hood nearly topped my list of favorite incarnations (the top being Men in Tights that although it was a comedy version of Prince of Thieves, I was highly entertained).

Of course, they kept the basic storyline: Robin of Locksley came back from the crusades after serving the king of England as a personal guard to his majesty. He finds that Nottingham was different from the Nottingham he had left it with finding a new Sheriff of Nottingham and his land being taken care of by a man named Guy of Gisborne. After publicly accusing the sheriff of corruption, he was outlawed along with some of his people from Locksley. Since then, he began his quest to stop the corruption by stealing from rich and giving it back to the poor.

The first season introduces Robin and how he became an outlaw. In the beginning, we see that Robin shoots to just incapacitate his opponent but never to kill because of his experience in the crusades. This is also where his band of outlaws were formed.

The second season continues with their outlaw-ish ways. This is also the season where Robin begins to kill of his opponent rather than incapacitate but we find that when it comes to Sheriff Vesey, he couldn't kill him due to an agreement with Prince John that if the Sheriff dies, the whole of Nottingham will be destroyed. This is also the season where Robin and Marian's love story blossomed...only to put into an abrupt end when Marian died while protecting the King although they got married before Marian finally dies.

The third season finds a more reckless Robin who after a month still mourns the death of his wife. This season also introduces Brother Tuck as not the chubby friar who drinks a lot but a black man of the cloth who fights like a soldier. New characters where introduced like Guy of Gisborne's sister and Robin and Guy's half-brother Archer. This season ended with a huge explosion and half of the main cast dying, including the hero Robin Hood who was reunited with his beloved wife Marian.

The series has a good mix of action, romance, drama and comedy. The scenery and the settings were very well chosen that it gave you that good feel of jolly old England. The characters have good chemistry from the heroes to the villains and how they portray their characters were believable that you wouldn't believe that they were good friends off cam.

The third season wasn't as good for me as the first two, I guess it was mainly because the Robin-Marian tandem wasn't there anymore and Robin became a sort-of playboy having two women in love with him with him still in love with his wife but still comes of with having a relationship with both women (not at the same time of course).

I do regret that they canceled the series. At the beginning of the second season it was announced that the actors who were playing Robin and the Sheriff wouldn't renew for a fourth season. They only stayed until the third. At first, they were looking for a replacement of Robin Hood but eventually, just canceled the show altogether since Robin Hood is dead anyway. It have been nice to see what they would have done if they had replaced Robin Hood like the first Robinhood TV series "Robin of Sherwood" where a second Robin was introduced when the first one died in the series.

I guess the explosive last episode closes everything up but leaves the question of what will happen to England now that Robin is dead and Prince John still out there wanting to steal his brother's throne. But unlike Kyle XY, Robin Hood tied everything together before they burned everything to the ground.

So, four tumbling babies for me instead of five because of the love square angle between Robin, the two women who's in love with him and the memory of his dead wife.

Bohemian Rhapsody

2010-01-08T17:53:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Bohemian Rhapsody (Muppets Version)
Category: Music Video
Rating:

This is one song of Queen that I really love to listen to. It's highly entertaining, has a mix of mild rock, pop rock, rock and classical that was combined to make an awesome piece.

The rendition made by The Muppets, made it more amusing that it already was.

They have placed I think almost all the characters of Muppets and recreated the original music video of the song but made it "The Muppets" way. It was highly amusing and very hilarious. While I was watching it, I couldn't stop laughing.

My favorite part of the whole thing was Animal's part where all he said was "Mama...". It was really funny.

All in all, 5 tumbling babies for this one. I was greatly amused and until now, weeks after I've seen the video I still couldn't get it out of my head and I couldn't help but giggle every once in a while whenever I remember some of the parts...especially Animal's.

The IMAX Experience

2009-12-19T21:45:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Avatar Movie
Category: Movie
Rating:

Let's just say that this movie wasn't at all as I have expected it to be. I went in thinking that it would just be another so-so movie that was so hyped up but in the end, the hype wasn't worth it. I stand corrected.

The movie was well worth the money that I had spent on it. With power house CG Animation Companies like WETA and ILM taking charge, it was a wonder that nothing could go wrong in this movie when it comes to CG Animation.

The movie in itself was a typical story of power hungry humans wanting to exploit a world that isn't theirs to begin with.

Earth has discovered another planet rich with a particular mineral that a small piece of that mineral would costs thousands of dollars. In the guise of wanting to learn the culture of the natives of the planet, they put in place a special research team controlling special bodies called Avatars - a shell of a body with DNA of the particular human who would be controlling them and a DNA of the natives. Only people with the same DNA could control 1 particular Avatar. Enter Jake Sully, a crippled ex-marine whose twin brother was part of the research team but unfortunately died. He replaced his twin as a guard to the research team whenever they want to get samples of the world. As an added assignment to Sully, he was told to try to get the natives to trust him and gather as much information from them so that when they start to drive them away from their home, there wouldn't be that much of a problem.

Stage one of the assignment was easy enough to do. He was reluctantly welcomed by the natives after an accident that caused his avatar to get separated from the research team and started to learn their ways. But the more he stayed with them and continued learning, the more he understood their world, their customs and culture.

When stage two of their plan was about to begin, he was caught in the middle, not knowing which side he should be. When he finally chose, battle ensued with him helping the natives claim their planet back and drive away the humans back to their own dying planet.

In the end, he decided to remain forever in his Avatar body and become permanently part of the natives.

Like I said, the story isn't really new. But how they brought about the story into the big screen was no easy feat.

The characters have really great chemistry. You can see how they interact with each other and you see how very natural it is.

Since the setting was mostly in CG, my hats off to both WETA and ILM for doing a good job. The location while some parts are very real (I remember reading that it's somewhere in New Zealand), how they blended CG and the real thing was flawless that you won't see where the transition starts and ends. The place looks so real to me and the colors are so alive and vibrant that you would think that the animals, plants and even the natives are very real.

The same thing with the characters. The CG characters of the natives and the humans interact in such a way that you would think that the CG character was really there and just an orange ball or a puppet. It's seamless and very real. The CG of the characters were made great that their actions weren't clumsy, repetitive, and stiff. Their movement was fluid similar to how human beings move.

All in all, despite the very typical storyline, the movie was really amazing. Plus the fact that I watched it in IMAX made the experience seem real to me. Kudos for making it into a 3D movie. Five tumbling babies for this movie.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: IMAX Theater Mall of Asia
Category: Place
Rating:

I had my reservations with spending P400 on the movie where I would be watching behind colored glasses. I was happy enough that my IMAX experience was well worth the price.

