Review: Hancock

Even before 'Hancock' went into production (with a earlier title of 'Tonight He Comes'), news of its fresh and innovation script that takes on a much more alternative perspective at a superhero attracted much innovative praise. Never once Hollywood had done a film on a hero that “don’t give a f**k” about who he is or what he is supposed to do. He is simply him and just wants to get on with his life as he sees fit. Although this kind of angle has been done to death in the comics world, but in Hollywood is still deemed fresh. As such, the script attracted a major movie studio to finance it with mega-big-bucks, attracted a major star to play the main character, and attracted a much-acclaimed director to wave his celluloid wand to bring us superhero magic. How can anything possibly go wrong? Well, in one simple word, everything.

The film starts off pretty well with a premise of some great possibilities, i.e. redemption from his never-care-less attitude towards everything and everyone around him, his lack of responsibility towards his superhero abilities and his habit of alcoholism that are centered in a true-to-life setting of Los Angeles provides a solid basis for an interesting story arc. But half way through the movie, the strong concept collapses onto its on weight and runs aground into a quagmire of disorder that altered a promising film into a medium that is attuned to the needs of Will Smith’s star commercialism. In other words, it went all too Hollywoody.

A commercial film it may turn out to be, and yet, at certain moments in the film the tone turns dark with constant swearing and at-times vicious fight sequences that left me in a state of perplexity. At certain moments, it is violent in its action sequences (especially in the hospital) and yet juvenile in its jokes (and yet not particularly funny) with ‘colorful’ language that do not do go well to children’s ears. It is a juxtaposition that left me in a state of total confusion and I took on an uneasy feeling throughout the film. I’m not sure which demographic the director, Peter Berg (The Kingdom, The Rundown, Friday Night Lights) is aiming for but in my opinion he should just stick to one direction and focus on it. If he wants it to be sinister toned, then by all means be consistent with the violence. If this film is for the kids, then the ending with the fight sequence in a hospital should not have been there as I think its way too brutal for the eyes of children. I think Peter Berg was way to ambitious with this project by wanting to please way too many types of people, and in the end all he had achieved is diluting this promising premise into a concoction of celluloid mess.

The story itself is saturated with lame sentimentality and is tied down by a backstory that gets all the more tiresome as the film progresses. The film tried to be too elaborate with themes of lost love and cheating fate until at times it contradicts itself and leaves the audience all the more confused. The attempt to add depth to the Hancock character turned out to the biggest mistake of the film until it all becomes useless pieces of fillers to plug the gaps between one grand fight sequences to the next and to carry us limping towards its finale.

In the end, ‘Hancock’ is a cumbersome mess that elates only the most loyal of Will Smith fan or is a gargantuan supporter of CGI-induced films. The shaky-cam effect that was so effective to the 'Bourne' series were also very nauseous-ly executed which didn't help the film at all in any redeeming way. The promising story of a superhero with a redemption theme mixed with scathing black comedy were thrown out the window and became a film that got pulled into way too many directions that satisfied no one. Too dark for kids, too tame for teens and too dumb for adults, it’s all a complete mess. This is one Will Smith movie that I regrettably watched with total dissatisfaction. But if this film still does well at the box-office, I guess it’s a testament to the star-power of Will Smith. If he can sell this mess, he can definitely sell anything.

Verdict: 5 / 10

Reviewed by: Raymond Choy

PROLOGUE: (Belated) Birthday Surprise @ Home!!!

Just wanna share with everyone just how those people planned my birthday surprise attack at my home that resulted in me being bombarded with water balloons, smelly cakes and cold water. It all started with a sneeky thread in Facebook...Cheeky blardy devils all of you!!! (*Thanks to Maj's blog for the transcript).

( Initiator of discussion wishes to remain anonymous for obvious reasons [probably Maj] ): want to start planning for his “welcome back party”? his actual birthday is on 9th june. any idea when he’ll be back? he’ll definitely suspect an ambush, so i suggest we switch tactics. like get SL to invite him for a romantic dinner and we’ll turn it into a nightmare. i’m thinking water balloons. and tissue paper. lots of tissue paper. what do you think?

uncle: first of all, lemme check with SL first when he’s coming back. i knew he’s coming home but for 2 days only…guess on sat-sun somethin like that, unless he changed plan.

nei: well water is way much more better than whipped cream!! I don’t wanna have another stinky head just in case i kena backfire again -_-

VJ: once bitten twice shy eh!!good good, you learnt your lesson.

nei: spit spit spitttttttt at kanasai vj!! of all place u wanna corner theva to!!

VJ: oii chill lah!! not confirm yet…i was just saying….ok my bad, wrongly constructed the sentence….it was suppose to be, ” Is the surprise party going to be on Monday? Just wondering so that we dont end up doing after he has come and gone.” Now, isnt that better!!

uncle: got the latest news, he wont be back tis weekend….he will be back only on 20th & probably back to Labuan on 22nd or 23rd…so, how?

nei: LOL cepat confirm plan!! i need to check on my “BUSY” schedule and YES I am quite the busy nowadays tho still considered as bumming.

emma: ehhh im so out of touch, so long never log in, anything MSG me k??

nei: emma u sukkkkkkkkkkk

uncle: from what i knew is he’s definitely goin to spend the whole sat wif his gf. maybe sun nite is just nice with little help from his gal…wat’s ya thinkin?? but he being a mobile person, u wont be expecting him to be at home for most of the time for these 3 days…..think of that bloody theva’s event.. so…how bout at his home? or any bigger plan or idea?

nei: btw SIVA’s birthday is coming up TOO. Why not double combo!

