The Plan

The long-awaited tele-movie from Battlestar Galactica - The Plan has finally been released. Ever since the TV series ended in March 2009, I've been getting withdrawal symptoms. The finale was not overly bad, it was actually rather emotional and sad. However, still too many unanswered questions lingered. With The Plan, some of the unanswered questions have finally been answered.

The Plan actually started from 2 weeks before the Fall of Caprica to just around Season 2 of the TV series and not till the finale. I won't spoil it too much, but you do see more of the Cylons, their plottings and plannings that went completely unnoticed throughout the fleet. It was more like they formed a tiny little cult amongst themselves, held meetings within a makeshift chapel, possibly on Galactica and then plotted. Only the No.1, 4, 5, 6 and 8 (Sharon Valerii) were plotting.

The entire Plan tele-movie was John or No.1 driven. He's the leader, leading the rest of his race to destroy the humans. However, his brother model No.1, Brother Cavil, sees things from a different point of view, which he doesn't accept. His vendetta against humanity must be absolute and unquestionably followed, even if resistance among his own model seems forthcoming, he will squash it all the same and proceed with his master plan. The disappearance of Shelly Godfrey was explained, it was rather sad what happened actually, but interesting to watch the banter.

I won't spoil anymore, but let's just say that through humanity's drive to survive and live on, Brother Cavil saw a possibility for peace between humans and Cylons and acted on it with the rest of the Cylons on Caprica. However, John refused to acknowledge peace, he insisted to teach the Final Five a lesson and hope they would come crawling back to him to tell him that he was correct. And so their plan was destroyed, leading to the rest of the season.

I was rather disappointed that Lucy Lawless didn't make an appearance in this series, because she was the driving force behind Season 3, and she had screen presence and could stand up to the No.1s. They did show her in a short snippet here and there, probably taken from Season 3, but otherwise, she had no air time. Dean Stockwell was excellent as No.1, conveying menace and vengeance throughout the entire movie. I will never again see him as Scott Bakula's personal computer from Quantum Leap!

It was also interesting to note that when the Basestars attacked the Twelve Colonies, they turn their top and bottom Y-shaped sections to fit a symmetrical configuration before launching their nukes. Something that was never shown again in the course of the TV series!

Highly recommended to all who followed the entire re-imagined series, and are still suffering from BSG withdrawal symptoms, like me! :P

4 out of 5 stars

Tempting Heart

I'm not an advocate of Mandarin movies, because most of the time they can get rather nonsensical and witless. However, once in a blue moon, a movie comes along that someone introduces to me and I was lucky to have the chance to watch it.

Yes, it is a rather old one from 1999 and it is a Mandarin/Cantonese film, and I got to watch the DVD in Cantonese, but hey, there are some lovely ones out there that nobody we don't know about and are not represented widely enough. Then again, I guess we tend to identify with romantic movies which touch our hearts better than others do.

This is a beautifully written and directed, romantic love-story, but it was done it a very abstract manner, in that scenes from the past, present and future were all intermixed and woven together like a tapestry to tell the entire story. Meaning, there could be a scene from when the characters were in the future, and then another from their past and then another in the present. It is up to you to figure out which period they were in and piece the movie together. There were times when I was confused, but in the end, all the questions were answered.

Not many movies make me cry, but this love triangle plot had such beauty in it, it told the human side of love and how close it comes to hitting home sometimes, you just cannot resist not feeling emotional when watching it.

Takeshi Kaneshiro stars as Ho-jun, a shy teenager who falls in love with Gigi Leung's character Xiao rou. Their relationship turns intimate but faces objections from their parents. Karen Mok plays Chen-li, the best friend of Gigi, whom Gigi confides in and tells all her problems.

This teenage love soon fizzled and Ho-jun turns to marry Chen-li. Chen-li then reveals that she and Ho-jun have been in love with the same girl Xiao rou. Xiao rou also gets married. She only later finds out that Ho-jun's wife is Chen-li, but only discovers this after Chen-li has died.

Chen-li left a message for Xiao rou, asking her for forgiveness. As Xiao rou prepared to fly back to Hong Kong from Japan, Ho-jun gives her a present. Inside the box were photographs, each taken when Ho-jun was thinking about Xiao-rou of their brief and bright moments of happiness.

What I loved most about this movie was this last scene, when she opens the box containing the photographs which were taken when Ho-jun was thinking about her. Who hasn't done that for their loved ones in one way or another? To capture a moment in time, through photography or otherwise, in which this same photo will trigger your memory of what you were actually thinking of at that moment in years to come.

Here is the love theme from the movie, also titled Tempting Heart, or Xin Dong. It is sung by Shino Lin Xiao Pei. Even if you don't know the lyrics, the music itself is really beautiful and touching. I've included the lyrics and the lose translation below.