The seats were comfortable. The back rest is not stiff...it moves to a comfortable position. The arm rest are also movable. You can pull it up if you don't want any hindrance, especially useful when you want to talk to your friend sitting beside you.

The setting of the cinema is a bit curved so wherever you sat, you'll have the full effect of the movie.

The 3D animation of the movie is really fantastic! I love how the image jumps out in front of you. It looks so real that more than one occasion, I half-lifted my arm to block an non-existent branch or reached out to touch a floating creature.

The sound system is also great! Good combination of bass, voice and sound effects. Spoken words weren't drowned out by the sounds and the background music has the right amount of bass and treble that one doesn't drown the other.

All in all a good place to watch a movie especially for movies that needs those 3D effects to make the movie experience perfect, like when I watched Avatar last night.

My only problem with it that's why it only has four tumbling babies if the fact that since it was so real, nausea was real as well. I'm someone who has motion sickness so, I got a bit dizzy with some parts especially when they were flying around and when they were looking down...I had the feeling of vertigo. So, for people who has the same problem as I am, I suggest you buy yourselves motion sickness meds and drink it before you go watch an IMAX film.

2012

2009-11-14T22:06:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: 2012
Category: Movie
Rating:

This was one heart-stopping, suspense-filled movie. For a movie where ILM has nothing to do, it was one of those better movies that came out this year.

I would compare this movie with the bible story of the Noah's Ark. For those not familiar, God told a man named Noah to build a huge ark and put in it pairs of every type of animals God created. It rained for forty days and forty nights. Until finally, the rain stopped, the water subsided and they created a new life afterwards.

Movie wise, in the year 2009 a scientist found an irregularity with the sun that affected the earth's core. They predicted that by 2012, the world would feel the whole impact. From 2009 - 2012, preparations for that impact went underway in Tibet. But calculations went wrong and D-day was earlier than expected. A scramble to get everyone (who paid for a ticket) and everything in the specially made arks began while others tried to say good bye to the people who will be left behind. The movie revolves mostly around the preparation and when it finally happened. In the end, 3 arks were made instead of 7, there was a massive shift in the globe, and Africa will be the start of the new world.

The movie was well made. The story line, was really well thought of and the development of the story was really good. The different characters were played really well and you would feel for them with every scene. The CG was really good. Like I said, for something not made by ILM, it was really well made. A whole city submerging looked so real that it's freaky. And the plane scene was really both nerve racking and heart stopping. I was holding my breath the whole time the small plane was fying over, under and around buildings and bridges that were slowly tumbling, crumbling and sinking down the sea. The big plane scene made me hold my breath even harder. It was really scary.

All in all, the movie was really good. It would really make people think if this is really true or not. I really recommend people to watch this movie. I got my money's worth. I hope you do too.

Grim and Mandy Spin Off

2009-10-31T23:48:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Grim Tales From Down Under
Category: Web Comics
Rating:

Read the rest of the comics at Snafu-Comics

I love Bleedman comics. It's one of the websites I used to go to if I wanted to do a bit of light reading. His stories are really great. The stories are original but he uses characters from both Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon (and I think a bit of Disney as well).

I took a fancy with two particular stories he has: Grim Tales from Down Under and the Power Puff Girls. While I'm still waiting for PPF to end, I recently noticed that Grim adventures was done.

It takes after the cartoon series "The Grimm adventures of Billy and Mandy". It shows a very grown up Mandy married to the Grim Reaper and they have two kids, Grim Jr. and Mini Mandy. It actually focuses more on the story of their kids. The dynamics of their relationship and the relationships they have with every other demon and creatures in the underworld.

The art was really done well. The colors are just right and the whole picture is really nice. The different scene changes from the underworld, to the different parts of hell, to Holloween Town and some past scenes when Mandy was a child have such great differences that you won't be mistaking one from the other.

The combination of the characters were done really well as well. Joining characters like Spawn, Grim and Mandy, Jack and other characters from NBC just to name a few, got a great mix of fun and grim on a spooky side. The characters were represented very well with their characteristics and qualities never lost as the story progresses.

The hero and heroine (Grim Jr. and Mini Mandy) were created in the image of their parents but with personalities that is so strange and different but at the same time worked very well in the story.

The storyline was really well written. It had a good mix of action, comedy and drama that is so difficult to put into in whatever genre you want. But here it worked really well. It leaves the readers craving for more.

I was planning to give it five stars but my craving for this story wasn't really satiated with the ending. It was open ended which leaves me to wonder what would happened to the siblings after the whole ordeal.

I hope he finishes PPF soon as well but I do hope that it would have a better ending.

Yogurt Place

2009-09-26T15:02:00.005+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Tutti Frutti Yogurt Shop
Category: Food/Dessert
Rating:

My friend Paul recommended this place to me when we met last week in Mega Mall. We were looking for a place to eat ice cream so he recommended something cold and healthy at the same time.

Located at the 3rd floor of the Atrium, Tutti Frutti is one of the many yogurt shops that have been springing out of the country to entice people to "eat healthy".

Tutti Frutti has a different concept from what I was used to in any dessert shop that I came across. The shop was self service. It's up to you how much yogurt you'll put in your cup and how much toppings you would be putting in as well. They charge by the ounce (PHP19/oz). It might look cheap but it's really not. Just be careful how much yogurt you'll put because the yogurt feels heavy. You might end up paying more than PHP100 with your order.

There are different flavors of yogurt to choose from and the taste of the yogurt isn't as sour as any type of yogurt out there. It actually taste like ice cream. The variety of the toppings is also a lot that you have many different combination to create to make your yogurt unique.

The location is okay. Though, the shop isn't as big since I think the main point of the place is to create your yogurt, pay the bill and enjoy roaming around the mall while eating. The chairs are comfortable and spacious if you intend to stay and they also serve you water when you're done eating.

The yogurt machine has two options of yogurt to choose from and you can also combine those two combination. They say that they change those combination often but I'm not really sure when exactly they're changing the flavors.

When we went there, the plain yogurt and the chocolate flavored one was the one people really buy. I personally got the combination of chocolate and peach, which turned out okay. A good combination of sweet and fruity sour.

The shop is more or less a new idea when it comes to ice cream shops. But the concept isn't new in a sense that the idea of a self service where you choose what to get and just weigh it on your way out is a concept created by Candy Corner before.

The shop had a nice ambiance. And since it was a more or less new concept, people come and go wanting to know what it's all about.

It's definitely cheaper than a place like Haagen Das and like a coffee shop you can stay and use your laptop. It's ideal for chatting and catching up like what we did last week.