VJ: hey if siva’s b’day also around the same time as raymond, then what we can do is con the both of them into believing that the victims is the other but in real fact, its the both of them!!Then both will kena super power combo X10!!

maj: geniuses. siva’s facebook is receiving this discussion tread la. refer to recepient list above.
uncle:hahahaha…great geniuses.!!!!

nei: that’s why i mentioned raymond the ONLY victim huhu!

maj: nei tries the cover line…

VJ: ARRGHHHH CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Didnt see la…….ok cancel plan. Time i keep my mouth shut
discussion continues in a second thread. minus siva. adds SL.

paul: Personally,I think just grab raymond + dunk him with ladies underwear. Post the pictures. haha..j.kidding.

uncle: (the original water plan) sounds perfect….although I doubted Siva can be sooo naive to believe us..he’s a lawyer anyway, blame vijay & nei for putting us in tis siutation. well, i can ask ray’s mum on tis matter & i’m pretty sure & would love to be part of tis..

nei: wahhh it was VJ!!!!!!! at least i cover line nice nice after i mentioned bout siva LOL. i bet ray’s mom will be happy to play a part since she and her hubby SABO you the other time in pangkor uncle LOL. They are definitely sporting enuff.

maj: getting to raymond will be the easy part. any idea how to get siva? we need to know if he is free on saturday night dulu. it would be so james bond to have both of them tied up on chairs with their backs against each other, kan? kalau ada police ronda masa tu, we all will surely kena angkut masuk balai. i’m assuming the twins don’t check facebook very often.

paul: someone will need to be my driver ..ehehhe… my driving license expired la..
emma texts everyone raving about watching a movie together.

uncle: since emma is suggesting of a movie tis sat…can we do like ” all in one”?? surprise first, then movie & then maybe dinner or wateva??

emma: yes yes KUNGFU PANDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

paul: it is a weekend after all. go out later,stay up late ler..unless u guys gone old and wussy ehehehe.

VJ: yes paul, if u have not realised, WE ARE OLD!!!!!old enough to get married (AHEM!!!)

paul: gonna be a bit of a problem VJ. I need to find myself a chick first. any introductions?

emma: eh hello, this is a thread on saturday’s plan, NOT your personal dating agency OK. if you want, paul, I could post something up for you in the personal ads.. but then you’d get a lot of calls from transvestites and paedophiles.. so better put it up yrself. its the only way.

emma: KUNGFU PANDA KUNGFU PANDA KUNGFU PANDA KUNGFU PANDA

paul: Vijay implicates marriage. I imply ‘kebujangan’…ehehhe
there were two meet ups to sort out details. participants of the meet up will remain anonymous. discussion continues in a third thread. subject: THE PLAN.

maj: so nei to start making water balloons at 9am. target: 16 people x 5 balloons each = 80 balloons (SOS: anyone has extra plastic buckets, please pinjam nei!). ETA everyone to arrive at ss14 padang at 7pm (VJ to join in. total number of persons: 11 persons minimum). everyone to get raymond to centre of padang. SL to remove raymond’s wallet + handphone.

nei: wake up 9 am make water balloons!! siao!!! And seriously la I NEED BUCKETS to store the balloons. Raymond’s parents won’t be joining us but uncle got the house key frm ray’s mom so we’ll be invading his house instead. So there will be few changes to the original plan! New location to bomb raymond (+siva) with water balloons = outside raymond’s house.

emma: shit, u guys are Oceans 11 or what?

paul: just tell me when to throw the balloon la

uncle: ok ok..this is the latest update… Ray’s goin to watch movie at noon tomorrow & will join us with SL. Nei, Maj & Thiru will have the time to go to Ray’s house to prepare the stuffs. I’ve passed the keys to Nei. Once kungfu panda movie is done, each of us will “suddenly” have other plans to do & need to go somewhere & will leave only SL & Ray. She will find ways to get him to go back home first. everyone shall be in his house before he arrives, pls call if u think ur not making it on time…

paul: Most my cash is in Hong Kong Dollars!

End of planning discussion. As Maj said, you know what happened after that (if you don't, read next post!!!) Photos are all over this blog, Maj's blog, Facebook, Friendster and videos are posted on Youtube!!!

(Belated) Birthday Surprise @ Home!!!

Back in KL: Weekend of 21st June ~ 22nd June 2008.

Well my birthday was on the 9th of June. So I guess if I skipped my trip back to KL during that time would allow me to miss all the fuss and duzzle, ‘cause recently there is this in-thing now to throw surprises among my old classmates (example: Uncle at Pangkor with foam sprays and Theva at his home with flying cakes). So, coming back 2 weeks later would probably cover my butt from these surprise attacks. WROOOOOOOONG!!!!!!! I still got surprise attacked. In fact, I think I got the biggest surprise attack ever assembled so far. In fact, I think my decision to come back 2 weeks later gave them more time to plan and execute their attack. CURSES!!!!!!!!!!!!

So here’s what these oh-so-friendly people did to me: when I was on my way back to my home, with all the lights still turned off and at the exact moment I opened the house door, a rabid-crazed group of friends attacked me with almost 100 (I think) water balloons (‘high-quality’ balloons that was hard to explode, therefore more painful. Thank you so much Ah Nei Nei), drenched me in fridge-cold water and plastered me with smelly cakes all over me. It feels so ‘good’ to be so appreciated, doesn’t it?

The mortar of water balloons did the most damage, and here’s the damage report:

1.) Head – 2 direct hits at the back, 3 skimmed my head by millimeters.
2.) Body – At least 5 direct hits, and 4 did not explode.
3.) Arms – 1 exploded when I tried too hard to throw it back. Dammitttttt…..
4.) Legs – 2 directs hits to the thigh, approximately 2 did not explode.
5.) Crotch – 1 direct hit. This will not go un-avenged THEVAAAA!!!!
6.) Butt – 1 skimmed my left cheek. Sexy as it may sound, but its not. A few centimeters more and I’ll be crying…

I was super soaked and super tired from throwing back the un-exploded water balloons, and I think Uncle had to stop half way to take a break before resuming the attack!!! I guess we all are too old for this shit hahaha….Anyway, I must admit I was surprised to bits and have to say that it was a damn well-planned operation. A lot of people were part of it, and here’s the list of The Culprits (which I will hunt down one by one. No will escape my wrath. No one…):

The Devil’s List:

1.) Tian Kuan
2.) Theva
3.) Thiru
4.) Majidah and partner
5.) Paul
6.) Ah Nei Nei
7.) Vijay and partner
8.) Emma
9.) Siew Ling
10.) My parents (of all people!!! UUrrghhhh!!!)

