Rantings Of The Week

Maroon 5 needs a new album. I'm sick of listening to She Will Be Loved and This Love over and over and over again. It's not like they have any lack of talent at trying to produce a new album. It's not beyond them. They seem to have canabalised off their 2001 album Songs About Jane long enough, something new and refreshing and in the right direction would be nice. Or have they really run out of ideas and steam to do so? I sure as hell wish that radio stations across the world would ban This Love and She Will Be Loved just like they did Jame Blunt's You're Beautiful. Some of these songs are just overplayed with too much airtime. Either that, or the radio stations haven't done any updating or book-keeping of their song machines.

"If only the post office was as efficient as the weather service!" Quipped Doc Emmett Brown from Back To The Future 2. I can't say anything for the weather service here. I have been waiting for almost 2 weeks for a parcel from Down Under. I wait all week faithfully for 2 weeks and absolutely nothing. Then when I decide that today they won't come, and I step out for lunch, they drop by to deliver the package!! UGH WTF!!!

The details on the redelivery slip says that they came 5 minutes just after I left for lunch. Of course, when I get home and find the slip, I'm jumping up and down - insane with madness! (I can now appreciate the phrase!)

Furthermore they have this fantastic automated phone system that doesn't allow me to get my parcel redelivered tomorrow. It says that I need to give them at least 2 working days! Utter rubbish! I make a booking, just in case they're closed, and call their operator (a human being, not a mechanical Dalek voice) who was kind enough to reschedule everything to be delivered for me tomorrow from 9am to 1pm. A huge 4 hour window in which I have to sit at home and wait for my parcel to arrive all over again and can't go out to do anything.

Tough luck huh?

Torchwood

BBC Three has announced that it will make a Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood, the centrepiece of its fall schedule, launching the sci-fi crime thriller series in October 2006.

Spinning off of one of Doctor Who's most memorable characters, Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Torchwood will be set in present day Cardiff (that's Wales to you lot) and will surround a group of covert criminal investigators called the Torchwood Institute, an organization commissioned by Queen Victoria and tasked with investigating alien technology. The team will be headquartered at The Hub, located beneath Cardiff Bay, the site of the TARDIS' landing in Boom Town and the location of the rift discussed in The Unquiet Dead.

Created by current Doctor Who writer/producer Russell T. Davies, Torchwood stars John Barrowman as bisexual time traveller/con man Jack Harkness and Eve Myles as former police officer Gwen Cooper. Astute Doctor Who fans may remember Myles from the Who episode The Unquiet Dead, where she played the role of the similarly named Gwyneth. (Whether Gwen and Gwyneth are the same character has yet to be confirmed, but the fact that Myles' previous Who episode dealt with the rift adds credence to that theory.)

Joining Barrowman and Myles are Bleak House's Burn Gorman, who will play Torchwood Institute medic Dr Owen Harper, and Absolutely Fabulous' Naoko Mori, who will reprise the role of Dr Toshiko Sato from the Doctor Who episode Aliens of London.

Doctor Who writer/producer Russell T. Davies has written the first of thirteen episodes. He'll be joined on the series by writers Chris Chibnall, co-creator of Life on Mars, and P.J. Hammond, creator of 1980s cult classic Sapphire & Steel (which starred Mori's Absolutely Fabulous castmate Joanna Lumley), among others.

Torchwood is, of course, a clever anagram of Doctor Who and was originally used as a codename for the current incarnation of Doctor Who, before taking on a life of its own during the series. Also of note is that all the characters have already shared a same-sex kiss, in one way or another, indicating that the show moves into the bisexual realm, making it ground-breaking on TV, at least in the UK, I seriously doubt it will ever be shown here.

Already the seven episodes till now have shown some fascinating developments with the team. However, there are sources and forums that rate the series as a no-brainer, stating that the characters have no depth, this is complete hogwash. Each episode develops the characters brilliantly, their humanity, how they deal with the unknown and aliens being on Earth, the alien tech that they find. Although it looks like they're fumbling through it all, making it up as they go along, they do go on along nicely, making mistakes as humanly possible and learning and evolving in the process, that's the beauty of this series, the stories have twists and turns, unlike the typical American series that have a fixed way in which things must happen and the eventual outcome.

So, it's farewell to Mulder and Scully from The X-Files' brand of sci-fi crime thriller. Enter Torchwood, where anything and everything mysterious and alien doesn't have to be a government conspiracy that hinders your investigations over and over again till the end of nine bloody seasons. This series is at least a team effort, real-imaginative story-telling, light visual effects and closure at the end of each episode.

9 out of 10 stars

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

Best Bond Ever

I have to say that I was impressed when I went to watch the latest Bond movie Casino Royale. It had all the perks of an action movie, with the spy intrigue and the works.

Daniel Craig has erased all the critics expectation of him under-performing his role as James Bond. I guess, they like to compare all the Bonds constantly and always remind everyone that Sean Connery was the best Bond, blah, blah, blah. Daniel Craig has brought an edgier, tough, sexy, hunky and blonde Bond into the mix and it has altogether turned out rather well.

There are, in every Bond movie, Bond girls. This time, you have none other than Eva Green aka Vesper Lynd, who was last saw romancing Orlando Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven. Eva Green has a soft beauty to her, although most of the time she's seen with deep eye shadow, she's exceptionally photogenic and has a charming and lovely smile, not enough, dare I say, to launch a thousand ships, but just enough to play a Bond girl lusciously.

The other actress worth mentioning, who's not considered a Bond girl, is Dame Judi Dench. She brings out the sort of authority seen in a lady boss, not quite the dragon lady kind, and at the same time, motherly figure to James Bond's character. She chastises Bond on making mistakes but encourages him at the same time when he's learnt his lessons.