It's four tumbling babies for me because I did enjoy the yogurt and I also enjoyed the place. I just think that it's not as cheap as what the shop would make you believe. But I guess it's worth the money.

Internet Connection

2009-09-10T21:46:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: PLDT MyDSL
Category: Internet Connection
Rating:

I never really had a problem with PLDT before. The problem started when we had our DSL upgraded from the Plan 999 to the Plan 1995.

I guess I never noticed since most of the time, I use the internet to just read my emails and write on my blogs. Maybe it was because I thought that the speed that I had been experiencing with the plan 999 was the right speed for the internet connection that we subscribed to. Little did I know that we were getting the short end of the stick for a time now.

When we upgraded to Plan 1995, we've realized that the connection was pretty slow. Slower actually that what we have been used to with the 999. When we asked PLDT, they gave us a couple of reasons. One of them even came into the house and checked our lines. After that check-up, we have the speed that we paid for...then, it reverted back to being slow.

Then, they said the problem was in Singapore because of the typhoon and all. They said that it affected their systems there.

But weeks after they claimed that it was fixed, our connection is still slow as before.

Like I said, we never had a problem with PLDT. They use to always solve the problems with our phone lines and internet connection and they usually get the job done. I'm a little saddened and annoyed that they have failed us.

The worst part in all this is the fact that they billed us for the use of the internet connection. We incurred two internet bills. The one with the Plan 999 and the Plan 1995. We still need to pay the 999 because it "crossed-over" the cut-off. So, we have a slow internet connection but we need to pay two different internet bills for the duration of us not being able to use the internet properly.

So, to summarize. PLDT myDSL is a very slow broadband connection that has so many problems and they still bill you for a usage that technically doesn't exist.

So, I suggest that if you are going to be shopping around for a broadband connection, look the other way when you pass by PLDT. It's not worth the hassle of falling in line and waiting for hours to get an application to a connection that would be good at the start but would eventually deteriorate when you least expect it.

Overseas Commercial

2009-08-31T17:35:00.004+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Pantene Commercial from Thailand
Category: TV Commercial
Rating:

I found this from a friend of mine via Plurk. From all the Pantene commercials that I have seen so far, this is by far the best I have ever seen.

It's about a deaf girl who was learning how to play the violin and was being treated badly by a classmate who was really good in the piano. The deaf girl found her had a mentor who plays violin in the streets where she learns that music can be seen if you close your eyes.

She practiced hard, and even when the there were people who had gotten in her way, she did her best. Come contest night, she delivered her piece with such enthusiasm that she won a standing ovation. The screen blacked out with the logo of Pantene and the slogan "You can shine".

It was nicely done. Story based commercial that actually touches your heart. The best part of this is the fact that they had a very subtle way of featuring the hair and how nice the hair is if you use said product, unlike the commercials that are being shown currently that doesn't make sense at all.

Yo Joe!

2009-08-20T22:49:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra
Category: Movie
Rating:

I have been wanting to make a review of this since I watched it on the first day it was shown but work keeps getting in the way.

Contrary to what my friend Becca said about the movie, I this reincarnation very much.

It has a good balance of drama, action and comedy. There was actually a plot and good story line that is very typical of any GI Joe series and animated movies that I had watched when I was a kid.

The story was simple enough that they really did a good job in broadening it without making dull moments. The story revolves around a different type of weapon that the US has purchased from a foreign arms dealer. The weapon needed to be protected from possible terrorists who wanted the technology. Call in the special forces to keep the weapon safe but even with all possible precautions, the bad guys still succeeded in getting said weapon. Then they would aim the weapon to popular areas that would devastate a country. The good guys come to the rescue. Simple plot made a bit complicated with side and back stories that would explain a particular character in the movie.

It was really action packed. It was filled with a lot of fight scenes and state-of-the-art weaponry that is so similar to the animated series.

They also have a very nice way of putting in the side stories and back stories of each of the characters. It didn't hinder the progress of the whole movie rather, it helped you understand why a certain situation is like that. I love the back story of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Though, I can't really recall in the comic book or in the series that they are the arch enemies, it gives you a better understand of the reason why Snake Eyes has never spoken.

The love angle is okay. I have seen it in the TV series, so I get the point why they have to include it in the movie as well. Though the angle of Duke and the Baroness surprised me since in the series, Duke's girlfriend was Scarlett. But the angle was well written without being too mushy that would not fit in an action film.

The characters played their parts well. Though, Channing Tatum as Duke didn't really seem right for me. Of course, Ray Park did an excellent Snake Eyes...he really fit the part very well. Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow was also good. Though I was shocked that they didn't get a Japanese actor to play the part..but then again, Hollywood keeps getting Korean actors to play Japanese characters (Like Rain in Speed Racer).

For a film where ILM was never involved in the CG, it was quite good. I don't really have a bad comment on the effects.

All in all a good movie. The reason for a 4 out of 5 tumbling babies is because of the Duke character and they did not show Zartan much. It would have been nice to have added Zartan's famous line "Ah! The light! It turns me green!"

But like I said, all in all it was a good movie.

The 6th Movie

2009-07-24T23:40:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Category: Movie
Rating:

True to the news in the paper that I had read before I watched the movie, they've put an invisibility cloak on about 70% of the Half-Blood Prince movie. They have the basic plot, but how they went about the movie was different from the book.

It was actually a good thing, I've read that article before I've watched the movie because on the day that I had watched it, I had prepared myself to think that I was watching just another regular fantasy fiction movie and not a movie based on the book. While it worked for some parts, of course, I couldn't really escape from comparing. But since I was prepared to face the wrath of the director, the movie to me was more or less okay. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't amazingly great either.

I couldn't help but search for some scenes that I thought was important in the book, like I was hoping they show more scenes of the pensieve and not just two memories. It would have been great to show the real origins of Voldemort, which would have answered the question why he was Slytherin's heir. And I was hoping that I would see Ralf Fiennes with a nose in those memories. The guy who played the teenage Tom Riddle looked gay. I was also looking for fight scenes near the end of the story when Dumbledore was killed. It would have been a terrific battle scene.

Dumbledore's death was also anti-climatic. The build up was there. Everyone must have been anticipating how he would die, only to watch him fall of the tower in slow motion...though I was a bit touched when they all raised their wants to clear off the Skull in the sky. But it left me wondering and asking, "that's it?"

Though, there were good points. I loved how Tom Felton acted as Draco Malfoy. You could see the emotions in his eyes. The look of fear and the torment of failing his task was clearly scene every time he was shown on screen. Emma Watson as Hermione was also great. Her eyes clearly showed confusion, amusement and embarrassment all at the same time whenever she looks at Rupert Grint.