This surprise attack was clearly not a work of an ad-hoc basis. It was meticulously planned with operational execution that will make any military general beaming with pride. The operation was in motion the moment the day began (and the planning weeks before this I bet), and here’s what happened on that fateful day, the 21st of June, 2008, in chronological order…

11:00 HRS: Woke up and had Bak Kut Teh for brunch with Siew Ling around Subang area. Noticed Siew Ling made a few anonymous SMSes and calls. I asked who it was, but she changed the subject. My suspicions were ignited….

12:00 HRS: Drove to 1U to watch ‘The Incredible Hulk’. Siew Ling walked off to voluntarily buy me coffee at ‘Starbucks’ while I was queuing for ticket. I wondered why…

14:30 HRS: After the movie then went to ‘Monsoon-id’ to have my hair cut, which took me 2 hours, most of the time waiting for the stylist.

16:30 HRS: Walking around 1U and receives call from Majidah that movie is at ‘Sunway Pyramid’ instead and movie is at 6pm.

17:00 HRS: Siew Ling suggests having something to eat. Went to ‘Sushi Zenmai’, and at that moment she gave me my birthday present (a CK watch). I was happy to bits.

17:45 HRS: Rushed to ‘Sunway Pyramid’ for the movie. Receives calls from Majidah and Ah Nei but Ah Nei didn’t’ say anything over the phone (which was very suspicious)…

18:30 HRS: Arrives at TGV cinema and proceeds to watch ‘Kung Fu Panda’ with the rest of The Culprits…

19:45 HRS: After the movie, Tian Kuan says we are going to “Crocodile Farm” for seafood (but I believed that the place closed down ages ago. My suspicions were exploding). The Culprits says they “got something to do first but will meet again later” with the exception of Tian Kuan (as it turns out, he stayed behind to monitor me. Ingenious).

20:00 HRS: Went to buy ‘JCo Donuts’ and had a cup of coffee at ‘Old Town Kopitiam’. While chit-chatting with Tian Kuan, he receives numerous calls, but I did not suspect anything because he spoke in BM, and he normally speaks BM for his office matters. Very smart move….

20:15 HRS: While walking back to the car, Siew Ling repeatedly asks me for my handphones. I had 2 handphones, I gave her 1 but the other I refused to give at first. After repeated attempts, I gave it to her eventually.

20:20 HRS: I was on the impression that I was driving to ‘Crocodile Farm’ as planned, but Siew Ling suddenly said she got stomach ache and wanted to go back to my home first. I obliged, thinking it would just be a pit-stop. When arrived at my house, Siew Ling asked me to open the door (suspicion EXPLODING like an atomic bomb. Why all these requests??!!) And yet I obliged. I inserted the key. I turned the lock. It clicked open as usual. I swung the door wide open. Pitch blackness. My vision was in darkness. Complete silence. I walked in. I noticed outlines of figures in front of me. Too late. There was a roar. And it had begun….

Around 20 minutes later the attack had died and I was soaked with water. My house porch was drenched in water and exploded balloons littered the area. Some balloons went over to the neighbors too!! It was a warzone. And I was the target…and how could I have been so careless….

It was not all about water balloons as they ordered pizzas, drinks and of course, a birthday cake. And they sang happy birthday too. WOW. I never had that experience in a LONG time. So much effort and time went into this, and I guess I must thank you all from the bottom of my heart for this. Really, it was a great night and experience that I will NEVER forget (and I will definitely NEVER forget who done this to me…my wrath has spoken).

After the party, we went to a nearby mamak stall and I just had to belanja them back for their efforts. It’s not much but at least it was something right!!!

We took pictures of course, and videos as well. Take a look at the night of the balloon fight!!!:

Weapons of Mass Destruction.

"So who dropped their fake boob?"

The battlefield. Take a look at how many ballons exploded!! Curses to Ah Nei Nei (and for the painfully 'high-quality' ballons)!!!

Relics of Battles Past...

We got debris!!! Its Iraq all over again...

Head shot for the styrofoam...rest it piece...

Collateral damage!!! A stray bomb that went to the neighbours...

"Paul to base..mission accomplished." (puffs on smoke).

Group photo!!! (The decent one).

The group is awed by emma's levitating magic trick of the pillow...

B'day cake all round...thanks for the cake peeps!!!

Peace for the pieces of cake.

This damn uncle seems to be freakin' happy about all this...

A mutilated cake...

Either it was a twister that went through here or a giant rat that scurried past the food!!!

Awwwww, my present all wrapped up from Siew Ling...

It's my birthday present!!!! Thanks so much, love you loadssssss!!!!

And here are the videos taken by Majidah documenting the final few moments leading to the surprise attack. Cheeky monkeys all of you!!!

Pre-Ambush: A beautiful message from Emma:

Pre-Ambush: They were in my house!! IN MY HOUSE!! AARRGHHH!!

AMBUSHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

The Aftermath: Ah Nei the Auntie & Theva the Hungry

And here's a video that Majidah took that was disguised as taking a photo. Cheeky devil!!! Watch the video and see how we bummers prepare ourselves for picture taking. Notice that Ah Nei Nei was the only eager beaver, posing again and again until fedup haha....Take notice that this video is rated 'PG' as parental guidance is advised due to scenes of highly 'suggestive' manner (i.e. Theva and Tian Kuan with the slinky). Be warned to the faint of heart.....

Thank you all for the hard effort and planning!!! Very much appreciated!!!! ~~~*Bows in gratitude & glee*~~~

Review: Wanted

Finally got to see ‘Wanted’ after so many failed attempts at it due to ‘full-house’ sessions at the cineplexes. So was it worth my time at the queues? Well, if you like full-blooded-alpha-male-testosterone-charged brutality disguised in a ballet of flying bullets coupled with stunts that defy all laws of science (which would put Einstein to shame), then yes, this is your cup of tea. But if you are expecting ’27 Dresses’, then stay well clear as ‘Wanted’ is nothing more than a big bad storm in a badly-chipped tea cup.