The gambling scenes had just the right tension eased into them to make them believable, perhaps they should show Casino Royale constantly in our casinos when they're up and running in the future?

Despite of that, I do have a few quarrels with the movie I've listed below. However, these are my quarrels, you have to watch the movie and find your own!

Beware, if you haven't watched Casino Royale yet, stop now, spoilers ahead!

1. This is the only Bond movie in which both Bond girls died! UGH!
2. The lengthy plot had too many twists and turns, some of them were rather disjointed, and not well connected edited to connect them seamlessly. This caused some confusion at times, especially who's who, who's the villian etc.
3. The villian's girlfriend usually dies, they never did show how this one died, or if she lived.
4. The Bond villian, Le Chiffre, wasn't evil enough. He lacked charisma and looked pale and weak, bleeding through his eyes. He was a prodigy, but he lacked the tenacity and ego that Elliot Carver had or the focus and resources that Gustave Graves had.
5. The MI6 computer implant in Bond's wrist could scan and tell you the type of poison in your system within a span of 2 minutes or less. I think it was a deriavative of Digitalis, but I can't be sure.
6. The Aston Martin DS5 was destroyed! How could they destroy such a beautiful car?
7. The Aston Martin DS5 comes with defibrillators and antitoxins? Probably in Bond's world only, ours will probably have sunglasses, tons of CDs, street directory, car user manual and parking coupons.
8. There was no Q or any gadgets. Other techie stuff were in the form of SONY notebooks and Sony Ericsson handphones, nice!

Ultimately, a great Bond movie to watch, with added ingredients of male machoism and hand-to-hand combat, that will re-energise the Bond franchise. I was actually getting sick of listening to Pierce Brosnan's sexual innuendoes, probably more from bad script-writing than the actors themselves having to say those lines.

8 out of 10 stars

You Will Lose Everything

One of the many, many Harry Potter posters for the movie Order Of The Phoenix.
Out on 13 July 2007

Batman Versus Wolverine

Are You Watching Closely? Whether it’s making a movie or writing a review, or any creative endeavour in general, the methodical choice of what the audience sees or read weighs heavily on the mind of the artist. But every trick is more than the sum of its part, and that’s what ultimately The Prestige is: the perfect ending thought unobtainable moments before it hits. Spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk if you haven't watched the movie.

Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are rival 19th century magicians. They start out as friends and colleagues, until Angier holds Borden responsible for the tragic loss of his wife, a lovely magician’s assistant. Angier and Borden soon are drawn into an endless cycle of sabotage and espionage upon each another until Borden invents a new trick Angier can’t replicate. This drives Angier to travel to the ends of the Earth, seeking out Nikola Tesla himself (David Bowie) to build a machine to compete with Borden’s trick. Angier’s return engagement gets deadly though, leaving one magician dead and the other accused of his murder.

This is where the story gets interesting. The machine that Tesla creates for Angier actually creates a doppelganger - an exact copy - of anything placed at its centre. What Angier has done in order to make the trick work so well, is that he has placed a water tank under the trapdoor at the centre of the machine to catch and drown the doppelganger, while he gets transported some 60 feet behind the audience in the circle seats. Angier does not reveal this till the end. However, he himself doesn't know if he's the real Angier or the doppelganger, probably because the copy is so exact. We are told and later shown, that he performed over 100 acts, so there are over 100 doppelgangers each in over 100 tanks, that have been placed under a derelict theatre to hide the truth from everyone. He has blind stage-hands working for him so that the secret of the trick is never revealed to anyone else.

The most prestigious element The Prestige has going for it is the cast. Bale and Jackman are both amazing actors able to depict the intense obsessesion of their characters. It's no surprise Bale nails the passionate and accented Borden, but it is a surprise how adeptly he nails a magic trick of his own right in front of the movie-goer’s eyes. Jackman on the other hand is able to play with the audience’s sympathizes, for both the death of Angier’s wife as well as Jackman’s own track-record of more clean-cut protagonists.

Michael Caine plays Cutter, a veteran trick-maker who takes Angier under his wing. Caine seems right at home in the 19th century, and his performance gives credibility to the insight and motivations of magicians. Scarlett Johansson's Olivia, an assistant caught between both Angier and Borden, is introduced later. Although Johansson's performance gives Olivia and her relationships real emotional weight, her character winds up a bit underused in the grand scheme of things. David Bowie's Nikola Tesla is perhaps restrained from what we tend to expect from the rock star/actor, but this was necessary for his role. In a lighter role, Andy Serkis of Gollum fame from Lord of the Rings, played Tesla's aide Alley. Although Alley is considered more a peripheral character, Serkis' energy and charisma ultimately makes him something more.

Based the novel of the same title by Christopher Priest, The Prestige is directed by Batman Begins and Memento director Christopher Nolan. It is cleverly directed in such a way that you have to literally watch closely to every dialogue and every scene, which presents clues and answers to the entire movie.

The Prestige is a wonderous movie filled with magic tricks and plot twists to mislead the audience, with a touch of science, which leads it into one of the most prestigious film endings of recent memory.

Highly, highly recommended to anyone who's looking for a smart and magical movie, with excellent acting to enjoy.

8 out of 10 stars

Update: A 2 in 1 Movie Poster For The Prestige

Harry Potter Is A Star Wars Rip-Off

I've always suspected it, but now hard solid proof has emerged that once and for all shows that J.K. Rowling (aka the great plagarist) stole her entire concept for Harry Potter from George Lucas' "Star Wars". For shame lady, for shame.

The following document was taken from Rowling's purse at a London airport. See for yourself below.

Many Bothans died to bring us this information.