I would have loved to see who was supposed to play Bill and Charlie. They were suppose to be there in the 6th book but they were never shown in the movie, as well as the girl who played Fleur.

But watching it from the point of view of just another random fantasy fiction movie, it was alright. The scenes, though were a bit confusing at times, were usually amusing and entertaining. You could feel how the actors portray their characters very well. The scenery was very nice. It was very picturesque.

All in all, it was an okay movie. Like I said, it wasn't awful but it wasn't great either. It wasn't as dark as I would have hoped but just right for a PG 13 movie.

To Get Her

2009-07-17T07:43:00.004+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: To Get Her (Super Star Express)/爱就宅一起
Category: Taiwan Idol Drama
Rating:

I was lucky enough to find a copy of this in the net and get to watch it. This is one of those drama series (or as we Filipinos call it "Asianovelas") that I really liked.

It's about an artist fallen from grace. And it's a story of how he struggled to get back to the top. Along the way, he had experience life and love. In the end, he got both.

The story was well written and the dialogue was well made (okay...I don't really speak Mandarin so I rely on the fan subbing which was done pretty well). The characters have developed pretty well and there is no lull in the story that after one episode, you will be craving for more.

The actors who played the parts were really good. Jiro Wang (Wang Dong Cheng) who plays Mars/Zhuang Jun Nan really played the part well. When he pretended to still be famous, you would feel irritated towards his character because he was so obnoxious. When he finally came to terms that he wasn't famous anymore, you can see his "true character" making you like him as the series progress. His acting is really good and you can see the emotion in his eyes. His only flaw, he can't cry. He needs to develop that more.

Rainie Yang (Yang Cheng Lin) played Chen Mo Mo. Personally, I have been watching dramas that starred her and this was the only series where I really liked her character. She played the role well. Her character was quiet that people don't really notice her much but when they do, she would either be bullied or she would say something really smart that would left you dumbfounded. She developed her character really well and unlike Jiro, she has no problem crying on cue.

George Hu (Hu Yu Wei) who played Wei Jia Sen was also remarkable. He plays a guy who as they describe it in the series "hasn't matured since he was 10". He mentioned that he really had to research his character so that he can do the part well. You feel for him at some parts of the series because of his disability. But man, the guy could swim!

Usually, Taiwan idol dramas would adapt stories based on Mangas. But if To Get Her is a unique story, they did a great job writing it...getting the actors together and creating a very good series.

It's only flaw to me that's why it's only 4 tumbling babies is the fact that Jiro and Rainie don't really have chemistry. Alone, they were pretty good playing their characters but together, especially in parts where the light romance was suppose to be, I didn't really feel it.

All in all, a good series recommended for people who really like to watch Asianovelas. For people, who don't you might like it since it's different from the usual Filipino dramas that isn't complete without someone crying all the time or was suppose to be dead only to find out that he/she has resurrected. It has the light drama, comedy, romance with the tinge of real life aspect.

Transformers 2

2009-07-07T06:55:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen
Category: Movie
Rating:

(Spoiler Alert)

Honestly, it was disappointing. The whole storyline was confusing and the new robots and characters were annoying.

The story takes place, I think a year after the first movie. The Autobots together with the US military have been hunting down what's left of the Deceptecons in the planet and killing them off one at a time. On the other hand, Sam is off to college.

Things start getting crazy when the piece of the cube zapped Sam, causing him to see things in his mind. A new person in the military is giving orders and is mad at the Autobots for destroying Shanghai. And Optimus Prime is killed by Megatron while saving Sam from being taken.

They killed Optimus Prime by stabbing him. To resurrect him, he has to be stabbed again by a funky looking object that's supposed to be the Matrix of leadership that isn't even something a leader passes on to his successor but a key to a machine that destroys suns to gain energon. While this is all within the line of the original Transformers series (the introduction to the Matrix of leadership that is), the way they executed the whole movie made it look like it doesn't have any directions whatsoever. In the end, the Matrix that turned into dust when they found it, magically reconstructed itself, gave Optimus his life back but barely since the transfer I think was not complete when Fallen forcefully yanked the Matrix out of him and renewed the partnership between man and bot. Like I said, confusing.

The characters, especially the new ones were really annoying. I don't know the reason why they were there in the first place. Megan Fox, who was already a forgettable character in the first movie was still forgettable here. I'm guessing that the only reason she's tehre is to keep the male population interested in watching...though I don't really see the point since the movie is mainly about huge alien robots destroying each other (perfect recipe for the usual adrenalin pumping movie guys would love). and what's with the room mate? I'm so annoyed with him that I don't really want to check IMDB to know who he is. All throughout the movie, I was wishing they'd kill him off...but then thought better of it since if they kill him, he'd just become a hero...an annoying hero but a hero nonetheless. The same goes with the new twin robots who were I think a mixed breed of Mexican and Chinese from the way they speak. They fight each other more than fighting agains Deceptecons and they were most likely to be killed off rather than the Arcee (the motorcycles) but sigh again...they lived.

And then there was Devastator. Honestly, he was the main reason I wanted to watch this movie. I want to know how he will kick ass against the Autobots. In the animated series, when the Constructacons becomes Devastator, they are unmatched by the Autobots except when the Dinobots are there or the big robot that the Airialbots becomes (I forgot his name). But in this movie, they were thwarth by none other than the annoying twin robots. Sigh...so much for Devastator...I was devastated in the end.

And during the movie, I was so confused who were the Autobots and who were the Deceptecons because they all look the same to me save for Optimus and Bumblebee. They should have either made their logos visible or they have a different design for the two factions.

It's only saving grace that garnered it with two tumbling babies is the fight scenes. It was heart-stopping and action packed that it made the confusion of the whole story line somewhat bearable.

But all in all, a disappointing movie. It may be because I had high expectation since it is after all Transformers. They should either stop making Transformers or try to make a new one that would make you forget this one.

A Walkable City??? I think not...

2009-06-07T21:42:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Bonifacio High Street
Category: Pedestrian Friendly
Rating:

This is actually a shock to me. I had always thought that Global City is doing its best to make a city that's not only environment friendly but a city that "walkable" as well. I guess I was wrong.

I had worked in the Fort area when I was working for Mobius and I was walking around the city most of the time to go from one place to another. It's actually a shock to me to find out that it's not really walkable friendly. When I was working there, I really didn't pay attention to the lack of sidewalks mostly because when I was working there, the place is being developed. I thought before that it was going to be a good city since they were incorporating parks, making the place a greener city compared to the busy Makati business sector that's all gray and few green. And I thought, with parks means that it would be a place where people would go for walks and just stop and smell the flowers. A place where people would enjoy nature. Well, I guess I was wrong.