This film delivers super slick special effects and couple this with a skimpy-clad Angelina Jolie (plus a censored scene of rear-bearing action, download this NOW) while kicking asses as though someone killed her mother all over the silver screen will rock anyone’s balls to the core. Heck, it got mine gyrating at all of her scenes (don’t you just love cinemas with their big screens?) That said, you would now know which demographic this film totally aims for.

Kazakhstan-born director Timur Bekmambetov understands how bring silliness to the extreme and yet make it all look oh-so-cool, and that in turn is what makes this film distinctive from the rest. Stylized hard-core action now has a new face, and quoting ‘Borat’ the most famous Kazakhstan person I know, “I like”. Yes in deed.

This film contains no plot complexities ala “The Matrix” or has such opera such as “Blade Runner” as this film’s story is as simple as any film can get. It is at times tedious and often generic, with stereotypical characters filling up the plot holes just to keep the movie moving to the next action sequence. I’m not going into the details of the plot as usual, but for optimum enjoyment of this film, just go into the cinema with your brain left totally locked in your home and simply sit back and enjoy the visual eye candy (and for velvet flashes of Jolie’s flesh. For the female audiences, Scottish hunk James McAvoy does bare his chest intentionally throughout the film. So, flesh fetish happiness for everyone. Yay!!!).

Speaking of James McAvoy, this is in fact his first foray at being an action hero and I must say he does a pretty good job at it (being a hero with some resemblance to brains). His best work were all dramatic roles which resulted in some pretty good appreciation from film critics such as the wrongly-accused lover in “Atonement” and the naive doctor in “The Last King of Scotland”. Obviously his role in “Wanted” do not provide him the palette to flex his acting abilities, he however gives his character a genuine sense of realism that provides the audience something to relate with. And that makes him reasonably likable, which is important as he will take you on a journey from one end of the character’s spectrum to another. Just watch and you will have what I’m talking about.

Angelina Jolie impresses as usual (hey, it’s Jolie. How can you possibly go wrong with her?) and you can see she is obviously having fun with her role as the uber-assassin Fox. At times she may be just that typical sexy cardboard box character that is plastered on screen just for kicks, but she ignites things up with perfectly timed smirks and winks that will make you smirk in turn. And THAT for me is a mark of a true action heroine.

As for Morgan Freeman, I’m honestly bored to death of him playing the usual ‘boss/mentor’ character with all that deep-toned speeches and smarty lines. Even though at one point in the film he NEARLY stole the entire show (NEARLY) with a very rare but impressive quip of a bad word, Freeman however a waste of a fine actor in my book and should get a better movie agent pronto, otherwise he will forever be stagnant in a quagmire of stereotypical characters for life. And that will be very sad for a fine actor like him.

All in all, this film was made not to impress the critical masses, but to simply provide a collage of visual/audio/action/flesh combo to kick any action-loving viewer’s balls to bits. Eccentric, outlandish and defying all laws whatsoever, this film comes closes to ‘action porn’ than any movie I have ever seen (note: porn as in NOT the typical Pamela Anderson porn, but action played to the extreme just like porn).

Almost worth a second-viewing in my opinion, if not for the fast action I missed but maybe just to see Angelina Jolie fellate a gun barrel for almost 2 hours. Now THAT is almost worth the price of the second admission….

Verdict: 7/10

Reviewed by: Raymond Choy

Chaos At The Pumps...AGAIN!!!

It was chaos at the pumps again!!! WTFFFFFFFF!!! Causing so much traffic jam!!! Can’t get home fast enough to watch my latest episodes of ‘Smallville’ on my com!!! Petrol prices increased again?? Actually no, there was this wild rumor flying all over by SMS yesterday that petrol stations will be closed for 3 to 5 days to protest their non-increment in commissions. So we typical Malaysians panicked (as usual) and OOooopps, did it all over again. I’m not sure if KL were affected by this madness but here in Labuan and other major parts of East Malaysia, there was petrol-panic all over. My friend even went to the pumps on a motorbike and filled up 2 plastic bottles with petrol (is this even legal??!!) I wish sometimes everyone would just calm down and think first before panicking and not to cause other Malaysians like me to miss their favorite TV shows. GEEEEEEEEZZZZ PEOPLE!!!!!!

But in actually, the rumors were indeed quite true. I saw a quote from Charles Soong, the president of Sabah Petroleum Dealers Association on NST’s website that read:

“The national association is asking the government to meet a few more requirements, including raising our commissions to an acceptable level and if that demand is not met, we plan not to sell fuel for eight hours tomorrow.”

8 hours can easily turn into a few days can’t it? So that’s why people panicked. Sighhhhhhh. I thought life was about love, money and all that. Petrol is part of it too. How romantic.

I guess I’ll just stay at home and blog about what happened to me in KL last weekend hehehe…..

Harvest Festival '08 @ Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

From 30th to 31st May, I was in Kota Kinabalu to witness the much celebrated festival of harvest called ‘Tadau Ka’amatan’. It was a cultural baptism of unique dances, exotic foods, wicked rice wines and quaint games during 3 days and 2 nights in the heart Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, where the ‘Harvest Festival’ or the ‘Tadau Ka’amatan’ was celebrated as gloriously as any major festivals we come to revere. When you are in Borneo, no major festivals come close to the ‘Tadau Ka’amatan’. Christmas, New Year’s Eve, & even the Merdeka celebrations all pale in comparison to the significance and distinctiveness of this festival of harvest, whereby Sabahans celebrate the ‘Harvest Festival’ or sometimes called the ‘Kadazan Harvest Festival’ (simply because the Kadazans forms the biggest indigenous tribe group in Borneo), to collectively worship the ancient Gods.