This is a highly recommended movie for all romantics out there. The characters are believable and very easy to identify with and the acting is very powerful by the 3 lead actors.

9 out of 10 stars

You Duo Jiu Mei Jian Ni
(How long have I never seen you?)

Yin Wei Ni Zai Na Li
(I thought you were there)

Yuan Lai Jiu Zhu Zai Wo Xin Di
(In fact you're just deep inside my heart)

Pei Ban Zhe Wo De Hu Xi
(Accompanying my breath)

You Duo Yuan De Ju Li
(How far is the distance?)

Yi wei wen bu dao ni qi xi
(I thought I can't smell you)

Shui Zhi Dao Ni Bei Ying Zhe Me Chang
(Who knows your shadow is so long)

Hui tou jiu kan dao ni
(Once I turn around I see you)


Chorus:
Guo qu rang ta guo qu
(Let the past go)

Lai bu ji / Cong tou xi huan ni
(It's too late to love you from the start)

Bai yun chan rao zhe lan tian
(As if clouds are covering the blue sky)

Ru guo bu neng gou yong yuan dou zai yi qi
(If we can't be together forever)

Ye zhi shao gei wo men
(Give us at least)

Huai nian de yong qi
(the courage to miss)

Yong bao de quan li
(The right to hug)

Hao rang ni ming bai
(So that you understand)

Wo xin dong de hen ji
(The trace of my heart moving)


Zong shi xiang zai jian ni
(Always wish to see you again)

Hai shi zhe da tan ni xiao xi
(I even attempt to inquire your news)

Yuan lai ni jiu zhu zai wo de shen ti
(In fact you're just living in my body)

Shou zhu wo de hui yi
(Guarding my memories)

Doctor Who?

It seems as if television is running out of ideas. All the old, old series are popping back into mainstream television and coming back into our lives. First, it was Battlestar Galactica, now, Dr Who.

I've never watched a complete episode of Dr Who, bits and pieces of it maybe, but never a complete episode. I think mainly because the stories, at that time, were really overly fantastic and me being so young, at that time, didn't take too well with stories with too much imagination and the dry British humour, which I was never accustomed to. However, I do remember the blue police box TARDIS and Tom Baker walking around in with his scarf and coat, before switching channels.

I guess in those days, the 1980s, props and TV tech weren't as fantastic to sustain my interest, either that, or my interest and imagination wasn't so wild yet and has only recently matured with age. The latest season has good techs and visual effects.

I have to say that in this latest series, the storylines stretches your imagination beyond its limit. There were times when I expected the hopeless situation to be so utterly hopeless that nothing will do, when something new gets injected into the story, be it a character or some sci-fi gadget to get them out of that painful situation. Of course, the writers have it well thought out and don't make the escape too ridiculous.

Morales and ethics are explored throughout the series and also how to enjoy life and live it to the fullest. Not so much like Star Trek, but just as well. The aftermath and consequences of what the Doctor did in an episode are reflected upon in a later episode. You will see that the Doctor did what was right to correct the mistakes and helps humanity out of slavery (for example), but doesn't stop to consider that in doing so, he leaves them vulnerable to attack and outside suggestion and right back into the "slavery" he got them out of.

This new series is loaded with British wit and humour, at times, I didn't see it, but it's there and it's hilarious once you spot it and soon I learnt to appreciate it.

I enjoyed the concept of a time traveller travelling backwards and forward in time and is over 900 year old. At the same time, the concept that the Doctor can talk to any race and have a decent conversation with them is most refreshing. The Doctor is also exceptionally knowledgeable of all things in the universe, which is most helpful in his travels when he can recognise technology from different species.

The venerable science fiction program Doctor Who returned to British televisions in 2005 after a 15-year absence and delighted the majority of fans and critics with its adherence to the adventure and charm of the original series, while making admissions for a new generation of viewers (hipper editing and score, CGI effects). Thirteen episodes were generated, all starring Christopher Eccleston as the ninth Doctor and pop-singer-turned-actress Billie Piper as his companion Rose; acclaimed writer/producer Russell T. Davies (Touching Evil, Queer as Folk) oversaw the show as chief writer and executive producer. The new series proved so popular that the BBC agreed to revive the program for second and third seasons - though without Eccleston, who has since been replaced by David Tennant. This six-disc set comes with all 13 episodes plus the battery of supplemental features now customary to all Doctor Who DVD releases.