Based on the youtube video shown above, the place is being developed into another Makati with more gray than green once more. It's sad to think that it's going to become a place where there are parks to walk your pets but you won't really be able to do so because the place will not be good for walking. No sidewalks, people who are disabled wouldn't really be taken care of.

This experiment has opened my eyes that the ramps for the disabled being created in malls and public places are just there to make people think that the place is "disabled-friendly" when in reality it won't really help a disabled person...well it might but the disabled wouldn't really be taken care of properly.

I just hope that Global City is still in its development stage that it would be easier to fix this mistake. Bonifacio High Street would really be a nice place for the elderly and families to relax and have fun at the same time.

The Crisis Credit

2009-05-22T10:41:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: The Crisis Of Credit by Jonathan Jarvis
Category: Small Lecture
Rating:

This is a very informative animated lecture explaining the current financial crisis that we are experiencing right now. It answers the question why the US is suffering the most out of it.

The short animation itself is very informative. Though the animation is really very simplistic, almost like a stick figures being moved per frame, it explains very well what has happened that resulted to this crisis.

It's only three tumbling babies because they could have continued on explaining further but they stopped after they have explained about the mortgages. But still it's a very informative video that explained why we are having this kind of problem right now.

There's a lesson to be learned here. So let's all open our eyes to the reality.

The Two Davids

2009-05-15T13:00:00.003+08:00

For the past few months, I have been listening to both the album of David Archuleta and David Cook. And for the past few months that I have been listening to them, I kept telling myself to make a review of them. I keep giving myself an excuse to not write about them yet but they will be having their concert here tomorrow so I told myself that I have to bust my butt to write about their albums before they sing live so that I will have a new review on both of them about their live performance. So, here they are:

Name of Topic Being Reviewed:David Archuleta (Album)
Category: Music
Rating:

I love this boy. When he was singing in American Idol, I knew that he had potential. Good thing everybody else thought so too.

The album mostly caters to tweens, teens and adults who thinks their still teens. Most of the songs are about a lot of first: first love, first heart break, first crush..etc. What I love about the songs is the fact that the songs are not mushy. The lyrics are well written and if you understand the words carefully, people could relate to the song in different levels.

For the songs:

CRUSH - this is the first song I've heard after he won AI. It's a nice song. It's very right for his age group and the music with the lyrics are just right. Kinda wants you to go back to the memory of your first crush.

TOUCH MY HAND - again, nice lyrics. It's a nice view of how he sees the crowd while he performs. The music to me is just okay but it's good to listen nonetheless.

BARRIERS - one of his break-up songs. Good lyrics and the music is perfect. It's not really too sad and it's not happy either. It's the realization that they are trying but it's just not working.

MY HANDS - another break up song, the time after they gone their separate ways. Trying to hold on to what they had and having a hard time moving on. Good lyrics and music. You can feel his confusion while he's singing.

A LITTLE TOO NOT OVER YOU - one of my favorite Archie songs. Another break up song. Trying to move on but can't. The music and lyrics are very good.

YOU CAN - this song, is only okay for me. The lyrics is nice but the music is a bit dragging to me. But Archie still made it worth listening to me by how he delivered the song.

RUNNING - an not so upbeat song that is nice to listen to. The lyrics is not that good for me but the music is okay.

DESPERATE - this is my new "SIMON"(sung by Lifehouse). I love the lyrics of the song and the music is just right. Not so upbeat but has a quality of a thriller.

TO BE WITH YOU - the song is just okay for me. But the blending with his partner here is really nice.

ANGELS - I love this song. It was originally sung by Robbie Williams in his album "The Ego has Landed" and it's was my favorite song in the album. I am very protective of this song in a sense that I do not want other singers to sing it except for Robbie. I wanted to hunt down Jessica Simpson and kill her because she murdered this song. But when I first heard Archie singing it in the competition, I smiled and said, "he did the song justice". I love his version so much and it really suits him.

WAITING FOR YESTERDAY - a chance song. The music is cute and kinda upbeat and the lyrics is very nice too. You kinda want to give him a chance when he sings this to you.

FALLING - the music and lyrics are good together. Though it's not one of my favorites, to me it's worth listening because he delivered it well.

LET ME GO - one of his upbeat songs. The music is nice and the lyrics well written. Makes you want to bob your head when you listen to it.

SOMEBODY OUT THERE - good lyrics and nice music. It makes you want to search for him to give him a hug.

I don't have "Don't let go" and "Eyes don't lie". I haven't really listened to them yet so their not here. All in all, it's 4 tumbling babies for making me smile every now and then whenever I listen to this album.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: David Cook (Album)
Category: Music
Rating:

His genre is pop rock. Heavy on the guitar without the screaming and screeching. I love the way he sings that you can understand every word and his voice is really strong. I love his way of belching out when it comes to the high notes.

His album caters to a more mature audience. His type of songs varies from love professions to break ups and also life in general in the eyes of a young adult.

For the songs:

DECLARATION - nice music and lyrics. Balanced vocals and instruments. The meaning of the song is also good.

HEROES - when I first saw the title, I thought this was the duet between him and Archie. When I found out that it wasn't I was a little disappointed. But listening to it, I found out that it was nice. The combination of the music and the lyrics was just right.

LIGHT ON - a slow rock song. The music was dragging at the beginning but it picked up as the song progressed.

COME BACK TO ME - not one of my favorite songs in this album but it gives a feel good when you follow the beat of the music. I haven't really paid attention to the lyrics but from the gist of it, it sounds like he's begging for the girl to come back...a contrast between the music and lyrics that slightly worked.

LIFE ON THE MOON - this is a sad song but the music was great that feel the pain that he was feeling. Good lyrics and the combination of the music and his delivery was fantastic.

BAR BA SOL - this song reminds me of me and my friends singing in karaoke as a group while drunk. Again, I wasn't really paying attention to the lyrics of the song but the music really gives you a mood that you're with a group of friends just hanging out and letting loose.

MR. SENSITIVE - a nice song. I love both the combination of the music, lyrics and his delivery of the song.

LIE - this is my favorite song in the album. The music and lyrics are spot on and how he delivered the song, you really could feel the pain and the hope that what he fears won't happen but he also knows that inevitable. It reminds of the days when I was in a relationship.

I DID IT FOR YOU - good combination of music and lyrics.