Interestingly, as told by a local friend of mine in Kota Kinabalu, the Gods consist of 5 main spirits: the ‘Rogon’ or the spirit of all things evil, the ‘Koududuvo’ or the spirit of the living, then there is the ghostly spirit which is called the ‘Tombivo’, the ‘Rusad’ that represent the spirit of all living things and the focal of it all is the ‘Kinoingan’ which symbolizes the God of Creation and the Almighty.

So what role does these Gods have play in the festival of harvest? Well, the story that I heard on the street (ha, macam sound so local like dat) is that the God of Creation, the ‘Kinoingan’ is the revered overall creator and all-supreme life source for all things living. As most native Sabahans consider rice as the main staple of food, certain sacredness and spirituality is attached to it as they believe that food, in particular rice, is blessed to them by the ‘Kinoingan’. Now the most interesting part is this: the ‘Kinoingan’ always believed He being the all-almighty Creator, His people should never be left to suffer of any lack in the most basic need, which is food. However, then came a time when food was indeed scarce due to severe drought. As an act of ultimate benevolence to His people, He sacrificed his only pure and holy daughter, ‘Huminodun’ to the fields where rice grew (forgoing an offspring, especially one that is pure, is considered the ultimate sacrifice). Magnificently, his act of kindness yielded results and from the body of ‘Huminodun’ out grew rice of great abundance, thus the people were left to hunger no more. This act of absolute kindness was ultimately worshiped, and even to this day, His people repay the deed by performing various acts of ceremonies to honor ‘Kinoingan’, hence the ‘Harvest Festival’ (but others believe that Sabahans pay homage to the Rice Spirit called the ‘Bambazon’ as an act of gratitude for their annual bountiful harvest. Whichever the actual story may be, its all for a good cause lah).

So it is during this festival that Sabahans don their proudest costumes and enjoy a carnival of dances, food, and worship while mingling with folks from all walks of life, be it the local or foreign. Celebrations are held in virtually all villages and districts throughout Sabah, but to bring the festivities closer to the hearts of the general public, an annual ceremony is held at Hongkod Koisaan or KDCA Penanpang (a non-political association of nearly 30 indigenous ethnic communities of Sabah), and this is where my soul was exposed to the melting pot of various tribes and their cultures. It was a congregation of traditions, merry-making and feasting of the most unique food accompanied by rice wine (and lots of Tiger beer, a sign of modernization creeping in?) throughout the event. Traditional-styled huts where erected all over the giant premises of the KDCA, and within each of these huts lay a showcase of each of the tribes. Photos of past glories were pastured all across the walls, offerings of tribal delicacies rested welcomingly on tables and friendly indigenous folks greeted the guests with multi-colored costumes and affectionate hospitality. Hut after hut I went, and more and more exceptional traditions lay before my eyes, and I absorbed them with feverish interest. It was a baptism of culture, and what a baptism it was. The skies threw rain at the numerous guests (probably a test of some kind?) but everyone stood firm, not budging from their place with gleaming smiles remaining on their faces. From this reaction to the rain you know that the Festival is indeed in full glorious swing…

I heard from my local friend that every year the ceremony had a theme. Last year, it was what my friend described it as “cute”. I guess they had many adorable children wearing traditional costumes hopping all over the place? Well, we were trying to guess what this year’s theme was, and my bet was on ladies. To be more precise, pretty ladies. Not the sassy and seductively-dressed ones, but I mean pretty in their own distinctive way. See for yourself:

Isn't she lovely? Looks Chinese abit...

Ahhh, this ones looks for exotic doesn't she? Ain't she lovely...

Time for me to get up close and personal with one of them ~~~

This time I got two by my side. Hey, I'm just absorbing the culture that's on offer!!!

Back to the theme of the event, my friend rubbished my opinion of pretty ladies of the theme for this year and said that it was instead a parade of beautiful hats. I pish-poshed his suggestion and went along with pretty girls theme. I mean, what’s wrong with pretty girls? I was happily snapping away with my camera, and then my friend suggested that if pretty tribal girls (sounds so sexy doesn’t it???) are my cup tea, we should head off to the main hall where the ‘Unduk Ngadau’ was held. What is the ‘Unduk Ngadau’ you ask? Well, paraphrasing the modern world, it is basically a beauty pageant. Usually it is the highlight or simply the most popular event during the Harvest Festival, it is a pageant to identify the darling of the Festival, to find the crowning brilliance in beauty and brains, and to find the Queen of the Harvest Festival. Even contestants from Peninsular Malaysia are allowed to participate (which I think is wrong!! It just spoils the unique flavor of the pageant!!!). As a reward for being crowned the Queen of Traditions (which is what I like to call them. Okla, they are actually the Ratu Ka’amatan), the grand winner are given a cash prize and hampers, but the most rewarding of all is that they are given a scholarship to complete a diploma locally. Not bad eh? I should have participated when I was about to enter college. Oh wait that’s just wrong…

Other attractions litter the compound of the KDCA, such as a stage erected for various performances of dances, music and the like. Stalls selling souvenirs, refreshments and paraphernalia scour the rest of the area, filling up valuable space to the brim. At one glance and you would think that the vicinity of the KDCA is endless with a sea of people bustling all over like ants over a sugar jar. It was a massive event, and the support for it was just as enormous.

It was nearing the end of daylight and yet I’ve not seen all that was on offer. The stalls were calling it a day and the festivities were slowly loosing its haste. I too, was to call it a day and I duly departed the compound with a bag full of memories and a gem of a contented feeling. The bus back was full, it was shoulder to shoulder with people and the air was stale with hues of smoke and perspired humidness. But it did not matter, for all that is worth, I absorbed it all and will become a priceless speck in my mind as an experience that will be cherish for some time to come.

Buuuuuuuuut, the festivities did not end. No no no, The ceremonies will not cease and as promised, it did continue well into the night. At the ‘Padang Merdeka’ in the heart of the Kota Kinabalu town, an ‘open house’ for the general public was vibrating with celebration. The ‘house’ in mention was in fact an entire field the size of many football fields. The scene was very welcoming, hence we pierced the gathered crowd to see what was on offer. And it did not disappoint, with rows after rows of generous food was put forward for anyone to taste its delicacy and uniqueness. Lines of people queued up to accept this offer, from curious foreigners (like me, I think I’m considered one haha) to the celebrating locals (hey free food!!).