Eccleston is very engaging in the title role, bringing a manic curiosity tempered by occasional bouts of gravity (which befit a personality with a long and dramatic a lifespan as the Doctor's) that hew closely to the (arguably) most popular Doctor, Tom Baker. Piper is equally adept as department store clerk Rose--she's afforded more of a back story than most of the Doctor's sidekicks have received in the past, and she more than handles her own alongside Eccleston. Highlights among the 13 episodes include the season opener, Rose (which sees the return of an old foe, the Autons, and their controlling force, the Nestene Consciousness); the revamped Daleks in Dalek and the two-parter Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways; a trip to Victorian England to aid Charles Dickens in The Unquiet Dead and of course, the arrival of the tenth Doctor at the conclusion of the action-packed Parting of the Ways. The episodes strike the right blend of quirk, excitement, and imagination, thanks largely to the engaging performances and the guidance of Davies, whose admiration for the show and its history is evident throughout.

Christopher Eccleston's Doctor is wise and funny, cheeky and brave. An alien and a loner, his detached logic gives him a vital edge when the world's in danger. But when it comes to human relationships, he can be found wanting. That's why he needs Rose. From the moment they meet, the Doctor and Rose understand and complement each other. As they travel together through time, encountering new adversaries, the Doctor shows her things beyond imagination. The only quarrel I had was that the storyline where Rose ended up back with her mom and boyfriend Mickey was rather irritating. But I guess, in every show, family always play an important role in guiding the character.

I was impressed with the series, which sustained my interest throughout. At the same time, I was very impressed with the Daleks. I've been often told by friends that they were one of the Doctor's most deadly nemesis. I didn't believe that the Daleks were anything more than metal dustbins shooting light rays. Boy was I wrong! In this series, the creators have made them utterly deadly. Their disembodied mechanical voice will send shivers up your spine exclaming their favourite phrase "EX-TER-MINATE". The reintroduction of the Dalek Emperor and how it now thinks of itself as a God is extremely interesting.

At present, I'm awaiting the DVD release for season 2, although Amazon.com and some other websites are selling it at a hideously expensive price for the number of episodes in the complete season collection!

I highly, highly recommend this series to anyone (not just Dr Who fans) who are willing to just jump in, sit back and let imagination do the rest, for the fantastic storyline and script-writing and of course, for the fun and excitement of travelling to the when and where in the universe and losing yourself there.

9 out of 10 stars

Stargate Atlantis

I didn't think much of Stargate Atlantis, expecting it to be another franchise to make money from the original Stargate movie. I was wrong. At the same time, my friends told me that the storyline in Atlantis was related to Stargate SG-1 and I started to have second thoughts about watching it. Bear in mind that Stargate Atlantis still hasn't reached us, so I had to settle for the DVD series.

Stargate Atlantis starts off where Stargate SG-1 left off at the end of Season 9 where they found an Ancient outpost in Antartica thinking that it was Atlantis. At the same time, a new gate address is found and it has 8 symbols, meaning that it's a gate address in another galaxy. A new team is assembled to head to this new address. However, there's also this new catch that the new team has to at least have this thing called an Ancient Technology Activation (ATA) gene that allows members of the team to activate Ancient technology.

Again, this new team walks through the gate and sets up shop in Atlantis, however, things get out of hand when they arrive. They realise that they don't have enough power as the ZPM (Zero Point Module) is depleting and this power problem remains a hassle for them throughout season 1 and into season 2 and 3 (I think, haven't gotten there yet).

They encounter friendly and deadly new races and the deadliest one of all, the Wraith seem almost impossible to defend against. This race defeated the Ancients and feeds of the life energy of humans. They were in hibernation when the Atlantis team woke them up after they killed the Hive Keeper. So the theme throughout season 1 is them making new friends, and new enemies (The Genii) and all the while dodging attacks from the Wraith and looking for new power sources.

The characters in this series are interesting. Major John Sheppard reminds me of Jack O'Neill from SG-1, not as funny, but just as resourceful and smart. Dr Elizabeth Weir the expedition team leader is a natural and level-headed leader. She's able to make difficult decisions which turn out to be right. Dr Rodney McKay, the resident scientist has a huge ego and always thinks he's correcet, when actually he's not. Dr Carson Beckett is the Irish bloke resident chief medical officer, who has the nicest accent and is afraid to use his ATA gene to activate Ancient technology.

I found that several plot points repeated and it was almost like watching an earlier season of Stargate SG-1, especially when the 3 hive ships start approaching Atlantis, which almost reflects the Goa'uld arriving in their hatak to conquer Earth.

The new stargate is different in that, the inner wheel doesn't rotate to the correct glyph before locking. In the Pegasus galaxy, dialling the stargate is much faster as the correct glyph moves around the stargate electronically and locks on faster. However, this also means the incoming wormholes also get dialled in faster and prevent you from dialling out.

Overall, this was an enjoyable introductory season to watch in all manner of Stargate entertainment, which has the format of mixing sci-fi with action-adventure and a touch of comedy.

8 out of 10 stars