AVALANCHE - another superb performance and the combination of the music and the lyrics makes a perfect song.

PERMANENT - here you can also feel him while he's singing this song. You can feel the pain as he sings this. Good combination of the music and the lyrics.

TIME OF MY LIFE - the first time I heard him sing this song, it's was when he won the title of AI. I love the combination of the music and the lyrics. It's a happy song that was delivered in a mellow tone. It's like he knew he won but was being modest about it.

BREATHE TONIGHT - I love the upbeat part of this song. It makes you feel that you want to head bang. Good combination of lyrics and music.

So, that's about it. I hope that I would be able to pay close attention to the concert so that I can make a good review on them.

Fansubbing Websites

2009-04-19T22:19:00.002+08:00

A few friends of mine have noticed that I have been addicted to Asian Dramas particularly Taiwanese and Japanese Idol Dramas. Recently, TV stations such as ABS-CBN and GMA 7 have been showing these programs in their respective channels and is dubbed in Tagalog. Their subbing has been improved somewhat though I still have a problem that the voices do not fit the actors playing the role and there are a lot of the times that the translations are wrong and the dubbing isn't perfect. What really annoys me in these TV stations are the fact that the only show about 15 minutes of the real episode and the commercials are really longer than the actual program itself.

So, to satisfy my Asian drama cravings I have no choice but to resort to buying pirated DVD in stalls that sells them of look for the site of the fan subbing team who subs the shows that I want to watch. I know a few of them, but there are 3 fan subbing sites that I go to the most.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Doremii Fansubs
Category: Fansubbing Website
Rating:

This is the Fansubbing site that I love to go to the most. I love their choices of dramas to sub and their translations are really good. They have small explanations for some of the terms that are used in the shows that they sub. Their website is easy to go to and the way they organize their projects are done well that you wouldn't get lost while browsing through them. And even with the pictures, their site loads easily.

Downloading them is also easy. You have a choice between torrent or megaupload. And their format is in AVI so it's compatible with our DVD player that all I need to do is copy into a CD-R or DVD-R. The quality of the video is really good and the subbing is easy to read.

Although, I understand the reason why they aren't that fast in finishing a project or episode, it leaves the people who patiently waits for updates of their favorite dramas craving. For each episode that they have, they tell you at what stage they are in the subbing and how much they are done in percentage. But the quality of their work is really well done that I don't mind the long wait.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Intangible Fansub
Category: Fansubbing Website
Rating:

This is another fansub website that I go to often. Though, I only have a couple of series that I would like to download and watch.

Like Doremii, their translations is well done and they have those small explanations for stuff that needs to be explained. But their website is a bit slow to load and the font is small and the color is not really clear. You can load the series by torrent, megaupload or mediafire. But unlike Doremii, you also have option to upload the raw file of the series that you like to watch (personally, I do not see the point in doing this but I guess this is for those people who speaks the language of the drama being subbed).

Like most subbing teams that prefers quality over quantity, they don't hurry to finish a project, making a lot of people wait patiently for them to finish and episode or a drama series.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: SUBlimes Fansubs
Category: Fansubbing Website
Rating:

I only got one series from here and the translation and timing is spot on.

The website is a little confusing. I do have trouble finding what I am looking for there but once I do, it easy to look through it. The site is fast to load and you can see the progress of their subbing by how many percent the particular episode is done.

You can upload their series via torrent, mediafire or megaupload.

Brothers and Sisters

2009-04-02T13:14:00.001+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Brothers and Sisters
Category: TV Show
Rating:

I had always had a fascination for family dramas. I had been an avid fan of Seventh Heaven until the plotline has become so skewed that the story became really weird for me. So, I never really get to watch the last season of Seventh Heaven.

But when I thought that after 7th Heaven, it was the end of good family oriented drama, ABC released Brothers and Sisters.

Brothers and Sisters takes us to see the lives of the Walkers after William Walker, their head of the family, died of a heart attack. The real story starts there. Revelations of their father's extra-marital affairs, problems with their family business, difference in political opinions and issues about homosexuality and drug addiction were being tackled in the series with the main theme of "though we have different problems, we can get through this as a family".

What I like about the series is that there is the element of reality to it. One can relate with a particular character or several characters in the series. But since this is a TV program, it does look like all the problems in the world landed on them just to show the different struggles of a typical American Family x10.

They have the element of both drama and comedy as any family would have. And the closeness shared by the Walker siblings seemed real enough showing of course the typical arguments any siblings could have and how they resolve it.

The show is currently on it's third season. I have actually yet to watch the third season but I heard that it's promising. To me, Brothers and Sisters is a must watch Family Drama for anyone who loves to see dynamics of sibling relationships.

Filipino Commercials

2009-03-18T09:45:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Fita Commercial
Category: Commercial
Rating:

The idea for this commercial have been done so many times already but it still came off as funny and fresh.

A typical courtship where the guy waits for the girl's answer of whether she would become his girlfriend or not. When the girl finally says "oo" (holding out two Fita biscuits in front of the guy for two "O's" to mean "oo" - tagalog word for "yes"), the guy was oblivious. And the girl's facial expression afterwards was a classic...you don't know if she wanted to smack the guy or what.

It was funny. I would have given it five tumbling babies if the idea was an original one but like I said, the concept has been done several times already. But I'll give them credit for the hilarity of the situation. The setting was wonderful and the timing was great.

2009-03-18T09:31:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Motilium Commercial: Kapeng Baracks
Category: Commercial
Rating:

I know it's a bit late to review on this but I have been doing a lot of stuff lately that I am trying to catch up on all the reviews that I wanted to do.

Anyway, this is one of the most amusing commercials that I have seen. The timing was just right when they released this a little after Barrack Obama won the Presidency in the US.

The commercial was short but it was really good. It shows the different elements of the typical Filipino hospitality. It shows in a funny way how we Filipinos take care of our guest. It's funny but very true.

It also shows another typical Filipino trait of eating various kinds of food that don't really compliment each other but we still have the stomach to eat it and not get sick...foreigners on the other hand are a different story.

The actors that they got for the parts do resemble both presidents so they did a good job pulling off the spoof.

There are very rare commercials these days that amuses me, it's good to know that there are still creative Pinoys out there that could whip up something good and original on TV.

Bella's Lullaby

2009-01-19T10:20:00.004+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Bella's Lullaby
Category: Music
Rating:

Bellas Lullaby - Carter Burwell

The song is really nice. I like the composition very much. It's sweet and the melody is really calming.