Symbolic huts were erected to house the many playing bands that lashed out their traditional music and dance, which added much delight and tribal vibe to the atmosphere. But the main attraction was at the center of the field, where an enormous stage was built to give way for performances of tribal plays, music and dance that is fit for a king. A ‘king’ was indeed in attendance as our dear Prime Minister, Pak Lah was revering in the atmosphere and celebrations, and with him his entourage of VIPs. Entertaining the royalties was performances that are truly mesmerizing, as no words can really put justice to the feeling. As such, it is best to see it for yourself:

Video to be Up-loaded Later...Sorry Folks!!!

Showpieces of this sort gyrated the audiences until midnight, from traditional performers to more current singers (such as folks from ‘Akademi Fantasia’) showcased their culture and ability to flawless excellence. As the hordes of gathered people slowly vanished from the field and back to where they came, I too snaked away from arena with no regrets whatsoever. Two huge events in one day was a lot to absorb in one day, but I absorbed it with feverish contentment. I’m starting to like Kota Kinabalu very, very much indeed…

For a little bit more photos from these events, you can click here!!!

Back In KL from 20th June to 22nd June...

Just a short shout-out to anyone that is bothered about it: I'll be back in KL for a vey VERY short break from the 20th June until......22nd June. Yup, told you its short. Hopefully to see all you KL peeps in time. Catch y'all then!!!

Arrival KL: Friday, 20th June.
Depart KL: Sunday, 22nd June.

So I'm expecting my B'day prezzies from ALL OF YOU!!! BE PREPARED OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!!!! ROOOOAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

Review: Kung Fu Panda

The first time I heard that Jack Black is working on a kiddie movie, I laughed. And after watching that kiddie movie, I was still laughing. Not at it, but with it. And that movie was called ‘The School of Rock’. This movie totally shifted my perception of Jack Black from a narrow and tenacious comedian to a broader and multi-faceted one. And a more talented comedian with his tenacious reputation intact too, as in the case of ‘The School of Rock’, Jack Black did not lower himself to childish whims like Vin Diesel in ‘The Pacifier’, but he successfully turned the table and made the kid actors raise their energy levels to match his level of intensity. And it worked like a charm, and in my opinion ‘The School of Rock’ remains as of one of the greatest comedies ever to be produced in the modern era.

But then came ‘Kung Fu Panda’, and my immediate reaction? I think Jack Black has gone too blardy far. Jack Black as a cuddly panda learning the arts of kung-fu? Let’s not even start with the choice of a panda, I mean I think for Jack Black, a bear would have fitted him better. But I guess that’s another story (or cartoon), but the premise of someone (or some animal) learning kung-fu has been done to death, how could another attempt at this repetitive tale be anything fresh and innovative once again?

I was wrong. I will never doubt Jack Black ever again. I honestly have to say that after watching this hilariously zippy tale with a massive smile on my face, I will believe in Jack Black in whatever he does. Forever. ‘The School of Rock’ pulled the rug on me, and now ‘Kung Fu Panda’ did it again.

I will not go into details of the story, as I might spoil the enjoyment, but the premise of it is rather simple. It’s the evergreen tale of finding self-belief and overcoming the stigma of being over-sized. But what was amazing was definitely the way this over-common and rather predictable story was brought to life again in a way that was massively enjoyable.

The highly amusing banter between the characters, especially Jack Black (playing the role of Po the Panda) and Dustin Hoffman (Shifu, the…raccoon?) makes it a joy to watch. The chemistry between all the characters are done to near perfection, with the main characters delivering line after line of laughter intertwined with moments of total comical inspiration. My particular favorite is the training sessions between Shifu and Po. When Shifu realizes that Po does his best Kung Fu when he is being offered food as a reward, Shifu takes this to his advantage and trains him in the arts of Kung Fu in this approach. The outcome is comedic brilliance tainted with a bit of controversy in the best Jack Black way. I mean, think about it: I’m not sure how parents are going to feel about this idea of food as reward for good behavior….

“Throw out the rubbish son!!”

“Yes daddy!”

“OK! Good boy!” (throws a bag of chips to his kid)

*munch munch munch* ~~~Blurrpp~~~

As with so many animation movies currently being shoved into our attention every year, one would think that the animation style of ‘King Fu Panda’ would be no different from the rest. One can be wrong. In ‘Kung Fu Panda’, the kinetic energy can be felt so vibrantly as you watch it on screen. The fight sequences are alive with tenacious vigor that is akin to Jack Black’s style, and that truly gave this movie its life-force. The characters are comically created, with one look and anyone laugh at it (such as Shifu’s facial hair. The thickness of it and the way it curves around his face just cracks me up!). The set details, the costume design and the fighting styles of the main characters are all meticulously constructed, and it’s a joy to see them unfold on the big screen.

Being a kung-fu movie, I don’t think that anyone will need to be a kung-fu fan to enjoy this movie. Of course some soft of knowledge in old kung fu movies do help, as certain jokes in ‘Kung Fu Panda’ pokes hilarious fun at stereotypical aspects of kung-fu movies. And don’t be afraid to watch this movie filled with kids (as I know watching movies with kids can be a drag). Because believe me, if the movie is engaging and enjoyable, kids will simply sit back and enjoy it with little disturbances. And ‘Kung Fu Panda’ is this kind of movie. You will eventually howl with laughter at this movie, and long with the kids.

Definitely a zappy comedic cartoon that provides the kicks that is not to be missed.