But as the music was used in the "Twilight Movie" and as the title says it's "Bella's Lullaby". If it was a song separate from the movie I would have given it 5 tumbling babies...but since I have a different idea of what Bella's Lullaby really is based on the book I couldn't really accept that this music is Bella's Lullaby. The song itself is supposedly a lullaby...something to put you to sleep and while the music gives me a calming effect, it doesn't really calm me enough to put me to sleep or in a rest-like state.

The way the book describe the lullaby is very different from this song. This music is very simple with no added complications to the composition. And how the song ended is just so abrupt different from the book's description: "The song he was still playing, my song, drifted to an end, the final chords shifting to a more melancholy key. The last note hovered poignantly in the silence." In Midnight Sun, when Edward was composing the song it described how he composed it as such: "I began the first line of the tune that had suggested itself to me in the car today, pleased that it sounded even better than I imagined...I added a harmonizing line, letting the central melody weave through it...I let the melody lead in a new direction, following it with a bass line...The song was compelling, but incomplete. I toyed with a bridge, but it didn't seem right somehow...I got the bridge right then. It led easily to the next movement, taking on a life of its own...There was a story to this melody, and once I saw that, the pieces fell into place effortlessly...Alice left Jasper to his own devices and came to sit next to me on the bench. In her thrilling, wind chime voice, she sketched out a wordless descant two octaves above the melody...I added her line to the harmony, modifying it a bit, taking it in a new direction...I could see how the song must end, because the sleeping girl was perfect just the say she was, and any change at all would be wrong, a sadness. The song drifted toward that realization, slower and lower now. Alice's voice lowered too and became solemn, a tone that belonged under the echoing arches of a candlelit cathedral. I played the last note, and then bowed my head over the keys."

I keep repeating the song over and over but I couldn't put the description to the book with the one being played.

But like I said, it's a good melody and I like it very much but I would have appreciated the song better if they didn't use it as Bella's Lullaby.

NOTE: Excerpts taken from Twilight and the draft of Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer.

Twilight Saga

2009-01-14T09:46:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Twilight Saga
Category: Books
Rating:

Well...honestly, it's one of those books that I couldn't put down once I've started reading it. I liked it so much that I had read all four books twice in succession. It's highly addicting and the dialogue was done really well.

At the whole, the whole series was really great. Like I said, the story was well written in a sense that there was continuity in the story and that you wouldn't get lost wondering what had happened. The flow was just right and you can really imagine yourself in the scene watching everything.

The characters are really well made. There were clashes in personalities and there are also some that blend in with the others, very realistic in a sense that there are people that you would clash personalities with and also people that you really get along with even if you only met for the first time. You can also feel that the author tries to put in typical teen scenarios so that readers in that age level could relate well to the characters and situations.

I do have a bit of a problem with the lack of descriptions in some parts. Though, I'm a very creative person to be able to imagine very well what the author was trying to describe, it might not be so for other readers (though I highly doubt that the lack of description would get an average teen frustrated in reading especially in scenes were either Edward or Jacob is involved). Then there were the grammatical errors and spell checks that got through the editing. Though, it didn't really mess with the story as a whole and the continuity was kept intact, it was honestly a little annoying that I have to read a sentence again mainly because the "t" became an "s" or the sentence structure was messed up.

But all in all, I like the books. If I have to arrange the books in the order of how much I liked them it would be arranged as such: Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, Twilight and New Moon (You can see that I have become an Edward Cullen Fan basing it from how I ranked the books).

If I have to choose a favorite character in the series, it would be Alice. She's seems like a very fun character and I like her personality very much. Small but powerful.

I hope that Stephani Meyer continue with Midnight Sun. I would like very much to read the whole series again seeing though Edward's point of view especially in times when he wasn't around and during discussions he usually have with Carlisle. I've read the draft that was found in her website and I am craving for more. I do hope she would continue to write it and get it published soon.

Twilight

2008-12-04T09:52:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Twilight
Category:Movie
Rating:

I have not read the book. So I don't have any point of comparison which one is better. So I'm just reviewing it like I would a typical movie that I had watched.

The story is somewhat a typical teenage love story. Girl meets boy...boy want to eat girl but at the same time boy fell in love with girl and vice versa...boy in torment to either stay away or not in fear that he might really eat girl. In the end, boy decides to be with girl and try to keep his hunger in check. Like I said, a typical teenage love story...somewhat...

First off the characters. They did a good job. I love the way they were acting and the chemistry of the two leads were really shown on screen. Robert Pattinson did gave the feel of a vampire torn trying to hold on to his thirst and protecting the mortal woman he loves. Kristen Stewart was also good. You can see the emotions in her eyes while she acts...a rarity in young actors these days.

The setting is fantastic. The scenery is really nice and so green. Its an ideal place for vampires to live.

But there is something off with the dialogue. I'm sure it was taken from the book but the delivery is nice for all the actors but there is something in the lines itself that's a little off...I can't put my finger on it though.

Though the effects like the make up and the CGs need to be improved. The vampires make-up that made them pale wasn't right. Some parts of their face are paler than the other part and some parts of their bodies weren't pale at all that can be clearly seen on camera. So Edward looked like he was wearing too much foundation in his face making him look gay rather than the gorgeous vampire that he was suppose to be. And they didn't clean up the wires in editing very well that I saw glimpses of the wires every so often that it took away the awe factor of them leaping from tree to tree.

So, the movie was okay to me. I wasn't wowed...I didn't hate it. It was just okay. Though I could say that teens who watched the movie liked it alot judging from the screams that they did when Edward Cullen first showed up on screen.

I Love The Whole World

2008-11-24T10:41:00.002+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Discovery Channel: I Love the Whole World Commercial
Category: TV Ad
Rating:

I love this commercial! This is one of those very uniquely done and it's very entertaining. They have tried putting everyone in, and at a glimpse, you would be able to know that each program in Discovery Channel is all about.

The commercial shows different hosts and people singing a part of the song. There are two versions of this theme and both more or less shows the same thing but different people sang a different segment. The music is fun to listen to as well. You wouldn't be surprised if you started humming it every now and then.

The commercial made me want to tune in to the Discovery Channel and try to catch the shows that they featured in the commercial at a glimpse.

The Clue Collector

2008-11-10T10:13:00.003+08:00

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: 霹靂MIT/PiLi MIT/The Clue Collector
Category: TV Series
Rating:

This Taiwanese drama is being shown in GTV and FTV. Being a Yan Ya Lun fan, I chanced upon it while I was looking through his projects. From the filming to the promotions, I said that it was very promising.