Jack Black, I hail to your brilliance. *Kisses at his feet* ~Muaks muaks muaks~

Verdict: 8.5/10

Reviewed by: Raymond Choy

Riding the Wave of Petrol Price Increases

Labuan actually experienced a jam!!! And it’s on a non-holiday too!!! Shock!!! Horror!!! Terror!!! Why? Simply because the dwellers of Labuan Island were scrambling their cars to the petrol kiosks for re-fills. A rise of 0.78 cents or 40 % from RM 1.92 a liter for petrol is a MASSIVE increase (especially when the previous price hikes were only at the maximum of 30 cents). Well, I can’t say it was a surprise as around the world petrol prices were shooting up faster than New Year’s fireworks, and Malaysian petrol prices were kept at the region of RM 1.92 a liter for most of the time due to the infamous petrol subsidies. But as the government kept crying like a baby that they can’t take it no more with the subsidies (the Treasury claims that it had cost the government RM 45 billion alone this year), the price hike was bound to happen. It was only a matter of when, and by how much.

But things could get a lot worse. The word from our Government is that they intend to bring fuel prices in-line with global market cost. Now you consider that the market price of crude oil is sky-rocketing daily to new levels of the stratosphere, a RM 0.78 cent increase is merely a tiny ripple on a global perspective. Crudely-speaking (pardon the pun), things could get A LOT worse. Remember that not too long ago that the Government were saying an increase would be in August this year? Well, it's not August yet and already an increase had occurred. My point being, in August, there could well be another increase if their alignment in global market cost of petrol is true. In the long-run, we could well be seeing another increase to RM 3 per liter of petrol...

The Government’s defense to the increase is obviously the global skyrocketing of oil prices, which is at most out of their control. But they also keep saying that prices of petrol are the cheapest in the Asian region. Indeed this is true. But, have the people realized that in most Asian countries, they do not need to pay toll for their use of highways? We Malaysian pay through our noses just to commute to our workstations on time, but realistically speaking, do we have any choice? Let’s not even start on our public transportation woes, or even our rapidly diminishing options of toll-free roads that is silently eradicated on the pretense of development. My point is, I’m not honestly against the petrol price hike, but at least provide us with some notion of an option not to utilize petrol. Car-pool? You and I know how badly that fared, and how inconvenient it was. Hybrid cars? A good and environmentally-friendly option, but the petrol price increase would effectively place it on the high-demand list, hence causing its price to increase wouldn’t it? Again, back to square one. The only feasible alternative I see is public transportation, but a massive overhaul is needed if it is truly to become a viable option to the mass public. We are light-years away from the efficiency and convenience of our Asian counter-parts like Singapore and Hong Kong. So in the meantime, what options do we have but to bite the bullet hard and ride the tidal wave of consequences from the petrol price hike. We got no choice, our balls are in their hands.

Yes, there will be consequences from this petrol price hike. As you might have guessed, once petrol increases, so does everything else. According to the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Abdul Samad, national inflation rate will likely to hit 5 % from the after-shocks of this price increase. A brief search on the net showed that national inflation was only at 3 % (April 2008), which was a 15-month high. Forecasts for the year before the price hike announcement was only at 2.5 %, hence we could see a doubling effect on all initial price increases (i.e. a RM 0.10 cents increase before price hike could now be RM 0.20 cents).

We were riding on a wave of new rejuvenation for this country, such as the rally of the stock market early this year. But now, the engines of reinvigoration would probably stall and the momentum of growth will slow further. The Central Bank has cut our economic growth forecast from around 5 to 5.5 % this year from an initial 6.5 to 7 % forecast. Couple this with our recent political turn-around that will take its time to settle-in, we could yet be experiencing minimal growth for this year. So dear Malaysians, it’s high time to put on your saving caps because it’s going to rain HARD.

Interesting times indeed for us Malaysians, but more interestingly will be how well our Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will face these challenges considering he is already at chest-deep in political turmoil and fighting for his survival. Even with their recent announcement of offering yearly cash rebates of up to RM 625 for owners of cars that is up to 2,000 cc in capacity that could just be seen as mere sweeteners, but the overall cause and effect for all Malaysians involved in this recent petrol price hike may just be too bitter to bare.

Review: Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I never believed for one minute that I would see another Indiana Jones movie in my lifetime. Ever. I was a mere kid when the so-called last installment of ‘Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade’ burst into life on the cinema screen (and I was still in Ipoh, my hometown, when I saw it). I was amazed, bewildered, astonished, basically went kid-crazy over the adventures of Dr. Jones and his equally charismatic associates through-out the trilogy. Re-runs of all the Indy movies was a common staple during my childhood cinematic diet, along with other movies like ‘Star Wars’, ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Robocop’. Yes, ‘Robocop’. Don’t argue with me. Anyway, I grew up on these movies and no matter how cheesy these movies may be to some other viewers, I love them for what they are and I would never ever hate them for whatever reason – they are my icons, and they are still icons to me now.

So when Steven Spielberg and gang announced that they are making Indy 4, I was of course thrilled. But my euphoria of excitement soon waned as leaks after leaks of its storyline streamed out from the internet, from the initial Frank Darabont draft to the now-utilized David Koepp draft burst my elevation bubble with a big pop. Photos of the movie taken illegally soon followed from the net stream, further squeezing out whatever excitement that is still left. Then the trailer was not as spectacular or as enchanting as I had imagined (it looked and felt more like another Nicholas Cage movie called National whats-its-name).

So why were all those unnecessary leaks and bad trailers affecting me so badly? Simply because movies like ‘E.T.’, ‘Back to the Future’ & ‘Jurassic Park’ for example worked so well with audiences, and with me in particular, is because of the simple fact that no one knew anything about it, no one knew what it was when it first came out – no one knew the T-Rex in ‘Jurassic Park’ was so jaw-droppingly terrifying and realistic that when the T-Rex initiated its first stomping attack on those helpless humans, the temperature in the cinema rose by 10 degrees. And I clearly remember seeing audiences going to the washroom with such regularity, it is an obvious sign that the movie had affected them, shocked their system and had genuinely elevated them to a higher state of euphoria.

And I revere the experience of seeing these movies for themselves, and not because of the massive hype some movies generate whereby everyone starts to jump onto the hype-wagon to watch a movie just for the sake of watching it. No, classics do not come in such marketable packages. Remember ‘Jurassic Park’ had minimal footage or photos of its dinosaurs on TV before it came out (Steven Spielberg kept the dinos very secretly under wraps) and had no internet clips such as the recent ‘Cloverfield’ propaganda-like marketing push. There was no other place to find out about it but only inside the darkened hall of a movie theater, and enjoy the movie the way the Director meant it to be enjoyed. It was just me and the cinema screen, with my imagination in between….

So I guess now, living in an age where hype and publicity are all too common, those days of pure cinematic enjoyment was over. And when my time had come to see Indy 4, my expectations were never the same as before and only at the level of ‘just another summer pop-corn movie’….
…and almost 3 hours later, there was a minimal shift in my paradigm: it’s an Indiana Jones movie. And I actually liked it.

I guess the surprise-factor and the purity of the cinema-going experience that I was talking about is still evident: I was shocked to see that they got it as right as they did. And the best of all, I was shocked to see Harrison Ford showed up. The REAL Harrison Ford I mean, the Han Solo-Harrison Ford, the Rick Deckard-Harrison Ford, and of course, the Indiana Jones-Harrison Ford. The pale shadow of Harrison Ford from ‘The Devil’s Own’, ‘Six Days Seven Nights’ and ‘Hollywood Homicide’ flops was far away, and what a relief it was. Indeed, Harrison Ford may be older and showed a bit of ‘grand-pa’ vibe at certain parts of the movie, but the critical matter is that you can see that Harrison Ford CARED for his character and was INSPIRED to perform to his best. And it is evident that his show of character provided the spread of virtuoso vibe to his co-stars to do just the same, charming and charismatic performance that captivated audiences in the previous installments.

Cate Blanchett pulled it off with a character that is one of the riskiest parts to play as the mind-reading Russian communist-cum-dominatrix with a twist ala ‘The Incredibles’s bad version of Edna Mode. The overhyped Shia LeBeouf was played with much chemistry and good-bonding between him and Harrison Ford, which was a relief to watch (although I find him too tame and with too limited a role). Ray Winstone delivered a performance that simply oozes all qualities that is required to personify a character that lacks all code of ethics, and Karen Allen, ah Karen Allen, she reprised her role as Marion and brought along with all that potent chemistry and magnetism with Harrison Ford from the first movie and to see that on screen again was simply electrifying. With her blinding smile shining at just the right moments in the movie, she would have easily stolen the show if Indy really had let her…if only.

As for the main man himself, Mr. Steven Spielberg, yes he has been making ghastly movies recently that do not fit his portfolio of greatness as his recent movies such as ‘The Terminal’, ‘War of the Worlds’ and ‘Munich’ were just passable in my book. Nowadays he do not even come close to the altar of greatness he had built with movies like ‘Jaws’, ‘Schdilier’s List’ & of course the original ‘Indiana Jones’. With Indy 4, I still think he has lived past his glory days and has yet to return to his former prominence. However, I must be fair that Indy 4 was crafted with clear hints of a few masterstrokes that are hallmarks of his movies, such as the way he builds on the excitement with every action sequence, piling on the obstacles and dangers as the action sequence unfolds. With Spielberg, all the action always seems to be a cacophony of craziness and pandemonia, but they are perfectly structured and are well planned out.

But the one thing that upset me most was how mild mannered this movie is considering how dark and gory the first movie, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ was (remember the heart-tearing-from-chest scene at the end?). In Indy 4, things stay bloodless and brutality kept to a minimum, with feather-light tones reminiscent of the 3rd installment, ‘The Last Crusade’ instead of the other two darker chapters. If I have to segregate them, Indy 4 will sit very nicely just alongside ‘The Last Crusade’, but a few distances away from ‘The Temple of Doom’ but far away from ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’…

Cinematography wise, Janusz Kaminski does a fair job at keeping the distinctive look and feel of Doug Slocombe’s masterful camera work in the previous Indy movies. But a blemish to it all is the CGI. CGI exist in the Indy world only as a supporting factor, not as the central feature in the landscapes of Indiana Jones’ world. So when I saw so many CGI effects in this movie, it all felt a bit fake, unreal and unbelievable that the person on screen was indeed Indiana Jones. There was so much fake lighting, sugar-coated explosions and digital surroundings, it felt all too un-Indy-like. I’m not saying the CGI is of poor quality in this movie, no, far from it. They are the best that can be offered in the industry today, but somehow it did not fit in. It was like having Tom Cruise to play Indiana Jones. All the hallmarks of the Indy universe were shifted from their place, and now replaced (although partially, not completely) by digital wonders instead of practical marvels. Remember Indy’s perils of running while trying to climb onto a propeller plane to escape the attack by numerous baddies in the first movie? You can see and feel the danger in Indy’s eyes, but in Indy 4 it was all too surreal and all too well-staged, with CGI to the rescue. I was entertained, no doubts about it, but I rarely felt the same sense of real danger that was so evident and common-place in the previous installments. A lot of scenes were a patch-up job; another instance is when some scenes were too rough for even CGI to save, the distinctive Indy music score came into play at just the right moments to ignite moments of pure audio nostalgia, and whatever flaws were skipped and hastily moved along to the next scene. Call it strokes of directive genius or moments of plain shabbiness, it did not bode well for me and it’s a blemish that I will not easily forgive and will never forget.

All in all, I’m just glad that they did not screw it up as much as I had anticipated, which was a massive relief. Indy 4 has its issues and it will not be listed as a classic in my book, nor will it sit nicely side-by-side with true classics like ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ or ‘The Temple of Doom’. It did contain some moments of pure cinematic pleasure, fun and excitement. But for all its worth, this latest (I will never say last again. Ever. Hollywood has taught me that), Indy 4 is still a milestone in movie-dom that should be enjoyed not as a classic, but enjoyed as a celebration of everything is that fun, exiting, and over-the-top qualities that Hollywood reveres today.

Verdict: 8/10

Reviewed by: Raymond Choy