I love a good mystery. I might or might not be able to find clues and solve case while I read through or watch but I love it nonetheless. It's thrilling and keeps my mind running all throughout the book that I'm reading or the show that I'm watching. A good mystery should always keep me at my toes and keep me thinking. And that's what PiLi MIT had successfully done.

The show is about a group of students under the supervision of Teacher Cherry that calls themselves PiLi MIT. Mysterious things are currently happening in their school and their group tries to solve it. It's action packed and like I said, it will keep you thinking all throughout the show. The usual twist and turns of any mystery can be found in PiLi MIT.

The actors are really good as well. Yan Ya Lun (Arron Yan from Fahrenheit) has done a really good job as 007. Cold and distant but really smart. Some may even call him a genius. Lu Ting Wei as 187 is the cool guy whose good looks he uses to get the clues. And amazingly enough he gets the job done by asking his female contacts the necessary information that he needs. Huang Hong Sheng as 747 gave the series it's usual comic relief. He's usually the guy who gets hurt the most in the show because he does a lot of the difficult and scary stunts. Christine Fan as Teacher Cherry, gives you the feeling that there are still cool teachers in this world. Though, Guigui as "the Devil Star" or Lucifer was annoying. Granted that her character found the clues that helped 007 to solve the case, she was really annoying that made me wish they got someone else to play her part. Though, if that's really her role there in the series, well she did a good job!

This series has got me craving for more. Like I said, I love a good mystery. And if the series continue with this trend, I would try to catch the translated version in YouTube as much as I can just to satisfy my cravings for this show.

Online Gaming Companies

2008-11-05T11:28:00.002+08:00

I had spent 5 years in the online gaming industry. From those 5 years I've spent it in 3 online gaming companies. And I had 3 different experience in those companies. And now that SulisRaine Review is finally up and running, I would like to first off make a review on the three companies that I had worked for.

Keep in mind though that I would be writing down something I had experienced while I was there. That would mean that, at present time, the things I put here might not be true anymore. This is also a personal opinion. So technically, I would not be objective, given the experience that I had. this is just my point of view from my experience. The experience of other people who are still working or had worked in the said companies might have a different opinion than my own as well.

Anyway, Here it goes

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Level Up! Games
Category: Gaming Company
Rating:

I started working for Level Up when they got Ragnarok Online. I was one of the first 3 Game Masters they hired.

One of the things that we were made to do aside from the usual job of monitoring the world and public appearance was the ongoing revisions of policies and regulations regarding the game. Level Up, being the pioneer in online games here in the Philippines established the rules that other gaming companies now copy. You can clearly say that the policies we had created has become the standard in which all the other gaming companies follow, with of course minor revisions to cater to the particular needs of the game they are publishing.

Level Up started as an okay company. Being new and everything, the pioneers of each department were the ones who more or less have the authority in their given fields. Juniors just follow suit. Back then, there were factions. The different departments weren't interacting with each other and the bosses were trying to outdo each other. Finger pointing was rampant during that time.

But with success comes expansion. The expansion of the company had made it veer off from what we had known and now the company's focus has become profits instead of quality of service. But then again, what company isn't thinking of profits. It has to be there otherwise what will become of the company?

During that time, I was an idealist. So I still thought that it was wrong for the company to think the way they do. But since it was a management decision we had no choice but to follow. Being the pioneer in the business, they did a lot of trial and error.

I left after 11 months of service. Level Up right now is still up there, handling Ragnarok, Silk Road, Flyff, RF Online, Perfect World, Free Style, Crazy Kart and a soon to be up Grand Chase. Games that are both from Level Up and Net Games since their merger of 2005. They're still up there, I guess they are still considered one of the leading online gaming company in existence. All I can say is good luck to them and keep being afloat even if it's just for the sake of your employees.

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Digital Media Exchange (Most commonly known as MOBIUS)
Category: Gaming Company
Rating:

Mobius, much like Level Up started with only a handful of employees getting ready to release MU Online. The main reason for the companies existence was getting World of Warcraft. Again, we were hired to be game masters and again, I was one of the pioneers.

When we started, Mobius' theme was "the gaming company by gamers for gamers". And admitedly, all the employees save for the big boss were indeed gamers. From Table Top pen and paper RPG to console games and of course online games, the people working for Mobius know a thing or two about games.

It started out fine. We thought that it was a better experience than LU. Then, as the company started to grow, we realised that it was far worse than what we had experienced in LU.

While Level Up still gave us this small amount of freedom to voice our concern and opinion, Mobius Gave us false hope that they were listening. Ideas to make the games better or the service have always fell on deaf ears. Opinions on what games to get don't get listened to and we ended up getting crappy games that no one plays unless you do something about it. GMs who were suppose to be the group who keeps the players playing were being asked to do acquisition from the inside of the game itself...which makes us wonder how in blazes will we do just that?

The company does not have a marketing strategy and they just rely on the sales team to make the people aware that there is a game out there that Mobius is publishing. And the game that was giving them recognition, the company never paid attention to. giving the said game back to Korea after they milked it for all it's worth.

Now still with no Marketing, and a new game to be released, I keep wondering how a company like Mobius could stay afloat...hmm...probably their BPO, I guess...

Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Asian Media Development Group (Or commonly known as AMDG)
Category: Gaming Company
Rating:

From my experience with AMDG, the only thing really functioning properly in the company was their accounting department. But even that department can be slow since there is only one person doing all the work.

That company lives for meetings. There isn't a day when you wouldn't be called on to have have a meeting. Even during cigarette breaks, you would forever be talking about work. It's like their lives revolve around the meetings and the work that frankly, I was really not amused.

The worst part of those meetings is the fact that they usually end up not finalizing anything. Meetings would take up the whole afternoon until late at night without actually getting anything done. Then they would decide to continue the meeting the next day...the cycle just go on and on with nothing being finalized by the group that the person who would eventually make the final decision wouldn't even be in those meetings in the first place.

With all the meetings going on in a day and nothing being finalized until the last minute, it's a miracle in itself that they still get to join in events and there is still a following for their games.
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That's it then.

But then again, being in the online gaming industry and working there this long had made me realise that I would rather play the games they put out there than manage it. You can't manage a game and still enjoy it. Playing their games while working there would be a chore rather than a source of entertainment and relaxation for you.

And like I said, this is my personal opinion. I know that I didn't release any information concerning the company that's confidential...so please don't sue me.

SulisRaine Review Up and Running

2008-09-09T14:01:00.003+08:00

Finally, after a long hiatus, SulisRaine Review is finally up and running!

And like I said, I would review anything and everything that strikes my fancy. If you guys want me to review anything just post it on CBox or on the commment section of the blog.

Hope to hear from you guys!